[Street Scenes in Toronto] (1935)

Shots of Toronto Transit Commission traffic at Broadview and Danforth, Sunnyside, Danforth Division, Canadian National Exhibition entrances, the Bay Street terminal, ferry service, and North Toronto terminal.
Source: Library and Archives Canada. Toronto Transit Commission fonds, 1981-0211. IDC: 196210.

[@tramwayarthur9563]

How wonderful. Trams with trailers, a Grand Union Junction, a Birney or two, and all those magnificent old cars...A joy to watch and right down my alley. Greetings from Melbourne. Tramway Arthur

[@bruceh92]

Toronto is currently the streetcar capital of North America.

[@user-uo7fw5bo1o]

And old fashioned tram/trolley trains

[@nyazuko2746]

Amazing I love old footage like this

[@fantasticfour1543]

Oh my Canada love you

[@brian13105]

I wish there was a shot of the old bridge at Sunnyside Station at King, Queen & Roncy (that were all the traffic was going to the bottom/right of the picture) off Queen. It was so much a part of my childhood.

[@rochelleiscanadian]

❤ Summer hasn't changed at the CNE in Toronto that much. I recognised it immediately. This reminds me of my father's red rocket collections from his time working for the TTC. He has a Streetcar bell on his head stone. In later years, he worked for Transit control. These films remind me of my father and my childhood. Love it.

[@georgschmidt494]

Thanks for posting. Enjoyed watching

[@alainarchambault2331]

Amazing, I've been watching movies from 1906 in various cities, what a difference 30 years make. No more horse-drawn carriages, all cars now, and no one meandering willy-nilly jaywalking through the streets anymore.

[@hanschenk2708]

GREAT VIDEO REALLY TOOK ME BACK IN TIME ANY MORE OF THIS TYPE

[@glen6945]

yes willpost another

[@AliciaVintage]

So amazing . Everything looked so cool back then , especially the cars 😍😍

[@sda9995]

People knew how to dress back then too

[@donfearnley8312]

The ttc tickets in the late thirties were 7 cents or 32 tickets for 2$. Kid tickets were 3 cents

[@YogZab]

@@donfearnley8312 amazing that kids tickets were still only a dime in the 70s!

[@neiladlington950]

Summer days and innocent times whilst over the horizon a troubling future promises that innocence will have no place in the modern world. .

[@MOJO-xi3wf]

I remember riding on the old trolley buses. The pole that connected to the overhead wire would sometimes jump off. The driver would then go out and using a long pole push it back onto the wire. Lol

[@reeltorock]

Great video! It's interesting how so many film reels from this time seem to be playing slightly fast. Slowed down about 10% would probably make it more realistic. In fact, even the 0.75x option in KZbin looks right.

[@jamesriccardo2225]

Wow, I wish there were that many streetcars today!

[@dannymacdougall366]

There was one long scene from King and Queen at Roncesvalles. ... and those ferries look like the one still in operation today in 2015.

[@reeltorock]

I was wondering if one of those ferries is the Trillium, still in operation on steam today.

[@YogZab]

The William Inglis and Trillium still in use, 2020

[@BrendanMetcalfe]

Love seeing this! 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@Daoriginal123]

I'm gotta love my city no matter what 🇨🇦

[@schitlipz]

meh, seeing as how the gays have overrun it... time to leave the sinking ship.

[@sweiland75]

@@schitlipz the gays LOL

[@winstonthespartan5593]

I never saw a gay in Downtown Toronto....

[@eyecomeinpeace2707]

@@winstonthespartan5593 Church and Wellesley. Nuff said.

[@larrywalker6105]

Those ferries well built. Still using after 80 yrs old. Sydney in Australia also got old ferries.

[@timdella92]

Those ferries still look the same as the ferries now. Lol

[@gedias1]

That's because some of them are from that era.

[@YogZab]

I still board the William Inglis regularly, 2020!

[@mtlicq]

What is awesome is that even in the 1930's great depression men wore suits and ties just to go to the CNE

[@Nexus-7.0]

Lol.. ya. I wonder how the summer temps were back in those days in Toronto?

[@alexi-divasskinner960]

im pretty sure that it was the only outfit that they owned

[@alexsdb9712]

Casual, everyday clothing around the world were more dressy (dressy, to modern views). And there wasn't a "casual" category. You just wore the clothing. There was still a a formal level, which was super formal tux and ballgowns. It wasn't until the 1960s, especially the 1970s when clothing became very casual and reached the daily clothing of today. Although it could be said that today's is too casual that it's gone sloppy and off-course.

[@D33Lux]

@@Nexus-7.0 Check the farmers almanac, it show's the history of all temps of each year.

[@Nexus-7.0]

@@D33Lux Yes you are right..thanks.

[@phreakbot]

And hardly a single overweight person to be seen!

[@sheltv100]

Thanks to the Great Depression.

[@bombasticbushkin4985]

Good point. They actually had a strong work ethic and no welfare crutch.

[@kirkrintoul328]

@@sheltv100 it was like that long after The Great Depression ended

[@conveyor2]

@@bombasticbushkin4985 And high suicide rate but those don't show up in film/video.

[@geekay1349]

hard times

[@TheFreeThinkingMan]

Somebody needs to do a version with a side-by-side comparison to how things look now.

[@mysterion]

Just imagine crack addicts ruining the corner

[@shawnparker3671]

There is one on KZbin, Toronto in the rear view mirror.

[@eyecomeinpeace2707]

Everybody gangsta until you tried living in that time period.

[@synthfreakify]

I believe the streetcar with the "cowcatcher" at 7:39 and 8:40 was one of the "Radial" cars that went up to Lake Simcoe from North Toronto Terminal, which was at Glen Echo & Yonge. From North Toronto Terminal it took 2:45 to reach to top of the line. It ran along the side of Yonge St., and wasn't fast- legislated to top speed of 20mph. Andrew Merrilees Inc. bought and scrapped it in 1948. In the 8:40 clip you can see the rear trolley being pulled down and the front one put up, they were going to reverse out of there- no turning loop.

[@darrylcpreston4043]

+synthfreakify You have a sharp eye, and you're very knowledgeable re a radial system that existed so long ago. By 1935, those cars were only running to the north end of Richmond Hill, having been cut back in 1930. I never rode on one, but I saw them in Willowdale and they seemed to be faster than 20MPH. A friend of mine, who did ride it, still claims 50 MPH down the Hogg's Hollow hill. They did have their own loop at Glen Echo on the north side of the 'station'. The Yonge cars and trailers turned on the south side, using a city block.

[@mattijarvinen3966]

the streetcar to lake simcoe took off from jolly miller tavern on yonge st drank lot of beer therein 70s

[@frankgarrett242]

@@davidandrew477 It was probably faster by train.

[@25Soupy]

Pre WW2 when everyone man didn't leave the house without a 3 piece suite and a hat.

[@MrKruger88]

You can see lots of men in this video without a suit on. It was way more common than today, but certainly not a requirement. People weren't stupid, they wouldn't leave for their job at a factory or butcher with nice clothes on.

[@juliakay6204]

I sure hope Gordy’s Restaurant is still in business. 🤣

[@Laughandsong]

Breaking news: it's not! 🤣🤣🤣

[@imannonymous7707]

Aww I was born too late, my grandparents would speak of the fifties in Toronto. I wish I'd grown up then, I walk in some of these old buildings now, and imagine just how special those days must've been .

[@gedias1]

The east side Exhibition loop looked the same in the 80s, 50 years later.

[@nakilpatrick]

all 4 of my grandparents were 34 or 35 years old, and my Mom was a 1 year old baby

[@philipcanada78]

the CIBC at broadview and danforth at the start of the video is still there , I was in there last week ; )

[@D33Lux]

You were back in 1935..wow!

[@juliansadler6263]

And those Peter Witt tramcars kept running into the 1970s (some are still running in Milan Italy today). How many of those motor cars are still on the road,?

[@richmoney9348]

Everyone dressed well back then

[@kenkur27]

And yet it was the middle of the Great Depression!

[@bobbylee2853]

What a strength diversity was then. People from every nation in Europe, united in brotherhood.

[@tdunph4250]

I wonder how many shootings and or stabbings and assaults were on those street-cars back then? Anyone care to take a guess???

[@tdunph4250]

@Will Wilberforce it's their children who have caused problems not the majority of the first wave. The majority of them came to Canada and made a life for themselves even among some racist groups of people.

[@eyecomeinpeace2707]

Back then probably not much. I do remember back in the sixties that most of the murders committed in T.O. were domestic related. I remember guys going hunting and carrying rifles uncovered slung over their shoulders and walking down the street and riding the transit/subway and nobody would even blink an eye. How I miss those days.

[@glen6945]

red hots 5 cents wow

[@marioandrikopoulos2158]

Oh boy I think Canada is a nice place to live 👍👩‍❤️‍👨

[@glen6945]

it is with great people from allovern the flat earth love

[@eyecomeinpeace2707]

Compared to where?

[@BeeRich33]

0:02 Looking NE Broadview & Danforth? Yes streetcars did cross Bloor and Danforth. 0:10 Roncy & King/Queen? 1:51 Ex turn/station 4:15 Trillium @ ferry docks 5:20 Union Station? 5:43 Bus terminal on Bay? Notice the streetcars don't stop at every switch? LOL unions haven't figured out anything since then. No clue where the streetcar footage is from. Great post.

[@craigwhite9917]

The clips from 0:00 to 0:59 are all where Roncesvalles, Queen, King, Lake Shore, and the Queensway all met; 1:11. to 1:48: is that 'Danforth Division'? 1:49 to 2:17 we are in front of the old Sheep and Cattle buildings at the east end of The Ex; 2:17 to 3:00 various Ex entries; 3:00 to 4:00 mostly in front of the Cattle building; 4:00 to 5:18 Mostly Ferry docks 5:18 to 5:53 Toronto Coach Terminal at Bay and Edward 5:53 to 6:55 Buses on the road… and then at Hillcrest? 6:55 to 7:36 Looking up and down (mostly?) Yonge Street from above 7:36 to 8:54 Streetcar boarding… but where? 8:54 to 9:46 Streetcar loops… where?

[@sdp]

+Craig White I used to operate streetcars for the TTC back in 1996. I believe that 8:54 is at the Humber Loop. The loop that goes around that building near the end of the video, I thought was Danforth Division, but I didn`t recognize the building. But I do believe your right about Danforth Division at 1:11 to 1:48. There used to be a streetcar loop on the east side of the building where there is now a library. And on the south side of the building where the old bus bays were, there was a church. When the TTC took over the land they pulled down the church, and used the framework for one of the bus bays. At least that`s what I understand from a elderly fellow who was a mechanic there, for many, many years. He and I walked over to the the old bus exit entrance off of Coxwell, and he showed me the the impression of a cross that was still mildly impressed into the building right above one of the bus bay garage doors. He say`s this is where the church used to reside.

[@philipzhang7427]

also looks like gerrard and broadview?

[@spm116]

Not Humber Loop at 8:54. That loop was not built until 1957 or so, when the Queensway was extended from Etobicoke to link up with Queen St. at Roncesvalles and the streetcars were moved off of Lakeshore eat of the Humber River. Might be Jane loop.

[@topoisomerace]

6:55 - Specifically, that's Yonge & Adelaide, with that same building still standing on the northeast corner. It's really nice to have that sort of connection to the past.

[@brian13105]

I believe 7:36 to 8:54 is Dufferin Gate Loop just outside the EX

[@bruceh92]

Is opening scene Dundas St West and Roncesvailes?

[@sabacone]

nope, the first scene is Broadview and Danforth. i recognized the bank with the huge pillars immediately (on the north east corner)

[@andrewdupuis1151]

Toronto is nice city i was there late 1989-90 wow they always had street cars . how much was bus fair that time ?

[@sda9995]

In the 1900 was 2 cents for adults or 6 ticket for 10 cents children under 9 was 1 cents in your in arms free night time 5 cents & 1989 one dollar lol I just Google that wasn't born in the 1900

[@alexsdb9712]

Just for fun, and to see how wrong things have become: 1980 Metropass was $26. 1985 Metropass was $38.50. 1990 Metropass cost $53.00.

[@glen6945]

cheaprealcheap

[@D33Lux]

@@alexsdb9712 2022, Metro pass $143...almost 3 triple the cost.

[@glen6945]

great footage of the real deal -----no bullshit

[@sheltv100]

No Gardner Expressway and no 401.

[@RR-xu5xk]

100 ferries going to the island at once. What was over there at that time that made things so interesting?

[@MrMikepresley]

Back then Toronto had very strict liquor laws; the Toronto Islands had less liquor restrictions, on Sundays fathers would encourage the family to go to the island, that way dad could have his beer and the kids would enjoy the rides. So back then Sundays were huge line-ups to go to the island; so much so that there would be charter taxi boats to handle the over flow of crowds.

[@howdyahworkthisthing1520]

There used to be a whole town on the islands. With hotels, and barber shops. Plus the cottages, and tent city, that surrounded it. My Dad told me that they were still demolishing some of it, in the early 1960’s.

[@ianorr7623]

Judging by the photos, there must have been many collisions back then.

[@glen6945]

just think if no one had filmed this you would be in the dark about your past---but not now

[@trevorgwelch7412]

Pedestrians loved walking in front of street cars and cars --- like there is nothing coming 😂😂😂

[@VancouverVortex]

Toronto looks exactly the same. Proving once again to be crown jewel of the most old fashioned province in backwards old Canada.

[@michaelm1207]

It looks exactly the same? Ummmm .... riiiight. I guess it is also a crime that Boston is "similar" to its past!?! I've spent time in Vancouver. It could be a beautiful city, if it wasn't shrouded in bleak grey almost 5 months of the year, ok, 4. The trouble with "out west" ... full of ex-Ontarians justifying their move, that's all.

[@revelationthe7sealsarecrac981]

Is this where King st and Queen st meet??

[@HomeMoviesdotCa]

They all look so progressively bustlingly happy, just 4 years before WW2.

[@EricLehner]

Well dressed!

[@susymartins9531]

Love watching, but couldn’t you put at least the street names of where this is some of them?

[@glen6945]

big city great canadians

[@monicapushkin3274]

What a beautiful civilized place Toronto was back then. It has all gone to hell.

[@DanSmith-qx4nl]

Happier Times!

[@argopunk]

Great! And, rare for Toronto, many of the buildings in this film are extant. Cool to see Parkdale before it went down the toilet into a drug, prostitution, and welfare haven (although, it's slowly improving in sections). My family lived there when this was filmed and said it was the "Rosedale of the west end."

[@argopunk]

@Toronto Strong Indeed. My family spent a great deal of the 1940s and before at a friend's mansion on Jamieson. Beautiful street at one time. Long gone as you know.

[@barbaraleszczynski2214]

That's so sad really.....to see once well cared for communities today..become rundown! So sad....

[@D33Lux]

Socialized housing ruined it.

[@TheRantingCabbie]

No need to worry about anyone texting and driving.

[@tdunph4250]

Probably weren't a lot of mass shootings around that time either I would say....

[@TheRantingCabbie]

That's cuz society wasn't as contaminated as it is today.

[@sda9995]

Oh u were free to smoke look at that no government control lol

[@bombasticbushkin4985]

Example of wages per hour -- Building trades - Wages per hour from (labourer - electricians) $.50/hr - $1.00/hr ....Metal trades (blacksmith - machinists) $.50/hr - $.80/hr.....Electric Railway workers (less than trades; from labourers - electricians) $.30/hr - $.74/hr.....Printing trades (bindery - pressman) $12-18/week to $46-50/week.

[@sda9995]

Back then they only made a quarter a week some 5 cents my grandfather made a quarter a day in the 40s

[@howdyahworkthisthing1520]

And they could still support a family. A large one by today’s standards, at that.

[@eve-marie6751]

Notice the lack of traffic signals at Queen-King-Roncesvalles-Lakeshore:- they had a few downtown but they were still a daring new innovation and the City was very stingy with them:- trying to get through a busy intersection unscathed was not easy then! Nowadays Toronto is "red-light city" with a traffic signal every two blocks with only two speeds permitted for motor traffic:- "dead stop" and "going nowhere"!

[@grantchow13]

No traffic lights ? I guess people were civil back then and used common sense. Now people are rude, drive recklessly and everyone walking is playing with their crack phones not paying attention.

[@DragonPupEclipse]

So just because there was no traffic lights that means people were civil?? Great logic. NOT

[@bradleyeric14]

Deaths in road traffic accidents have gone down steadily in recent years even though number of vehicles has been increasing.

[@JoeyToronto]

they didn't have as many cars on the road and as much traffic as they do today...do'h! also much less population

[@tdunph4250]

@ E.B.C How about showing me the evidence on that one...and not the CBC.

[@tdunph4250]

@ DragonPupEclipse Yes, there is no evidence to suggest that people WERE more civil back then and vice versa however, all we can go on right now is how people are now and in THAT case, @ Grant Chow is completely correct.

[@dylanphotography5050]

wow

[@sda9995]

No stress lights wow

[@eyecomeinpeace2707]

You mean street lights.

[@ChadLuciano]

Courtesy, respect and order...a.k.a rules...still existed...FIFO...based on a merit of trust.

[@clubhouseme]

slow the speed down to .75 and it's more accurate.

[@gulfy09]

How do you slow it down

[@zangolli1963]

No lights. It looks so crazy

[@1812AndMore]

Look at the amount of public transit! Why don't we get such service today?

[@PsychoticusRex]

We do? That's the exhibition loop, still runs like that, same place, the street cars are a bit bigger though.

[@ClintScottFischer]

Cars were more of a luxury item then. There were less people driving cars, therefore much more of a need to move people around.

[@Born2DoubleUp]

We do, it's just extended to take us everywhere now rather than a few different routes.

[@joeguzman3558]

The way people drive today in Mexico and it's a miracle nobody get hit

[@tarasyonka6462]

Look how well dressed and polite waiting their turn getting on streetcar.😳???

[@inmatejason]

Hard to believe all the people in the video are all dead now. We live life now going to bed and waking up every morning on this beautiful planet. the thought of it being gone forever one day is a really scary fucking ithought.

[@NattyBumppo48]

A lot changed from the "ought years" (1901 - 1909) to the thirties.....

[@leafyutube]

Almost nobody had internet access those days. Too expensive.

[@glen6945]

dum ass

[@spm116]

We didn't have any internet prior to the 1990s.

[@schitlipz]

You folks don't know a lame joke when ya hear it?

[@canman5060]

We have long distance cable texting in those days and it is already expensive enough.

[@canman5060]

I haven't head of internet until 1993 !

[@squirekev]

Funny how the old house at King and Queen still has the same diamond pattern. Looks like yesterday.

[@Jamie-1985]

The William Inglis Ferry @4:25 when she (?) was new

[@joeguzman3558]

That's my uncle right there

[@mtlicq]

buy a house for $3000

[@extremebassline7281]

blow up a house for $200

[@mtlicq]

huhh?

[@frankgarrett9500]

And the average yearly wage was $475.

[@sda9995]

Back then people were only making 25 cents a hour or less

[@alexsdb9712]

Yes, but don't forget that ONE wage (one wage household/family) was enough to buy a house and have a bit more for extras.

[@96Duelfuel]

Look at 1:55 mark and see rollar coaster in the background

[@sda9995]

I see it

[@transrus1]

Looks like Queen & roncesvales & king intersection.

[@glen6945]

1935 baby

[@daverodriguez3165]

Bank of Canada at 0:30, they didn't know back than that that would be a serpent sucking the nation dry.

[@glen6945]

oooohhhhyes

[@viiktorshandor4155]

Wow traffic hasn't changed much lmao!

[@WestboundPromo416]

sick

[@canman5060]

Back to the time when people spoke with a totally foreign British accent on Canadian soil !

[@sweiland75]

How did they speak on pavement?

[@eyecomeinpeace2707]

Same in America too. Remember all the Brits in The Shining?

[@D33Lux]

@@sweiland75 Drunk Irish?

[@NECDA]

Please add commentary

[@johnanderson9494]

7:47 -7:48 Robert Stack when he was young. Nah he would be 16 then

[@eyecomeinpeace2707]

Hmmmm.....that is one Unsolved Mystery.

[@joeguzman3558]

One thing that you can't see is that people used to be smaller back then or shorter ,but because every one looks the same size it looks like today's people .

[@hojoinhisarcher]

No one is smoking...

[@sda9995]

Everyone smoke back then u could smoke on the boat & buses too anywhere u liked they were free! No control by their government yet oh wait that makes my Gov too sh#t lol

[@felipesanz4979]

Todos andan como el video.de blanco y negro

[@lifeisshort2024]

2020

[@popeyeelmarino7366]

CUANDO LA COMTAMINACION EMPESABA

[@derick3482]

not one crazy person

[@kenkur27]

They were kept in mental hospitals then

[@derick3482]

@@kenkur27 nut houses to be accurate

[@kessler172]

No fare evasion here!!

[@imgursdownvote4love771]

This comment section... Oh boy

[@revelationthe7sealsarecrac981]

I wonder how many people in this video are still alive

[@glen6945]

no one azzhole

[@rbspider]

That was great. The air was pretty dirty back then , wonder if they worried about global warming.

[@ChadLuciano]

Nah...just where the next beer was coming from...this is a few years after the depression.

[@rbspider]

@@ChadLuciano But definitely worried about peoples pronouns right . I heard there were no trans people back then and no Pride parades . Gas was like 20 Cents a gallon.

[@ChadLuciano]

@@rbspider The older I get the more I miss yesterday.

[@rbspider]

@@ChadLuciano Same here . Wish I could go back in time . Or next round come back with brains , great looks and a good personality.

[@FilterBySubgenre]

kinda looks like kingston

[@joeguzman3558]

That's when there were white people in Canada

[@Genious.]

Are you sad? Angry? Disappointed? Frustrated? Annoyed?

[@gulfy09]

@@Genious. angry as hell

[@Genious.]

@@gulfy09 So are you answering for someone else then? And what has you so angry Kitten?

[@gulfy09]

@@Genious. i tell it like it is..

[@Genious.]

@@gulfy09 You can't even answer a simple fucking question. I gave you 2 and instead of answering, you just offered up some blathering nonsense of 'telling it like it is'. But the fact is, you didn't tell anything. You said nothing.

[@robertmiles1603]

huh. interesting

[@VEA-un9hx]

2:35 juul

[@arthurgarthur]

Funny how in the 1920s Toronto looked more British than N. American.

[@connynichols3034]

Thérèse was no such thing as theinternet!!!

[@EmilyTienne]

Pretty cool stuff, eh?

[@eyecomeinpeace2707]

Huh?

[@l1nx2112]

Everyone is this video is dead. Freaky.

[@marshallbowen8693]

Georgian Bay Paranormal: Not dead now but in their 80s and 90s . I remember these streetcars. They ran on Bathurst to the CNE in the 1950s.

[@eyecomeinpeace2707]

Any weird shit goin on up there these days hombre?