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Sir Novelty Fashion

Sir Novelty Fashion

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So, once again I put on my obnoxious journalist hat and put a question to the crowd:

I've been asked to come up with some good examples of adaptive reuse in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. I'm defining the term kind of broadly - buildings that find new lives, through some degree of renovation and rehabilitation (though facadism does NOT count).

I can think of a few obvious examples around TO (hello, Distillery), but I'm particularly stumped where it comes to the other two. Does anyone have any ideas? Less-obvious, more-interesting examples are always the bestest.
 
51 Division is a classic example
There's a number of churches around town that have found new uses.
John St. Roundhouse
The offices in former industrial buildings all over town, such as in in Liberty Village.
 
Vancouver:

Former Vancouver Public Library - Burrard & Robson now a retail / office complex with HMV and CTV.

Former BC Hydro Headquarters Building - now a condo (building was reclad in the conversion with a different spandrel grid).

Former Westcoast Energy (Duke Energy) Building - now a condo (building was reclad in the conversion preserving the spandrel grid but allowing windows to pop open).

Former CP Roundhouse - now the Roundhouse Community Centre following renovation and additions.

Former Courthouse incorporated into Robson Square complex and now home of the Vancouver Art Gallery

Former Spencer's Department Store (Eaton's former location at the time) incorporated into Harbour Centre development to become Sears at the time (til the 1980s). Now home to Simon Fraser University downtown campus.
 
Montreal: The former Grey Nuns building, a large landmark structure in downtown Montreal, now being taken over by Concordia University.
 
Montreal again:

The old CP Park Station, now a SAQ, Loblaws, and Metro entrance. The only mainline train that stops here now does so outside the station, the AMT Blainville/St-Jerome commuter service. It's Montreal's version of the CP North Toronto station.

The old Angus Shops - some of the buildings were preserved, but it's still a lot of facadism there.

And the Biodome, which was the Olympic Velodrome, and the Casino that's the old France '67 pavilion.

I will not mention the Forum.
 
Ooh, these are all very promising, my thanks to all of you. Any thoughts on which examples in Toronto are the most interesting to you? I mean, what's the opposite of the L Tower in terms of cravenness?
 
Good examples: Summerhill Station, Kay Gardner Beltline Park (not a building but a good example), 401 Richmond St (with a green roof), Candy Factor Loft.

Hume did an article on this a while ago: http://www.thestar.com/living/article/225994

If you are looking for a bad example in Toronto look no farther than the Pottery Barn/University Theatre on Bloor.
 
Yeah that is hands-down the best Chapters in the city. It's the only one with character, and as usual it took old architecture to give it such.
 
Toronto:

George Brown’s main St. James campus building was built in 1874 as the Christie, Brown and Co. biscuit factory, and its beautiful exterior brickwork and arched windows have been preserved.

Tip Top Lofts on Lakeshore Blvd:
Context conversion of industrial warehouse to condos /lofts.

Broadview Lofts on Broadview Ave:
Sorbora conversion of former Rexall building to condos /lofts.
 
100 Queen West
Opened as a city council chamber but now used as a corral for maniacs and slow-learners.
 
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