Junction Triangle

Here is the latest in the series of "Then and Now" photos. Do you have any old photos of this neighbourhood? Please feel free to get in touch if you're willing to share them!

These photos compare the view south from the Wallace Ave. footbridge. The first photo was taken in July 1985, when the Old Bruce Service Track (formerly Toronto, Grey & Bruce railway) was still being used by local industries. The building on the left was the old Nacan Products (National Adhesives) factory, and on the top-right you can see GO Transit's Bloor Station platform. The tracks also serviced Solways scrap metals.

In the current view, taken on May 9 2010, the GO train station is still there, but the Old Bruce Service Track has been ripped up and replaced by the West Toronto Railpath. The Nacan factory has been converted into residential loft condos (Wallace Station Lofts), and there are no longer any railway tracks leading into Solways. However, if you walk down the Railpath past Solways, take a close look at the fence betwen Solways and the Brownstones on Bloor: You'll see remnants of that old track poking through the trees. Update: As of 2013, Solways and the track remnant are gone.

Speaking of trees: The massive tree of heaven next to the Wallace Ave. footbridge partially obscures this view now. I'm glad I took the "now" photo early enough in the spring before the leaves completely obscured it.

Much has changed in the last 15 years. For more history about the Toronto Grey & Bruce railway, please visit Old Time Trains (trainweb.org). Many thanks to Gord Billinghurst and Old Time Trains for the historical writeup, and allowing me to use this photo here.

THEN:
Old Bruce Service Track, from Wallace Bridge: Photo by Gord Billinghurst, July 1985

Photo of the Old Bruce Service track, looking south from the Wallace Ave. pedestrian bridge, July 1985.

Photo by Gord Billinghurst, courtesy Old Time Trains (trainweb.org).

This track is now the home of the West Toronto Railpath, and the former Nacan (National Adhesives) factory on the left side is now a residential loft condo called Wallace Station Lofts. You can see an updated version of this photo from May 2010 here.

Wallace Ave. Bridge: Photo by Vic Gedris, 2010-04-16

They say "a picture is worth a thousand words".

I was walking home from the Dundas West subway station on Friday evening and decided to take this photo from the Dundas St. side of the Wallace Ave. pedestrian bridge. I always enjoy the view from here, especially since it contains two of our neighbourhood's most iconic sights: The bridge itself, and the old G.E. Water Tower near Lansdowne Ave.

When I came home and took a closer look at the photo, it struck me that there are many things going on within the frame of this picture. Little bits of history, neighbourhood icons, and changes that are happening rapidly. Here's what I spotted. Maybe there are some things I missed?

Ground floor

On December 7th 2009 I had the opportunity to do something I've wanted to do since moving in to this neighbourhood: I explored the Tower Automotive building Sterling Rd. Four of us from the TLR Club photography group spent the snowy Monday afternoon wandering through the building, admiring the architecture and views, and of course taking many photos.

The Tower Automotive building on Sterling Road is a fascinating place. Because of its height and location (no other tall buildings nearby) it's one of the most easily recognizable features of this neighbourhood, from miles around. I won't go into too much detail about the property or development plans, which you can read about here, so I'll just move on to the photo tour.

These first two photos were taken on the ground floor of the building. I'm not sure why, but the main level had a hardwood floor instead of concrete like everywhere else.

Castlepoint's Properties

Here are my notes from the January 18 2010 meeting about the ongoing developments at the former Tower Automotive properties. Hosted by Castlepoint Realty Partners (the property owners / developers) and the South Perth and Sterling Rd. Residents Association at the Church of the First Born, the meeting was certainly informative and interesting. It attracted about 40 people from all around this community (guessing, I didn't count).

My notes are just quick points that I jotted down at the meeting. If you have any of your own comments or corrections, please feel free to reply below.

Note: You can view the huge versions of the images by clicking on them. The fine details may still be hard to read.

Graphic by Castlepoint Realty Partners, photo by Vic Gedris, 2010-01-18.

Graphic by Castlepoint Realty Partners, photo by Vic Gedris, 2010-01-18.

Graphic by Castlepoint Realty Partners, photo by Vic Gedris, 2010-01-18.

Graphic by Castlepoint Realty Partners, photo by Vic Gedris, 2010-01-18.

The former Tower Automotive building on Sterling Rd., as seen from the West Toronto Railpath.

Photo by Vic Gedris, 2009-02-28.