The Eaton Centre, everyone's favourite urban eyesore, has reached the ripe old age of 35. That might be a harsh way to start off an anniversary toast — particularly given all the efforts to make our monumental downtown shopping mall more friendly to the street — but it comes from an affectionate place. Even if the idea to plop down a massive, inward-oriented shopping mall in the heart of the city seems strange today, back in the 1970s this type of planning was all the rage — and that gives the place a certain historical quality that's survived the numerous changes to its facade.
Beyond that, the Eaton Centre has always been a rather fabulous building on the inside. With its vaulted glass ceiling and multiple levels, it's always struck me as a futuristic version of the long-lost Yonge Street Arcade, which was located down the street at Temperance until its demolition in the mid 1950s. In this regard the building has in fact aged quite well. Scrolling through photos of the galleria, only the retail signage distinguishes between the contemporary and vintage images. Well, that and the fact that Eaton's itself no longer exists.
We've already written about how the mall came to be, what it might have looked like if the Eaton family's original plans came to be and about the snazzy new food court, so today let's keep it light and celebratory. Unlike Ontario place, Eberhard Zeidler's downtown shopping mall is still going strong at 35. Here's a little collection of photos and videos of the Eaton Centre over the years. Suffice it to say, the building has aged more gracefully than its representation in television commercials.
It's back. Sort of. And residents didn't have too much time to mourn. After picking up and moving north following a five-year go in Leslieville, this coffee shop is back in a new space on Dundas East. And it's pretty much just how you remember it (but with more flowers).
Toronto is blessed with many things, consensus on transit planning and a wealth of quality pizza delivery options are not among them. But there is hope — at least in the latter category. Recently opened in Mimico, this delivery-focused restaurant bridges the gap between super thin-crusted Neapolitan offerings and the dough-bombs that many parlours pawn off as pizza.
Read my review of FBI Pizza in the restaurants section.
The John Street revitalization project has been in the works for years and with a great deal of recent Toronto news devoted to the transit planning war, the final staff recommendations have flown a bit under the radar. On February 6, the finished study put forward a list of recommendations for the "cultural corridor" between Queen and Front streets.
The stated priority of the nearly $30 million redevelopment effort is to beautify the street and to improve pedestrian accessibility by way of widened sidewalks and urban design elements like removable bollards for event-based closures of the street to vehicular traffic.
Bike lanes are not recommended as part of the redesign — an absence that some will find dissatisfactory. Staff argue that the mountable curb — a key component of the redesign — will get delivery trucks out of the way and that traffic calming measures will reduce speeds on the street, but it remains to be seen whether or not John will actually be cycling-friendly if the recommended plans are adopted.
Highlights of the proposed plan can be found below (for the full report, check here). The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee will meet on Feb. 15 to consider the study. Should it ultimately be endorsed, the makeover would be completed in time for the Pan Am Games. What do you think of the designs?
Key recommendations from the staff report:
The narrowing of the road pavement in order to provide significantly wider sidewalks
Exclusive right turning lanes northbound at Adelaide Street West and at Wellington Street West and a southbound left turn lane at Wellington Street West in order to maintain an adequate level of traffic service
A continuous "mountable" curb on both sides of the street to enable a seamless transition into a pedestrian-only space for events, for vehicles to mount the flexible boulevard for deliveries or drop-offs, and to accommodate additional vehicular and cycling manoeuvring on either side of the road in emergencies
The widening of the east side boulevard between Front Street West and Stephanie Street to provide a 2.5 metre wide flexible space (defined by bollards) to accommodate deliveries and, when not used for vehicular loading/unloading, for pedestrians
The provision of urban design elements which consist of a double row of trees where feasible, removable bollards, infrastructure to support special events and distinctive paving materials and patterns.
In the 1850s, despite two brief terms as capital of the Province of Canada, the fledgling town of York was really just a collection of medium-sized businesses and homes with big ambitions. What many felt the community lacked at this stage in its development was a first class, luxury hotel to cater for visitors with money to spare.
Often described as "palace hotels", most North American cities had at least one well appointed, oppulant accommodation decked out with the latest comforts. At the time, the Sword's Hotel and American Hotel on Front Street were the most popular choice for visitors with the money to be looked after.
In February 1855, Charles and Marcus Rossin, successful jewellers and land speculators, bought a plot of land on the southeast corner of King and York with plans to build a truly palatial hotel worthy of the town's up and coming status.
When York's official surveyor and engineer, John George Howard, declined to design the building the Rossins held a competition to find a stylish look for their new business. Open to American and Canadian architects, designs were submitted from as far away as New York and Baltimore but the winning entry came from Buffalo and a Mr. Otis.Started during a building boom, construction began slowly on the Rossin House Hotel due to a lack of builders in the city. By the time shovels broke ground a new designer, William Kauffman of Rochester, had taken over the project and added many fire safety features to the plans. Kauffman had included cast iron exterior details and a special load bearing system to the building when the hotel was completed and opened in May 1857.
Built to include an interior courtyard with lush gardens and a babbling fountain, the hotel's main rooms with tall windows and nineteen-foot ceilings were on the second floor above the stores facing King and York streets. Several deluxe suites and drawing rooms were also included in the floor plan for society's crme de la crme to entertain.
All guests of the Rossin House Hotel, deluxe suite or otherwise, could expect to sleep in well-ventilated, heated comfort with access to both hot and cold water (it's amazing what constituted luxury back in the day). In the dining room, thanks to a surviving menu, we know hearty staples like cold tongue, corned beef, ham and mutton were on offer alongside more exotic dishes like "Oyster Patties-French Style" and "Veal Currie-East India Style."
The wine and spirit list boasted pricey bottles of Mot & Chandon Green Seal and Roederer's Carte Blanche for guests prepared to splash the cash.Prior to its completion, the hotel, one of the tallest in York, was used to take the first panoramic photograph of the city. The low-rise, residential community in the pictures is practically unrecognisable as Toronto save for the presence of Osgoode and St. Lawrence Halls. For this reason the series, taken by Armstrong, Beere and Hime, provides one of the best glimpses at our humble beginnings and is available in its entirety in the City of Toronto Archives.
In November 1862, just five years after the hotel's grand opening, William Kauffman's fire safety additions paid dividends when the building was completely gutted, leaving only the exterior walls standing. All but one of the guests and staff managed to escape the building safely, a testimony to the multitude of stairways and dedicated cold water supply for firefighters available on the site.
With the Rossin House a smouldering wreck, the Rossins abandoned their hotel business and ownership of the site fell to James G. Chewett who embarked on a slow rebuilding process through 1863 and 1864. William Kauffman, who was retained as the designer, made very few changes to his original plans and the restored hotel opened again on the 1st August, 1867.Over the next sixty years the Rossin House gradually lost its appeal as a luxury destination, slowly falling behind the times in terms of features compared to the newer Royal York and King Edward hotels.
In the early 1900s the Rossin House was sold and renamed the Prince George. It saw various uses until it was demolished in 1969. Were it still standing today, the Rossin House would be on the site of the Standard Life Centre opposite Exchange Tower.
Lead Rossin House Drawing, 1870, Archives of Ontario. Rossin House Postcard, 1910, and Burning of the Rossin House, 1890, Toronto Public Library.
Rossin House Advert and all other images City of Toronto Archives.
Light rail, subway...whatever man. Let's put our differences aside and have fun! And by fun I mean watch a slew of comedians roast their friend who's just trying to make his dreams come true.
Sara Hennessy (Much Music), Adam Christie (Yuk Yuk's), Mark Little (PicnicFace on Comedy Network)...wowzers. I adore this tight-knit group because they're not your typical premise-punchline-tag comedians. Sara Hennessy's energy is infectious. Adam Christie isn't himself until he turns his back on the crowd mid-performance. Mark Little's digressions will kill you everytime. Look, if you aren't captivated by Kathleen Philip's subtle facial quirks (see above clip), we can't be friends anymore.
Jason Laurans owns the Absolute Comedy bar in Ottawa. The club has gotten so popular that up and coming Toronto comedians have been visiting Ottawa on a regular basis to do open mic spots - that's saying something considering four and a half out of every five comedians in Toronto don't drive. Opening for Jason is Martha O'Neill, who's been everywhere from Q107's, 'Funniest Comedian With A Day Job' to Slice Network, CBC, and even BBC.
WED FEB 15 - SUN FEB 19 / CHRISTOPHER MOLINEUX / YUK YUK'S / 224 RICHMOND W / 8PM / $11.50-20
Let's change gears here a bit. And by change gears, I mean take a look at a show that doesn't involve comedians coughing to start their set, troupes that make viral videos spoofing The Human Centipede, or making fun of a guy as he's about to pursue his dreams. Chris Molineux has seemingly done it all, from sharing the stage with Jerry Seinfeld to appearing on Just for Laughs.
CBC's LOL has a powerhouse line-up for us. Gilson Lubin has opened for Dave freakin' Chappelle. Dave Merheje was 2011's Just For Laugh's Homegrown Winner. Ali Hassan's no slouch either, having graced the stage in Canada, the US, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Each comedian on this bill has a style and story of their own. Gilson chauffeurs his dates on the TTC. Dave Merheje's staccato style leaves you breathless. Heck, Ali's a chef with stepkids. What more do you want?
The Eaton Centre, everyone's favourite urban eyesore, has reached the ripe old age of 35. That might be a harsh way to start off an anniversary toast — particularly given all the efforts to make our monumental downtown shopping mall more friendly to the street — but it comes from an affectionate place. Even if the idea to plop down a massive, inward-oriented shopping mall in the heart of the city seems strange today, back in the 1970s this type of planning was all the rage — and that gives the place a certain historical quality that's survived the numerous changes to its facade.
Yonge Street before the Eaton Centre
At night, late 1970s (via 
Postcard 1970s (via 
Postcard 1970s (via 
Yonge & Queen 1980s (via 
1990s (via the Toronto Archives)
It's back. Sort of. And residents didn't have too much time to mourn. After picking up and 
Name: Patrick
Name: Molly
Name: David
Name: Ryan
Toronto is blessed with many things, consensus on transit planning and a wealth of quality pizza delivery options are not among them. But there is hope — at least in the latter category. Recently opened in Mimico, this delivery-focused restaurant bridges the gap between super thin-crusted Neapolitan offerings and the dough-bombs that many parlours pawn off as pizza.
The John Street revitalization project has been in the works for years and with a great deal of recent Toronto news devoted to 
In the 1850s, despite two brief terms as capital of the Province of Canada, the fledgling town of York was really just a collection of medium-sized businesses and homes with big ambitions. What many felt the community lacked at this stage in its development was a first class, luxury hotel to cater for visitors with money to spare.
Started during a building boom, construction began slowly on the Rossin House Hotel due to a lack of builders in the city. By the time shovels broke ground a new designer, William Kauffman of Rochester, had taken over the project and added many fire safety features to the plans. Kauffman had included cast iron exterior details and a special load bearing system to the building when the hotel was completed and opened in May 1857. 
Prior to its completion, the hotel, one of the tallest in York, was used to take 
Over the next sixty years the Rossin House gradually lost its appeal as a luxury destination, slowly falling behind the times in terms of features compared to the newer Royal York and King Edward hotels. 
Light rail, subway...whatever man. Let's put our differences aside and have fun! And by fun I mean watch a slew of comedians roast their friend who's just trying to make his dreams come true.