Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[Anna]

Let's say I have this thing for inundated towns.

Me too
http://www.lostvillages.ca/

 

[Cast_Member]

I remembered wringer washers. My father bought one from Simpsons in 1982 and it finally broke down few years ago. He want to Sears to ask for wringer washers and the salesman said that manufacturers don't make them anymore. My father being a senior citizen find it strange that times changed and he finally settles for a modern L.G. washer.

 

[geneva]

Dummer Street

@ Anna :
Dummer Street, according to 1850 City Directory (at Toronto Archives) was the FIRST street west of College Avenue, (now University Avenue), running north from Queen Street). That, again, was in 1850.

 

[FAC33]

Finally,.. FAC33, this one's for you:

http://www.gribblenation.com/swparoads/essays/nationalrd/mdtoyough.html

http://www.route40.net/page.asp?n=374

Route 40 is kind of like the lesser-known cousin of Route 66. It runs right through the middle of Columbus, my hometown, as Main St. on the east before jogging to become Broad St. on the west side. It also makes a great place to exit in a hurry from I-70 west of Columbus if you are in a station wagon full of teen orchestra musicians who have just been spotted speeding by the cops.

That submerged bridge is awesome. Wonder what else is lying submerged under dams and reservoirs throughout the world?

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

For starters, there is the Crawford Street bridge just below Dundas St and another on Harbord Street west of Christie Street,

although neither is under water, just filled in with earth from the Bloor Subway.


Regards,
J T

 

[Mustapha]

Me too
http://www.lostvillages.ca/

Huh, most fascinating, thank you Anna. And local interest too.

 

[Mustapha]

I remembered wringer washers. My father bought one from Simpsons in 1982 and it finally broke down few years ago. He want to Sears to ask for wringer washers and the salesman said that manufacturers don't make them anymore. My father being a senior citizen find it strange that times changed and he finally settles for a modern L.G. washer.

The wringer part of those machines were most certainly any possible number of consumer liability lawsuits in the offing.. imagine getting a necklace caught in that thing..

 

[Mustapha]

Route 40 is kind of like the lesser-known cousin of Route 66. It runs right through the middle of Columbus, my hometown, as Main St. on the east before jogging to become Broad St. on the west side. It also makes a great place to exit in a hurry from I-70 west of Columbus if you are in a station wagon full of teen orchestra musicians who have just been spotted speeding by the cops.

That submerged bridge is awesome. Wonder what else is lying submerged under dams and reservoirs throughout the world?

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/21892

 

[Mustapha]

Harbord just west of Grace, big guy, not Christie.

 

[Goldie]

That submerged bridge is awesome. Wonder what else is lying submerged under dams and reservoirs throughout the world?

Here's a photographer who has made amazing aerial photos of some submerged towns around the St Lawrence River area.
Many old highways, buildings and artifacts can be seen thru the layer of water.

Look at:

http://louishelbig.com/sunkenvillagesst.html

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

"Harbord just west of Grace, big guy, not Christie."
QUOTE Mustapha.

Ah yes. Grace under pressure.
(LOL)

Regards,
J T

 

[Gebbois]

The wringer part of those machines were most certainly any possible number of consumer liability lawsuits in the offing.. imagine getting a necklace caught in that thing..

My older brother was curious when he was 7, and put his hand in the wringer when it was wringing. Broke his arm real good!

 

[Mustapha]

Here's a photographer who has made amazing aerial photos of some submerged towns around the St Lawrence River area.
Many old highways, buildings and artifacts can be seen thru the layer of water.

Look at:

http://louishelbig.com/sunkenvillagesst.html

Never mind the amazing pictures, the prose matches:

"The area, the event and the re-emergence bring no end to contemplation. Of connecting Lower Canada to Upper Canada, of that dividing Canada and the United States, of universal creation and flooding myths, of notions of prosperity and harnessing nature, or of relating to those who don’t have what most of us take for granted – a physical place, space, hometown to return to – the Sunken Villages are much more than the foundations, roads, locks, stumps, and church yards that have reappeared."

Wish I could rite like that.

 

[the lemur]

I understand where you are comming from but, what BOTHERS me is the pronunciation of three (maybe more?) major Toronto streets.

EG:

YONGE Street.
Rhymes with sponge.
Not "yung".
Geo Yonge was minister of War, + friend of John Graves Simcoe.


SPADINA Avenue/Road/etc.
Not, "spa dine a".
Subsequent street are named after SPADINA HOUSE.

STRACHAN Avenue.
Not "straun".
DR STRACHAN changed the pronunciation of his name;
he felt that it sounded "too hard". (stra chan)

TOO BAD FOR YOU DR STRACHIN ! TO THE VICTOR GOES THE SPOILS.


Regards,
J T

(What do you mean "I lost"? Yes I know, it's not 1850 but . . . )

You're kidding, right? Yonge is an older variant spelling of Young(e). Spadina is debatable. Not sure what Strachan himself intended but the village of Strachan in Scotland is definitely 'strawn'. Despite its appearance the name derives Scots Gaelic (strath abhainn, broad river) rather than Scots (i.e., not stra-khhan) and they're apparently very vigilant about that ...

 

[Mustapha]

Then and Now for Feb 27.


Then. St. Ann's R.C. Church. DeGrassi and Gerrard. SE corner. c1915.

Now. August 2011.