[Anna]

I don't know when the land was severed. My guess is 1970-something, the Lastman era, perhaps, once plans for downtown North York were hatching, but the severed land wasn't fully developed until 2005 when the Transamerica/Aegon/Cadbury tower was finished. I don't know what buildings, if any, were on the site before the theatre/civic centre was built, but air photos from the 70s would answer that quickly.

The Township of North York Municipal Offices (1956-1978) were at 5000 Yonge, which was south of the Cemetery driveway, while the Gladys Allison library building (1959-1986) at 5126 Yonge and the pool were north of the driveway (according to my 1979 map).

 

[adma]

Sheppard Centre was built in the mid 70's so that before shot is 1975 or later.

But not too much later if at all--notice that only the low-rise office block exists, and I think I can make out the crane for the high-rise right at Yonge + Sheppard...

 

[adma]

The present Loblaws was a Mills and Hadwin car dealership; prior to that my grandfather told me there was an older building with a farmers market there. Pic below.

Interesting to see that even in 1932, there was a border sign for North York--unusual for a township...

 

[Mustapha]

February 6 addition.

Then: Queen and Hiltz looking W. February 27, 1937.

Now: November 2009.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

The Township of North York Municipal Offices (1956-1978) were at 5000 Yonge, which was south of the Cemetery driveway, while the Gladys Allison library building (1959-1986) at 5126 Yonge and the pool were north of the driveway (according to my 1979 map).

That's what I thought. It means that while the driveway may have been severed in 1966, cemetery land was severed before then. The cemetery once held the entire concession lot's land over to Yonge, from Park Home down to Burnett - well, to the backyards of houses on those streets. Did the 1966 driveway severance include all the land that Beecroft now occupies? Metro's 1965 official plan was the first to identify Yonge as anything other than a hamlet road, so maybe the service road plans really were finalized that far back, yet I'm almost certain that Beecroft was not fully planned until the 80s...the vision of downtown North York didn't exist yet. Perhaps I'll mosey on over to the library and find out.

 

[Edward Skira]

And let us know what you find.

 

[Towered]

February 6 addition.

Then: Queen and Hiltz looking W. February 27, 1937.

Wow, that must be one of the only comparisons I can think of in this thread where the current picture looks better than the past one.

 

[Miss Sadie Thompson]

Wow, I finally made it to the end of this thread (and still have my job, even though I've done little work in the last three days). Again, thank you so much for all the wonderful contributions (both photographic and written).

I was sitting here bemoaning the fact most of my work life has been spent in buildings that cruelly displaced so much of Toronto's heritage. The Temple Building lost to 390 Bay (mind you, I had a lovely view from my office window there) and at least 3 gorgeous buildings destroyed in the name of First Canadian Place (a scaffold's outside my window right now obstructing my view).

However, back in the recesses of my mind I recalled my first summer office job at the still flourishing Victory Building on Richmond St. W. Sure, it's relatively young at 80 years, but more exquisite examples have been demolished well before their time.

Which reminds me, a favourite haunt of my early working days was the Savarin Restaurant near Bay and Adelaide.

The historical marker cannot be found, but I found this:

The plaque, apparently located here at 330 Bay at Adelaide, appears to be missing. According to Heritage Toronto, it's a 1983 Toronto Historical Board plaque and the text of the plaque says:

The Savarin, a popular restaurant and tavern for nearly fifty years, was built at 336 Bay Street in 1928, and was the work of the firm of N.A. Armstrong, architects. It was designated in 1980 under the Ontario Heritage Act. To provide for redevelopment of the site, the Queenston limestone facade with bronze windows was dismantled and stored while a new building was erected. The facade was reconstructed in an enclosed courtyard, during a major renovation of the Northern Ontario Building at the north-west corner of Bay and Adelaide Streets in 1982.

I'm going to have to take a stroll in that courtyard...


source

 

[chriskayTO]

It's such a travesty that there are hardly any jazz clubs remaining in Toronto.

 

[Miss Sadie Thompson]

Every so often, when driving past the Exhibition on the Gardner, I wonder about the stairs going down to a non-existent train station at Dufferin. Having heard of "Parkdale South", I decided to look it up and found this great site with some wonderful before and after shots (and satisfied my curiosity).

http://rightinniagara.blogspot.com/2009/03/toronto-then-and-now-old-parkdale-part_25.html

I don't suppose Pussyfoot Toilet Tanks is still around.

 

[Goldie]

Every so often, when driving past the Exhibition on the Gardner, I wonder about the stairs going down to a non-existent train station at Dufferin. Having heard of "Parkdale South", I decided to look it up and found this great site with some wonderful before and after shots (and satisfied my curiosity).

http://rightinniagara.blogspot.com/2009/03/toronto-then-and-now-old-parkdale-part_25.html

Sadie, thank you for that wonderful link.

It's a fine collection of the history of the CNE Dufferin Gates and surrounding area!

 

[adma]

I'm going to have to take a stroll in that courtyard...

Said "courtyard" now houses Turf bar, if you're interested.

 

[dbailey62]

No graves were moved. York Cemetery first started filling up the area between the cenotaph and where the office/chapel/embalming/whatever complex now stands (it used to house a greenhouse with some exotic plants, but the grounds stuff has been moved way west of Senlac). There were no plots sold or occupied in the east, where Beecroft runs now and where the theatre and civic centre and so on were built.

I don't know when the land was severed. My guess is 1970-something, the Lastman era, perhaps, once plans for downtown North York were hatching, but the severed land wasn't fully developed until 2005 when the Transamerica/Aegon/Cadbury tower was finished. I don't know what buildings, if any, were on the site before the theatre/civic centre was built, but air photos from the 70s would answer that quickly.

The cemetery has still not filled out towards Beecroft...the veterans area on the north, just west of Beecroft, is not full, and the south side is being developed as a large memorial garden. I assume that those stone gates are the same and were moved...that's not the only pair of stone gates leading to old properties that have been moved throughout North York Centre.

I recall swimming in the old "Memorial" pool and picking up 16mm projectors and films from the North York Public Library, both now where the North York Civic Centre now sits.

A friend, knowing my interest in Russian history, took me into York Cemetery several years ago to show me the grave of Olga, "The Last Duchess" (she was the sister of Tzar Nicholas II). She died here in Toronto

The Grand Duchess was interred next to her husband in York Cemetery, Toronto, on November 30, 1960. The funeral service at Christ the Saviour Cathedral, Toronto, for the last Grand Duchess of Russia was attended by numerous immigrants as well as many of the friends she had made on her new homeland.[92] Officers of the Akhtyrsky Hussars and the Blue Cuirassiers stood guard in the small Russian Church overflowing with mourners.[93] Though she lived simply, bought cheap clothes, and did her own shopping and gardening, her estate was valued at more than 200,000 Canadian dollars, and was probably worth more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchess_Olga_Alexandrovna_of_Russia

 

[thecharioteer]

I recall swimming in the old "Memorial" pool and picking up 16mm projectors and films from the North York Public Library, both now where the North York Civic Centre now sits.

A friend, knowing my interest in Russian history, took me into York Cemetery several years ago to show me the grave of Olga, "The Last Duchess" (she was the sister of Tzar Nicholas II). She died here in Toronto

The Grand Duchess was interred next to her husband in York Cemetery, Toronto, on November 30, 1960. The funeral service at Christ the Saviour Cathedral, Toronto, for the last Grand Duchess of Russia was attended by numerous immigrants as well as many of the friends she had made on her new homeland.[92] Officers of the Akhtyrsky Hussars and the Blue Cuirassiers stood guard in the small Russian Church overflowing with mourners.[93] Though she lived simply, bought cheap clothes, and did her own shopping and gardening, her estate was valued at more than 200,000 Canadian dollars, and was probably worth more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchess_Olga_Alexandrovna_of_Russia

Christ the Saviour Cathedral was the rather grandiose name given to the little church now owned by U of T at 4 Glen Morris Street near Huron & Harbord:

 

[dbailey62]

Christ the Saviour Cathedral was the rather grandiose name given to the little church now owned by U of T at 4 Glen Morris Street near Huron & Harbord:

Thanks. I was curious about that and was going to look it up. It doesn't really compare with the original (or even the modern imitation).