City
Staff
Posted on March 04, 2023
Report Inaccuracy
toronto history

This is what Toronto looked like from 1856 to 1991

City
Staff
Posted on March 04, 2023
Report Inaccuracy

The earliest photos of Toronto date back to 1856. They depict a small lakeside city of 30,000 people dominated by church spires and Georgian homes. Around the same time the camera arrived in the city, so too did the railway, which ushered in a period of intense development that continues today.

Here's a visual history of Toronto from 1856 through 1991 in 50 photos.

Lead photo by

Ellis Wiley / Toronto Archives. With files from Derek Flack.
Latest Videos

Latest Videos

Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

Toronto just smashed yet another very concerning weather record

What's open and closed on Thanksgiving Monday 2024 in Toronto

Ontario's record-breaking $6.4B border bridge just crossed another big milestone

University of Toronto professor woke up confused at 1 a.m. to news he won Nobel Prize

Could Toronto-Montreal route be Canada's first high-speed rail line?

Anger after people shut down the 401 in Toronto to shoot fireworks and do burnouts

Someone made a map of Toronto and now the internet is trolling them

People compare Rogers Stadium's quick construction to never-ending Eglinton LRT