THE WAY WE WERE: Memories of old Toronto

Mike Filey
Published Nov 17, 2018  •  2 minute read
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In this sketch prepared by Westbank Corp. and ERA Architects two of the original T.W. Wilson Buildings, 756 and 758 Bathurst St. stand proudly at the entrance to the new Mirvish Village.
In this sketch prepared by Westbank Corp. and ERA Architects two of the original T.W. Wilson Buildings, 756 and 758 Bathurst St. stand proudly at the entrance to the new Mirvish Village.

Several columns ago I referred to an interesting and free internet website available at urbantoronto.ca where various mammoth projects in and around the city — both underway and proposed — are described.

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More recently, I was perusing another interesting online and free website at blogTO.com when I came across a story about, of all things, the 1890s structure at 758 Bathurst St. that, along with its next door neighbor to the south, will hopefully continue to survive as work continues on a new development to be known as Mirvish Village.

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The main floor of 758 Bathurst St. is now home to a shop called Alternative Thinking. Back when we lived there (my dad hated the place but remember rentals were really tough to find back in the war years) the main floor was home to a bicycle store. We Fileys lived on the 3rd floor from 1942 to July 1, 1950, the latter being the exact date on which we moved to a proper house in the upscale neighborhood known as north Toronto. Today, progress dictates that today’s north Toronto is anywhere north of the 401. In this photo that I took in 2012 (after waiting patiently for the TTC’s heritage PCC streetcar to enter the view) the Bathurst St. portion of the massive Honest Ed’s sign can be seen running up to Bloor St. while “our” 758 is flanked by 760 on the north side (a furrier when we were neighbors) and 756 (back then Adanac Glass) on the south. The windows out of which I kept an eye on the passing parade of people, cars and, of course, streetcars on the Bloor-Danforth, Bathurst and, for a time, Fort routes) can be seen on either side of the Books & More sign. In a report recently prepared by the city this row of late 19th century attached buildings, described in the report as the T. W. Wilson Buildings, was deemed worthy of inclusion on the City of Toronto Heritage Register. Since that report was issued 760 has been demolished. Of all the buildings in my 2012 photo only 756 and 758 remain. Today, they still stand and hopefully both will be incorporated into the massive and exciting redevelopment of the block bounded by Bloor, Bathurst, Lennox and Markham Sts., a project to be known as Mirvish Village.
The main floor of 758 Bathurst St. is now home to a shop called Alternative Thinking. Back when we lived there (my dad hated the place but remember rentals were really tough to find back in the war years) the main floor was home to a bicycle store. We Fileys lived on the 3rd floor from 1942 to July 1, 1950, the latter being the exact date on which we moved to a proper house in the upscale neighborhood known as north Toronto. Today, progress dictates that today’s north Toronto is anywhere north of the 401. In this photo that I took in 2012 (after waiting patiently for the TTC’s heritage PCC streetcar to enter the view) the Bathurst St. portion of the massive Honest Ed’s sign can be seen running up to Bloor St. while “our” 758 is flanked by 760 on the north side (a furrier when we were neighbors) and 756 (back then Adanac Glass) on the south. The windows out of which I kept an eye on the passing parade of people, cars and, of course, streetcars on the Bloor-Danforth, Bathurst and, for a time, Fort routes) can be seen on either side of the Books & More sign. In a report recently prepared by the city this row of late 19th century attached buildings, described in the report as the T. W. Wilson Buildings, was deemed worthy of inclusion on the City of Toronto Heritage Register. Since that report was issued 760 has been demolished. Of all the buildings in my 2012 photo only 756 and 758 remain. Today, they still stand and hopefully both will be incorporated into the massive and exciting redevelopment of the block bounded by Bloor, Bathurst, Lennox and Markham Sts., a project to be known as Mirvish Village.

Just another old Toronto building?

No, more than that, because 758 is where I grew up while attending Palmerston Public School, playing in the back laneway that ran between Lennox and Bloor Sts., going to events at the K-Club in the basement of the old church at the corner of Bathurst and Lennox and watching movies at the Metro, Midtown or, most likely, Alhambra theatres.

And it was from here my family would walk a short distance to the Bloor St. corner to watch the annual Santa Claus Parade, board the streetcar, travel east to Yonge St. and continue south on the big Witt trains to meet Santa up in Eaton’s Toyland on the 5th floor.

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However, first we’d stop at the Beddings and Linens department (was it on the second floor?) where we’d leave our winter boots, hats and coats with my Aunt Peggy who worked there.

Ah, memories!

My wife Yarmila and I had to make an educated guess as to how old I was when this undated photo was taken the day I met Santa Claus in Eaton’s Toyland. It may have been 1943. Maybe 1944. If it was the former year my dad was fitting the undercarriage to Mosquito aircraft being built at the De Havilland plant at Downsview and mom and I were living in a third floor walk-up flat at 758 Bathurst St. If it was the latter year my dad was in the Canadian Army while mom and I and a new baby brother (his name was Bob and I guess dad came home at least once after joining the army) were still living in that Bathurst St. flat. This is where I lived when I first met Santa after watching his arrival in Toronto on his own float at the tail end of the Eaton’s Santa Claus Parade. That “original” parade nearly came to a sad ending when in the summer of 1981 Eaton officials announced it would end its sponsorship. Prodded into action by then Metro Toronto Chairman Paul Godfrey, several local businessmen were able to work their contacts and revive the event that had been a Toronto tradition since 1905. On Sunday, November 14, 1982 the parade with 22 floats and reborn as the Metro Toronto and now simply the Toronto Santa Claus Parade, returned to continue to thrill hundreds of thousands of Santa’s fans. Looking at the photo I vaguely recall that this guy scared me and most of the other kids in the line-up too.
My wife Yarmila and I had to make an educated guess as to how old I was when this undated photo was taken the day I met Santa Claus in Eaton’s Toyland. It may have been 1943. Maybe 1944. If it was the former year my dad was fitting the undercarriage to Mosquito aircraft being built at the De Havilland plant at Downsview and mom and I were living in a third floor walk-up flat at 758 Bathurst St. If it was the latter year my dad was in the Canadian Army while mom and I and a new baby brother (his name was Bob and I guess dad came home at least once after joining the army) were still living in that Bathurst St. flat. This is where I lived when I first met Santa after watching his arrival in Toronto on his own float at the tail end of the Eaton’s Santa Claus Parade. That “original” parade nearly came to a sad ending when in the summer of 1981 Eaton officials announced it would end its sponsorship. Prodded into action by then Metro Toronto Chairman Paul Godfrey, several local businessmen were able to work their contacts and revive the event that had been a Toronto tradition since 1905. On Sunday, November 14, 1982 the parade with 22 floats and reborn as the Metro Toronto and now simply the Toronto Santa Claus Parade, returned to continue to thrill hundreds of thousands of Santa’s fans. Looking at the photo I vaguely recall that this guy scared me and most of the other kids in the line-up too.

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Just a heads up. Santa’s Streetcar — one of the TTC’s two remaining 1950s PCC heritage streetcars — will be in the Commission’s Woodbine Loop from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Nov. 24.

All are invited to drop by and help fill Santa’s Streetcar with donations of new unwrapped toys for Toy Mountain, a fabulous organization that helps families in need during the holiday season.

Accompanying Santa will be local politicians (come by anyway) as well as entertainers and musicians.

Volunteers from the TTC’s Streetcar Division help organize this annual event and are hoping visitors can donate enough toys to fill this iconic Toronto streetcar.

Donations of non-perishable food items will also be collected at the event.

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