Stock Exchange Cocktail Lounge CKTL & Co. Opens on Bay St.

Joel Levy — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:45:21 +0000

Toronto’s Financial District has a new hotspot with the opening of CKTL & Co., a stock exchange cocktail lounge located at 330 Bay Street. The 4000-square-foot space, designed by Yellow Bird Design Studio, is inspired by the trading floor, with green banker lamps and ticker boards creatively located throughout the open-concept 95-seat dining.

CKTL & Co. is Toronto’s first stock exchange cocktail lounge, allowing patrons to observe the prices of drinks rise and fall with the interest of their fellow patrons (or “traders”) in real-time, through a unique software designed to mimic the stock exchange and create a dynamic market pricing system.

CKTL & Co.’s cocktail program is led by mixologist and beverage manager John Ko. The cocktail menu puts a modern, financial spin on the traditional with classic “Old Money” and signature “Initial Product Offering” cocktails to “Counterfeit” mocktails. Many of their carefully selected tinctures, bitters, and syrups are made in-house and presented to impress. CKTL & Co.’s “Manhattan Menu” features classic and contemporary takes on the Manhattan, including their Black Market, with housemade coffee liqueur presented in a smokey treasure chest, and the Toronto-centric Bay Street, featuring rye, sweet vermouth, amaro, and angostura bitters.

Alongside the cocktails, CKTL & Co. offers an impressive beer and wine selection available on tap. The food menu is globally inspired and locally sourced, featuring standout appetizers and entrees such as Tuna Nachos and Grilled Lamb Chop. CKTL & Co.’s from-scratch fare ensures each transaction is a treat.

CKTL & Co. introduces the concept of market pricing for beverages with the incorporation of a unique software system that encourages patrons to partake in the excitement of watching the market and the menu fluctuate throughout their visit. CKTL & Co. offers an elevated space for groups of all sizes to congregate and socialize.

For more information on CKTL & Co., visit cktl.ca, or follow CKTL & Co. on Instagram at @cktl.co and TikTok at @cktl.co. To book a reservation, book through OpenTable or call (416) 363-3558.

The post Stock Exchange Cocktail Lounge CKTL & Co. Opens on Bay St. appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Old Photographs of Ruins from the Toronto Fire that Destroyed Downtown

Joel Levy — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 08:07:48 +0000

On the night of April 19th, 1904 and the morning of April 20th, 1904, a Toronto fire decimated downtown Toronto and took with it over 100 buildings in the industrial and commercial area in what would now roughly be Esplanade/Front Street to the south, King Street to the north, University to the west and Yonge street to the east.

“The Great Fire” was suspected to have started from a faulty heating stove or an electrical problem but the exact cause was never found. 17 fire halls, two engine companies and one hose company were brought in after a policeman on patrol saw the flames coming from the E & S Currie Limited’s neck wear factory at 58 Wellington Street West, just west of Bay Street (now TD Bank Tower). It took them 9 hours to control the blaze.

1904 – aftermath of fire, Bay St., e. side, looking s. from n. of Wellington St. W.

Hamilton, Ontario and Buffalo firefighters gave a hand to our city as temperatures dropped that night to -4 as snow fell and the flames consumed the downtown core. This was the second Toronto fire in 50 years to attack the young city.

John Croft was the only person to lose his life from the fire but he was an explosives expert who was clearing the ruins from the fire. Total damage from the blaze reached $10,387,000 and it put five thousand people out of work when the city only had a population of 200,000. As you would expect, stricter laws for fire safety were put in place and the Toronto Fire Department was expanded.

Here are a collection of photographs that I put together from after the fire was extinguished and the years following.

1904 – aftermath of fire, Bay St., looking north from north of Esplanade W., Toronto, Ont

1904 – aftermath of fire, Bay St., s. from Melinda St

1904 – aftermath of fire, Bay St., s. from top of Telegram Building

1904 – aftermath of fire, Bay St., w. side, s. from Melinda St.

1904 – aftermath of fire, Front St. W., e. from Bay St

1904 – aftermath of fire, Front St. W., e. from w. of Bay St.

1904 – aftermath of fire, Front St. W., looking n.

1904 – aftermath of fire, Front St. W., looking n. from s. side, w. of Yonge St.; custom house at right

1904 – aftermath of fire, Front St. W., looking n. to Wellington St. W., e. of Bay St.

1904 – aftermath of fire, Front St. W., s. side, looking e. towards Yonge St

1904 – aftermath of fire, Front St. W., w. from Bay St.

1904 – aftermath of fire, Front St. W., w. of Yonge St

1904 – aftermath of fire, lane, e. side of Telegram Building.

1904 – aftermath of fire, looking north east from Esplanade W., west of Bay St., Toronto, Ont.

1904 – aftermath of fire, looking s. from s. of King St. W., betw. Yonge & York Sts

1904 – aftermath of fire, looking s.e. from top of Telegram Building

1904 – aftermath of fire, looking s.w. from top of Telegram Building

1904 – aftermath of fire, Wellington St. W., looking e. to Bay St.-r-1858

1904 – aftermath of fire, Wellington St. W., looking n. from s. of Wellington St., w. of Bay St

1904 – aftermath of fire, Wellington St., s. side, e. from Bay St.

1904 – Aftermath of the 1904 fire: Front Street at Bay looking east

1904 – Aftermath of the 1904 fire: Bay Street north of the Esplanade, looking north

1904 – Aftermath of the 1904 fire: Bay Street north of Wellington, looking south

1904 – Aftermath of the 1904 fire: east of Bay Street, looking south-west

1904 – Aftermath of the 1904 fire: east side of Bay Street at Melinda

1904 – Aftermath of the 1904 fire: Front Street west of Bay

1904 – Aftermath of the 1904 fire: Bay Street looking south from Melinda Street

1904 – Aftermath of the 1904 fire: looking south from the Telegram building

1904 – aftermath, Front St. W., w. from Yonge St. (from top of Custom House)

1904 – ay St., e. side, betw. Wellington & Melinda Sts., showing shop of H. F. Sharpe & Co., photographic goods.

1904 – Bay St., looking s. from n. of Wellington St. W., Toronto, Ont.

1904 – Bay St., w. side, looking s.w. from n. of Wellington St. W., Toronto, Ont

1904 – Bay St., w. side, looking s.w. from n. of Wellington St. W., Toronto, Ont.

1904 fire ruins, n.w. corner of Bay Street and Wellington Street West

1904 – Front St. W., looking n.e. from s. of Front St., w. of Bay St.

1904 – Shows buildings destroyed or damaged in the great fire of 1904 in the Bay – Wellington – Esplanade area

1904 – Toronto Fire ruins, Front Street looking west from Yonge Street.

1904 – Toronto Fire ruins, looking north from foot of Bay Street.

1906 – 1904 fire ruins, Front Street.

1906 – Curio seekers find souvenir in fire ruins.

1907 – Men viewing the demolition of fire remains at site of future Union Station.

1907 – Pottery found in ruins of 1904 Fire.

1907 – Toronto fire ruins grown over with weeds.

1907 – Ruins of fire of 1904, Front Street East

1907 – Ruins of fire of 1904, Front Street East.

1908 – Customs examining warehouse and express office

1908 – Excavating ruins of the Great Fire of 1904 for a new Customs House, Front Street at Yonge Street.

1908 – Excavating in the Great Fire ruins for new Customs House, Front Street and Yonge Street.

***

To find more vintage photographs from this Toronto fire, visit the Toronto Archives or the Toronto Public Library archives.

The post Old Photographs of Ruins from the Toronto Fire that Destroyed Downtown appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

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Stock Exchange Cocktail Lounge CKTL & Co. Opens on Bay St.

Old Photographs of Ruins from the Toronto Fire that Destroyed Downtown