ST O EA ONT TOR OWN LD T O Come and explore Toronto’s historic heart.
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The Daniel Brooke Building 6 Little Trinity Church & Parish House 11 The Berkeley Street Theatre Bus, Streetcar Route Architectural/ 1 Historical 2 The Bank of Upper Canada 7 Enoch Turner School House 12 Canadian Opera Company Municipal Parking Interest 3 Toronto’s First Post Office 8 The Distillery Historic District 13 The Lorraine Kimsa Theatre Outdoor Art, Museum for Young People d Nixon 9 First Parliament Buildings Site One-way Street Statues & St. Paul’s Basilica 14 The Toronto Sun Mural Structures 4 10 Crombie Park Greenspace 5 Dominion Square riting: Edwar W
ST O EA ONT TOR WN D TO OL Come and explore Toronto’s historic heart. Points of interest
1 The Daniel Brooke Building (King outskirts of town and the only Roman 9 First Parliament Buildings Site, Street East & Jarvis Street) Built in Catholic parish between Kingston and Parliament Square The block bounded 1833 for merchant Daniel Brooke, Windsor. Today’s Italian Renaissance- by Parliament Street on the east and significantly rebuilt in 1848-49 and Style church is the realization of an Berkeley Street on the west and one of the few buildings that survived 1889 expansion. On August 26, 1999 running south from Front Street to the great fire of 1849. It is an Pope John Paul II named the church Parliament Square Park, contains the important and rare example of Toronto’s first and only Minor Basilica. site of Upper Canada’s (today’s Georgian Architecture in Toronto and Ontario) original parliament buildings, 5 Dominion Square (468 Queen Street built in 1793. Parliament Square one of the last remaining buildings East) The Davies family began a features a treed walkway leading to from the original Town of York. brewery here in 1879 and established The Distillery District and an Ontario The Bank of Upper Canada (256 the Dominion Hotel on the east end of 2 Heritage Trust plaque. In 2005 the Adelaide Street East) Built in the property at Sumach. Renovated in Province of Ontario acquired the 1825–27, it is one of the oldest 1987, the site boasts stores, condos northeast corner of the site which will remaining bank buildings in Toronto. and office space. The adjacent eventually be redeveloped to The bank was the Province’s leading renovated hotel is a popular local commemorate the birth place of financial institution from the time of watering hole. Ontario’s democracy. its incorporation in 1822 until its 6 Little Trinity Church & Parish House closing in 1866. The striking portico (between Parliament & Trinity on King) 10 Crombie Park Running along The Esplanade from Berkeley Street west was added by Toronto architect John The Parish of Trinity East, Toronto’s to Jarvis Street through the tree-lined G. Howard in 1844. Designated a second Anglican parish, was founded heart of St. Lawrence Neighbourhood. National Historic site in 1977, it was in 1842 to serve the newly arrived, The City of Toronto park is named for restored in 1980 by its current poor, Irish immigrants. The parish former Toronto Mayor David Crombie owners, the Godfrey family, for use as house was designed in 1853 by noted who was instrumental in initiating the commercial office space. 19th century Toronto architects redevelopment of the neighbourhood Toronto’s First Post Office Museum Cumberland and Storm. 3 in the 1970s from industrial (260 Adelaide Street East) In 1833 7 Enoch Turner School House (Trinity wasteland to today’s successful mixed Postmaster James Scott Howard built Street, just south of King) Opened in income community. Countless this 3-storey Georgian-style “live- 1848 as Toronto’s first free or non- television productions and work” building to house both the post denominational school under the commercials have been filmed office and his family. It is the oldest patronage of local business and in the park. building built as a post office in community leader Enoch Turner. It The Berkeley Street Theatre (26 Canada. It is also owned by the features an authentic recreation of 11 Berkeley Street) Known to intimates Godfrey family who began its the original school house and as the “The Gas Works” after its restoration in 1980, and now leases it presents lectures, walking tours, and history of once being a Consumers for a dollar a year to the Town of York concerts throughout the year. Historical Society. It is a working post www.enochturnerschoolhouse.ca Gas pumping station. It was converted office and museum with philatelic into a theatre in 1971, first as the services, a gift shop and postal 8 The Distillery Historic District (50 Mill home of the Toronto Free Theatre and memorabilia available seven days a Street) Originally the grounds of the subsequently as the home of the week. www.townofyork.com Gooderham and Worts Distillery in successor company CanStage. The 1832, today it features theatres, art, St. Paul’s Basilica (83 Power Street) theatre has two performance spaces 4 photography, cafés and restaurants in presenting Canadian and international Dating from 1822, St. Paul’s was the a restored 19th century industrial site theatre. www.canstage.com Town of York’s first Roman Catholic (see What to Do). parish. The site was then on the www.thedistillerydistrict.com
AST TO E RON N TO Come and explore Toronto’s historic heart. TOW OLD Points of interest How to get there By TTC: There are many TTC routes serving Old Town Toronto. 12 Canadian Opera Company, 1891, the stables went with the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Opera times and the building became From Downtown: King or Queen Subway station take Centre (227 Front Street East) a generating plant until 1906. the eastbound streetcar past Jarvis. The COC is housed in two 19th It was then used as a warehouse century industrial buildings. by the TTC. In 1977, it was The eastern building was the redesigned to be the home of Consumers Gas Company’s the Young People’s Theatre, Purifying House No. 2 built in now the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre 1887-1888 and designed by for Young People (LKTYP). They the architects Strictland and are Toronto’s premier company Symens after the fashion of an producing professional theatre early Christian basilica. The for children. www.lktyp.ca westerly building was originally 14 The Toronto Sun Mural (between Standard Woollen Mills built in Princess & Berkeley Streets) 1882 and designed by famous History as Theatre, by Toronto Toronto architect E.J. Lennox artist John Hood, depicts who also designed Casa Loma Toronto’s story on a “canvas” By Car: From the Don Valley Parkway exit at Richmond and Old City Hall. www.coc.ca the height of a 3-storey building Street. From the Gardiner Expressway exit north at 13 The Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for and the length of a city block. It Jarvis. From the Lakeshore Boulevard East exit on Young People (165 Front Street was commissioned by the Cherry, Parliament, Sherbourne or Jarvis. There is a East) Originally a late 19th Toronto Sun newspaper in 1993 “Green P” parking lot at Sherbourne and Richmond century stable for the horses to celebrate the 200th and one at The Esplanade and Jarvis; two large private that pulled the Toronto Street anniversary of the City’s lots at the Distillery District (entrances off Parliament Railway Company Streetcars. founding. just north of Lakeshore Boulevard); throughout the When electrification arrived in neighbourhoud Pay and Display street parking is available.
Why you should go relaxed afternoon pint or fine dining in Jarvis to Parliament has one of the city’s some of the city’s best restaurants. In Old premier collections of home furnishing and Old Town Toronto (east) is the historic heart Town the choice is yours. design shops—a delight for anyone search- of Toronto, and like the city that grew up ing for decorating ideas and new, innovative from the Town of York’s original 10 blocks, pieces. Drop by Toronto’s First Post Office the area is defined by diverse What to do museum on Adelaide Street and walk back neighbourhoods containing everything the Old Town Toronto (east) is a perfect setting in time before there was air mail, e-mail urban visitor could want: Historic Queen for the urban explorer: whether it is strolling and instant communication. Street East, a revitalized strip of unique the historic main streets of the city and tak- www.kingstreeteaststyle.com shops, leads into the heart of the 19th ing note of intriguing historic sites; or Historic Queen East (Jarvis to Parliament). century urban village atmosphere of something more contemporary like seeking In 1800, Lot Street (now Queen) was the Corktown; the Distillery District with out that perfect home décor item; or sip- northern limit of the town. Today this revi- theatres, galleries and restaurants in a ping a cold craft brewed pint on a secluded talizing strip features Victorian commercial restored, industrial, heritage site dating patio; each part of the neighbourhood offers buildings and unique shops. You can stop from 1832; the St. Lawrence unique delights and surprises. Beginning at into a gallery, browse for antique books or Neighbourhood offers a pleasant the corner of King and George Streets you grab an inexpensive bite to eat. promenade through a model of urban are crossing into the original 10 blocks laid redevelopment; and King Street East is the out by Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe in Corktown is a 19th century urban village in home to the city’s largest collection of fine 1793 to form the Town of York. The town the heart of the city and King and Queen home furnishing shops. Old Town Toronto stretched east to Berkeley Street south to Streets (East of Parliament) are its two (east) boasts the largest collection of Front Street and north to today’s Adelaide main streets. It was originally settled by heritage buildings in Ontario, making it Street. The area features a mix of historic working class immigrants in the early ideal for walking tours and city exploring. buildings, modern condos and commercial 1800’s, many of whom came from the Well known as a haven for diners and pub buildings, with cafés, specialty shops, pubs County of Cork in Ireland. aficionados, a visitor can find anything and bistros at street level. King Street from from a tasty and inexpensive lunch, a
AST TO E RON N TO Come and explore Toronto’s historic heart. TOW OLD
They found work in developing industries A short history grist mill, then in 1837 as a distillery. Today such as the local breweries and distilleries. it is becoming a major arts and shopping In 1793, John Graves Simcoe, lieutenant- Their Irish heritage was reflected in what destination (Point of Interest #8). governor of Upper Canada (today’s Ontario), came to be the area’s nickname. Today moved the capital of the fledgling colony In the 1850s after rail service began, the Corktown is dotted with row houses and ren- from Niagara, on the American border, to eastern neighbourhoods of Old Town ovated commercial buildings housing spe- Toronto because it was considered to be at a industrialized. The site of the original cialty shops, cozy bistros and cafés. But it is safer distance in case of invasion; and it Parliament Buildings became a major Corktown’s laneways and small residential boasted a good harbour, along with access plant for Consumer’s Gas in the late streets that many visitors enjoy the most: to rivers, the highways of the day. Simcoe 1800s. The company also built a plant at Bright Street’s fine example of workers oversaw the construction of Fort York to pro- 51 Parliament Street which has been ren- housing from the 1800s or the Victorian tect the harbour on the west and a town site ovated to house the city’s newest police townhouses on Wascana Avenue. Look for to the east. Simcoe choose the name York to station. The city’s commercial centre of evocative street names like Virgin Place and honour Frederick Augustus, Duke of York, gravity moved west in the latter half of the Gilead Place. Trinity Street features fine her- the second son of King George III. The size 19th century. King Street East, once the itage houses and Enoch Turner of the new capital was a modest 10 blocks, city’s premier High Street began to fade in Schoolhouse: revisit schooldays 1850s though the town grew quickly. During the importance, a circumstance that would not style. www.corktown.ca War of 1812, York was invaded by the change until the late 20th century when South from Corktown is the Distillery District American forces in 1813 and the new development and renovations of his- an ongoing and ambitious renovation of one Parliament Buildings (at Front St. and toric buildings revitalized the area. of the largest remnants of Victorian industri- Parliament St.) were burned to the ground. In the 1990s, much of Old Town Toronto al heritage buildings in North America. The city grew rapidly after the war and in (east) was slated for revitalization and Stroll among the restored 19th century 1821 York got its first financial institution, under a new planning regime, the adaptive warehouses and tankhouses, along the cob- The Bank of Upper Canada: the original reuse of heritage buildings and construc- blestone laneways of the original Gooderham building remains in use today as renovated tion of compatible new buildings was & Worts Distillery complex, dating from office space at the corner George and encouraged. The population grew rapidly 1832. Discover fine restaurants, artists’ stu- Adelaide. In 1832 one of Toronto’s first in the old Town Of York area, with new dios, a brewery, theatre and dance compa- major industrial sites, the Gooderham & condos, shops and amenities bringing the nies, art and craft galleries and the Young Worts complex, began operation initially as a streets vibrantly alive. Centre for the Performing Arts, home of Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre Company. Open year ’round, the site really comes alive with numerous festivals and outdoor A little trivia events on spring and summer weekends. Washington. When the residence was www.thedistillerydistrict.com repaired and rebuilt it was painted • The Distillery District (Point of Interest white to cover the evidence of fire West from the Distillery District, across #8) is the number one filming location damage, and then became known as Parliament Square (Point of Interest #9), is in Canada. Over 800 movies have been the White House. Berkeley Street where heritage buildings filmed there in the past 10 years, house new uses: the renovated Berkeley perhaps most notably Chicago which • Toronto’s first cab company, “The Castle office complex, the Berkeley Street won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2003. City”, was founded by Lucie & Theatre and the headquarters of the Thornton Blackburn in 1837. The Canadian Opera Company are all located in • In 1919, T.P. Loblaw and Justin Cork Blackburns were escaped slaves from 19th century industrial buildings adapted opened the doors to their first grocery Kentucky who arrived in Toronto in for today. Continuing along The Esplanade store on King Street East in the Old 1834; where they were defended by between Berkeley and Jarvis Street, one Town neighbourhood of Corktown. From the government from two extradition strolls through the heart of the original St. this humble beginning Loblaws grew to attempts. Once safe and settled, Lawrence Neighbourhood, developed by the become one of Canada’s major grocery Thornton discovered there was a City of Toronto in the 1970s. Today it is retailers. home to well over 10,000 people in one of shortage of public transportation in North America’s most successful and most • After Ontario’s First Parliament Toronto. To meet this need he built a studied mixed income neighbourhoods. Buildings (Point of Interest #9) were red and yellow horse-drawn cab, mod- Crombie Park (Point of Interest #10) pro- burned down in 1813 by invading eled after vehicles he’d seen in vides one of the City’s most pleasant urban Americans during the Battle of York, the Montréal, and launched the service walks, marked by gardens, fountains and a British forces retaliated by burning to great success. natural arcade of trees. down the U.S. President’s residence in
For more information, go to: www.oldtowntoronto1793.com or www.sederi.ca or www.corktown.ca