[edgedamage]

Thanks for this great thread.
Bayview and Sheppard north east corner before.

After.

 

[DSC]

There's one at the south west corner of King and Bay, with the date 1889. Are we wise in assuming they changed the date every time the foundry made new ones though? Perhaps "1889" was some sort of "greatest hits" commemorative year, and they produced them for decades?

Actually there are LOTS of the 1889 drain covers in Toronto. (I think they are all covers for the street drains which are set into the sidewalks right at the kerbs. I do not think they are technically 'man-hole covers".) There are many in the Old Town area and I have seen a few elsewhere.

I too have often wondered whether in 1889 someone (in error or on purpose) placed a huge order. As far as I know 1889 was not a special year in Toronto, but others may know better.

 

[Long Island Mike]

RENOVATING the Bathurst Street Bridge...

Mustapha: According to posts about the Bathurst Street Bridge in the Transportation and Infrastructure section of UT here this bridge has preservation and landmark status-meaning it will be preserved and renovated
and NOT replaced as I had thought...LI MIKE

 

[Earlscourt_Lad]

Actually there are LOTS of the 1889 drain covers in Toronto. (I think they are all covers for the street drains which are set into the sidewalks right at the kerbs. I do not think they are technically 'man-hole covers".) There are many in the Old Town area and I have seen a few elsewhere.

I too have often wondered whether in 1889 someone (in error or on purpose) placed a huge order. As far as I know 1889 was not a special year in Toronto, but others may know better.

A model number perhaps?

 

[Anna]

Actually there are LOTS of the 1889 drain covers in Toronto. (I think they are all covers for the street drains which are set into the sidewalks right at the kerbs. I do not think they are technically 'man-hole covers".) There are many in the Old Town area and I have seen a few elsewhere.

I too have often wondered whether in 1889 someone (in error or on purpose) placed a huge order. As far as I know 1889 was not a special year in Toronto, but others may know better.

It has been a while, and I thought it was a round manhole cover as opposed to a square catch basin cover built into the curb/kerb, but now I know why I was mistaken..

picture from Bay St. courtesy http://s660.photobucket.com/albums/uu328/Jake31_2009/Toronto/

 

[thecharioteer]

There is a manhole cover near the northwest corner of Adelaide & University that has an 1880's date on it (IIRC). I hope it survives.

What's especially interesting about that is the fact that University did not even extend south of Queen until the 1930's, and that somehow this manhole survived the massive road reconstruction at that time.

 

[adma]

If they could save those 1889 covers in building the TD Centre plaza, they could save them anywhere. (Interesting that they did--maybe the one true "preservationist" gesture in the Mies ensemble? TSE/DX, of course, doesn't count.)

 

[Mustapha]

We obviously need an update here to illustrate the last 40 years.
Any aerial photographers in the crowd?

"Now" aerial shots are prohibitively expensive Goldie. Won't happen until I fake a serious injury and get a ride on Band Aid One.

Also remember that by the time the building was demolished, there were only two bays left of the original:

This picture does make the realization sink in that that corner is pretty valuable real estate.

Thanks for this great thread.
Bayview and Sheppard north east corner before.

After.

Mel Lastman's push for the Sheppard subway paid off I suppose. This is no longer a quiet corner of North York. I wonder if the Sheppard subway is better utilized now?

It has been a while, and I thought it was a round manhole cover as opposed to a square catch basin cover built into the curb/kerb, but now I know why I was mistaken..

picture from Bay St. courtesy http://s660.photobucket.com/albums/uu328/Jake31_2009/Toronto/

Anna, and gang: Is it just me, but that cover doesn't look like vintage 1889.






September 3 addition.


Bathurst looking NNE towards Dupont.

Then: January 1938

Now: June 2009

 

[Goldie]

Robarts Library

While admiring the "androiduk" photo at the top of today's page, I was reminded of a photo in my files that's probably 40 years old.
Is that old house is still there?

 

[androiduk]

^ Thanks Goldie. Indeed the house is still there. I was planning on including it in my daily postings in the 'My Toronto' thread tomorrow.

 

[Anna]

Anna, and gang: Is it just me, but that cover doesn't look like vintage 1889.

I thought the same thing... We need an article like this.
http://spacingmontreal.ca/2009/03/1...bly-never-cared-to-know-about-manhole-covers/

Bayview and Sheppard north east corner before.

What's the date of the before picture?

 

[thecharioteer]

While admiring the "androiduk" photo at the top of today's page, I was reminded of a photo in my files that's probably 40 years old.
Is that old house is still there?

1906 on the right:

 

[Mustapha]

^ Thanks Goldie. Indeed the house is still there. I was planning on including it in my daily postings in the 'My Toronto' thread tomorrow.

It's the "Newman Catholic Student Centre". Always lots of - Catholics - I suppose, hanging about.

 

[GenerationW]

What's the date of the before picture?

It looked like that up until fairly recently -- 15 years ago I was definitely traipsing up and down that hill to and from Bayview Village, and if memory serves, as recently as 10 years ago.

 

[DSC]

Originally Posted by Mustapha
Anna, and gang: Is it just me, but that cover doesn't look like vintage 1889.

Anna said: I thought the same thing...

Cast iron is very durable and if you go to London (England) the sidewalks are dotted with old "man hole covers" dating far further back - most over holes used to deliver coal to the cellars! The one in the photo is certainly in a new "frame" but I bet the centre part with the date, crest etc IS from 1889. (Several in Old Town Toronto are in what look like the original, somewhat more decorative, frames.
However, nobody seems to know WHY there are so many dated 1889 (and none (?) from other years. (Either they used the 1889 mold for ages or someone placed a huge order and the City had a stockpile.