[J T CUNNINGHAM]

"Wing On was further north at 665 Spadina." QUOTE Mustapha.


If memory serves me, Wing On was the first to reoccupy Park's building, with the second chapel being "Directed" by the Irishman;

his name being O'Reilly. (?) Wing On removed to 665/667 Spadina Avenue after it was vacated by Bill Zaleschuk (The William Chapel)

whom had previously been the Director of the Harry R Ranks Co at 455/457 Queen St W. (now demolished) Bill bought the business

(the land/building being owned by The U of T ?) from the successor's to the Fred W Mathews Co, (Fred's son, Beverly Mathews was a

lawyer & multi company director of high repute.) the name of which escapes me.

The firm of Harry Ranks Co was sold to Fred Mathews during the early 1900's as an active business and even after his moving to

235 Spadina Avenue under his own shingle, Ranks remained as named. Fred used Ranks as a "branch office" as well as another at the

N/E corner of College & Dover Court*. The 235 Spadina Avenue property continues as a viable commercial concern although not in the

manner as Wm Shakspeare would say, "Dismal Trade".

*Original spelling, denoting the home of the military Dennison family, they also being the donor of the church St Steven's In The Field(s)?"


Regards,
J T

BTW, the aka "The Undertaker" was given to me by Pal Hal, he knowing of one of my past lives.

 

[Mustapha]

Mustapha: The elusive photo of the original Lord Lansdowne School, in the book Spadina Avenue by Rosemary Donegan:

Which also contains this map c. 1860:

The circle itself fascinates me. Intended originally as a park, a Georgian gesture in the relentless grid, a la John Nash's Mayfair:

1842:

1857:

1862:

Fascinating, fascinating find, thecharioteer. There is so much here to take in. But, I'll mention a few items that come to mind:

- The 'vault' on top of the old Lord Landsdowne was removed some time prior to 1961. Refer to your aerial photos on the previous page.
- '1842 map'... shows St. Leger Racecourse. Already gone by the time of the 1857 map. Hard to imagine horses running up and down where Spadina, College and Beverly streets exist today.
- '1862 map': Division street [S.E. of the Crescent]. I had remembered seeing this street on other maps. For the curious, a search for it at the online Toronto Archives yields a picture. Expropriated and built over by the University of Toronto.

The old Knox College needs to be re-integrated back into the community. A coffee shop inside on an upper floor would yield splendid views for its patrons, much like the coffee shop in Hart House overlooking Hart House Circle - there are few things as civilized in Toronto as gazing over the UT grounds from the patio there.

 

[Mustapha]

"Wing On was further north at 665 Spadina." QUOTE Mustapha.


If memory serves me, Wing On was the first to reoccupy Park's building, with the second chapel being "Directed" by the Irishman;

his name being O'Reilly. (?) Wing On removed to 665/667 Spadina Avenue after it was vacated by Bill Zaleschuk (The William Chapel)

whom had previously been the Director of the Harry R Ranks Co at 455/457 Queen St W. (now demolished) Bill bought the business

(the land/building being owned by The U of T ?) from the successor's to the Fred W Mathews Co, (Fred's son, Beverly Mathews was a

lawyer & multi company director of high repute.) the name of which escapes me.

The firm of Harry Ranks Co was sold to Fred Mathews during the early 1900's as an active business and even after his moving to

235 Spadina Avenue under his own shingle, Ranks remained as named. Fred used Ranks as a "branch office" as well as another at the

N/E corner of College & Dover Court*. The 235 Spadina Avenue property continues as a viable commercial concern although not in the

manner as Wm Shakspeare would say, "Dismal Trade".

*Original spelling, denoting the home of the military Dennison family, they also being the donor of the church St Steven's In The Field(s)?"


Regards,
J T

BTW, the aka "The Undertaker" was given to me by Pal Hal, he knowing of one of my past lives.

JT, you never cease to amaze.

 

[Mustapha]

Heya UT-ers.

Let's pretend this Friday night for a moment that we don't inhabit a virtual community, and that we have grown weary and hungry during our Spadina Crescent walk.

Let's walk south on Spadina for about 15 minutes to Dundas, walk a bit west and find ourselves on the south side. Here is a Vietnamese restaurant that is open 24 hours.

Let's go inside and get something to eat.

Chúc ngủ ngon. [Good night].

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

"JT, you never cease to amaze." QUOTE Mustapha.


Truth be known, I knew both Mr Beverly Mathews & Bill Zaleschuk, not to mention of course one of the relatives of

the Dennison family. (He now living in Calgary - Hi Thom!)

(LOL)

Just ask and I will tell you!

THIS JUST IN:

Murray, yes That Murray, of the Down by the Silver Dollar fame, at one tyme "resided" at Harry Ranks Queen Street "Home", as

did, if I am not mis taken, Bruce Cockburn.


Kind regards,
J T

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

"Chúc ngủ ngon." QUOTE Mustapha.


Good night. (Twin Brother)


Kind regards,
J T (The ugly one.)
(LOL)

 

[Goldie]

1857:

Wonderful set of maps, thecharioteer.
This one reveals a minor but interesting detail:
St. George Street. was known as "St.Georges Street." in 1857!

 

[BeeRich]

What's the chef doing in my soup? He seems positive.

 

[Cast_Member]

Totally unsanitary.

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

BOIARDI, HECTOR (1897-21 June 1985), known to millions as Chef Boy-ar-dee

My only question:

What is an Italian chef doing in a Vietnamese restaurant,and in the soup to boot?


Regards,
J T

Mustapha, better try Hong Kong Harbour Restaurant next time!
(LOL)

 

[plink]

August 8 Then and Now.

Continuing our Spadina Cr. walkabout...

We are looking at the 'City Dairy' building. By the date of this picture - 1948 - we see the "Borden's' sign on the front and a very identifiable milk delivery truck of the type that used to be very common on city streets.

Now. May 2011. Not many changes but the boulevard on the left is gone.

Just to go a little bit further back in time:
A postcard of this building viewed from the north (previously posted by thecharioteer)...
Then:

"The City Dairy, on the north-east side of Spadina Crescent, was established by Walter Massey (son of Hart Massey) to provide a safe supply of milk for Torontonians. It opened on June 1, 1900." (City of Toronto history page)

"City Dairy was acquired by Borden's in 1930, though the City Dairy name wasn't phased out for another nine years. Borden's remained at the Spadina Crescent address until the fall of 1963." (Mike Filey, Toronto Sketches 6)

Then: In 1906 (from Society Blue Book of Toronto, A Social Directory)

 

[thecharioteer]

The old Knox College needs to be re-integrated back into the community. A coffee shop inside on an upper floor would yield splendid views for its patrons, much like the coffee shop in Hart House overlooking Hart House Circle - there are few things as civilized in Toronto as gazing over the UT grounds from the patio there.

Photo by Notman in the McCord Museum 1890:

The University has decided to relocate the School of Architecture from 230 College to Knox College:

http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=7665

http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=7636

http://www.nomeancity.net/?p=851

From the Globe and Mail, July 12, 2010:

Ghostly Spadina structure could get new lease on life

Richard Sommer, the University of Toronto's new Dean of architecture, wants to turn 1 Spadina Cres. into the faculty's new home with a big renovation.

Richard Sommer, the University of Toronto's new Dean of architecture, wants to turn 1 Spadina Cres. into the faculty's new home with a big renovation. Della Rollins for The Globe and Mail

U of T has yet to approve strategy, dean says, but ‘It’s a very robust conversation that’s going on’


John Lorinc

From Monday's Globe and Mail Published on Monday, Jul. 12, 2010 3:48AM EDT

It’s loomed for years overlooking Spadina Avenue like a ghostly, gabled reminder of Toronto’s Victorian past.

But the 135-year-old Gothic Revival structure at 1 Spadina Cres. – just north of College Street – could soon undergo an ambitious renovation and expansion, according to a plan actively being considered by the University of Toronto and the John H. Daniels faculty of architecture and landscape design.

“The idea we’re exploring is a visual arts, architecture and urbanism complex,” Dean Richard Sommer said in an interview. “We see this site as a kind of bridge from the university to the city and this great artery of Spadina.”

Prof. Sommer, a 50-year-old architect who stepped in as dean a year ago after teaching at Harvard’s graduate school of design, stressed that U of T hasn’t yet approved the strategy, but added, “It’s a very robust conversation that’s going on.”

The university has begun cleaning out the building, which currently houses the faculty of visual arts, a student newspaper and a hodgepodge of labs and offices. As well, the faculty of architecture and landscape design, anticipating growth in its programs and research operations, has iced recent makeover plans to its current digs at 230 College St. – a $14-million project that involved an international design competition this year.

There are no dollar figures yet, but previous restoration studies of 1 Spadina Cres. put the price tag in the tens of millions. Prof. Sommer said the endowment and other existing funds would cover the renovation, but added that U of T and his faculty are pondering how to finance “a very robust expansion.”

“Given the public nature of the site, our prospects for raising funds may be better here. We believe there will be more enthusiasm for an arts and architecture project.”

Besides the Ontario Legislature and Upper Canada College, Toronto has few other “vista buildings” situated at the ends of long avenues.

Spadina Crescent dates to the early 19th century. Dr. William Baldwin laid out Spadina Avenue to ensure the property had a clear view of Lake Ontario. The current structure – designed by James Smith and John Gemmell – was built for Knox College. It was later used as hospital and then served for almost three decades as the headquarters for Connaught Laboratories, a university-owned drug company later acquired by Sanofi Pasteur.

A little-known detail is that in the late 1920s, Toronto Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe had an option to develop the property for a new hockey arena to house his NHL team, but he opted instead for the corner of Carlton and Church.

The building is said to be haunted, and was the site of two recent deaths – an unsolved homicide in 2001 and a fatal accident in 2009, when a young woman fell while climbing on the roof, looking for ghosts.

The project, if approved, will present multiple challenges.

While 1 Spadina anchors the western edge of the university, it is largely cut off. U of T lobbied for years to persuade the city to install a signalled crosswalk on the east side, to allow students and staff to traverse the streetcar tracks safely and legally. The northern half of the property is ringed by a wrought-iron fence.

“People think of it as an island,” said Prof. Sommer, who noted that any renovation and expansion plans would involve the creation of a more “porous” perimeter, allowing access in all directions.

The run-down rear of the tan brick complex, meanwhile, has seen numerous heavy-handed additions, some of which wiped out valuable historical features, including a cloister. The university, the faculty and the community, said Prof. Sommer, “wants the [new] architecture that faces north to be as important as the architecture in the original Knox building.”

Prof. Sommer – who comes from Philadelphia, a city known for its dramatic vistas, and studied at the Rhode Island School of Design in historic Providence – has a few curious connections to the scheme.

When he moved to Toronto last year, he bought a midtown house that belonged to a descendant of Dr. John FitzGerald, the founder of Connaught Labs.

Mainly, the rambling, long-in-the-tooth building reminded him of the “magical” yet “ramshackle” colonial structures that housed the RISD. “When I walked into 1 Spadina, I felt transported back to that sort of atmosphere.”

Special to The Globe and Mail

 

[J T CUNNINGHAM]

"was established by Walter Massey (son of Hart Massey) to provide a safe supply of milk for Torontonians."
QUOTE City of Toronto history page, via Mustapha.


Walter Massey was also the Sire of Donalda Farm that supplied (the bulk?) of the raw milk to City Dairy.

What we have now is a movement afoot that wishes to recind(sp) or lessen the 100% pasteurisation law

which would allow the sale of raw milk to those of whom would make request.


Regards,
J T

 

[Mustapha]

Then: In 1906 (from Society Blue Book of Toronto, A Social Directory)

plink, they just don't write advertising copy like this anymore...

 

[Mustapha]

Photo by Notman in the McCord Museum 1890:

The University has decided to relocate the School of Architecture from 230 College to Knox College:

http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=7665

http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=7636

http://www.nomeancity.net/?p=851

From the Globe and Mail, July 12, 2010:

Ghostly Spadina structure could get new lease on life

Richard Sommer, the University of Toronto's new Dean of architecture, wants to turn 1 Spadina Cres. into the faculty's new home with a big renovation.

Richard Sommer, the University of Toronto's new Dean of architecture, wants to turn 1 Spadina Cres. into the faculty's new home with a big renovation. Della Rollins for The Globe and Mail

U of T has yet to approve strategy, dean says, but ‘It’s a very robust conversation that’s going on’


John Lorinc

From Monday's Globe and Mail Published on Monday, Jul. 12, 2010 3:48AM EDT

It’s loomed for years overlooking Spadina Avenue like a ghostly, gabled reminder of Toronto’s Victorian past.

But the 135-year-old Gothic Revival structure at 1 Spadina Cres. – just north of College Street – could soon undergo an ambitious renovation and expansion, according to a plan actively being considered by the University of Toronto and the John H. Daniels faculty of architecture and landscape design.

“The idea we’re exploring is a visual arts, architecture and urbanism complex,” Dean Richard Sommer said in an interview. “We see this site as a kind of bridge from the university to the city and this great artery of Spadina.”

Prof. Sommer, a 50-year-old architect who stepped in as dean a year ago after teaching at Harvard’s graduate school of design, stressed that U of T hasn’t yet approved the strategy, but added, “It’s a very robust conversation that’s going on.”

The university has begun cleaning out the building, which currently houses the faculty of visual arts, a student newspaper and a hodgepodge of labs and offices. As well, the faculty of architecture and landscape design, anticipating growth in its programs and research operations, has iced recent makeover plans to its current digs at 230 College St. – a $14-million project that involved an international design competition this year.

There are no dollar figures yet, but previous restoration studies of 1 Spadina Cres. put the price tag in the tens of millions. Prof. Sommer said the endowment and other existing funds would cover the renovation, but added that U of T and his faculty are pondering how to finance “a very robust expansion.”

“Given the public nature of the site, our prospects for raising funds may be better here. We believe there will be more enthusiasm for an arts and architecture project.”

Besides the Ontario Legislature and Upper Canada College, Toronto has few other “vista buildings” situated at the ends of long avenues.

Spadina Crescent dates to the early 19th century. Dr. William Baldwin laid out Spadina Avenue to ensure the property had a clear view of Lake Ontario. The current structure – designed by James Smith and John Gemmell – was built for Knox College. It was later used as hospital and then served for almost three decades as the headquarters for Connaught Laboratories, a university-owned drug company later acquired by Sanofi Pasteur.

A little-known detail is that in the late 1920s, Toronto Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe had an option to develop the property for a new hockey arena to house his NHL team, but he opted instead for the corner of Carlton and Church.

The building is said to be haunted, and was the site of two recent deaths – an unsolved homicide in 2001 and a fatal accident in 2009, when a young woman fell while climbing on the roof, looking for ghosts.

The project, if approved, will present multiple challenges.

While 1 Spadina anchors the western edge of the university, it is largely cut off. U of T lobbied for years to persuade the city to install a signalled crosswalk on the east side, to allow students and staff to traverse the streetcar tracks safely and legally. The northern half of the property is ringed by a wrought-iron fence.

“People think of it as an island,” said Prof. Sommer, who noted that any renovation and expansion plans would involve the creation of a more “porous” perimeter, allowing access in all directions.

The run-down rear of the tan brick complex, meanwhile, has seen numerous heavy-handed additions, some of which wiped out valuable historical features, including a cloister. The university, the faculty and the community, said Prof. Sommer, “wants the [new] architecture that faces north to be as important as the architecture in the original Knox building.”

Prof. Sommer – who comes from Philadelphia, a city known for its dramatic vistas, and studied at the Rhode Island School of Design in historic Providence – has a few curious connections to the scheme.

When he moved to Toronto last year, he bought a midtown house that belonged to a descendant of Dr. John FitzGerald, the founder of Connaught Labs.

Mainly, the rambling, long-in-the-tooth building reminded him of the “magical” yet “ramshackle” colonial structures that housed the RISD. “When I walked into 1 Spadina, I felt transported back to that sort of atmosphere.”

Special to The Globe and Mail

I hope the restoration is sympathetic. UT seems to be fond of generous usage of glass, steel forms and granite. I didn't know our conversation here was so coincidental.