Toronto Harbour Commission Building
Now a Steakhouse
click on images for larger version
This wasn’t one of the buildings open for Doors Open last weekend, but since it had such a nice facade I thought it was worthy of looking up. Plus it was right beside the parking lot. (note to self- NEVER go to Toronto when there is a ballgame on downtown. Finding a parking space requires doing things that make you feel dirty.)
This building has always fascinated me. Initially it was right on the waters edge, in fact it jutted out into the lake on a peer. Over the years the waterfront in Toronto slowly creped out into the lake, leaving this building quite a way in from the water.
Harbour Commission building seen in the lower right of the image above, sitting on the waters edge in downtown Toronto, 1918
In the image above, at the top middle the building can be seen a full block from the lake.
Today, the building, seen in the lower left of the image above, is completely buried under one of the many condos and office towers along the Toronto Waterfront. Now its an upscale steakhouse.
About the Author:
I'm your host, Tim Warris, a product developer in Port Dover, Ontario. Since March of 2007 I have been documenting the construction of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal in HO scale. For my day job, I design track building tools for Fast Tracks, a small company I own and operate. Fast Tracks makes it fast and easy to hand lay your own trackwork. Stop by our website to learn more!
Posted by: Tim | 05-27-2008 | 09:05 AM
Posted in: HDR Images | Picture of the Day
Hi Tim:
In that bottom photo, the building just to the right of the Harbour Commission building is not actually a condo (all the others, however, are). It’s an office tower – used to work in the north tower on the 17th floor, with a great view of the Union Station trainshed from my cubicle.
– Trevor
G’Day Tim,
It’s lucky it’s not in Sydney, the government has removed all town & suburban planning committees & replaced them with one politician. Yes, our elected dictatorship would make short work of that majestic old building.
Cheers.
Mark
I found an interesting picture of a captured German U-boat by the Harbour Commision building when it was on the water front. The U-boat was used to sell Victory Bonds after WWI and was sunk by the USS Wilmette, which had previously been the imfamous SS Eastland. Here is a link: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/SM_UC-97_at_Toronto_1919_PA-030314.jpg