I came across an old postcard from the nineteen twenties depicting the corner of Yonge and Queen streets, which was, and still is considered the main intersection of downtown Toronto. As I worked on transforming it into a magnificent piece of art I began to daydream about downtown Toronto. I remember my mother treating my sister and I to a mini tour. I believe it was around 1960 so I was 11 or 12 and my sister Pat was about 6 or 7.
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| I'll update this when I finish, but I wanted you to see it. Yonge and Queen over 80 years ago. (sounds like a long time, but I was first there with my Mom and sister over 50 years ago.) Notice no traffic lights yet. A traffic cop with a "STOP/GO" sign stands at the bottom right just over my signature. Click picture to enlarge. |
I don't remember the reason for our trip to Toronto, (probably shopping) how we got there, (probably by train to Union Station) how long we were there, or where we stayed, but I do remember the highlights of the trip included riding on the fairly new Toronto subway, Eglinton was the end of the line and there was only 12 stops including Union Station. (now 69 stations) We took an elevator to the observation deck atop of the Bank of Commerce building and went to Eaton's and Simpson's at the corner of Yonge and Queen streets. At that time and until about 1962 the
Bank of Commerce building was the tallest building in the British empire with 37 stories. Subways, elevators, escalators and huge buildings and stores. What an exciting day we had with Mom. A few years later our family moved from North Bay to the outskirts of Toronto, in Long Branch. There I finished public school, went to high school and later the Ontario College of Art. The family left Toronto in the late nineteen sixties, and moved back to my place of birth, London, where I still live now.
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| Original Post Card. Notice most of the colours on this "colourized" card are incorrect. (Woolworth sign shown grey, TTC streetcar shown green, cop's sign, Loew's Yonge Theater not coloured etc |
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| Same intersection from Google map Street View. A "colder" place now, don't you think? |
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| The dirigible R100 passes over the Commerce Building. Before my time. The tallest building in the Commonwealth until 1962. |
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