toronto 1956

A snapshot of downtown Toronto in 1956

In 1956, the Hockey Hall of Fame at Front and Yonge was still a branch of the Bank of Montreal, the headquarters of the TTC was still the Board of Trade Building, the King Edward Hotel was still a Sheraton, and there were no modern skyscrapers in Toronto.

All of that information and more is contained in a newly available map of land ownership in the Toronto core from 1956.

toronto business map archive

Stored at the University of Toronto and now available in a large size digital format here, it shows how much of the central city has been eaten up by land-hungry skyscrapers and office complexes.

By comparing the map to the current street grid, it's possible to track down a few lost, cropped, or otherwise diverted streets.

toronto business map archive

The map was made by the Nirenstein National Realty Map Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, which was founded by Russian-born map maker Nathan Nirenstein in 1925.

According to the University of Connecticut, Nirenstein also owned Bowles Lunch, a chain of restaurants that once had outposts on Bloor and Queen streets in Toronto during the 20th century. See what you can find.

Lead photo by

University of Toronto Map & Data Library, G3524 .T62 G46 1 [1945- 1956] B-2 Rare


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

Huge TTC parking lot in Toronto about to close forever ahead of redevelopment

Justin Trudeau pledges to save Toronto's Santa Claus Parade

Closure-plagued Toronto streetcar line is finally back in full force

Olivia Chow is going to war with Doug Ford over controversial new bill

Over 55,000 Canada Post workers now on strike and here's how it'll affect you

Here are some Canadian government jobs based in Ontario that pay very well

University of Toronto named among world's best in another category

Toronto plans to install signs blaming Doug Ford for traffic