Bruce Bell

Bruce Bell: Christmas at a Victorian Toronto market

The Christmas season in 19th century Victorian Toronto centred in and around St. Lawrence Market which back then was housed in a glorious structure on the northwest corner of Front and Jarvis.That market (the third of five to stand there ...

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Bruce Bell: Music Hall dominated Toronto while Vaudeville ruled U.S.

Bruce Bell– A few years back my good friend and neighbour the late actress Billie Mae Richard and I were strolling around the neighbourhood when we found ourselves walking through a nondescript parking lot on the southeast corner of Victoria ...

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Proposals and brunch: this Sovereign has reigned over all

The Omni King Edward Hotel (on King St. just east of Yonge) opened on May 11, 1903 at six a.m. and welcomed its first paying guest, John A. Davidson of Chicago–who had supplied the marble for the hotel–who was shown ...

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‘Intellectual enchantress’ drops hubby, city she detests

Bishop’s Block is on the northeast corner of Simcoe and Adelaide, a block west of University Ave. When first built in 1829 it was considered the finest apartment building of its day with stores on the ground floor and private ...

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Bell in Brief: Lyceum was birthplace of modern Toronto theatre

In 1849, wealthy landowner John Ritchey built the Royal Lyceum Theatre on King St. W. It was Toronto’s first purpose-built theatre. The Lyceum (which eventually burned down in 1875) was the largest and the first fully-equipped theater in Toronto. It had ...

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Bell in Brief: Precious windows at Royal Bank Plaza made with gold

The Royal Bank Plaza on the northeast corner of Front and Bay streets was completed in 1979. The twin towers have more than 14,000 windows set into brushed aluminum frames. The golden-hued glass was manufactured by Canadian Pittsburgh Industries which used 2,500 ounces (71,000 grams) ...

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