There’s a stone archway on the east side of Yonge, north of Gerrard. Where did it come from?—Jeff Smith, Cabbagetown
That arch represents the remains of the original St. Andrew’s, a once-majestic United Church that sat on the south side of Bloor, just east of Yonge. In the mid-1970s, the congregants of St. Andrew’s realized they were sitting on some in_creasingly valuable real estate and that their church was becoming costly to maintain; even worse, it rumbled and shook every time the subway went by. After a long and bitter debate, they voted to commission a new home, just behind the original, and in 1981, the congregation moved. As the old building came down, the city approached St. Andrew’s and asked whether the archway could be saved. The church agreed, and city workers bore it off, reassembling it where it stands today as a pedestrian gateway to McGill Street. A bronze plaque was suggested to explain the arch’s origins, but never installed, out of fear it would be prised off by local miscreants. Another plan to engrave an inscription into the stone never came to pass. As a result, it isn’t a mystery just to you, but also to local businesses and elected officials alike.
When I travel to other cities and countries as a tourist it is so important to me to know what things are. I want to take photo’s but want to be able to explain the shot. Toronto is very lax in viewing Toronto from the eyes of a Tourist. What do tourists think, are they confused, what do they expect and what are their disappointments. Readers should write in and ask why are parks are so boring and devoid of people. Why are there not enough “stop and rest” benches, water fountains,Public Toilets. Signs to explain things are important. Historical facts make Historical sites just that much more interesting. Our Dept of Touristm and City Council just don’t get it. MacDonalds is nice but not a tourist attraction except to city council.
October 13, 2009 at 10:05 am | by Tim Devlin