Toronto Community Housing manages many of the unit buildings, and the people that live there, strive to stay and have their voice included, and be counted as a vital member of the new mixed-income neighbourhood.

Many non-profit and community-based groups serve the area. Regent Park led grassroots, resident, and tenant groups have advocated for community benefits from developers, with the expectation that builders must give back to the neighbourhood, and replace things that they take away.

Regent Park now has a new swimming pool, the Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre.

The centre was built to replace an existing and beloved Regent Park swimming pool, and the local group Access to Recreation fights to make sure that the children local to the area can have priority to use it, as there is competition from all over the city for lessons and swim times at the new and modern facility.

The revitalization of the area has a lot of lessons for sustainable neighbourhoods, and fair and equitable urban planning.

The Toronto Archives are a great resource for pictures of the old Regent Park.

The post Old Photographs from the Regent Park neighbourhood appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

While some cities are divided by uptown and downtown, and in some places, even midtown, our city’s true division is East and West. I’ve always lived in the west, but the east contains some pretty pristine pockets of Old Toronto and is more hardcore Torontonian than an outsider can ever claim to be.

So, is it the Beach or the Beaches? There seem to be good arguments on both sides, but it also seems that it has always historically been called both, and people only get salty about it when they are forced to make a choice. I hail from Muskoka and do not accept its pluralization. It’s not the Hamptons. So, I’m sympathetic to those that may have strong feelings. I personally call it the Beaches, because if one says, Let’s go to the Beach, which one? And I’ll be disappointed if it’s not Cherry Beach.

Technically the Beaches is one stretch of sand and boardwalk, divided into 4 separate beaches. Looking through the Toronto Archives it’s fascinating to see how going to the beach has changed over history. Now, no giant water slides or amusement parks are needed to draw people to the water. The lack of private outdoor space has made parks and beaches a communal backyard.

The Beaches is also home to the RC Harris Water Treatment Plant and a 1916 branch of the Toronto Public Library.

Do you say the Beach or the Beaches? Tell us why nicely in the comments.

The post Old Photographs of the Beaches appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Over the years Exhibition Place has attempted to become a year-round destination with attractions like Medieval Times, nightclubs, and business buildings, the sprawling event space most comes alive in the summer when it hosts the Canadian National Exhibition.
Fingers crossed, we can all go to the Ex this summer.

The facilities have changed over the years with the needs of the city as new arenas and venues make others outmoded. Exhibition Stadium left vacant by the Jays move to the SkyDome was razed, but BMO Field brought a spectator sports stadium back to the grounds, the Coliseum ice is home to the Toronto Marlies hockey team, and the space has been used in the Pan Am Games, and it the site for the Indy car races. While great, the roar from the car racing, and the loud booms of the air show aren’t always the most welcome sounds of summer.

Of all the permanent structures of the CNE, my favourite is the bandshell. Constructed in the 1930s, the building’s design drew inspiration from the famed Hollywood Bowl.

Among the iconic architecture is the Dufferin Gate Arch and the historic Princes’ Gates. You learn something new every day, my whole life I thought it was the Princess Gate.

The Toronto Archives is full of pictures of Exhibition Place. It’s wild to see kids splashing in fountains we know to stay out of, and to see people dressed up in suits and dresses to go to the EX!

The post Old Photographs of the Exhibition Place grounds appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

This year we have every reason to enjoy the holidays anyway we please. The season doesn’t have to include a hectic rush of last-minute shopping in a crowded mall or obligatory attendance to never-ending gatherings.

We have license to skip the office party, avoid the in-laws, camp out on the couch in our pjs, and binge-watch all the terrible holiday movies.

To get some fresh air, many seasonal activities have always taken place outside, making a socially distanced festive season even easier.

The upsides of the commercialization of December 25th are all the traditions provided, from looking at catalogues (RIP Wish Book!) to gathering outside freshly decorated department store windows.

It’s sad that many stores are no longer with us, but still, a nostalgic trip back in time in the Toronto Archives seeing the displays from Christmas past invoke joy.

An investment in pubic buildings is important to pick up the slack when retail drops the ball. If anything ever happens to the Bay and their windows go dark, places like Casa Loma remain decked out for the season.

Find more interesting photographs on the Toronto archives website.

The post Old Photographs of Christmas Displays in Toronto (1908-1983) appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Part of its appeal is in the contrast between its utilitarian purpose and its stunning architecture. Built in the 1930s, and opened in 1941, it is the largest water treatment plant in the city. The plant not only provides Toronto with sparkling clean drinking water, its extra marble laden entrance and Art Deco architectural features have given it the nick name the Palace of Purification. The historic building and landmark has even been featured on a postage stamp.

Yes, our drinking water is piped in from Lake Ontario, but if you’re on the fence about drinking city tap water, maybe a tour of the plant will help make you a believer.

For more information about the water treatment process check out this website.

If you haven’t taken a look at one of Toronto’s most unique buildings, the grounds at 2701 Queen Street East are open to the public.

Browsing through the Toronto Archives we can get a look at the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant over the years as well as its construction and original site. Here are some of the images we found.

For more old photographs from Toronto, check out the Toronto Archives.

The post Old Photographs of the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plan appeared first on Toronto Guardian.