City
When Union Station was shiny and new
As construction crews at Union Station work on what's being called the "dig down," a massive excavation project designed to triple the floor space at Toronto's transit hub by adding lower levels, the timing couldn't be better to take a glance back at the origins of the transit hub.
Built between 1914 and 1921, but not officially opened for another six years because of a disagreement between the Harbour Commission, the railway companies and the City over grade separations (typical Toronto...), our current Union Station is actually the city's third. And while there's not much archival evidence (save for a few paintings) of the first iteration, Union Station II was a grand structure of which we have a host of photographic records.
As beautiful as that building was (and it really was), Toronto's growing population and railway expansion throughout the country demanded that a larger structure be built to accommodate increased rail travel. Land for the new Union Station was leased by the City in 1905, and the building was eventually constructed as a joint effort between the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Grand Trunk Railway.
Architecturally speaking, Union Station is one of the city's best examples of the Beaux-Arts style. Designed by the Montreal Firm of G.A. Ross and R.H. MacDonald, as well as Hugh Jones of the CPR and John M. Lyle of Toronto, it remains one of our most beautiful buildings.
PHOTOS
The future site of Union Station in 1909
Excavation in 1915 (Queen's Hotel in the background)
Excavation 1915 (Old Union Station in the background)
Under construction in 1917
Finishing touches on the roof 1919
Main hall 1919
Main concourse 1920s
Ticket lobby 1923
Waiting room 1923
Cafeteria 1923
Construction on train sheds 1926
Ditto
Exterior 1926
Panorama 1927
Nearing completion of sheds 1929
Train entering station 1930
Out front in 1931
Streetcar loading outside Union in 1932
Images from the Toronto Archives
Discussion
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Also, where was that cafeteria?
There was a bar along the north wall across from the Harveys and the washrooms, I think the layout of the bar is the same as this cafeteria photo. And just a guess, maybe that waiting area was outside the bar/cafeteria in the west part of the station?
The wall and doors at the end of the waiting area were removed quite some time ago. They used to give on to an area known as The Oak Room - also largely removed.
Yup, that's Toronto.
Tradition!
Do they offer tours of the building?
What fascinates me about buildings like this they were built with such pride, strong, bold, built in such a way that despite the abuses and neglect that can happen much of it survives.
During Doors open I visited Old City hall and new city hall. The shameful condition of Old City, yet is till retains its beauty. It will be costly but I feel it can be restored. Modern structure are just a shell to be gutted and rebuilt as needed. New city hall is a great mid century building that is falling apart due to neglect, can it be restored or is destined to be gutted and rebuilt?
http://www.trha.ca/upcomingevents.html