Why I Love Toronto Because of Doors Open Reason #273

Cathedral Church of St. James

I really love churches from the stained glass, the organ and detailing. I just love the whole feel of a church. I might have said this in another Church post, but when I travel the one thing I always want to do is visit churches because to me they are the most worked on and sometimes detailed buildings in a city.

The cathedral that stands today opened in 1853 after a fire destroyed the original church in 1849. The Gothic Revival church was designed by Frederic Cumberland (10 Toronto Street).  Many note features such as the stone which was both from the city and Ohio, the gold leaf acanthus leaves over the chancel, the stained glass window which explains the spread a of Christianity to places such as Rome and Canada. Also one window shows the Bishop holding the plans to the church.

What was interesting about this tour was I got to learn about the bells. The cathedral has 12 change ring bells which are the only such bells on the continent. The bells are run by the St. James Cathedral Guild of Change Ringers and during Doors Open we got to see a bell demonstration and saw how the bells moved and worked. The tower was designed by William Storm (some work on Osgoode Hall) and was built between 1865 and 1870. The current bells known as The Bells of Old York were installed in 1997. They were brought in through the tower entrance and lifted up by a crane. You can actually see the dome area where the bells were carried up when you arrive.  The clock you actually see on the outside of the tower was donated by the citizens of Toronto upon the towers completion.

Now the interior is stunning, the dark brown pews are lovely, but some of my favorite aspects are as follows. The arch ways, which of course give it that gothic feel, are so grand. The dark brown beams in the centre hallway are very interesting and took a lot of my attention.  The Chancel of course stood out with its stain glass and fine detailing. The organ…I love organs being a music major I love the sound it gives off when it is played. Another thing is if you look at the organ pipes there is a clock that sits underneath them with this gold detailing around them – just beautiful.  Plus outside there is this mini structure on the west side. I’m not sure what it is, but the fact it is outside and features so much gothic detailing made it stand out to me.   

Now many of you who may have never been to the church, but may be saying “why does St. James sound so familiar?” You might know it because of St. James Park which is owned by both the city and the church. It is most recently famous for housing Toronto’s Version of the Occupy Movement.

The church has seen the likes of Prince Charles, Harry, William and Princess Diana (1991) as well as The Queen and Prince Phillip (1997). It is definitely a treat to visit, like most churches in the city.

That is Why I Love Toronto. 

Why I Love Toronto Because Of Doors Open Reason #272

One King West

This was another one of my favorite tours during Doors Open 2012. After my birthday party at the Irish Embassy, Sanjana and I were walking up Yonge to catch the Vomit Comet when across the street the lights of One King West’s Grand Banking Hall (I didn’t know its name at the time) caught my eye which led me to say “wow I wonder what that place is.” It was the same reaction years ago when I saw Commerce Court North for the first time from the outside. Now I was uber excited that this building was going to be a part of Doors Open and naturally it was the first on my list.

One King Street West was once the home of Michie & Co Grocers & Wine Merchants. In 1879 ownership was switched to the Dominion Bank where the company would build its head office and remained there for 126 years.  Built by Pearson and Darling (Commerce Court North, 197 Yonge Street, AGO Original building) the skyscraper opened in 1914. It was 12 storeys, beaux arts building with renaissance revival detailing in it. During the proposal of the building many critics objected the height of the skyscraper saying it would ruin the skyline – if only they were around today. When it opened it was one of the tallest buildings in the city.

In 1955 when the Bank of Toronto and the Dominion Bank merged to become TD, the dominion bank moved to the Toronto Bank Headquarters but still used One King West as a branch until the 90’s. In 1999 it was sold and its conversion to a residence/ hotel began. This transformation was completed in 2006.

Now let’s look at some of the rooms that were featured at Doors Open. The Banking Hall is a beautiful venue that you venture to via this amazing bronze railing staircase. The hall has ornate ceilings which has gold leaf coffered designs that features Canada’s nine Province, (remember Newfoundland didn’t join Canada until 1949 after this room was completed). Other things to note include the arch ways, Corinthian columns, the chandeliers and the grand windows letting in natural light.

The Vault was definitely one of my favorite spots in the former bank. Today the vault is converted into a party room or as my friend likes to think some sort of S&M dungeon. If you enter the building then go straight you will notice a staircase leading you to the basement. This staircase leads you to the vault and safety deposit boxes. At the bottom of the stairs there is a gate you have to pass before you can enter the vault. The vault at the time was considered the largest and best equipped bank vault in the country. It was 33 feet wide by 25 feet high and was divided into the upper/ safety deposit vault and lower/ treasury vault.  The upper vault is equipped with the largest and heaviest door ever built. The circular door is 4 ½ feet thick and has an opening of 7’ 6’’ and weighs around 40 tons. The vault also had a telephone and ventilation system just in case someone got trapped. When the vault arrived in the city it was the biggest news story at the time attracting a number of people on the way. It was dragged up Yonge Street by a fleet of horses. 

The Office, which was located on the 12^th floor, at one point in time would have had one of the best views of the lake. Today you can only catch a glimpse. The beautiful woodwork on of the room is astonishing as well as the detailing in the fire place. There is also a private door where the chairman of the bank could access his secretary. Now I know what some of you are thinking and yes I thought of that as well. It could have been used for easy quickie’s.

This building is so beautiful, I would love to stay here or even live here, but alas I could only do so in my dreams. However, this is an amazing building with such history and I am so glad I finally got to venture in it and learn its history.

That Is Why I Love Toronto.

http://www.onekingwest.com/hotel/history/#construction

Why I Love Toronto Because of Doors Open Reason #271

Trinity St. Paul Church and centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts

When I studied at Robart’s library I always spent 4-7 hours there studying my life away. Now I always wanted to have the comfy chairs next to the window on the 5^th floor where the maps are and I wanted a table so I could put my feet up and lay all my notes out. However, this area is very popular with people so you usually have to be a vulture to get it. That is why before I went for my 4-7 hours I would stop by the 24 hour metro on Walmer/ Robert and Bloor to grab a pizza bun or croissant. Across the street from that is this beautiful old church that I admire so much. Trinity-St. Paul’s Church and Centre for Faith Justice and the Arts has these beautiful reddish roofs, dark brown colour façade, bell tower as well as an entrance way in that bell tower portion, massive circular windows and in the winter the trees that have lost all there leaves age the church beautifully.  

Now I have never gone into this church until Doors Open because I always find it awkward going into churches. Not because of religion, but because of old people. They are so cute and sweet that if they start talking to me I feel like I have to listen and when that happens I could be there for hours because I can’t say no to old people. I can only say no when they bud in line at Tim Horton’s and I’m on a 15 minute break.

The church is an example of revived Romanesque style and was done by Edmund Burke in 1888 (McMaster Hall/ The Royal Conservatory of Music, Prince Edward Viaduct, Robert Simpson Department Store/ The Bay on Queen Street). The stones of the building were from the forks of the Credit River. The bell tower which I love stands at 115 feet and the interior (were mass takes place) is the shape of a horseshoe and is noted for having rose-style windows, a 78 foot high roof, convex glass ceiling and marvelous arch ways.

Now the church looks absolutely massive from the outside however the worship area of the church is really quite small, but I think small churches make it more intimate as opposed to bigger churches where you sort of get lost in the crowd. Therefore, I liked the coziness of the church, but was very surprised by it. I honestly thought by looking at the façade this church would be massive inside. However the church is also a community like centre so it has a gym and other facilities in it as well.  Another interesting thing to note is Kathleen Kenna of the Toronto Star named it on of the “Most Romantic Venues in Toronto.”  

The inside is cute I won’t lie, but for me it is the outside that really makes me love this church. The colour, the windows, the bell tower all make me stand in front of the church in awe. I would have loved this church and it would have made my list regardless if I went in it or not.

That Is Why I Love Toronto. 

Why I Love Toronto Because Of Doors Open Reason #270

The Winter Garden Theatre

I won’t lie I always thought the Elgin/ Winter Garden Theatre was one theatre, however Doors Open taught me that they were not. This was probably one of my favorite tours all day and I am so happy we managed to make the 1:30 tour. Now when you look at the theatre you can only think one thing and that is “wow this is so narrow and small, how can they fit a theatre here?” Well that is only a front. You see like the Ed Mirvish Theatre, the Elgin/ Winter Garden Theatre wanted a Yonge Street address. Therefore they purchased a portion of Yonge Street for the lobby and built the theatre on Victoria Street which had cheaper property. Therefore, it is a pretty large theatre.

It is the last stacked/ double decker theatre operating in the world and was built by Thomas W. Lamb who also built the Ed Mirvish theatre down the street. The Elgin is located on the main floor and the Winter Garden in seven storey`s above that. It was built as the flagship for Marcus Loew`s Vaudeville houses. The Elgin was opened in 1913 as Loew`s Yonge Street Theatre while The Winter Garden opened a year after. Now the Winter Garden Theatre is where I want to get married. When you first walk in there are leaves that cover every inch of the ceiling from the orchestra level to the upper balcony. The columns that hold the building up are tree trunks. Every inch of the theatre is garden themed. Lanterns light room and the ceiling has this amazing sky mural that has clouds and a circular light that is meant to represent the moon. The curtain on the stage even depicts a beautiful lake like scene. It truly is one of the most beautiful and decorated theatres ever!  

Let’s get into some history and how we got this restored wonder. The theatre in its early days hosted the likes Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire before they were famous. When motion pictures were introduced it killed the vaudeville genre and once that happened in 1928 the Winter Garden Theatre was abandoned and the Elgin became a film house. However, our tour guide said that abandoning the Winter Garden was one of the best things to ever happen because as the Elgin continued to be used the owners would constantly damage the theatre making it harder to restore.  

The Elgin became a theatre house which showed a B-horror movies and eventually porn. Porn was the last incarnation of the theatre before it became what is known for today and the last picture according to our tour guide shown there was What The Swedish Butler Saw – my guess was sex.  When it closed the first option was to tear down the theatre, but the Ontario Heritage Board saved the property which was the catalyst for its restoration.

Now the best part was the restoration of the Winter Garden because it was abandoned in 1928. In 1985 the restoration crew went into the theatre for the first in around 60 years. They all went in with Hazmat’s suit just in case and what they found was layers upon layers of dust. The first thing the noticed that had to go was were the leaves in the ceiling because a single touch disintegrated them.

The next thing was the murals on the wall and taking off the dust. Every single surface space has a garden theme painted on it and the challenge was preserving the paintings. It was a challenge because they were painted on with cheap water based paints so therefore they couldn’t wash the dust off. One way to solve the problem was to use bleach, but bleach in the 80’s was so toxic smelling that they couldn’t use it. You see as the Winter Garden was being restored Cats was playing at the Elgin. The tour guide said they didn’t want to gas the audience. Fun fact my mom worked at this theatre when Cats was playing and remembered they were restoring the theatre upstairs!

The seats are not the original seats of the theatre. They are actually from a Chicago theatre which was famous for hosting the final moment of John Dillinger`s. Dillinger had went to see a film at this theatre and his girlfriend at the time tipped the FBI that he was going there. After the film Dillinger ran from the FBI and was shot. The point of this story is one of the seats in the Winter Garden is the last seat that John Dillinger ever sat in.

History and beauty. Two words that sum up the Winter Garden Theatre. Now if you’d like to check out this theatre they have tours you can book or you can see a show there. The other option is next year Doors Open, but I hope my post will make you want to see it right now.

That is Why I Love Toronto. 

Why I Love Toronto Reason #269

Doors Open

Happy Doors Open! I had another very successful year this year! I started at 10am this morning and ended at 5pm. I hit 10 buildings altogether did a bit of designer shopping and had a bite at Maple Leaf Gardens. It was a very successful day and I saw some amazing buildings once again. The pictures I’ll present to you today will be a preview of the week to come where I will be continuing the Why I Love Toronto Because of Doors Open Toronto.

Today though I thought it would be fitting that I present to you the history of this amazing festival. Starting in 2000 the festival was meant to be a one-time millennium event. However it received such a positive reception and great turn out that…well it continued and I’m so happy it did because 10 year old me would not have appreciated the architecture. That is the thing about this festival you get to see some of the most amazing architectural building this city has, buildings that the everyday person may never get to see in their lifetime. My friend Upasana even said that she felt like she was a tourist in her own city. The buildings that are featured range from hundreds of years old to the most recent buildings this city has to offer.  

Doors Open is not only a Toronto phenomenon. 57 communities in Ontario hold Doors Open events and there are only three Provinces that do not hold the event. In the states they have something called Open House, although in this event you can bypass lines by paying therefore generating a form of revenue.

Look at it this way. Doors Open is making us fall in love with some of the city’s most beautiful buildings - with architecture. I think it is because of Doors Open that more and more historical buildings are being saved and why more and more of them are being preserved and modified into modern day structures. Doors Open is making many of us activists…they are making us aware of how important these buildings are and the role they play in Toronto’s history.

This is an amazing festival where I learned so much and saw so many amazing things. I will present to you the buildings I saw today and I will encourage you to check it out tomorrow.

That Is Why I Love Toronto

Why I Love Toronto Because of Doors Open Toronto Reason #268

Montgomery’s Inn

Now I am an Etobicoke boy born and raised, gosh I was growing up when Etobicoke was still a city and Doug Holyday was the mayor and I was 8 when it became apart of Toronto. Anyways, when we think of Doors Open Toronto we think downtown core not Etobicoke, but the west end has some cool Doors Open events as well and Montgomery’s inn is one of them.  Built in 1830 it is said to be one of the best examples of either Loyalist or late Georgian architecture because of its symmetrical balance.

The home was that of Thomas Montgomery an Irish Man who came to Canada at the age of 25 and his wife Margaret.  The two ran an inn which was so successful a bar, ballroom and second kitchen needed to be added. The inn had its best success during the wave of Irish immigrants that came to the city during the potato famine. The Montgomery’s had a huge chunk of property in Etobicoke from Bloor to Dundas Street and from Kipling to Royal York. Only operating as an inn for around 25 years it closed after Margaret passed in 1855. After her death the inn was used as a tenant for farmers, Presbyterian Church and community centre. In 1975 it became a museum and was restored. The restoration was a big task because when the inn served as the church the interior was greatly altered and the restorers had to model it back to the way it was when the Montgomery’s were there. This included rebuilding the main staircase. Last year new documents and records were found and the building was supposed to go through a re-restoration – but I’m not sure if that occurred because of the city’s budget.  Like most buildings in this city there was once a plan to demolish the inn and last year the Inn was under threat when the city of Toronto proposed closing it to balance the books.

Now inside the artifacts are not those of the Montgomery’s but they reflect the time era.  The sign of the building is actually the original sign and was found at a local woman’s house after she took the sign home after finding it in the garbage.

So I know we all love Toronto and the downtown core, but we should show some love to the burbs. So if you get a chance, I suggest coming down to Etobicoke and checking out the inn. I’ve been there not only for doors open, but on field trips as well as it is one of the hottest field trip spots for us Etobicoke school children.

That Is Why I Love Toronto

Why I Love Toronto Because Of Doors Open Reason #267

Commerce Court North

Now I got a message from one of my followers today telling me I was a behind a day. Now of course I was like nah I’m usually ahead at least one day, but no I was wrong! Somewhere along the way I got behind and without him/her telling me I probably would have been at August 31^st saying why am I at reason #364 if there are 366 days in this year. So here is the post that will catch me up!

Commerce Court too many of us is known as part of the CIBC Financial district branch. Completed in 1931 by Darling and Pearson (who did the Bank of Commerce at 197 Yonge, the original AGO, the original ROM building as well as the Mount Pleasant Mausoleum) with the help of York and Sawyer the building stood 34 storey’s high and was once the tallest building in the city. In fact it remained the tallest building in the Commonwealth until 1962 when the Montreal CIBC building was built higher, but that only lasted for a few years until it was eventually passed by another building.

What is most significant about Commerce Court other than its Beaux-Arts style is the banking hall which is said to be modelled after the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. I mean it looks like you have stepped into a church. It has a high ceiling, these amazing chandeliers, gold-coffered ceiling and massive windows to let light in.

The bank even has 4 storeys of basement which is where the bank has their vaults. The vaults are concrete lined with steel and are so strong that if the building were to collapse the vaults would be okay.

Furthermore, being the tallest building at the time the bank opened a public observation deck, but was closed because of safety concern (I mean really Observation Deck + Tallest Building at the time + Great Depression = Rich People Suicide Central). But at the time for only a mere .25 cents (well mere to us) you could get the best view of the city. Now if you look up today at the building were the observation deck was you will notice these face structures that have really long beards that surround the building. Behind those faces are arch ways which the observers would have to go under. Oh my gosh if only, if only we were allowed to go up there today! I mean sure we wouldn’t see much because everything around the north tower is taller than the north tower, but still it would be amazing! DOORS OPEN MAKE THIS HAPPEN FOR NEXT YEAR!

Soon the world will also get to catch a glimpse of Commerce Court North – well the façade anyways. Last summer the remake Total Recall shot a scene there! Click Here to check out the clip!

Commerce Court North is a beautiful building. Like all former CIBC buildings whether it was before the Bank or Commerce or the Imperial Bank merged into the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, the buildings for all of their banks were just astonishing. I have some amazing picture of the bank in the old days from the Commerce Court website to share with you. I guarantee you will be left in awe. Now I did not check out Doors Open last year because I was on vacation, but I did check Commerce Court out 2 years ago – sadly it is not on the agenda for this year, but hopefully it will back on next year!

That Is Why I Love Toronto.

http://torontoist.com/2008/05/historicist_tal/

http://www.commerce-court.com/about/history/