We are always happy and willing to share the history of Pam & FC and thought that we would dig a little deeper to reveal some more information for you. The person to go-to for this task is the man who knows the city's roots better than anyone, Toronto historian Bruce Bell. Bruce has been a grand friend of FC for many years; this opportunity to feature him within the blog is very exciting! You may have heard him (many times) featured during interviews and special segments on CBC radio or Breakfast Television.
Bruce found plenty of great shots while compiling information for the feature about one of your favourite Toronto neighbourhoods, subsequently posted.
The storefront to the furthest left side is where you will now find Fashion Crimes.
(1910)
The building featured here is now CIBC. Aside from a few small details in the architecture it is almost hard to believe that this is Queen & Spadina. (c 1900)
"Midtown Upholstry Sales" is now the Addidas store, and the beloved "Barney's" has become a "BBQ Express". (1957)
All photos courtesy of Toronto Public Library
A Short History of Queen Street West
Queen Street for its first sixty years was referred to as Lot Street as it was once the northern boundary of the original city when the rich and powerful families were given ‘lots’ from present day Queen to Bloor Street to build their great homes.
The largest estate above Lot Street the Grange, once home to the Boulton family is now encased within the Art Gallery of Ontario.
With its sweeping lawn and long carriage drive this great Georgian home on the edge of town was then surrounded by a forest of trees and babbling streams was for over 100 years the centre of social life in Toronto.
Today John Street from Queen northwards to the Grange was once a tree lined carriage way leading up to the great manor home.
In 1851 as Toronto grew and the boundaries were expanded Lot Street was renamed Queen Street for Queen Victoria.
The term ‘Queen West’ the area generally known as the section between University Avenue and Spadina generally refers to the collection of neighbourhoods that have developed along and around the thoroughfare and today has become a vernacular for all things trendy and stylish.
The earliest known nighbourhood to spring up along Queen West around the mid-19th century was known as Claretown, an Irish immigrant enclave around Queen Street West and Bathurst Street.
In the 1890s to the 1930s, Jewish immigrants came into the neighbourhood then known as "the Ward" (after St John’s Ward, its voting ward name) and during this time the garment trade was born making Spadina and Queen the centre of the city’s clothing industry.
During World War II Queen Street between University and Spadina became lined with inexpensive appliance stores, greasy spoon restaurants and second hand clothing stores.
From the 1950s through the 1970s gentrification of the area caused most recent immigrants to move to more reasonably priced areas of the city and Queen West like other up-and-coming areas of Toronto became lined with boutiques, chain stores, restaurants and all night clubs.
During its long and varied history Queen West has managed to hold on to its unique allure with classic hangouts like the still thriving Rivoli and Horseshoe Tavern and in keeping with its garment trade history the totally unique clothing boutique Fashion Crimes all giving the street its matchless charm that has endured to this day.
The dashing and ever so eloquent Bruce Bell.
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