Toronto Past Archive

06/01/2026

05/31/2026

Avenue Road and Bloor 1910 vs 2021.

Can you guess where those beautiful lamp posts are located today?

Tomorrow we'll talk about their history !

05/30/2026

The Death of the Diner.

Eglinton and Avenue Rd : 1980s vs 2026.

Yitz's Deli survived almost 50 years, but the construction of the LRT was too much for some businesses. I assume they've sought compensation for business loss, although we won't know unless the details are made public.

Either way, 47 years is a long time to keep your brand and your business running, but it's another example of the slow demise of long-time businesses across the city.

Sometimes, it's just time to pack up and retire. Others are the victims of exorbitant rent hikes, redevelopment, or external factors beyond their control.

But these businesses are the soul of our neighbourhoods. They're meeting places. Friends, lovers, strangers, and family cross paths at one time or another.

(📸 Yitz's Deli, Victor Caratun Photo 2026 )

05/29/2026

Yonge St. looking south to Gould 1970s vs 2024.

It's amazing how boring Yonge St has become. I was going through my 1970s Yonge St postcards and just had to share this.

Up to the late 1990s, Yonge was still a destination both day and night. Yes, it was seedy and maybe a bit dangerous in some dark corners and alleyways, but it had life.

You had record stores many open late into the night, live music venues, book stores, restaurants, diners and yes the famous "theaters" and "salons".

These establishments were key hubs where people met, talked, exchanged ideas etc.

What's your favourite lost spot on Yonge ?

(📸 Toronto Past Archive )

05/27/2026

Discover the rich stories of Spadina Ave at a new exhibition “A Block of Jewish History: 285-366 Spadina Avenue.”

Learn about the "Hat Trick," the Corned Beef King & more! The exhibition explores the rich Jewish history of Spadina Avenue and examines a single block of the street’s buildings, businesses, and stories.

📍 Metro Hall Rotunda (55 John St)
📅 May 25–29, 2026
🎉 Reception: May 28 at 10:30 AM

Sponsored by the City of Toronto’s Legal Services Diversity Committee in celebration of Jewish Heritage Month.

Caption: Luzer, Herman, and Aaron Ladovsky in front of United Bakers Dairy Restaurant , 1926. Ontario Jewish Archives, fonds 83, file 9, item 39.

05/26/2026

Front St in the 1930s: Union Station is putting up some fantastic archival photos ( 1st photo ).

I decided to add some perspective by "zooming out" both eastward to show the landscape and south of the rail tracks to show the first and second Union Stations, which our current one replaced. I've also included the landscape and portrait of the original traffic jam photom

See the bottom of each photo for the year and description.

(📸Toronto Archives, Lead Photo: Mike Lynch)

05/25/2026

King and John n/w corner 1910 vs 2022.

The history of the nw corner of King and John dates back to the 1830s.

The Cholera Epidemic:

York General Hospital, Toronto's first public hospital, built in 1829, was the center for treatment of those suffering of cholera.

During the cholera epidemics of 1832 and 1834, this hospital was Toronto's principal civilian medical facility. Temporary fever sheds and auxiliary structures were erected on the hospital grounds to deal with the influx of patients. The hospital sat on the western edge of the town, then surrounded by open land rather than skyscrapers and theatres.

The cholera epidemics of the 1830s were among the most terrifying events in Toronto's early history. At the time, Toronto was still called York, a small town of roughly 5,000 people clustered around the waterfront. When cholera arrived in 1832, it struck with astonishing speed and helped shape the city's future public health system.

By 1889, the hospital had relocated, and the site was redeveloped for the Arlington Hotel ( pictured ).

The hotel was designed by architect John A. Radford and opened in 1889. It could accommodate about 200 guests and featured a dining room, reading room, smoking room, offices, and an elegant bar. Advertisements promoted it as being comfortably removed from the noise of downtown Toronto.

Demolished in the 1930s, the site house a car wash and gas station for decades until the redevelopment of the TIFF Lightbox ( and condos) in 2010.

(Credit: Toronto Public Library, Victor D Caratun Photo - 2022 )

05/24/2026

Yonge and Roselawn - 1936 vs 2021
Looking South to Eglinton.
(Toronto Archives)

05/23/2026

This is why I do this!

Today was a rainy and windy Saturday, yet these 5 history lovers trekked out to visit Manor Road United. We talked Toronto history, vintage Toronto postcards, and the history of The Ward and Chinatown. What a wonderful way to wrap up Day 1.

Tomorrow's forecast calls for more rain, but we might see a reprieve from the wet stuff for a few hours. 🤞

I hope you had a fantastic Doors Open today!

Manor Road United is a 101 year old Romanesque Revival church, the first purpose built church completed in 1925 under the newly formed United Church of Canada.

We're open tomorrow from 10am - 4pm!