What Eglinton Avenue used to look like in Toronto

Eglinton Avenue once felt like the end of civilization in Toronto at around the turn of the 20th century.

But, like the rest of the city, development in the years to follow was swift and by the 1930s, the character of the street as a retail strip around Yonge and westward was already well in place.

Eglinton's big growth spurt would take place between 1930 and 1960, during which period the street was widened to its current size and bridges were built across the Don Valley.

Fast forward to the 1990s and Eglinton could have once again seen a boom to rival its mid-century rise. An Eglinton subway was under construction in 1994 until Mike Harris replaced Bob Rae as Ontario Premier and killed the project.

After a nearly 25-year wait, construction is once again underway for rapid transit in the form of the Crosstown LRT. With it, you can bet that the street will once again undergo significant change. 

Eglinton and Yonge (looking west), 1922

Eglinton and Black Creek, 1929

Eglinton looking across Weston, 1929

Eglinton looking east from Kodak Plant, 1929

Eglinton and Oriole Parkway, 1930

Aerial of Eglinton and Keele area (Mount Dennis), 1930

Eglinton & Yonge, 1930

Eglinton and Avenue, 1935

Eglinton between Oriole Parkway and Avenue Road, 1936

Eglinton and Bathurst, 1953

Eglinton and Victoria Park, 1949

Eglinton and Don Mills, early 1950s

Power Supermarket Eglinton West,1955

Eglinton and Hanna, 1955

Eglinton and Sutherland, 1956

Eglinton and Laird, 1956

Eglinton and Laird, alternate view

Eglinton looking east from Oswego, 1960s

Eglinton and Yonge at night, 1962

Eglinton Station bus bays, 1967

Aerial of Yonge and Eglinton, 1969

Eglinton and Victoria Park, 1969

Allen Road looking towards Eglinton, 1978

Leslie Bus at Eglinton and Yonge, early 1980s

Eglinton Avenue East looking toward Don Mills, 1980s

Eglinton and Avenue, 1990s