Heritage

The City of Toronto’s Official Plan defines the different precincts within the ABC boundaries as Areas of Special Identity. All these areas make an important contribution to the City’s rich legacy of neighbourhoods. ABCRA is committed to preserving and enhancing the rich heritage and character of the community.

More information about the City of Toronto’s heritage preservation services and a list of designated and listed properties in the area can be found on the City’s website.

New monument in Scrivener Square honours Canada’s most decorated military veteran Lieutenant-Colonel William G. Barker, VC 

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Lieutenant-Colonel William Barker with his Sopwith Camel. ABCRA Board members Arlene Desjardins and Tom Knott, pictured with David Naismith, Director, Tricon, joined Jeremy Diamond, CEO and John Wright, Past Chair, RCAF Foundation, Andrew Joyner, Senior Managing Director, Tricon Living and Barker family members for the unveiling. A new monument in Scrivener Square honours Canada’s most …

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Eye-popping 11-storey tower proposed for site of historic Toronto homes

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171 Lowther proposal submitted to City of Toronto

A row of homes dating back almost 125 years could be transformed by an impressive 11-storey tower, if a new development application is approved by the city. Not surprisingly, local residents have questions about the growing intensity in a quiet section of one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods where a number of proposals to increase density are piling up.

Winners Announced for the 2023 Heritage Toronto Awards

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Albert Campbell Branch Library

Canadian architects and urbanists were at the helm of five projects that were among the winners of the the 2023 Heritage Toronto Awards. The Heritage Toronto Awards bring together leaders, innovators and emerging professionals from across cultural, development, and policy-making sectors to celebrate achievements in Toronto’s heritage. The event is also Heritage Toronto’s major fundraiser of the year and raises monies in support of its public programming.

Historical designation of 148 and 156-158 Avenue Road

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148 Avenue Road

In review of the development application, the applicant is proposing to remove existing buildings along Avenue Road to increase the width of pedestrian sidewalks, provide for a signature plaza at the intersection, increase on-site public space and widen an existing laneway for both vehicular and pedestrian use. These public realm enhancements are desirable for both pedestrian and vehicular safety and support the creation of a community node at a key intersection in the City of Toronto.

5 little-known facts you might not know about the Bloor Viaduct

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Bloor Viaduct

The Bloor Viaduct is one of Toronto’s most iconic structures. Built between 1914 and 1918, it was officially named the Prince Edward Viaduct after the Prince of Wales, a fact which Torontonians tend to gloss over by stubbornly referring to it by its street-related colloquial name.

Despite its significant status, there’s plenty of mostly unknown information about the bridge, not the least of which is that it’s actually not one bridge at all!

The history of Toronto in photos

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Bloor viaduct under construction

The history of Toronto in photos is not an authoritative history of this city (far from from it), but the 90 some odd posts linked to below provide a thematically organized visual overview of Toronto that I hope will be worth a return visit or two for those interested in the city of yesteryear.

The vast majority of the photographs featured below derive from the Toronto Archives, which means that should you see something that you really like, it’s probably available for purchase from the source.

ABCRA provides comments to the City’s Bloor Yorkville Heritage Assessment

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Yonge & Yorkville 1975

City of Toronto Heritage Planning utilizes Cultural Heritage Resource Assessments (CHRAs) to document and analyze an area’s history and ensure that properties of potential cultural heritage value or interest are appropriately identified, understood and conserved. Read our submission to the City, providing input and recommendations for the CHRA field study of the Bloor-Yorkville/North Midtown Area. 

Basil Johnston Terrace

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Basil Johnston Terrace sign

The proposed change to “Basil Johnston Terrace” would acknowledge and honour the First Nation presence and positive contribution within our community and our city. Basil Johnston Terrace would commemorate the significant contribution of a brilliant Ojibway author and educator, recognized in his 2015 Globe & Mail Obituary as the “foremost scholar of Anishinaabe life. Andin the Canadian Encyclopedia as “one of the foremost indigenous authors in Canada.”