| vated by the colourful and unusual variety of stores | | | | Yiddish theatres, synagogues and other political, social |
| we walked through narrow streets filled with a jumble | | | | and cultural institutions developed in the area. Indeed, as |
| of vintage clothing stores, bakeries, restaurants, shops | | | | Bruce pointed out, Spadina Avenue became the |
| selling anything from fish, cheese and meat to dry | | | | centre of the Garment District which still survives on a |
| goods and assorted merchandise. At about 7:30 pm | | | | much smaller scale today – even today there |
| most of the stores had closed or were in the process | | | | are numerous fashion and fur stores that sell their |
| of closing, but the diverse and unusual storefronts and | | | | merchandise to the public at wholesale prices. Bruce |
| murals illustrate the Bohemian flavour of this area. | | | | also elaborated that many of the buildings and |
| Bruce pointed out numerous favourite hangouts: places | | | | warehouses became gradually higher, a direct result of |
| such as Cob’s Bread, Graffiti’s Bar and | | | | the invention of the Otis safety elevator which made it |
| Grill, My Market Bakery, the Chocolate Addict and | | | | feasible to carry out industrial manufacturing on higher |
| many other unique nooks and crannies illustrate the | | | | level floors. |
| free-spirited character of this unusual neighbourhood. | | | | Our group then stopped at the Glen and Paul Magder |
| At the intersection of St. Andrew and Augusta we | | | | Fur Store which was a pioneer in reforming |
| stopped to admire a “half a house” that | | | | Toronto’s Sunday shopping laws by staying |
| was attached to some flat-roofed houses and the | | | | open on Sundays, despite heavy fines. Right around |
| complex was then capped off on the other side by | | | | here we also got to admire the former location of a |
| another “half a house”. | | | | theatre owned by the parents of Mary Pickford, the |
| One of the most poignant symbols of | | | | famous Toronto born-actress, |
| Toronto’s multi-ethnic mixing is a restaurant | | | | “America’s Sweetheart” who |
| called the “Hungary Thai”, an eatery that | | | | became Hollywood’s biggest star of the Silent |
| surprisingly combines European and Asian culinary | | | | Era. Together with Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, |
| traditions originating in Hungary and Thailand. There is | | | | and D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford was a cofounder of |
| no better area than Kensington Market to come face | | | | United Artists film studios. |
| to face with Toronto’s culturally diverse | | | | We then walked east on Queen Street which |
| makeup. Today's Kensington features residents and | | | | features a whole stretch of eateries, restaurants and |
| merchants from all over the world, including people of | | | | eclectic bars and taverns, including the Rivoli, an |
| Latin, Carribean, European and Asian origin. | | | | extremely popular bar, restaurant and pool hall. At the |
| Southwest of Augusta Avenue we turned onto | | | | Horseshoe Tavern Bruce explained that many famous |
| Bellevue Square Park, a green space that is | | | | music acts of Toronto, including Blue Rodeo, got their |
| frequented by a very Bohemian crowd of people, | | | | start at this tavern. |
| representing some of Toronto’s artists and | | | | Boyd Gang, a 1950s gang of bank robbers led by |
| counterculture. Kensington Market is one of the few | | | | Edwin Alonzo Boyd. The gang garnered a lot of media |
| areas that features Cannabis cafes and products, and | | | | attention due to its sensational actions, including bank |
| there is a distinct marijuana culture that pervades the | | | | robberies, jail breaks, liaisons with beautiful women, gun |
| area, particularly on Bellevue Square Park. The | | | | fights and daring captures. Two of the gang members |
| northwest end of the park features a statue of Al | | | | were captured and hanged for the murder of a |
| Waxman (1935 to 2001), a Toronto actor who starred | | | | policeman in 1952 while Edwin Boyd, by then a |
| in a popular television series “The King of | | | | Canadian folk hero, was sentenced to eight life terms |
| Kensington” and was involved in numerous | | | | plus twenty seven years concurrent. He was paroled |
| charitable organizations and events. Bruce pointed out | | | | in 1966, relocated to British Columbia and died in 2002. |
| that Al’s wife Sara is immortalized on a bench | | | | Just steps further east is the “Friendship |
| right next to the statue in a carving that says | | | | House”, where Russian refugees were taken in, |
| “Sara loves Al”. | | | | it is also the centre of the Communist League of |
| Avenue is another relic from Kensington’s | | | | Toronto and the former location of the 1980s television |
| Jewish history. The Kiever Synagogue on Denison | | | | series “Street Legal”. |
| Square was built in 1912. Its twin towers are crowned | | | | A few steps east is a series of Victorian townhouses |
| with Stars of David which give it a distinct | | | | that, as Bruce explained, were owned by two sisters |
| middle-eastern or Byzantine feel. Although many | | | | who had had a serious falling out. Although the buildings |
| Jewish residents have left the Kensington area over | | | | were symmetrical in appearance the sisters did their |
| the last few decades to move further north in the City, | | | | best to modify the architecture to ensure that each of |
| the Kiever Synagogue continues to be active and to | | | | their sides would look different from the other |
| offer religious services every Sabbath as well as | | | | sister’s property. Bruce pointed out a couple of |
| educational services to the remaining Jewish | | | | former vaudeville theatres, explaining that in the era |
| population. | | | | before cinemas and podcasts, almost every city block |
| We proceeded southwards on Augusta Avenue until | | | | had one or more of these theatres which were |
| we reached Queen Street. At the corner of Augusta | | | | popular entertainment spots for the locals. |
| and Queen we stopped and Bruce made us aware of | | | | At the Corner of Queen and Soho is the Black Bull, a |
| one of the emblematic statues guarding the entrances | | | | decades old hotel and tavern that features a spacious |
| of Kensington: an oversized cat prancing on a globe, | | | | outdoor patio. Bruce explained that in the 1800s |
| an appropriately offbeat symbol of this colourful | | | | Toronto's city limits extended to Peter Street, and the |
| neighbourhood. | | | | tavern housed in this building was the last tavern on |
| Across the street Bruce pointed out the former | | | | the way out of town. This was at a time when a |
| Alexandra Park public housing complex that has been | | | | horse and carriage ride to Niagara Falls could take two |
| renamed the Atkinson Housing Co-op. Bruce explained | | | | days, so a final watering hole on the outskirts of town |
| that this residential complex was a major urban | | | | was important. |
| planning mistake and had become one of | | | | Another significant Toronto landmark rose up |
| Toronto’s most crime-ridden areas. In 2003 the | | | | impressively in front of our eyes: Toronto’s |
| former Alexandra Park became Canada’s first | | | | CHUM City Building, the main studio complex of CTV |
| public housing complex to be converted into a | | | | Globemedia. The building houses City TV and its |
| tenant-managed, non-profit housing cooperative, a | | | | famous Speakers Corner video booth (which allows |
| move which has greatly improved the safety in this | | | | members of the public to voice their opinions on any |
| area. | | | | topic), Cable Pulse 24, MuchMusic, Star! and the |
| At the intersection of Dundas and Queen Streets, right | | | | Fashion Television Channel. Its 1914 Neo-Gothic terra |
| in the heart of Chinatown, Bruce stopped again to | | | | cotta façade make it an instantly recognizable |
| show us the Art Deco Victory Theatre, a former | | | | landmark in downtown Toronto, and the news truck |
| vaudeville theatre. He also explained that this theatre | | | | with the turning wheels that is built into the eastern |
| had at some point morphed into the Victory Burlesque, | | | | façade make it a real icon of the downtown |
| home of famous Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous | | | | core. |
| burlesque dancer who became known for putting the | | | | Well, our informative and entertaining |
| “tease into striptease”. | | | | Chinatown-Kensington Tour had come to an end. |
| The history of the Spadina area is colourful indeed. | | | | Bruce, with his dramatic abilities, was able to educate |
| Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe settled in the | | | | us and entertain us at the same time, introducing us to |
| area from 1832 onwards, but major immigration got | | | | historically significant parts of the city that we had |
| into full swing in the 1890s. Many of these poor Jewish | | | | never seen or simply walked by without noticing. |
| immigrants had little language skills and began to work | | | | Although a relatively young city, Toronto has a |
| in low-paying jobs in the garment factories that had | | | | fascinating history, and Bruce Bell is just the guy to |
| sprung up near Spadina. | | | | open our eyes to it. |
| Numerous Jewish delicatessens, tailors, cinemas, | | | | |