_Legend

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St. Lawrence Market South

Flatiron Building & Berczy Park

The Dixon Building

St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts

Hummingbird Centre

St. James Cathedral

St. James Park

Sculpture Garden

St. Lawrence Hall

St. Lawrence Market North

Metroplitan United Church

Ontario Heritage Centre

10 Toronto Street

York County Courthouse

Courthouse Square

Bus, Streetcar Route

Subway Station

Hospital

Municipal Parking

One-way Street

Architectural/HistoricalInterest

Outdoor Art,Statues &Structures

Greenspace

OLD TOWN TORONTO WEST

Where downtown meets Old Town: a story on every corner.

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Yonge Street

Church Street

Jarvis StreetLower Jarvis Street

Adelaide Street East

King Street East

Front Street East

Court St

Court Sq

Wilton St

Victoria StScott St

Toronto St

Berti St

Leader Lane

Farquhars Ln

Market St

Colborne St

Lombard St

Wellington Street East

The Esplanade

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Richmond Street East

Queen Street East

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OLD TOWN TORONTO WEST

Metropolitan United Church (56 QueenStreet East) Beginning as MetropolitanWesleyan Methodist Church in 1868and completed in 1872, it was knownas Canada’s “cathedral of Methodism”.With the founding of the UnitedChurch of Canada (the country’s largestprotestant denomination) in 1925, itwas rededicated as MetropolitanUnited. Sparing only the tower and thecarillon, fire severely damaged thechurch in 1928. Rebuilt in 1929 onthe original foundations, it becamehome to Canada’s largest organ, whichis featured today in regular servicesand public recitals.

Ontario Heritage Centre (10 AdelaideStreet) Built in 1907. Original homeof the Canadian Birkbeck Investmentsand Savings Company. It now housesthe Ontario Heritage Foundation. Thebuilding has one of only three operator-run, cage elevators remaining inToronto. Parts of the movie CinderellaMan (2005) were shot here.

Toronto’s Seventh Post Office (10Toronto Street) Designed byCumberland and Ridout in the classicGreek revival style, it was opened in1853 as Toronto’s Seventh Post Office.In 1960, it was saved from demolitionand completely renovated by ArgusCorporation later controlled by ConradBlack whose Hollinger Corporation isheadquartered here.

York County Courthouse (57 AdelaideStreet East) Built in 1852 as Toronto’s3rd county courthouse, it is also aGreek revival building designed byCumberland and Ridout. The buildinghoused courts and basement cells forprisoners. The Arts and Letters Club(now on Elm Street) was founded and

met on the second floor: SergeiRachmaninov and Pablo Cassals cameto play, Sir Wilfred Laurier (later PrimeMinister of Canada) lectured, and theGroup of Seven formed here. Today, it is as an upscale restaurant and night club.

Courthouse Square (Court Street) ACity park with fountains, rose arbour,and sculpture installationcommemorating the area’s original useas a courthouse and jail. Leaders of the 1837 Rebellion were put on thegallows here. Public hangings were notoutlawed in Canada until 1868, andthe last hanging in Canada was in1962 at Toronto’s Don Jail. (Gerrard & Broadview).

St. James Cathedral (65 Church Street)Completed in 1853, this is the thirdchurch on this site; the original framebuilding dating from 1803 was theTown of York’s first. Today, it is thecathedral for the Anglican Diocese ofToronto. The tower and spire of St.James rises 93 metres above KingStreet and is the second tallest inNorth America. Its Parish House onChurch Street has a small, publicmuseum featuring exhibits relating tothe church’s role in Toronto’s history.www.stjamescathedral.on.ca

St. James Park The grounds wereoriginally the church’s cemetery wheremany of the town’s first settlers wereburied, as were the thousands who fellto the 1832 cholera epidemic. Thepark now features a formal VictorianGarden, with wrought-iron fencing anda bird fountain. It is a great place totake pictures of St. Lawrence Hall andthe Cathedral.

Sculpture Garden (115 King Street East)Opened in 1981, Toronto’s publicsculpture garden features changingexhibits by artists who are oftenexperimenting with outdoor exhibits.The park provides a stunning view ofthe St. James Cathedral spire.

St. Lawrence Hall (157 King Street East)Opened in 1850 the hall retains its19th century charm with its famousgas-lit ballroom on the third floor. Keyparts of the hall’s history are noted ona series of plaques in the main lobby:including the building’s role as part ofthe Underground Railroad and a centrefor the abolitionists campaigningagainst slavery, such as George Brown(father of Confederation and co-founder of The Globe & Mail). St. Lawrence Market North (92 FrontStreet East) The market began on thissite in 1803 and today’s building hostsa Farmers Market every Saturday andan Antique Market every Sunday.Market Lane Park runs parallel to thebuilding on its east side and featuresoutdoor vendors from May throughOctober. www.stlawrencemarket.com

St. Lawrence Market South (93 FrontStreet East) The main building wasbuilt in 1901 and includes the centreblock of Toronto’s first City Hall built in1845 and designed by Henry BowyerLane. The Market is open Tuesdaythrough Saturday and featuresspecialty foods, butchers, and fishvendors. Walking tours are offeredWednesday to Saturday at 10 AM. TheMarket Gallery, located on the secondfloor, features exhibitions on thehistory and culture of Toronto:admission is free.www.stlawrencemarket.com

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Where downtown meets Old Town: a story on every corner.

Why you should goThere is a story on every corner: Toronto’sfirst public well, oldest Market, original Cityjail; and Toronto’s most photographedview–the Flatiron building with thegleaming bank towers in the background.The neighbourhood has the best ofToronto’s history while capturing all of itscontemporary energy. Home to theatres andconcert venues, famous for its pubs andpatios, with a wide array of bars and finerestaurants, all anchored by St. LawrenceMarket–selected by Food & Wine Magazineas one of the 25 best markets in the world!

Two of the City’s major performance venuesare found in the neighbourhood–theHummingbird Centre and the St. LawrenceCentre for the Arts–both offer diversity andexcellence in Canadian and internationalperforming arts.

Along Queen, King, Front and TheEsplanade historic and contemporarybuildings blend together to create a

welcoming urban streetscape. Locals andvisitors stroll past home furnishing anddesign shops, unique cafes, welcoming pubsand fine restaurants.The best of old and newawait you in Old Town Toronto (west).

What to doSaturday at St. Lawrence Market has been aToronto tradition since 1803 and “meet meat the market” is a local idiom. Buy freshfood from local producers and growers in theFarmers Market and experience “old world”personal service and get the “story” behindthe products. On Sundays, the AntiqueMarket lures bargain hunters and collectors.Brunch opportunities abound from family-friendly to upscale gourmet. During the weekoffice workers and visitors pop into theMarket for a quick Peameal Bacon on a bunand a freshly squeezed juice or meet forlunch in the pubs and restaurants lining thebusy sidewalks.

The Esplanade from Church to Scott Streetis known for its wide sidewalks and amplepatios, favoured by the after work crowd.Front Street between Scott and JarvisStreets is known for specialty items, homefurnishings, books, and its year ‘roundChristmas store; and of course the SouthSt. Lawrence Market for its famous selec-tion of fresh food and gourmet treats.Wellington Street west of Church Street hasa row of bars, clubs and dining establish-ments to meet a variety of tastes and budg-ets. Just north, Colborne Street’s heritagefaçade frames cafés, pubs and fine diningtucked away from the main streets. KingStreet East repeats the theme with afterwork hot spots, neighbourhood favouritesand the famous King Edward Hotel built in1903, which features shops and dining andafternoon tea. Photographers know the areafor its camera stores clustered aroundQueen Street East and Church Street.

How to get thereBy TTC: There are many TTC routes serving Old TownToronto.Exit the Queen or King subway stations andwalk east one block. From Broadview Subway stationtake the 504 streetcar south to King Street, getting offat Jarvis, Church or Victoria streets.

By Car: Exit the Don Valley Parkway at Richmond Streetand proceed west to Jarvis. Exit the GardinerExpressway westbound at Yonge Street and proceed toThe Esplanade. Exit the Gardiner Expresswayeastbound at Jarvis proceed north to The Esplanade.On-street, pay and display parking is available alongwith the city’s largest “Green P” Parking Garageaccessible from Yonge or Jarvis streets via TheEsplanade – entrance at the foot of Church Street.

Flatiron Building & Berczy Park(Church, Wellington, Front)Built in 1892, the GooderhamBuilding was the businessheadquarters of the Gooderhamand Worts distilling company.The “Flatiron” nick-namecomes from its shaperesembling an iron of the day. Itis arguably Toronto’s mostphotographed spot. On its westside it has a noted muralcreated by Canadian artistDerek Besant which can beeasily viewed from Berczy Park.

The Dixon Building (45-49 FrontStreet East) Toronto’s onlyremaining example of a totallycast-iron façade, a 19thcentury “state-of-the-art”technique, enabling buildingsto have elaborate façades at lowcost. The look has often beencompared to carved stone. The

building is now home to arestaurant on the main floorand a bar on the lower level.

St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts(27 Front Street East) Home tothe Jane Mallet and BlumaAppel theatres, the STLC is one of Toronto’s premier theatreand chamber music venues.CanStage performs itsmainstage productions in the“Bluma.” www.stlc.com

Hummingbird Centre (1 FrontStreet East) Designed by PeterDickinson in the moderniststyle, the theatre opened in1960 with a production ofCamelot staring Richard Burtonand Julie Andrews. The centreis noted for its famous muralThe Seven Lively Arts by YorkWilson, located in the mainlobby. www.hummingbirdcentre.com

Points of interestOLD TOWN TORONTO WEST Where downtown meets Old Town: a story on every corner.

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Nightlife favours theatre, concerts, andmajor touring productions at the St.Lawrence Centre or the HummingbirdCentre. After the show, relax with jazz or sipa cocktail in a hip bar housed in a restored,Victorian building. Whether it is fine dining,pub hopping, food shopping, heritage sightseeing, taking in a show, or just a casualstroll, Old Town Toronto (west) has it all.

Local Festivals Buskerfest Every August the St. LawrenceMarket neighbourhood is alive with buskersfrom around the world, market food vendors,laughter and music. Front St. East fromScott Street to Jarvis Street, Berczy Park,and Market Lane Park. For more informationplease go to www.torontobuskerfest.com

A short history Just west of the original ten blocks of theTown of York (see Old Town Toronto east),this half of Old Town Toronto developedwhen Lieutenant-Governor Peter Hunterestablished the Market Block on the landnorth of Front, west of Jarvis, south of Kingand east of Church street in 1803.

The original shoreline of the harbour ranjust south of today’s Front Street andformed the front door of the Town and thecentre of its early economic life. WilliamCooper was an early entrepreneur who builtthe Town of York’s first commercial wharf in1817. Coopers Wharf was the business andtransportation hub of its time.

After the City of Toronto was incorporated in1834, city council members met in the‘second’ St. Lawrence Market building, atthe southwest corner of King and JarvisStreets. The growing city demanded morespace for its administration and Toronto’sfirst city hall was built in 1845 at thesouthwest corner of Front and Jarvis streets.It also housed Police Station Number One.The central block of the building was laterpreserved and incorporated into the façadeof the South St. Lawrence Market. Itescaped the great fire of 1849 which burntdown the ‘second’ market and St. JamesCathedral. The market building was rebuiltto the south and St. Lawrence Hall openedin 1850 on the previous market site. The

cathedral was rebuilt in 1853 and standstoday.

In the 1850s with the advent of the rail-ways, the shoreline was filled in well southof The Esplanade and the neighbourhoodlost its direct connection to the waterfrontbut gained industry and warehousing thatwould define the area’s future.

King Street East was the City’s main shop-ping street in the mid 19th century. At King& Fredrick Streets, William Gambles openedthe first wholesaler in the 1830s next toWilliam Proudfoot’s Wine Shop, which alsosold dry goods ranging from ostrich feathersto tea kettles. Victoria Row, on King Streetbetween Church Street and Leader Lane,opened in 1842 as the city’s most high-endshopping destination. After this heyday thecentre of commercial activity began to shiftwest to Yonge and Bay streets. TheGooderham family’s building of the Flatiron

building in 1892 was seen as attempt tostem this tide but it proved unsuccessful.

In the early twentieth century the area, justlike the eastern part of Old Town, becameincreasingly devoted to manufacturing andindustrial uses. After the World War Twothere was a slow and relentless decline inthe manufacturing base as jobs began tomove to more suburban areas. In the1970s, the empty industrial land south andeast of St. Lawrence Market was designatedfor the major urban renewal project thatbecame the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood.Spurred on by this, new condominiums andsmaller office buildings went up bringingnew life to the neighbourhood, and Cityparks, such as Berczy, were created fromreclaimed parking lots. Today, Old TownToronto (west) is a vibrant ‘downtown’neighbourhood home to thousands of resi-dents, thousands of jobs and some of theCity’s finest heritage architecture.

• One of the most popular parts of the cityfor film and TV production with films likeRules of Engagement, Fever Pitch, HowTo Lose A Guy in 10 Days, Serendipity,Against the Ropes and television showslike Queer as Folk shot here.

• The 504 King Streetcar is the busiestsurface route in the City serving 55,000passengers per day. The current servicetraces its origins back to 1874 whenToronto’s third streetcar route launched,running from the Don River via KingStreet to Bathurst Street.

• York Mechanics Institute opened itsheadquarters at the northeast corner ofChurch and Adelaide in 1860. Foundedin 1830, the Mechanics Institute,following the movement that began inBritain, promoted the new methods ofmanufacturing and craftsmanshipbrought on by the Industrial Revolution.The Institute operated a lending librarywhich became the foundation forToronto’s first public library whichopened here in 1884. Today it is the site

of a late 1970s condominium thatincorporated a parking garage as part ofits structure, the only conversion of itstype in the city.

• Toronto’s first public well was dug in1823 near Market Lane Park (west ofSt. Lawrence Hall – Point of Interest#9). A public art installation – Return of the Magri Stecchi – at the north endof the park commemorates this and thestocks that stood in Market Square until 1834.

• On February 8th, 1879 Sir SandfordFleming (1827-1915) presented his“invention” of Standard Time to theCanadian Institute in a building whichthen stood near Richmond and BertiStreets, marked today with an OntarioHeritage Trust plaque. Sanford hadnoted that railroad passengers travellingacross country encountered arbitrary“local time,” and hit upon the idea ofglobally standardizing time. Fleming'sidea was formally adopted in 1884 atthe Washington D.C., InternationalPrime Meridian Conference.

A little trivia

For more information, go to: www.stlawrencemarketbia.ca or www.oldtowntoronto1793.com

OLD TOWN TORONTO WEST Where downtown meets Old Town: a story on every corner.