It’s sometimes a happy story, and sometimes a sad one, but buildings always have stories to tell. In the case of 82 Sherbrooke in Ottawa’s Hintonburg, it’s the latter.
Tragedy on Gladstone, 1953
Then & Now: Parliament and Winchester
Southeast corner of Parliament and Winchester, 1954. Image: James Victor Salmon / Toronto Public Library, Baldwin Collection, Item S 1-1846.
The corner in April 2015. Image: Google Maps.
Parliament and Winchester, southeast corner, 1954 and 2015. It’s wonderfully-restored and a listed property, but gosh do I wish that 1941 signage would have been kept.1See the city staff report for details about the 2005 renovation plan.
Notes
| ↥1 | See the city staff report for details about the 2005 renovation plan. |
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Then & Now: Parliament and Dundas E
Northwest corner of Parliament and Dundas St. E, 1954. Image: James Victor Salmon / Toronto Public Library, Baldwin Collection, Item S 1-810B.
The corner in 2016. Image: Google Maps.
Parliament Street and Dundas East, 1954 and 2016.
Then & Now: Islington and Fordwich
Kipling Heights, from Islington and Fordwich. October 23, 1955. Image: James Victor Salmon / Toronto Public Library, Baldwin Collection, S 1-3318A.
Sixty years on. Image: Google Maps, 2015.
The corner of Islington Avenue and Fordwich Crescent, 1955 and 2015. Postwar suburbanization is a well-known story, really. It was quick.
Then & Now: Wallace and Symington
Halsey Drug Store, 160 Symington, corner of Wallace, on September 21, 1930. Image: City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1266, Item 22027.
As seen in August 2015. Image: Google Maps.
Wallace and Symington, north west corner, 1930 and 2015. By today’s standards, the Junction Triangle still contains what I would consider a large number of local stores. Of course, when you take a walk through, it’s quite plain that there were, at one time or another, many many more. You can see the (still-operating) store across the street in the “related posts” below when you click on the article.
Woolworth’s on Rideau
In 1993, after 78 years in business, the Woolworth’s on Rideau Street announced its closure. The ailing chain of discount stores, then in throes of death, undertook to reorganize and closed 150 stores across the country. In Ottawa, aside from the Rideau Woolworth, the Woolco in the Merivale Mall was slated to close.1Kelly Egan, “Cashing out after 78 years; Customers, staff lament downtown Woolworth closure,” Ottawa Citizen, October 23, 1993, C1. According to Woolworth officials, it was tentatively scheduled to close its doors for the last time on December 24, leaving the 50-odd employees with something of a bittersweet Christmas.2”Woolworth to close Byward landmark,” Ottawa Citizen, October 16, 1993, 6.
Then & Now: Davenport and Dupont
Sign of the Steer restaurant in 1955. Image: City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1257, Series 1057, Item 504
Today. Image: Google Maps, May 2016.
The Sign of the Steer, a short-lived restaurant of some legend, once occupied the corner of Davenport and Dupont.
Danforth’s Sidewalk Protest, 1934
’twas ever thus. So long as we’ve gathered into cities, there have been disputes – both major and minor – over the appropriate and proportionate use of public space. Sometimes, such as our perennial arguments over the patios installed on Elgin street here in Ottawa during the summer months, it’s an entirely legitimate exercise in negotiating the use of space. Other times, such as the pitched battles between restaurants and food trucks, it’s more a matter protecting revenues by limiting the range of choices in the immediate area. In the case of the photo above, it was more of the former, but with some drops of the latter added to the mix.
Under the ‘N’… NO
Admittedly, one of my favourite articles in the last little while has been one that was run in Toronto Life called “People with their arms crossed in front of things they’re against: A taxonomy of the Star’s favourite visual cliché“. To be certain, it’s a light and fluffy piece, but I was happy that someone did put it out there. The arms-crossed-and-scowl (or look of deep concern) visual language that communicates opposition is common to newspapers all over.
A Parking Lot Announcement
Yonge Street pedestrian mall, August 1971. Image: Harvey R. Naylor / City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 5, Item 1.
Yonge Street pedestrian mall, August 1971. Image: Harvey R. Naylor / City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 5, Item 6.
Yonge Street pedestrian mall, August 1971. Image: Harvey R. Naylor / City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 5, Item 10.
Yonge Street pedestrian mall, August 1971. Image: Harvey R. Naylor / City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1526, File 5, Item 13.
Yonge. Image: City of Toronto Archives, 1465, File 312, Item 2.
In spite of the pictures above, this won’t be about the much-fabled Yonge Street pedestrian mall of the 1970s. That history has been well covered in a number of places, like Torontoist, Active History, Spacing, and BlogTO. I will note that it’s nice to see the idea gaining some currency once more.
Then & Now: Danforth & Gough
Sun Valley patrons had a hard time finding parking in 1984. Image: Dale Brazao / Toronto Star / Toronto Public Library, Baldwin Collection, Item TSPA 0015148f.
From fruit to fish scalers. Image: Google Maps, July 2016.
Danforth & Gough, 1984 and 2016.
In August 1984, the Toronto Star reported that 40 people from the surrounding neighbourhood had taken Sun Valley Fruit to the Ontario Municipal Board to force them to provide parking.
Then & Now: Gerrard E. & Marjory
Gerrard East and Marjory, 1986. Image: Toronto Public Library, Local History Reference, Item Snapshots-Riverdale 38.2.
Gerrard East and Marjory, 2016. Image: Google Maps
Gerrard Street East and Marjory, July 1986 and July 2016.