In & Around Downtown Toronto...

[Diplomat]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...

This pic was taken late in the evening, and I wasn't sure how it would come out, but I am rather pleased with the result. Again, the boots brought SueSumba to mind, so I'm beginning to think there must be some kind of karma or mojo going on that I'm not aware of [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Diplomat]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...

Making my way back through China Town...



Below, the sight of these things make me queasy, but they are just about everywhere one can find an Asian store.

[Diplomat]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks CEW [img]/forums/images/graemlins/70409-waytogo.gif[/img] - great thread - did you get around to the other Mirvish icon "Honest Ed" which shows why this family is much-loved in Toronto.

[/ QUOTE ]

You mentioned it, and during my lunch hour on Friday, I hopped over to Ed's "house"; a Toronto landmark for over 50 years.



From Wikipedia...

"Honest Ed's is a landmark discount store located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is named for its proprietor, Ed Mirvish.

From its prominent location at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst Streets in the middle of Mirvish Village, its glitzy exterior (the light displays are spectacular after dark) belies its very humble interior, with uneven, creaky floors and simple displays of low-priced merchandise, ranging from vacuum cleaners to winter coats to soup. Much of the store's decor consists of posters and photos from Mirvish stage productions.

Every piece of signage, right down to the prices of individual items, is a hand-painted showcard created by a traditional in-house signpainter. The outside facade is peppered with humorous slogans such as, "Come in and get lost!" and "Only the floors are crooked!"

The store consist of two buildings connected by a walkway to allow customers to travel from the west building on Markham Street to the east building on Bathurst Street.

Mirvish gained fame for his marketing stunts, including loss-leader specials and free turkey giveaways near certain holidays.

He has also become famous in the neighbourhood for holding birthday parties for himself every year since 1988. At these street parties, there is lots of free cake, meals, hot dogs, candy, and giveaways. The neighbours who know about the annual bash come prepared with their kids, cousins, and their cousins' kids, waiting in long lines to get a piece of the some of the freebies. There are live bands, balloons, and everything a real party could need.

Other Mirvish-owned buildings in Toronto include the Princess of Wales Theatre and Royal Alexandra Theatre. Mirvish does not own the Canon Theatre, but it is responsible for day-to-day business operations.

The gallery and spaghetti restaurant called Old Ed's Warehouse on King Street West near Royal Alexandra Theatre has since closed."

[Diplomat]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...

And within a hundred meters on either side of the store...

[Diplomat]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...

[Diplomat]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...



Mirvish Village is located in midtown Toronto in an eclectic culturally diverse, safe and vibrant neighbourhood devoted to the Arts, food and entertainment, nestled between the Annex BIA to the east and the Korea Town BIA to the west.

One of Toronto's newest BIA's, officially approved in 2005 by Toronto City Council it is named for the Mirvish family in recognition of Toronto's retail show biz entrepreneur Honest Ed Mirvish who started his business Honest Ed's in 1941 in the area.

Honest Ed's world famous bargain shopping centre is the largest business in the area that offers a one of a kind entertaining, interesting and affordable shopping experience with 160,000 square feet of bargains, corny slogans and it's neon flashing sign with 23,000 moving light bulbs makes one understand why the landmark retail emporium's slogan for over half a century has been "THERE'S NO PLACE...LIKE THIS PLACE...ANYPLACE!!!!"

More Here

[Diplomat]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...

The Bathurst Street Theatre...



Built in 1888, and with the cornerstone having been laid by Prime Minister John A. Macdonald, the 550-seat Bathurst Street Theatre has had many incarnations. It was first a Methodist Church in what was once called the village of Seaton, now The Annex, and in 1924 became a United church. In the late 1950s, with a shrinking congregation, the church was transformed into a venue for alternate uses, including concerts. It wasn't until the mid '60s that stage productions were mounted. In 1975 the theatre rocked the city with the mainstage adult comedy production of Making Fun of the Baby Blue, a satire of City TV's Blue Movies.

Today, the Bathurst Street Theatre, with excellent sightlines, is a landmark roadhouse for original Canadian theatre. Past productions have included the world premiere of Mollywood, and Stephen and Mr. Wilde.

More Here

[mountaingal]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...

[ QUOTE ]




[/ QUOTE ]

i cannot like this garishness. feh. i remember when the corner held fruit and vegetable sellers and a little diner - the late Lennie Johnston (who owned Third World Bookstores further down on Bathurst south of Bloor), his wife and friends, we all used to go that diner after he shut shop. Then Ed Mirvish bought up all the property, extended his store and put up those gawdawful lights.

when i was in elementary school, "your mother shops at Honest Ed's" was an insult, and people used to turn the Honest Ed's shopping bags inside out in a vain attempt to disguise the origins. (think i've told this story on the board before.)

That said, i've shopped at Honest Ed's when I was a poor student. and although I never used to line up for the free turkeys he'd give away at Christmas, I appreciated the generosity of Ed Mirvish.

I've visited his son's bookstore on Markham St. it's not bad for price and selection.

[mountaingal]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...

CEW, Bathurst Street just to the North of Bloor is where a lot of Jamaicans/West Indians first settled. The very first Nicey's store was on Bathurst, and I believe Wong's (Jamaican Chinese) restaurant is still operating a little further up the road - they serve (or used to, haven't been there lately) the best escoveitched fish. Of course, there's Golden Barber and Beauty Supplies - but all those folks are old now, and I don't know how much business they still get at those locations, since the community has dispersed so much.

In the late 1970s/early 1980s there was a popular play called "Bathurst Street" which recognized the West Indian community's roots in that location.

[mountaingal]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...

[ QUOTE ]
The Bathurst Street Theatre...





[/ QUOTE ]
across the street from the theatre, and further onto Lennox, is where I had my first job as a journalist - at Contrast Newspapers (now defunct). Royson James, the Toronto Star GTA columnist, was editor at the time. Contrast was started by Al Hamilton, a Black Canadian born in Calgary, I believe. After he died, the paper was bought by Jamaican Desmond Jolly, who now part-owns Flow 93.5 in Toronto.

I believe Ed Mirvish bought the land that the Contrast building was located on, but he didn't demolish the building. It's now an Afrocentric supplies store run by a couple I know.

[Diplomat]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...

With the evenings that much shorter now, the latest pics from Mirvish Village just about wraps up my foot tour of the downtown core. I did promise some pictures of the area known as "Little Jamaica", which is not downtown, and I hope to get around to that side this weekend and post those pictures early next week. I can hardly believe the Summer is just about over, but this has been a blast!

[Diplomat]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...

MG: I just LOVE your anecdotes [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] Now, I'm really wishing I had your company on some of these walks as I am sure you would have some great stories. Thanks for sharing some here, and I'm very intrigued knowing that you were once a journalist [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re Honest Eds, when I came to Canada in 1989, I heard the same thing that his store was for "poor people". It is a shame that such a stigma should have been attached to it. Having walked in there this past Friday, I thought it was extremely diverse and anyone could shop there.

It was good to know that Bathurst Street just to the North of Bloor is where a lot of Jamaicans/West Indians first settled. I had no idea, though I did see a couple of 'black' barber shops in the area.

[mountaingal]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...

CEW, glad you like my anecdotes. My life has been written on the streets of Toronto (dang, that sounds questionable [img]/forums/images/graemlins/70392-silly.gif[/img]). i consider myself lucky to have been out and about in the community either for my job at Contrast or through school or other venues, and have come to know some stalwarts of our community who would speak to me about our history in Toronto.

For example, the late Harry Gairey, a Jamaican who was a pioneer on the railroads, lived near Palmerston, which is north of Bloor just west of Bathurst. He used to come and hang out at Third World Bookstore, which relocated north of Bloor after Honest Ed bought out all that property below Bloor.

i doubt i'd be effective walking with you as you take your pics - i'd talk your ear off and you wouldn't have any time to photograph. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img] much better this way, as the pics themselves have their own way of evoking my memories - i guess because i have the chance to study them.

[Compry]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...

[ QUOTE ]
MG:Re Honest Eds, when I came to Canada in 1989, I heard the same thing that his store was for "poor people". It is a shame that such a stigma should have been attached to it. Having walked in there this past Friday, I thought it was extremely diverse and anyone could shop there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Guess it was my store because as mentioned in another forum I had a Hope Chess...boxes more like it and that's where I shopped. As a teen whatever extra money I made I would head on down to Honest Eds and acquire something for my Hope Chess whether dishes, cups, pots, cutlery, curtains, you name it. Back then you could find quality stuff at prices that a student could afford.

[Diplomat]

Re: In & Around Downtown Toronto...

[ QUOTE ]
i doubt i'd be effective walking with you as you take your pics - i'd talk your ear off and you wouldn't have any time to photograph. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img] much better this way, as the pics themselves have their own way of evoking my memories - i guess because i have the chance to study them.

[/ QUOTE ]

It doesn't take that long to take a picture once there is clarity in my mind regarding the 'shot' I want to take, so I still think we would do just fine [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] Like I said though, I've enjoyed the anecdotes, and thanks much for putting some of the pics in a much wider context than I could have [img]/forums/images/graemlins/70409-waytogo.gif[/img]

[ QUOTE ]
My life has been written on the streets of Toronto (dang, that sounds questionable [img]/forums/images/graemlins/70392-silly.gif[/img])

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, just a tad ambiguous but I understand you perfectly [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]