Tracking Toronto’s Forgotten Architectural Treasures

FlowerColumns copy
I used to hear about the Guild Inn, located near the Bluffs in Scarborough, as a young girl. It was a fancy place, once a mansion, and my parents went there on a few special occasions for dinner. Out exploring the Bluffs area recently, I decided to search out the property. The Inn is gone, replaced by a special events venue that is popular for weddings.GuildSign copy But, what I was most interested in was the Guild Park, now managed by the City of Toronto. That’s where the architectural gems collected by the property’s former owners, Rosa and Spencer Clark, now rest.ClarkPlaque copy The park is filled with flowers in summer and walking through it felt rather surreal.Garden copy The large stone fragments are spectacular…and in a way make me long to see the original edifices from which they came.ArchPillar copy Sadly, Toronto underwent a huge growth development in the 1960s and many treasured older buildings were torn down. But walking past these wonderful pieces of art, it felt like I was taken on a journey back to the grand days of Toronto’s Victorian past.RobertHolmesPainterhead copyRobert Holmes was a painter famous for his florals.RoyalConservatoryMusic copyWhat’s left of the old Royal Conservatory of Music.StoneCuttingFlywheel copyA stone-cutting flywheel.
VictoriaParkSchoolBell copyThe bell from Victoria Park School.
This place is magical. I must go again.

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