Motordrome (Murderdrome) - Toronto

I was walking along Queen Street East about a block east of Leslie Street when I saw this mural on the side of a building. 

I wondered if it was a local store or something, but when I looked it up online it was much more interesting. It turns out that it is commemorating the racing oval that used to be here - also known as 'Murderdrome'!

Opened by the Duke of Connaught (there's also a Duke of Connaught School a block or so east) in 1914, it was a 1/4 mile wooden track built in an old brick pit and had 60° banked corners. 

It held motorbike races, bicycle races, and even cars were on the track. Amazingly, only one person died during a race:

"Ernest Roberts, caretaker of the Motordrome, Greenwood avenue, died in St. Michael’s Hospital yesterday morning. Roberts was hit on May 22 (1915) by Sayer, a motor-paced rider from Bright Beach, while cleaning glass from the track."

Turns out that: "The fans threw bottles and trash at any racer they thought was fixing a race by holding back. Workers regularly dashed to clear broken glass."

Lots of pictures (but no clear ones of the Toronto facility unfortunately) and background of the times and racers here:

https://leslievillehistory.com/devil-wagons-and-the-murderdrome-torontos-motordrome/

Walking across Toronto - College/Carlton

College Street and Carlton Street make up another 'across the downtown' route that I took in 2022. They meet (with a bit of a north/south jog) at Yonge Street.

As always, click on any picture to see a big version! Also part of this map of my walks across Toronto.

I started at the eastern end of Carlton Street (by Riverdale Farm). This first (last?) block of Carlton starts as brick.

There are nice houses in Cabbagetown (which is what this part of the city is called).

Allan Gardens from Carlton St. A wonderful set of greenhouses dating 'way back'. This picture hides most of the greenhouses to give them a mysterious air.

Maple Leaf Gardens (now Loblaws). This is looking NW at the corner of Church Street and Carlton.

And I remember when the building on the far right of the above picture (new building; NE corner of Carlton and Church; see old photo below) was the headquarters of Warner Bros. in Canada.

A view of Maple Leaf Gardens from a year earlier (earlier than my walk that is, not earlier than the previous picture) - across the street from the main entrance.

This picture actually looks south towards a mural on a building on Yonge St - but since taken from Carlton it's included in this walk!

College Park on the SW corner of College and Yonge. Originally Eaton's until the Eaton Centre was built a few blocks south. Cool Art Deco look with brass doors, marble, and lots of architectural details.

The original 'Oddfellows Hall', later a CIBC and now various businesses (with a quite large building behind it) at the NW corner of College/Carlton and Yonge Street.

Fran's Restaurant is still here! Just west of Yonge on College.

The new (well, completed in the 80's) Toronto Police Headquarters

The original 'Victoria Hospital for Sick Children'! Now a Canadian Blood Services regional centre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Hospital_for_Sick_Children

(Part of) the MaRS Discovery District - a private/public partnership to commercialize innovation.

And now some University of Toronto buildings. (College Street was originally named after King's College which was the start of U of T). The new 'Innovation' building is (was) under construction.

Looking N to the Ontario Parliament buildings at University Avenue

The newish (1975) Ontario Hydro building (now Intact Centre) at the SW corner of College and University

Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy Building at U of T

The Stewart Building - was Ontario College of Art when I attended UofT. Now the Rotman School of Management https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Athletic_Club

The Mining Engineering Building. I always liked the look of it, and that Taddle Creek would occasionally make its presence known by bubbling up from its buried location underneath!

The entrance to King's College Circle. Somewhere behind the trees on the right is the Mechanical Engineering building I attended for my Masters

Toronto Public Library entrance across from UofT

Church of Saint Stephen-in-the-Fields. Interesting Gothic look.

Looking N up Spadina to Knox College

Sneaky Dee's - restaurant/bar and live music (formerly a lot of punk rock)

Former Baptist church and now condo conversion. Not sure how many condos, but see this! https://www.blogto.com/city/2016/06/house_of_the_week_510_college_street/

The CHIN building. Some of the first multilingual radio and TV programming in Canada. 

A mural highlighting that I had just passed through one of the main Italian areas (in addition to St Clair Avenue West that is). At Ossington Avenue.

The Emmet Ray - bar on College Street. Known for hosting Euchre nights (Brenda and I have been).

Mixed commercial/condos at College and Dovercourt. Was apartments at least back until WWI (https://cgwp.uvic.ca/person.php?pid=142739)

The old 'Boys Entrance' to the YMCA at College and Dovercourt

And finally, the (western) start of College Street where it peels off from Dundas Street and starts its life.

Whitby Walk

A little different walk this time, to a metropolitan behemoth just east of Toronto - Whitby! Not ALL of Whitby of course, just a very small part of the downtown.

Whitby, Ontario was incorporated as a town in 1855. First known as Perry's Corners after Peter Perry, an early settler. It was also known as Windsor but was renamed Whitby in 1848 (after a seaside town in Yorkshire, England).

Starting at the Pearson Pub - home to some fun parties and, of course, The Knucklebabies for musical entertainment. I then walked south on Brock Street. (Click on any picture to get a larger version)

The Chronicle Building.
The Whitby Chronicle was a local newspaper founded in 1856. The Chronicle Building, headquarters for the newspaper, was built in 1862 and later bought in 1910 by J.H. Perrin who transformed the building into a movie theatre. The Royal Theatre was in business until 1938 when it was again transformed back into a commercial business center by John Taylor.

The Hotel Royal - built in 1872 (after the original Royal Hotel - built in 1862 - was destroyed by fire in 1872). Now a peeler bar.

Nice coffee place - possibly barely visible in the window are a Torontonian and a Whitbyite that I met up with later.

Originally the Ontario Bank Building (1867/1868), then became a telegraph and ticket office around 1890. Then apartments.

Yet another neat looking older building. Originally built as the 'Gerrie and Yule blocks' for a druggist (James Gerrie) and a Telegraph office (George Yule) circa 1873.

So THAT'S why these buildings are so new 😀. At least on this block - Brock Street south of Dundas and south of the previous pictures.

Brock Street Brewing Company. Looks old, but actually built around 2018 and opened in 2019!

I then walked west and saw some very nice mansions! So many in this area - will have to research them one day! In the meantime, you can see if your favourite buildings are in: https://www.whitby.ca/en/play/resources/Heritage/Werden%27s-Plan_District-Description-of-the-Heritage-Attributes-of-Individual-Properties.pdf

Nice Mansion #1

The Hatch House - now a Montessori School.

Nice variety of colours (and a tree that looks a bit like it's walking)

Neat roofline. Reminds me of a few houses in our neighbourhood (and a bit of the old Joy Gas Stations)

Serbian Orthodox Church

Mansion #2 - and it (was) for sale when I walked by 😀. https://vitacollections.ca/whitbynews/details.asp?ID=1629948

Mansion #3. Now Phit Physiotherapy

Centennial Building - originally the Ontario County Courthouse, built 1852-1854 and possible home to paranormal activity? (Check it out on Google). Also a YouTube video (skip to about the 1:10 mark to start at this building) https://youtu.be/Tpj8IkST3Zc

I liked the way that All Saints Church is visible as you look down Centre Street.

All Saints Church. The clock and tower reminded me a bit of the 'Back to the Future' town hall that was hit by 1.21 Gigawatts from a lightning strike.

Sure enough, this church was hit too! Wonder if anyone captured it in the Flux Capacitor?

Some typical commercial buildings as I headed back to Brock Street.

Jamaican food truck in the parking lot of the coffee place I ended up at.

ps Not sure what is at this location now. Was under construction as I walked by (on Brock at Dundas or perhaps a bit south)

pps Also saw this 'County Registry' building beside the Centennial Building. It was very 'Art Deco 1960's style' inside.