Bay Street in Toronto

Bay Street has long been one of the most recognizable of Toronto's streets. Bay runs three km from the harbour to just past Yorkville Avenue. Along the way it cuts through the financial district, past both the new and old City Halls and just blocks from Queen's Park, the provincial legislature, and the University of Toronto. Two vintage Canadian paperbacks attest to its fame.

The first is the Hugh Garner's Present Reckoning (Toronto: Wm. Collins Canada, 1951). I've described the scene in an earlier post as the south-east corner of Bay and Richmond. Here is another scene, this time from Ronald Cocking's Die With Me, Lady published in 1953 by Harlequin Books. The book was originally published as Weep No More, Lady by Hurst & Blackett (London: 1952).

The man and woman are further down Bay Street, probably at King and Bay, two blocks south of Richmond. The now Old City Hall (the current City Hall dates from the mid 1960s) with the clock tower can be seen in the distance at Queen and Bay, a block above Richmond. The wires for the street cars and the street car are a nice touch. Toronto is one of the few major North American cities that didn't tear up its street car tracks in the 1950s and the street cars still run up Bay.

White Circle C.D. 517

White Circle C.D. 517 back

Harlequin 233

Harlequin 233 back