Old photographs of Yonge and Bloor over the years

The intersection of Yonge and Bloor has seen a lot of change over the years. From the constant cycling of retail stores, to the construction and opening of the TTC Subway system, to the construction of the CIBC and The Bay towers to today, where monster condos have gone up with more to come.

Whenever I visit the Toronto Archives I always just want to take a short peek and then end up spending hours of my day browsing old photographs. There are so many archived photos available on location and online that one must spend some time there to really appreciate the amount of work that has gone into archiving our city’s history.

Growing up just a few blocks from Yonge and Bloor, I thought this would be a fun post for me to do. I used to work as a projectionist at the Uptown and Backstage Movie Theatres, that when demolished killed a man in a building next door. I also used to love going to eat at the Harveys restaurant there that was in the building demolished for the condo on the South-East corner. I remember going to the Canadian Tire just north of Bloor with my father to buy tools for his next project, though I don’t remember the gas being $0.50 a litre.

What are some of your fond memories of the area?

1912 - January 31 - Southwest corner of Yonge and Bloor streets
1912 – January 31 – Southwest corner
Bloor Street tracks
1912 – September 17 – Bloor Street, Yonge to Avenue Road – track
1923 - December 11 - Southwest corner of Yonge and Bloor streets
1923 – December 11 – Southwest corner
1924 - January 3 - Southeast corner of Bloor and Yonge streets (Imperial Bank of Canada)
1924 – January 3 – Southeast corner (Imperial Bank of Canada)
South from Bloor Street
1924 – June 12 – Yonge Street south from Bloor Street
South from Bloor Street
1924 – June 12 – Yonge Street south from Bloor Street
South from Bloor Street
1924 – June 12 – Yonge Street south from Bloor Street
East of Yonge Street
1927 – July 20 – Bloor Street east of Yonge Street
Southwest corner
1928 – Southwest corner
East from Yonge
1929 – April 27 – Alfred Pearson – Bloor St, east, from Yonge
Widening road
1929 – June 30 – TTC work, widening between Bay & Yonge Street on Bloor Street
1929 - south-east and south-west corners of Yonge and Bloor streets. View is looking south-west. Willys-Knight Great Six Motor Cars - Hunt's Limited Candies and Ice Cream - Frank Stollery Store for Men
1929 – South-east and south-west corners of Yonge Street and Bloor streets. View is looking south-west. Willys-Knight Great Six Motor Cars – Hunt’s Limited Candies and Ice Cream – Frank Stollery Store for Men
Atop a Laura Secord location and a United Cigar Stores Limited location
1929 – Atop a Laura Secord location and a United Cigar Stores Limited location, located at the south-east corner of Yonge Street and Bloor Street East. View is looking south-west, from Bloor Street East.
Between Hayden Street and Bloor Street
1930? – Yonge Street between Hayden Street and Bloor Street
South from Bloor Street
1938 – October 13 – Yonge Street south from Bloor Street
1950? - Aerial view looking south-west from just north of Yonge and Bloor
1950? – Aerial view looking south-west from just north
1950? - Aerial view looking south-west from just north of Yonge and Bloor
1966 – 1971 – Yonge south of Bloor
1966 - Crowds at Bloor-Yonge 2
1966 – Crowds on Subway
1966 - Crowds at Bloor-Yonge 4
1966 – Crowds on Subway
1966 - Entrances and mezzanine to Yonge and Bloor Station
1966 – Entrances and mezzanine to Subway
1966 - Entrances and mezzanine to Yonge and Bloor Station 2
1966 – Entrances and mezzanine to Subway
1966 - Entrances and mezzanine to Yonge and Bloor Station 3
1966 – Entrances and mezzanine Subway
1970 - 1975 - Yonge and Bloor.
1970 – 1975 – Looking North up Yonge from the East side of Yonge South of Bloor.
1970-1975 - Yonge Street looking south from Bloor
1970-1975 – Yonge Street looking south from Bloor
1971 - February - Yonge Street and Bloor Street East, northeast corner
1971 – February – Yonge Street and Bloor Street East, northeast corner
1971 - February - Yonge Street and Bloor Street West, northwest corner
1971 – February – Yonge Street and Bloor Street West, northwest corner
1971 - February - Yonge Street, east side, north of Bloor Street - Albert Britnell Book Shop
1971 – February – Yonge Street, east side, north of Bloor Street – Albert Britnell Book Shop
1971 - February - Yonge Street, looking south toward Bloor Street
1971 – February – Yonge Street, looking south toward Bloor Street
1971 - February - Yonge Street, west side, north of Bloor Street
1971 – February – Yonge Street, west side, north of Bloor Street
1973 - July 18 - View of CineBook and other stores along the west side of Yonge Street, between Bloor and Wellesley Streets
1973 – July 18 – View of CineBook and other stores along the west side of Yonge Street, between Bloor and Wellesley Streets
1974 - September 17 - View of the Royal Bank of Canada at Bloor and Yonge Street
1974 – September 17 – View of the Royal Bank of Canada
1975 - April 22 - View of stores along the west side of Yonge Street, south of Bloor Street West
1975 – April 22 – View of stores along the west side of Yonge Street, south of Bloor Street West
1975 - April 22 - View of stores along the west side of Yonge Street, south of Bloor Street West 2
1975 – April 22 – View of stores along the west side of Yonge Street, south of Bloor Street West 2
1975 - July 1 - View of Thrifty's store front and window display on west side of Yonge Street, south of Bloor Street
1975 – July 1 – View of Thrifty’s store front and window display on west side of Yonge Street, south of Bloor Street
1977 - 1982 - Yonge looking north to Bloor
1977 – 1982 – Yonge looking north to Bloor
1979 - 1981 - Yonge looking south from Bloor
1979 – 1981 – Yonge looking south from Bloor
1980 - 1985 - Yonge and Bloor area
1980 – 1985 – The Bay at Yonge and Bloor.
1980 - 1985 - Yonge and Bloor area 2
1980 – 1985 – Looking South from North side of Bloor, East of Yonge.
1980 - 1985 - Yonge and Bloor area 3
1980 – 1985 – Looking West from North side of Bloor, East of Yonge
1980 - 1985 - Yonge and Bloor area 4
1980 – 1985 – Looking north on Yonge from Bloor.
1980 - 1998 - Proposed development on south-west corner of Yonge and Bloor
1980 – 1998 – Proposed development on south-west corner
1980 - 1998 - South-west corner of Yonge and Bloor
1980 – 1998 – South-west corner
1980 - 1998 - Yonge Street north of Bloor - Canadian Tire
1980 – 1998 – Yonge Street north of Bloor – Canadian Tire
1983 - 1989 - Bloor and Yonge looking east
1983 – 1989 – Looking east
1983 - 1989 - Bloor looking east to Yonge
1983 – 1989 – Bloor looking east to Yonge
1983 - 1989 - Bloor looking west from west of Yonge
1983 – 1989 – Bloor looking west from west of Yonge
1983 - 1989 - University Theatre, north side of Bloor east of Yonge
1983 – 1989 – University Theatre, north side of Bloor east of Yonge
1983 - August - Sidewalk artist, outside Hudson's Bay Centre, Yonge and Bloor Streets
1983 – August – Sidewalk artist, outside Hudson’s Bay Centre at Yonge and Bloor.

 

 

 

 

 

About Joel Levy 2623 Articles
Editor-In-Chief at Toronto Guardian. Photographer and Writer for Toronto Guardian and Joel Levy Photography