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DSCToronto said:
From everything I have seen, there were no streetcar tracks on George south of Front, I suspect this is Lower Sherbourne where there certainly was large TTC yard on the west side adjacent to what is now the Young People's Theatre. I think the photo is looking down Lower Sherbourne towards The Esplanade

This building was on SE corner of Lower Sherbourne and The Esplanade )later painted purple and known around here as The Purple Building)> I think it is the building showing in your photo too - with its roof flattened out..

View attachment 677196View attachment 677196
Click to expand...

Hmmm

This appears to be the aerial photo from the City's archive for the area in question from 1953:

1756415581453.png


To landmark yourself, the long buildings on the left of the image are the St. Lawrence Market(s), including the canopy over Front Street. So Front is the road near the top of the image, and the rail corridor is self-evident with The Esplanade running alongside it on the north.

Looking at open spaces that reach Front, I think this site is in fact on the s/w corner of Front + George. The tracks go into the site from Front, not George itself.

Edit to add: I stared a bit more at that first photo I posted, the track is within the TTC property and George Street is to the left where the row of cars can be seen.
 
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DSCToronto said:
La Maquette on King Street was in a City owned building and, when the restaurant closed, the City leased it to the Berkeley Church folk as event space, The BC guys went bankrupt so i assume the lease has returned to the City but the space is still boarded up and empty. It is a great restaurant location with a patio that 'flows' into the Sculpture Garden - it REALLY should be leased and open again. I assume it is managed by Corporate Real Estate Services and their record of managing 'commercial properties; - e,g. St lawrence Market complex, is not great.

View attachment 676150
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I loved La Maquette when it was a restaurant years ago. Great crème brûlée and nice patio spot. I hope they can bring it back!
 
Northern Light said:
Hmmm

This appears to be the aerial photo from the City's archive for the area in question from 1953:

View attachment 677201

To landmark yourself, the long buildings on the left of the image are the St. Lawrence Market(s), including the canopy over Front Street. So Front is the road near the top of the image, and the rail corridor is self-evident with The Esplanade running alongside it on the north.

Looking at open spaces that reach Front, I think this site is in fact on the s/w corner of Front + George. The tracks go into the site from Front, not George itself.

Edit to add: I stared a bit more at that first photo I posted, the track is within the TTC property and George Street is to the left where the row of cars can be seen.
Click to expand...
Interesting, unrelated to the streetcar tracks, but it looks like the old North Market was connected to St Lawrence Hall too! So the new North Market simply restored a connection that was there years prior (before the shitty bunker that replaced it)?
 
Northern Light said:
Hmmm

This appears to be the aerial photo from the City's archive for the area in question from 1953:

View attachment 677201

To landmark yourself, the long buildings on the left of the image are the St. Lawrence Market(s), including the canopy over Front Street. So Front is the road near the top of the image, and the rail corridor is self-evident with The Esplanade running alongside it on the north.

Looking at open spaces that reach Front, I think this site is in fact on the s/w corner of Front + George. The tracks go into the site from Front, not George itself.

Edit to add: I stared a bit more at that first photo I posted, the track is within the TTC property and George Street is to the left where the row of cars can be seen.
Click to expand...
I should know better than argue with you! You may be right, here is the section:

Ariel.jpg


The Yellow buildings are the J&J Taylor Safe Works - whose office part is still on Front @ Frederick.
The Green building is the TTC Power House that is now the Young people's Theatre
The Blue Line is George St (South)
The Red line is Frederick St

There was certainly a large TTC yard adjacent to the Power House (Front & Sherbourne) , I have never heard of another on the land on west side of George but you may well be correct. That block had a huge fire in 1902 (The McIntosh Fire) which I posted about a few weeks ago . It was left empty for many decades so could have been temporary overflow yard.
 
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DSCToronto said:
I should know better than argue with you!
Click to expand...

🤣 If it makes you feel better, I wasn't sure......I simply took the info from a caption w/the photo, which I saw on social.

But you made me look more closely........

DSCToronto said:
You may be right, here is the section:


The
View attachment 677221

The Yellow buildings are the J&J Taylor Safe Works - whose office part is still on Front @ Frederick.
The Green building is the TTC Power House that is now the Young people's Theatre
The Blue Line is George St (South)
The Red line is Frederick St
Click to expand...

Excellent job!

Couldn't have told you about the Safe Works - I learn things when reading your posts too!

I knew about the YPT site, and agree that the operating yard was there for the longest time.

From the social caption, it was indicated that the George site was a 'material' yard, and that it was decommissioned in 1963.

A poster in reply indicated that it was where old streetcars were harvested for spare parts before the remaining chassis was dispatched to a bon fire somewhere.


DSCToronto said:
There was certainly a large TTC yard adjacent to the Power House (Front & Sherbourne) , I have never heard of another on the land on west side of George but you may well be correct. That block had a huge fire in 1902 (The McIntosh Fire) which I posted about a few weeks ago . It was left empty for many decades so could have been temporary overflow yard.
Click to expand...

Here's everything you could ever want to know about those lands......... (did more digging)


Lots of Great pics too for the Then and Now thread!
 
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Northern Light said:
🤣 If it makes you feel better, I wasn't sure......I simply took the info from a caption w/the photo, which I saw on social.

But you made me look more closely........



Excellent job!

Couldn't have told you about the Safe Works - I learn things when reading your posts too!

I knew about the YPT site, and agree that the operating yard was there for the longest time.

From the social caption, it was indicated that the George site was a 'material' yard, and that it was decommissioned in 1963.

A poster in reply indicated that it was where old streetcars were harvested for spare parts before the remaining chassis was dispatched to a bon fire somewhere.




Here's everything you could ever want to know about those lands......... (did more digging)


Lots of Great pics too for the Then and Now thread!
Click to expand...
Lots on City Archives site too. and Transit Toronto site refers to George Street Scrap Yard!

1756422494329.png
 
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Score on King (at King/Church) is 'temporarily closed due to City water main failure". Their water supply was (supposedly) replaced a few weeks ago when the King/Church TTC and water work was going on. No sign of flooding so I assume their water supply INSIDE building was damaged or could not cope with the new (full) water pressure???
 
DSCToronto said:
Score on King (at King/Church) is 'temporarily closed due to City water main failure". Their water supply was (supposedly) replaced a few weeks ago when the King/Church TTC and water work was going on. No sign of flooding so I assume their water supply INSIDE building was damaged or could not cope with the new (full) water pressure???
Click to expand...

Unless there was an issue with the connections themselves?
 
Northern Light said:
Way back in the olden days............before St.Lawrence became 'DSC' ville.

An intersection @DSCToronto knows well.....

Front + George: (1952) a Richard Glaze photo. TTC Material yard, looking south from Front

Edit for clarity: George St is to left of the track and material piles, where the rows of parked cars can be seen, one on the east side and one on the west side of the street.

View attachment 677175
Click to expand...
When people pine for the "good old days" of past Toronto, just show them pictures like this of how much of a crummy dump it was.
 
DSCToronto said:
Score on King (at King/Church) is 'temporarily closed due to City water main failure". Their water supply was (supposedly) replaced a few weeks ago when the King/Church TTC and water work was going on. No sign of flooding so I assume their water supply INSIDE building was damaged or could not cope with the new (full) water pressure???
Click to expand...
Still closed, sign says "Due to city incompetence".
 
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