100 Years of Yonge Street

Yonge Street has got to be Toronto's most interesting thoroughfare, particularly when one looks back at its history. Not only is it Toronto's longest street -- a fact which everyone seems to know and take some odd pride in -- but it's undeniably also the city's main artery. Over and above its choice as the origin of our subway system, the mere fact that it serves as the dividing line between east and west streets is evidence enough to underscore this point.

Although the downtown portion of it has been sanitized and corporatized over the last couple of decades, even today one can spot glimpses of its former glory as a retail strip. But to do so, it's useful to have a frame of reference. Luckily, Yonge Street has always attracted photographers. And because I'm always fascinated by its changing face when I do historical posts, I've managed to collect quite a few images of its many transformations.

Here's a look at Yonge Street over the last century (the lead images does duty as the 2000s photo).

1990s

At Dundas

1980s

North of Dundas

1970s

So much more vibrant

Record store days

Looking south from around Gerrard

1960s

At Eglinton

1950s

Near Gould, prior to Sam the Record Man

Subway construction

1940s

Subway construction

Ditto

1930s

Looking north from Charles Street

Near York Mills

During the Great Depression

South from Bloor

1920s

Looking north from Charles (x2)

Near Lawrence

1910s

Looking north towards Queen

Southwest from the North Toronto CPR Station

Northeast corner at Shuter

At Queen

1900s

Looking north from Temperance

At Front

North of Bloor

All images from the Wikimedia Commons and the Toronto Archives, except: lead photo by the author, photo of Yonge and Dundas from the 1990s via Toronto Life, postcards from Chuckman's blog.