Toronto 1950

This is what Toronto looked like in the 1950s

Although the decade does pre-date the rise of Toronto's first modern skyscrapers (the TD Centre wasn't built until the late 1960s) and the building and population booms of the 1970s, the 50s will be forever remembered in Toronto as the decade when we finally got the subway.

As a result of this massive construction project, there's actually a wealth of photographs from the period available via the Toronto Archives.

While many of these feature subway building as their main subject matter, there's plenty else going on in the photos. One thing of note, everything looks so clean!

Here's how Toronto looked in the 1950s.

1950

Toronto 1950s

Construction on King Street.

Toronto 1950s

Building the subway.

1952

Toronto 1950s

The Davisville Yards. 

1953

Toronto 1950s

Subway cars being offloaded from a shipment.

Toronto 1950s

A subway car with an engineer. 

Toronto 1950s

The Flame restaurant and old car.

1954

Toronto 1950s

A collection booth at Dundas Station.

Toronto 1950s

The interior of an old subway car.

Toronto 1950s

A crowd attending the official opening of the subway line.

1955

Toronto 1950s

The Letros Tavern.

1956

Toronto 1950s

A police car. Photo by pjs_deceased.

1957

Toronto 1950s

A boat with a very different-looking skyline. Photo by pjs_deceased.

Toronto 1950s

Cars lining the streets in the Annex.

1958

Toronto 1950s

Red Path Sugar factory being built. Photo from the Red Path archives. 

Toronto 1950s

Davenport Road, looking west. 

Toronto 1950s

The Maple Leafs versus the Blackhawks. Photo by Nate and Lou Turofsky.

1959

Toronto 1950s

Another very different-looking skyline.

Toronto 1950s

Lake Shore Boulevard streaking across the city.

Toronto 1950s

An old postcard of the Beaches.

Lead photo by

Toronto Archives and Wikimedia Commons. Written by Derek Flack. 


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