Historic photos from around Trinity Bellwoods, Toronto

Garrison Creek ran south through what is now Trinity Bellwoods park all the way to Fort York and Lake Ontario. In the early 1800's British Army Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Smith bought the land along the ravine and called it Gore Vale. In 1851 Bishop John Stachan bought some of the land to build a private school with strong Anglican ties - Trinity College. The cornerstone for the Gothic Revival building, designed by Kivas Tully, was laid on April 30th, 1851 (the building was torn down in the 1950's after the college joined U of T). All that remains of the college are the gates on Queen Street at the top of Strachan Avenue, and St. Hilda's College building (now the John Gibson House seniors residence) in the northwest corner of the park.

The neighbourhood around the park has long been home to various immigrant groups - Polish and Ukranian, then Portuguese, then Chinese. The stores along Ossington have also changed over time as Queen Street West became more and more popular.

Trinity Bellwoods is just north of Stanley Park , between Beaconsfield Village to the west and Alexandra Park to the east.

List of all areas in Toronto or take a look at the historic photos by date. A subset of the photos have also been arranged by subject.

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1852		Francis Gore 1769-1852 171 years ago - 1852 - Trinity Bellwoods Link to archive record - Map location
1856		Trinity College : Queen Street West, north-side (Categorized under: Oldest known Toronto photos ) 167 years ago - 1856 - Trinity Bellwoods Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1867		Trinity College, Toronto, erected 1851 156 years ago - 1867 - Trinity Bellwoods Link to archive record - Map location (From Archives of Ontario)
1867		Lunatic Asylum - Photograph by Octavius Thompson; plate 29 in his Toronto in the camera - 1868 156 years ago - 1867 - Trinity Bellwoods Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library)
1884		Lunatic Asylum, initially designed by John George Howard - Queen Street West., s. side, opposite Ossington Ave. 139 years ago - 1884 - Trinity Bellwoods Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library)
1894		Laying the cornerstone for the east wing of Trinity College in Trinity Bellwoods park 129 years ago - Sunday, June 3, 1894 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 20.0°C - Min temp: 7.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library)
1900		Duncan Cameron house - Gore Vale (now in Trinity Park) 123 years ago - 1900 - Trinity Bellwoods Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library)
1900		Bicycle shop and Empire Laundry on Queen St. West looking south on Manning Avenue 123 years ago - Wednesday, September 19, 1900 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 17.2°C - Min temp: 6.7°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1900		Looking north up Manning Avenue from Queen Street West 123 years ago - Wednesday, September 19, 1900 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 17.2°C - Min temp: 6.7°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1909		Trinity College (1852-1925), Queen St. W., n. side, between Gore Vale Ave. & Crawford St. 114 years ago - 1909 - Trinity Bellwoods Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library)
1912		A wooden Crawford Street Bridge 111 years ago - Thursday, August 1, 1912 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 21.1°C - Min temp: 10.0°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1913		Map of Trinity College grounds 110 years ago - Wednesday, June 25, 1913 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 28.3°C - Min temp: 15.6°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1914		Trinity Park showing Gore Vale in right background 109 years ago - Saturday, February 14, 1914 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: -10.0°C - Min temp: -15.0°C - 1.0cm of snowfall (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1916		Snow on Trinity College gates and trees (Categorized under: Ornamental gate ) 107 years ago - 1916 - Trinity Bellwoods Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1917		Last Crawford Street bridge 106 years ago - Thursday, August 30, 1917 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 20.6°C - Min temp: 11.1°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1920		Looking south on Ossington down to Queen St 103 years ago - Tuesday, June 8, 1920 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 21.7°C - Min temp: 13.9°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1920		Looking south down Ossington at Foxley St 103 years ago - Tuesday, June 8, 1920 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 21.7°C - Min temp: 13.9°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1920		Ossington Ave. south of Dundas St 103 years ago - Tuesday, June 8, 1920 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 21.7°C - Min temp: 13.9°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1920		Ossington Ave. Queen to Dundas 103 years ago - Monday, July 26, 1920 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 21.7°C - Min temp: 9.4°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1920		Ossington Ave. - track reconstruction Queen to Dundas 103 years ago - Monday, July 26, 1920 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 21.7°C - Min temp: 9.4°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1920		Ossington Ave. south from Dundas 103 years ago - Wednesday, August 11, 1920 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 28.3°C - Min temp: 18.3°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1923		Looking west on Dundas, from Bellwoods with boy 100 years ago - Wednesday, June 13, 1923 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 23.3°C - Min temp: 6.7°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1935		Bathurst St, north, from Queen, before re-arrangement of poles 88 years ago - Tuesday, April 9, 1935 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 10.0°C - Min temp: 2.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1940		128 Ossington Avenue - cigarette ads for Vogue Fine Cut tobacco, Buckingham, Black Cat 83 years ago - Friday, December 20, 1940 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 5.6°C - Min temp: 2.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1941		Construction at 258-64 Bathurst Street 82 years ago - Friday, June 6, 1941 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 27.8°C - Min temp: 12.8°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1941		Construction at 258-64 Bathurst Street - still standing today 82 years ago - Friday, June 6, 1941 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 27.8°C - Min temp: 12.8°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1941		216-18-20 Bathurst Street - Oak Leaf Steam Baths 82 years ago - Wednesday, September 3, 1941 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 22.8°C - Min temp: 12.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1947		Falling-down house at 67 Ossington Avenue - building on left still there 76 years ago - Saturday, July 26, 1947 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 27.8°C - Min temp: 15.0°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1947		Lots of Cigarettes Ads at 67 Ossington Avenue 76 years ago - Saturday, July 26, 1947 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 27.8°C - Min temp: 15.0°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives)
1955		Columbia Hotel, Ossington Ave., n.w. corner Queen St. W. (Categorized under: Hotels ) 68 years ago - Sunday, January 2, 1955 - Trinity Bellwoods Max temp: 6.1°C - Min temp: 0.0°C - 1.0cm of snow on the ground (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library)