Industry Toronto History

What industry used to look like in Toronto

A dominant motif in our series of historical Toronto posts is the slow erosion of industrial architecture from the cityscape. We've tracked this process in places like Liberty Village and on streets such as King West, Queen's Quay and Dupont. Despite the dwindling evidence, most of us know intuitively that Toronto was once a bustling industrial city, complete with thick smog that hung above the core on humid days. Not only did smokestacks dot the landscape, but much of the city's economy could be traced back to industrial and manufacturing pursuits.

At the turn of the century, agricultural implement manufacturer Massey Manufacturing Co. (later Massey Harris and then Massey Ferguson) was the largest employer in the city. Its factories sprawled along King West from Strachan Avenue to near Dufferin Street. Further west and slightly north, the mighty John Abell Engine and Machine Works took up much of what is now the condo-heavy West Queen West Triangle. During the war effort, hubs like the Gooderham & Worts Distillery and the John Inglis plant were repurposed to build bombs and guns, respectively.

The city's industrial character wasn't limited to just downtown areas, either. Those driving along Laird Avenue in Leaside should still be able to spot the humble remains of what was once a well-established industrial area. Similarly, an area like Mount Dennis was once absolutely bustling on account of all the factories it once housed, the last remains of which can now be seen in the abandoned Building 9 at the former Kodak plant.

As I've mentioned in past articles, there's not much point lamenting the loss of this particular brand of industry in Toronto. Heavy manufacturing went global long ago, and cities like Toronto are now sustained by other economic stimulators — be they of informational or sheerly financial character. What is, however, regrettable, is that we have so little connection with this crucial bit of our past.

PHOTOS

2012330-pumping-machinery-1890s-s0376_fl0005_it0045.jpg

Pumping machinery, 1890s

2012330-pumping-machinery-1890s-s0376_fl0005_it0044.jpg

Pumping Machinery, 1890s

2012330-timothy-eaton-factory-1910-f1244_it7034.jpg

Timothy Eaton factory, 1910

2012330-john-Abell.jpg

John Abell factory, 1910s

2012330-massey-harris.jpg

Massey Harris, 1910s

20111114-Congers-coal-dock-1914-f1231_it0922.jpg

Congers Coal Dock

20111114-elias-rogers-coal-1916-f1231_it1779.jpg

Elias Rogers Coal

2012330-munitions-factory-1916-f1244_it0849.jpg

Munitions factory, 1916

2012330-airplane-factory-1916-f1244_it0853.jpg

Airplane factory, 1916

2012330-airplane-assembly-1916-f1244_it4554.jpg

Airplane assembly, 1916

2012330-maple-leaf-milling-1916-f1244_it2550.jpg

Maple Leaf Milling, 1916

2011617-distillery-main-1918-f1583_it0086.jpg

Gooderham & Worts Distillery, 1918

2012330-shipyards-1918-f1244_it1571.jpg

Toronto Shipyards, 1918

2012330-leaside-aerial-1920-f1244_it7296.jpg

Leaside aerial, 1920

201214-to-bay-1920-f1244_it0444b.jpg

Toronto Bay, 1920

2012330-dundas-edna-1922-s0071_it1694.jpg

Dundas and Edna, 1922

2012330-steam-plant-machinary-1925-s0071_it3679.jpg

Steam plant machinery, 1925

2012330-royal-york-heating-plant-f1231_it2009.jpg

Royal York Heating plant, Ca. 1930s

20111114-coal-oil-refineries-port-lands-1930-f1244_it1440 (1).jpg

Port Lands refineries, 1930

2012330-willys-Overland-Plant-Weston-Rd-1030-f1244_it2429.jpg

Willys Overland plant on Weston Road, 1930

2012330-kodak-plant-1930-f1244_it2431.jpg

Kodak plant in Mt. Dennis, 1930

2012330-lansdowne-royce-1932-s0071_it9177.jpg

Lansdowne and Royce, 1932

2012217-VeronicaFoster-RonnieBrenGunGirl-smoke.jpg

Veronica Foster, Bren Gun Girl 1940s

2012330-tor-star-press-1945-f1244_it2058.jpg

Toronto Star printing press

2012330-Toronto-hydro-carlaw-1950-f1231_it0162.jpg

Toronto Hydro building on Carlaw Avenue, 1950

2012217-inglis-boilers-1956-s0975_fl2216_id32697-2.jpg

Inglis boilers, 1956

2011119-Hamilton-Gear-1957-s0975_fl2426_id34553-6.jpg

Hamilton Gear (Dupont & Dovercourt), 1957

2012330-hearn-1960s-f1257_s1057_it0750.jpg

Hearn Generating Station, 1960s

2012330-leavens-brothers-aviation-60s-f1257_s1057_it6617.jpg

Leavens Brothers Aviation, 1960s

2012330-massey-ferguson-381554_large.jpg

Massey Ferguson, 1964

2012316-redpath-1970s-s1465_fl0287_it0006.jpg

Redpath Sugar, 1970s

2011823-king-west-80s-s1465_fl0058_id0074.jpg

King West before the condos, 1980s

2012214-hannah-liberty-1990s.jpg

Liberty Village before the condos, 1990s


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

The former landmark HMV store on Yonge St. is getting a new tenant

Canadian Dental Care Plan expands to cover more services

Ontario drivers are so bad at using one road feature that police keep having to explain it

Abandoned century-old bridge in Toronto is finally being demolished

Several people injured in high-speed TTC crash overnight

Toronto neighbours build ghostly marriage proposal for Halloween

Upcoming job fairs where you can look for work in Toronto

Multiple Canadian companies just ranked among the world's best employers for women