[fiendishlibrarian]

I have so many memories flooding back looking at these, especially the trolley buses on Bay my dad used to drive. Wow, this is the best find I've seen since I joined this forum five years ago.

 

[ganjavih]

I will never understand those who mourn the Toronto of the 70s. The city's come such a long way and is so much more exciting, interesting and vibrant now.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Happy birthday fiendish!

 

[Ronald]

Toronto looks much denser today than in the seventies on those pictures. I'd say the city has made a lot of progress. The streets also appear to be much busier on the pics taken in 2007.

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

In the name of Og US, how did you know? Have I mentioned it before? Thank you though.

One thing I wanted to mention was that I was struck by the fact that Yonge, in those photos from 1977, still looks vibrant and busy and not at all on the skids. I have to think this is because of two things: one, the effects of the Eaton Centre opening (at least the first phase, as I had no idea it opened in phases south from Dundas) had not been felt yet, and the second was that these photos were taken about a month before the infamous Emmanuel Jacques "shoeshine boy" murder which, while growing up, seemed to act as the dividing line between the vibrant Yonge, and the "dangerous" one that was the catalyst behind the whole Dundas Square revitalization.

 

[Urban Shocker]

You told us all a couple of years ago. Same day Trotsky died ( different year! ).

The Jacques murder, apart from bringing out the vocal drive-by homophobe in some, was an added excuse to "clean up" Yonge Street. That summer, the murderers were seen at the gay beach at Hanlans Point with their young friends on occasion.

 

[flar]

It's worth looking through the blogs to see all the comparison photos. They're very well done and it's so interesting to see what buildings survived the past thirty years.

 

[Hydrogen]

Looks like many of the utility poles are the same.

 

[Edward Skira]

(at least the first phase, as I had no idea it opened in phases south from Dundas)

I remember going to an open north phase while the south phase was under construction. It was done this way so the old Eatons store could stay open while the new one was being built.

I'm starting to think it was a shame that we lost the old Eaton's building on Queen Street. I'm too young to remember it, but that picture at least gives it a real dignified look from Yonge.

IIRC it wasn't very pretty inside, certainly not as nice as the Simpson/Bay store. I remember the basement feeling like Honest Ed's.

 

[Long Island Mike]

Toronto/Niagara Falls 1977 pics...

Everyone: Great memories here! - I remember quite a bit of this from the years 1979-81 time period when I visited both places for the first and quite a number of subsequent times-great pics! Cal-that pic is looking S toward the Eaton Centre and Downtown from the top of which building? It is too close to be from College Street. LI MIKE

 

[caltrane74]

Cal-that pic is looking S toward the Eaton Centre and Downtown from the top of which building? It is too close to be from College Street. LI MIKE

Looks like it was taken from the Delta Chelsa Hotel.

 

[Observer Walt]

I remember the opening of the first phase of the Eaton Centre, and the advertising jingle that was on every radio station:

"Life in the city ... starts at the Centre ... life in the city ... at the Eaton Centre"

Eaton's closed the Queen Street and College Street stores one Saturday. Members of the Eaton family stood at the doors and shook hands with customers. A few days later the new store at Dundas opened. Those "in the know" (certainly not including me) went to a so-called "soft opening" the day before the official opening, and got a sneak preview of the spiffy new store.

 

[Urban Shocker]

I remember an insanely manic, animated TV commercial with a catchy song ("Hop on a bus we're Eatons bound .." I think the lyric was ) showing little art-decoesque people in tight jackets and baggy pants jumping onto snake-like transit vehicles that hopped and looped across the landscape downtown to Eatons. It think it was early 1970's, before the Eaton Centre opened. Very Fritz the Cat, acid trippy, keep on truckin'. Some agency must have fun with that one, in the dying days of a department store's last bid for creativity and connection to a generation of young baby boomers with a bit of money to spend.

 

[Conrad Black]

Maybe its just the vantage point those shots were taken from but I'm surprised how little has changed in most of the shots. Especially considering the amount of growth that has taken place in 30 years.

 

[Lone Primate]

Maybe its just the vantage point those shots were taken from but I'm surprised how little has changed in most of the shots. Especially considering the amount of growth that has taken place in 30 years.

Development started moving out into what's now 905 in the 70s, really. The atmosphere south of Eglinton was decided hostile to development by 1965, and it shows in the downtown we have today, I think. It's broke, it hasn't created a net new job in my lifetime, and it's fusing its helium with pathetic projects like Dundas Square. If it weren't for yuppies wanting condos that keep the rest of us from ever having a hope of seeing Lake Ontario again, I don't think a building permit would have been issued after 1980. Most people who want to build something new these days look to Vaughan or Mississauga, or even beyond. "Donut Centre, what a hole" (thank you, Looney Tunes).