The history of Honest Ed's

[@mortimersnerd8044]

Back in the 60's my grandmother came to visit us, and mum took her to Honest Eds. The instant she set foot on the creaking, flexing floor boards at the entrance, i'm told she started hanging on my mum's arm and when they reached the first stairs, stopped cold and asked if mum was sure this was safe.

[@jasonmacleod7661]

Hey Morgan: Thanks for producing these videos of Old Toronto. I enjoy them and they bring back lots of memories. If possible, could you create videos of the CNE, highlighting specific decades (1960's) etc and how it has evolved.

[@gabithemagyar]

In the late 1950's and early 60's, as the young child of Hungarian immigrants who lived in the area (which was Little Hungary at the time) , Honest Ed's was a regular stop for my mother and myself. The toy floor with its wide variety of things ranging from those red, white and blue sponge balls, toy soldiers and guns, plastic models and small to gigantic paint by number sets was the stuff that a young boy's dreams were made of. Of course we could not afford the "high end" toys that were there but there was always something affordable that would put a smile on my face : a book, a ball, or maybe one of those clicker toys which would shoot out a ping pong ball which you then caught in the basket-like end. At the same time, for a little kid Honest Ed's could be quite scary. At the time many of the bargains would be dumped onto a bin-like table after an announcement was made like "In 5 minutes, on the second floor .... Women's underwear, 6 for a dollar !" or the like which would be followed by a stampede of what seemed to me to be giant women towards the bin where said giantesses would wage ferocious battle to snag the size they needed. I've been afraid of women ever since ... LOL ;-) Later, the store became a little more organized but, up until I finished high school, many of my purchases were made there : my first skis, my first tennis racket, baseball glove, football, paint by number sets, models and my favourite leather jacket as a teen (pigskin - 10 dollars because of a small manufacturing defect) - and many other modest purchases which were possible for me only at Honest Ed's. Their prices were really that good ! " Come right in you lucky people ! .... and get lost !." :-)

[@elid3906]

😄I so appreciate your story‼️😪people don't realize what we have lost and are LOOSING NOW‼️

[@teaburg]

My time shopping there was 1964-1966. I hear you as a kid being squashed in the crowd of those sudden bargains. Could hardly breathe. Sometimes I was pinned between the table and my mother as she reached over me, yep, looking for the right size.

[@Aces77777]

Were the streets cleaner back then in the 1950s?

[@gabithemagyar]

@@Aces77777 Mostly no. Littering was widespread.

[@teaburg]

@@Aces77777 Can say that in 1960's people were just as thoughtless when it came to litter.

[@dawnintorontoland]

It was such a fun store!

[@paulthibeault1886]

There was no place like that place anyplace and we are all at a loss because of it. My daughter cried when I told her it was being torn down. She loved to go there and hunt for stuff, it was more an event than a shopping experience.

[@elid3906]

SAD AND PATHETIC THAT THEY ARE DOING TO OUR CITY😡

[@lawrencelewis2592]

I used to inspect the boilers at the store and his restaurants on King Street. There was more exposed asbestos in the store boiler room than any other place I've ever seen. West York Chev-Olds on St. Clair was like that too.

[@OldTorontoSeries]

Not shocked

[@iwantthe80sback59]

Loved Ed’s Warehouse restaurant. Used to go every Friday for lunch with the girls. Miss those days. RIP Pat L. and Pat N.

[@andywood5699]

I remember my mother going into Ed's for fireworks. My brothers wanted to go in to but she yelled NO! They had to stay in the car. I went in later in life and realized my brothers would have got lost in that store. My mother knew not to let them go in. The store was a maze. I think Ed's had a hair cutting place and an immigration lawyer on site to help people new to Canada. The theatre scene, the restaurants and the community goodwill helped make the Mirvish name well loved in Toronto. Everyone loved Ed Mirvish.

[@teaburg]

I still have the folding shopping buggy and a potato peeler ( both still work and being used) that my mother bought at Honest Ed's in 1964. He welcomed us as newcomers to the country, with that happy, loud, boisterous way of his. Showmanship extraordinaire. He had us laughing with delight, as he showered us with extra discounts, marching us through all the aisles and having people applaud for the new immigrants. I still love that man. Thanks for the free Wilma Flintstone bed pillow, Ed.

[@onelove1968]

Toronto peaked during the 60/70's. It now feels and looks more like a corporate theme park, rather than a livable city with it's own unique charm and character.

[@elid3906]

THEY ARE RUINING OUR CITY😡 THEY DONT GIVE A 💩 ABOUT HERITAGE AT ALL‼️

[@MrWackyfunster]

I have so many memories of taking my children there and letting them loose to explore. My daughter, whose now in her 20's, still misses the ability to root through a pile of jackets to find a perfect one for $9.99. What an amazing place! It is missed and saddens me when I drive by today; but "le plus ca change le plus de meme chose".

[@zuliecastaneda6909]

I worked there during high-school early 2000 and I do miss it. I bought my prom Dress there for only 19 dollars. MR. Mirvish loved this store. Sad to see it go but in Toronto almost nothing can rival the money a condo can make .

[@elid3906]

WE DON'T NEED ANY MORE PEOPLE‼️ HOUSED IN VERTICAL CITIES‼️

[@ciddasilvamatos6816]

This video was very informative and correct. My family emigrated to Canada in 1973 and like many other Portuguese families we often shopped at Honest Ed's. I'm very disappointed that it was sold and completely torn down just to have condos go up. Many new comers that are still moving to Toronto would have benefited from a place like Honest Ed's.

[@elid3906]

They really don't care about Heritage AT ALL😡

[@brianmorrison8652]

Fond memories of growing up in the Annex, even my aunt was a cashier in late 70’s . Great place in great neighbourhood. One of the popcorn/chessnut vendors on Markham St. was a friend of mine’s dad, a Greek immigrant , that owned 3 houses on Vermont Ave. I sure miss Toronto from back then…my schools, Palmerston, Essex, and Oakwood Collegiate

[@83056]

Honest Ed's was iconic in the land of retail.

[@OldTorontoSeries]

Will be very missed

[@arricammarques1955]

@@OldTorontoSeries Plenty of history prior to gentrification.

[@superx9619]

Went there with my parent's a few times in the 80s. Wish I had gone one last time before it closed in 2016. Cool video.

[@emthegem8141]

I was born a little late to catch the craze of honest Ed,s but i did visit once a couple years back in high school. It was very cool and really wish I checked it out more often before they shut down... But from what I remember there was lots of yellow inside and a whole bunch of record that i briefly sifted through. Side note - This channel is amazing! Born and raised here in Toronto, but always felt like I havent really explored even a fraction of the city.... there is just so much to do and this channel is helping me check out what I've yet to see ahaha. Its so cool to see the history of the city as well wowoww

[@andygrenn680]

Honest Ed’s was my first Summer part time job which turned into full time…Honest Ed’s was famous for daily Door Crasher Sales. Customers lined up outside for products at Door Crasher price. Giant bottles of Dish Detergent at 25 cents. Honest Ed’s daily opening song comes to mind…”The H and The E don’t stand for His Excellency. They stand for Honest Ed’s!”

[@finnsmall3401]

I see the cranes at here at Mirvish Village which replacing it and there are 5 residential towers

[@elbateador]

Great video! I'm from Uruguay and right now I'm reading Scott Pilgrim, right at the part where Scott and Todd go to Honest Ed's; As in other parts of the comic, I can't help feeling that I'm not understanding everything that's going on because I'm missing those little cultural details that only a Canadian will understand about his country. But I think I understand now why Scott complains about the bright lights, or why Todd can build a rifle with only trinkets 😂 Thanks for the info!

[@atriskyouthtv]

This is y I BEEN subd...love ur channel as much as my city almost

[@OldTorontoSeries]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@Ric-E...Ricardo]

Great video! Miss that store.....Can you do a video about Mt. Pleasant Rd. Back in the days when it was known as "antique alley" and how it used to have a ttc streetcar run along it.

[@OldTorontoSeries]

Thanks for watching!

[@joecascone2189]

The loss of Honest Ed's is downright criminal... So sad.

[@elid3906]

All thanks to That son, he waited until his Mother took her last breath & sold it‼️True story‼️

[@James-nv1wf]

​@@elid3906 Can't really blame him if the store was losing money. Guessing to renovate it would have cost him millions and would it pay off...a hard gamble.

[@digiital]

Actually RIGHT on the corner of Bloor and Bathurst. There was a large fire that totaled a number of the biz. They leveled the buildings and thats when Ed expanded.

[@njcdailo8934]

I remember going there as a teen and not knowing what the heck was going on inside. Maze of aisles.

[@83056]

I remember the creaky wooden stairs. :)

[@OldTorontoSeries]

I was lost in the winter clothing area from '06-08

[@superx9619]

@@OldTorontoSeries 😂🤣🤣

[@wilmacguzman4405]

Too bad he didn't keep the original name "Ed and Annie's" - acknowledging her involvement. We were so sorry to see the store go - it was such a fixture at Bathurst and Bloor, a destination for bargain hunting, or just browsing. Grateful for their contribution to Toronto culture.

[@chosenideahandle]

Anne & Eddie's

[@dominicbriganti5710]

The store hadn't been profitable for quite some time. It used to be packed on Saturdays. 🍿 and chestnuts on Markham St. The mysterious automatic entrance to Bathurst Stn.

[@nightsatlynrecords]

The old light up signs should have been incorporated into the condo design

[@OldTorontoSeries]

100%

[@uoftmj]

At 6:10 - Honest Ed's isn't being replaced with a condo development. It's being replaced with apartments, some of which are rent geared to income, along with ground level commercial tenants. I don't think Toronto is "worse off for it" as there are going to be almost 1,000 housing units which replace the building and the creation of housing is badly needed in the city. In addition as someone who used to frequent Honest Ed's the store unfortunately really deteriorated towards the end.

[@elid3906]

We don't need any more people here‼️PERIOD‼️ You sound like you have NO Respect 4 Heritage‼️

[@streetcarjay]

There will NEVER be another place like this place.......anyplace!

[@OldCBnGuns]

Reminds me of a Massachusetts store called “Spags” back in the states

[@arricammarques1955]

Ed was a brilliant discount retailer. The prime real estate sold for 100 million +.

[@Aces77777]

I wonder where the cheaper goods were made back in those days. It wasn't made in china that's for sure

[@gabithemagyar]

The cheap stuff at the time was made in Japan. Some of the cheap things at Honest Ed's were items with small manufacturing defects i.e. factory rejects. Most often these defects were not noticeable.

[@georgejetson1025]

Anyone remember Victory?

[@elid3906]

COME IN AND GET LOST THE FLOORS ARE CROOKED BUT THE DEALS ARNT some of the slogans on those ICONIC SIGNS ‼️

[@dominicbriganti5710]

My happiest memories come from that store. Toronto sucks. They could have converted it to a Wal·Mart and kept the signage.

[@ClintScottFischer]

Should have never been sold. I don't know the details exactly of why, but nevertheless.

[@bombasticbushkin4985]

Son sold for $100M.

[@elid3906]

That son waited for his Mother to take her last breath & It was sold‼️ WHAT A SCUM BAG😡

[@ancienthistory6513]

Please do central technical school please😊

[@Aces77777]

When Walmart came along, this store can't compete

[@elid3906]

WALMART SUCKS😡 ALL THEY DO IS PUT FAMILY STORES OUT OF BUSINESS⏰

[@idiotwolf5823]

Somebody please ask Elon to build this time machine a little quicker!! I had dreams about this place before I even knew it existed.. Mr. Musk, try and build one that will no mess up the future and present because of an error in the past.. A Metaverse simulated version will not cut it.. Sorry, Suckerberg