Withrow Avenue

OK this is not really 'walking across Toronto' (like my other recent posts) but it *is* another end-to-end exploration of a street :-)

Withrow Avenue runs from just east of Pape Avenue, to Broadview Avenue on the eastern bank of the Don Valley. It was named in honour of John Jacob Withrow, 1833-1900. He is also honoured with Withrow Public School on Withrow Avenue and nearby Withrow Park. This walk starts at the east end and goes west. Click on any picture to see a big version! Also part of this map.

Just east of the start of Withrow Avenue - City of Toronto subsidized housing.

I liked the look of this building. Turns out it is also the home of TWO WILLOWS ART STUDIO.

Can you guess where there was a fire and a new house built?

270 Withrow - house and coach house to the right. Just west of Pape Avenue (Named after Joseph Pape, a Yorkshireman who had a market garden at the corner of Gerrard and Pape).

See also: https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-4-million-for-a-charming-riverdale-home-and-the-coach-house-is-even-nicer/

266 and 268 Withrow - 268 being the oldest house on the block (1895!)

267 Withrow - An episode of Flashpoint was filmed here - Season 2, Episode 1, 'Eagle Two', filmed in 2008 and first aired Jan 9, 2009. 

The house where the Chilean maids were living was supposed to be in North York but was actually this house on Withrow Avenue in Toronto. And in a slight 'oops', the final scene where Ed Lane (of the Strategic Response Unit) relaxes in a hammock was filmed in the back yard of that same house. I assume he didn't know he shared a house with ne'er do wells.

Local 'library'.

Still a couple of small houses on the street! Just west of Carlaw Avenue (formerly Gorry Street) - which was named for Major John A. Carlaw, born 1840. He was Paymaster for the Grank Trunk Railway, and a property owner in the area.

Home to Deryck Whibley (from SUM 41; married Avril Lavigne) for a while.

Cool camper that I've seen here for 25 years or so.

Lots of stairs on the north side of Withrow just east of Logan.

Riverdale Perk. The 1934 City Directory noted that this address was

"Srigley John W (drugs)".

Looking north on Logan you can *just* see the beginning of Withrow Park (which is not actually on Withrow).

Interestingly, Logan Avenue was previously Logan’s Line, 1884, then Blong Street, 1889. It was named for the Logan family, local market gardeners, for one John Logan, a gardener, 1800-1870. Edward Blong belonged to the firm of Thompson, Flanagan and Blong, butchers. There was also Blong and Strachan, real estate. (From "The Streets of Riverdale").

And from a little earlier - the same corner of Logan and Withrow in 1905 (looking north I believe)

Cool-looking 'tunnel' under a house.

Very green utility pole.

Withrow Avenue Public School - celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2003, but the school's current building was constructed in 1972. There is also a plaque there:

    Withrow Archaeological Site. “As long as 4,000 years ago this sandy knoll was the location of campsites for generations of native people. It provided an excellent lookout over the Don River Valley for observing game.”

    Location: Withrow Avenue Junior Public School, 25 Bain Avenue.

Townhouses at 2 Withrow Avenue (built in 1977).

To follow up on the plaque at Withrow School, this may be the approximate site of the Indigenous settlement/encampment/cemetery originally excavated in the mid to late 1880's.

see: http://heritageguide.oldtowntoronto.ca/pdf/first_nations_history.pdf

In the late 1880s, archeologist David Boyle examined an Indigenous cemetery disturbed during roadwork in the area. Boyle also found some artifacts like pottery fragments, a stone axe, etc. He also found a 7,000 year old slate point showing that Indigenous people have occupied these lands for thousands of years.

And from the a ROM webpage:

Slate Projectile Point

The ROM’s oldest confirmed artifact from the City of Toronto is a Laurentian Slate Point approximately 7000 years old from Withrow Ave.

• Artifact Age: Middle Archaic period (8000-4500 Years Ago)

• Artifact Description: A Laurentian-Archaic slate projectile point with one barb broken.

• Collection History: This projectile point was collected in 1886 by David Boyle, the original curator of the Ontario Provincial Museum.  His collection of 50,000 objects formed the backbone of the ROM collection when it was transferred to the ROM in 1914.

• Approximate Site Location: Withrow Ave.

Also: https://ontarioarchaeology.org/wp-content/uploads/an1986-03.pdf

And from https://onegalstoronto.wordpress.com/2017/12/02/the-fourth-man/

...in June of 1886, a 15th century Iroquois settlement and ossuary, containing the remains of more than 100 individuals, was discovered just one block north on Withrow Ave:

(from the Annual Archaeological Report, 1889). The only thing I have found that shows a location is this map - surveyed for his development plan in March of 1886:

At the far west end of Withrow (it ends at Broadview Avenue) is Riverdale Park - on the eastern bank of the Don Valley. Also: https://maps.library.utoronto.ca/dvhmp/riverdale.html

Just down the hill is the Don River. The Indigenous name of the river was Wonscotonach which means variously either “burning bright point (thought by some to refer to the practice of torchlight salmon spearing on the river) or "the river coming back from the back burnt country". John Graves Simcoe, who wanted to make the area a British colony, decided to disregard its name and Native roots and instead he called it the Don after a stream in Yorkshire, England.

Walking Toronto streets - Wellesley

Another end-to-end exploration of a street - in this case Wellesley Street (which I lived on for a couple of years in the mid-80's). It runs from just west of the Don Valley through to the University of Toronto at Queen's Park.

Wellesley is "...named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, who is best known for his victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, and for a short and unpopular tenure as Prime Minister of Britain between 1828 and 1830." (from Wikipedia). This walk starts at the east end (Don Valley) and goes west. Click on any picture to see a big version!  Also part of this map.

Wellesley Street starts at Wellesley Park. Perhaps I should have dipped a toe in the wading pool to mark the start of my trip.

Nice houses at the east end of Wellesley.

At Parliament Street. St James Town high rises start here.

These looked like quite well maintained row houses. Looks like some renovations are in their future. Originally completed in 1876. In the 'Second Empire' style.

I remember these nice-looking apartments from when I was first in Toronto. 'Ernescliffe Annex' just east of Sherbourne. It's actually a non-profit housing co-op. Completed in 1916.

An interesting story from someone on Facebook:

(In 1973) I moved into this building.

...When I lived there, it had beautiful crown molding in every room, and a large living room with a French door which opened onto a bright sunroom. A spacious kitchen, which included a walk-in pantry, a built-in walnut spice cabinet and even a dumbwaiter. Aside from the main entrance, a second door from the kitchen led outside. This lovely apartment was actually the old servants’ quarters, one on each floor, and the other, even larger apartments were serviced by the former resident servants who’d preceded me.

The most famous tenant, that I know of, was the poet, Robert Frost.

There were also tunnels under the building which were sealed off by the police around that time, to prevent children from getting into them and getting lost. 

I also remember these - 'Coral Gables No. 2 and No. 3' just east of Jarvis. Completed around 1928.

Jarvis Collegiate - SE corner of Jarvis and Wellesley.

The Keg Mansion and former McMaster and then Massey home just north of Wellesley on the east side of Jarvis. Built in 1867. The mansion to the left of the Keg Mansion (not much visible) was built by Hart Massey's son Chester D. Massey.

Just west of Jarvis on the south side of Wellesley. Originally 2 houses - the Charles Bedford house and the William Lawrence house. Was the national headquarters for the Red Cross for many years (including when I lived in the area in the 80's).

My old building for a couple of years. 80 Wellesley Street East.

Part of 'The Village' - corner of Church and Wellesley looking SE.

Just east of the Wellesley Station is Paul Kane house (the early Canadian artist) and apartments (which were done just after I came to Toronto - it was boarded up in '82-'84 then the additions were made). 

New condo building at the Wellesley Subway Station.

Looking west from Wellesley Station to the 'Wellesley on the Park Condominium Building'.

Across from the Wellesley Subway Station. Now the Fox and Fiddle, formerly the Jack Russell pub when I lived nearby, but originally built in 1873 as J.W.L. Forster House and then Somerset House.

A 'ghost sign' for M. Rawlinson Limited Toronto.

That is a LOT of scaffolding! Mowat Block - Government of Ontario building. 

The Whitney Block - more Government of Ontario buildings. The tower at the left has been abandoned for years. "While no longer used for office space, the tower remains as a distinctive feature of the building and contains one of the few operational hand-cranked elevators remaining in Toronto." 

Starting to get into U of T buildings now - this is Regis College, the Jesuit school of theology in Canada.

Ontario Legislative Buildings looking south from Wellesley.

Queen's Park (North of the Legislative Buildings).

And now the end of Wellesley Street at U of T. I'll follow it a few more steps up to U of T's Hart House circle (under the bridge and to the right).

And finally Hart House. Donated to U of T by Vincent Massey and named after his grandfather. Just beyond the end of Wellesley Street, but a nice picture to end on.

Walking Toronto Streets - journey to the source of Gerrard

Here's another walk exploring a street in Toronto - in this case Gerrard Street, which runs from just inside Scarborough to University Avenue downtown.

I have lived within a few blocks of Gerrard ever since I moved to Toronto. It is named "...for Samuel Gerrard (1767-1857), an Anglo-Irish businessman in Lower Canada and a personal friend of the Honourable John McGill, member of the Legislative Council of Upper Canada" (from Wikipedia). Not quite as far as my first and second walks (but once again flirting with the great unknown of Scarborough 😀). This walk starts at University Avenue and goes east. Click on any picture to see a big version!  Also part of this map.

2022/10/23: Added picture/notes on 716 Gerrard Street East. 2022/1/13: added link about Kemp Manufacturing Company

The far west end of Gerrard has many hospitals nearby. Starting with Mount Sinai Hospital - where all of our boys were born!

Toronto General Hospital.

Hospital for Sick Children.

'The Livmore' condos - was a parking lot until 2016 or so. SE corner of Bay and Gerrard.

The old WCTU building on the N side of Gerrard just E of Yonge. Now Covenant House.

Not saving too much of this building on the SE corner of Gerrard and Yonge. Used to be Bassel's Restaurant. Will soon be an 85 story condo.

My old building at 40 Gerrard St E. I was in Apt 1210 - on the far left side of the building in the middle of this picture.

Looks like they haven't done the rebranding from Ryerson University to Metropolitan University yet.

Hooker Harvey's at Gerrard and Jarvis - so-named because of the people who hung out there in the evenings.

Allen Gardens - nice park and beautiful greenhouses.

Old low-rise apartments (Regent Park). Being replaced by new, higher, mixed-income housing.

Typical Gerrard St just east of downtown.

2023/1/13: Found this article on the Kemp Manufacturing Company that was located on the SE corner of Gerrard and River Street (and is now high rise apartments).

https://scenesto.com/2021/11/23/the-history-of-the-kemp-manufacturing-co-toronto/

Going across the Don River, on the east side is Bridgepoint Hospital and the old Don Jail (now part of Bridgepoint admin).

The old Don Jail at night.

Gates to the eastern Chinatown (from the west)

The start of the eastern Chinatown.

A fun mural on the side of a cheese shop.

The middle building (716 Gerrard Street East, just to the right of the pole) in the picture below is where the Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia lived for a short time in Toronto! See the 'Emigration to Canada' section in this link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchess_Olga_Alexandrovna_of_Russia

Some old signage.

Site of the old Beer Store. Supposed to be a new one on the main level.

A little west of Carlaw Avenue - our local fire station.

'The Real Jerk' restaurant at Carlaw and Gerrard.

Under the tracks at Gerrard and Carlaw. It's all uphill from here.

Typical 'Gerrardish' buildings.

Maple Leaf Tavern. Very nice now, versus the dive bar of a few years ago.

The mighty Gerrard Square (a slightly 'tired-looking' average mall).

Riverdale Collegiate High School (well, a small part of it as it extends a long way to the right).

Cool mural. Just W of Greenwood.

The old Ulster Arms Tavern. Been this way for a while.

(Part of) Little India.

Just after Little India, there is a jog north (on Coxwell) and then Gerrard continues on a slightly more winding path.

Interesting little ravine runs from Gerrard up to almost Danforth just east of Coxwell. Here are some pictures from an earlier walk through it.

Ted Reeve arena (from the back). He "...was a multi-sport Canadian athlete and sports journalist".

Cool-looking boarded up building. Thought it looked fairly new - turns out it's not so old. See this link.

And right at the end of Gerrard this little strip mall (the Quarry Village - so was there a quarry here? Yep. And lots of development starting up in that area.

And this is where Gerrard Street ends - as it joins with and becomes Clonmore Drive here.