Downtown Toronto by RobertArcher
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  1. RobertArcher's Gallery
  2. Historic Buildings and sitesHistoric Buildings and sites
  3. Downtown TorontoDowntown Toronto
Commerce Court North
25 King Street West. The tallest building in the British Empire when opened in 1931. Now the north tower of the 4 building Commerce Court.
Imperial Life Building
20 Victoria Street. 9 story building. 1910. Imperial Life Insurance was founded in 1896 and operated until 2001. It was purchased by Desjardins Group in 1994 and merged with Laurentian Life to form Desjardins Financial. At somepoint they moved to offices on St. Clair Avenue.
30 Yonge Street _June 2023
The pictures of the players immortalized at the Hockey Hall Of Fame change regularly.
Dickens Slept Here
A sign on the east side of Yonge Street steps north of Front Street.
10 Toronto Street - Plaque
The wall plaque describing the history of the building at 10 Toronto Street.
10 Toronto Street.
Former headquarters of Argus Corp. A photo of the front door of this building was used on the dust jacket of Peter C. Newman's book The Canadian Establishment. Built in 1853 as Toronto's Post Office it was a government office and then from 1937 to 1959 it was the offices of the Bank Of Canada, E.P. Taylor bought it for Argus and it was sold again in 2006.
30 Yonge Street
Currently occupied by the Hockey Hall Of Fame. Formerly branch of the Bank of Montreal. Built 1885 .
49 Spadina Avenue
The former Steeles- Briggs Building.
49 Yonge Street
This building was completed in 1873 and housed the offices of The British Bank Of North America.
Bank of Commerce Building
Now called Commerce Court North this plaque marks what was the tallest building in Toronto, Canada and the British Empire when it was built.
Bathurst Street Bridge
Truss bridge that was moved to this location from Dundas Street at Old Mill over the Humber River. Seen from inside a GO train.
Bay Street Canyon.
Looking north on Bay Street at "Old" City Hall, this is the heart of the Financial District.
Canadian Pacific Bldg 69 Yonge from King St
Canadian Pacific Bldg 69 Yonge from Yonge St
Building completed 1913. Tallest building in British Empire when completed. 15 stories.
Confederation Life Head Office Building
Circa 1892.
Flat Iron Bldg.
49 Wellington Street East at the intersection of Front Street and Wellington Street with Church Street. Built in 1892 it was the office building for the Gooderham and Worts distillery.
Flat Iron Building
A view of the Flat Iron (Gooderham) Building from the south east corner of Front and Church Streets.
Northern Ontario Building
330 Bay Street Toronto Built 1925, renovated 1982. 15 Stories. Built to house mining promoters offices.
Number 1 Front Street Toronto -9-9-10
NUMBER ONE FRONT STREET TORONTO
The Toronto "Dominion Public Building" located at the south east corner of Front and Bay Streets. This has been the main office for Canada Customs (now CBSA) Port of Toronto. It was sold to a private developer in 2017.
Queen and Church Streets
The gaudy yellow building was the home of Thrifty Sportswear and Hercules Surplus before that. Soon to be dwarfed by yet another high ride condo building.
Royal Insurance
Building plaque for Royal Insurance Co.
Simpsons- The Bay-Saks 5th
This was the main downtown store of the Robert Simpson Company. Simpsons was sold to the Hudsons Bay Company . HBC also bought Saks 5TH Avenue, a New York department store. This store was re-branded as Saks.
St. James Cathedral Spire
At one time this was the tallest building and a land mark indicating the City of Toronto for mariners on Lake Ontario.
St. Lawrence Hall
A view of St. Lawrence Hall at the corner of King Street and Jarvis Street. This building served as City Hall until the move to Queen and Bay. The "Farmers Market" backs on to this building.
St. Lawrence Market
Front Street and Jarvis. The present St. Lawrence Market South building was built in 1845 as Toronto City Hall and was rebuilt in 1850. The north building was razed for redevelopment and the second Toronto City Hall built at the corner of King Street and Jarvis on the north end of the Market Square.
Strathcona Hotel
The "Strath" is on the west side of York Street across from the Royal York Hotel. It was built in 1933 and for many years was considered a budget choice in downtown. In Y2020 during the Pandemic the City of Toronto leased it as a homeless shelter.
The Athenaeum Club
Outside 167 Church Street.
The Poor House
This building that the downtown YWCA was built onto is the facade of The House Of Industry where the poor and indigent were sent in Victorian Toronto.
The Toronto Club
Private business and political club at the corner of York and Wellington Streets.
Toronto Harbour Commission building
This building when originally built sat on a pier in the harbour. The city has literally grown around it as the harbour was filled and larger buildings erected..
Trump Tower
This building was built as a mixed use Condo and hotel building with the Trump International giving naming rights and a management contract. In 2017 the Trump name was removed and the hotel operated The Adelaide. It was renovated and reopened at St. Regis Toronto. The main address is now 325 Bay Street.
Yonge and Wellington September 2010.
The building on the corner appears to originally be the Toronto office for the City Bank of Montreal. This was a Pre-Confederation financial institution that merged with the Royal Canadian Bank in 1876 to form the Consolidated Bank of Canada. That bank went out of business in 1880. The building next might have housed the offices of the Grand Trunk Railway in the 1850's.
Commerce Court North Imperial Life Building 30 Yonge Street _June 2023 Dickens Slept Here 10 Toronto Street - Plaque 10 Toronto Street. 30 Yonge Street 49 Spadina Avenue 49 Yonge Street Bank of Commerce Building Bathurst Street Bridge Bay Street Canyon. Canadian Pacific Bldg 69 Yonge from King St Canadian Pacific Bldg 69 Yonge from Yonge St Confederation Life Head Office Building Flat Iron Bldg. Flat Iron Building Northern Ontario Building Number 1 Front Street Toronto -9-9-10 NUMBER ONE FRONT STREET TORONTO Queen and Church Streets Royal Insurance Simpsons- The Bay-Saks 5th St. James Cathedral Spire St. Lawrence Hall St. Lawrence Market Strathcona Hotel The Athenaeum Club The Poor House The Toronto Club Toronto Harbour Commission building Trump Tower Yonge and Wellington September 2010.
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