Historic photos from around Don Mills, Toronto
Running west of the Don River from York Mills south to about Eglinton, and as far west as Leslie, Don Mills was designed to be a mixed use community centred around Eglinton and Don Mills Road. Separated from the rest of Toronto by ravines, it was largely a rural farming area until as late as the 1950's, when E. P. Taylor decided to develop the area as a 'Garden city'.List of all areas in Toronto or take a look at the historic photos by date. New! You can now access the photos by street address A subset of the photos have also been arranged by subject.
| 1905 |  | Moatfield at its original location north side of York Mills west of Don Mills Road (Categorized under: Estates and Houses ) 120 years ago - 1905 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1905 |  | Moatfield - David Duncan house - classic Ontario Gothic farmhouse (Categorized under: Estates and Houses ) 120 years ago - 1905 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1908 |  | CNR tracks crossing the east Don River at Donlands Avenue 117 years ago - 1908 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1919 |  | Ducks in the stream at Donalda Farms in Don Mills 106 years ago - 1919 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1950 |  | Fountain, stonework, and formal gardens at Graydon Hall Manor 75 years ago - 1950 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1950 |  | \"Spiff\" Evans pointing to framed Civitan Creed 75 years ago - 1950 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1955 |  | Stockbroker H. Rupert Bain, of Bain, Newling and Co., on grounds of his estate, Graydon House, Don Mills Road 70 years ago - 1955 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1955 |  | Looking down the formal gardens from the fountain at Graydon Hall Manor 70 years ago - 1955 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1957 |  | House and service station on the northeast corner of Leslie Street and York Mills Road 68 years ago - Sunday, September 1, 1957 - Don Mills at 800 York Mills Road n.e. corner at Leslie Street Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1958 |  | York Mills Collegiate in 1958 67 years ago - 1958 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From Archives of Ontario) |
| 1959 |  | 1759 Victoria Park Avenue widening : removal of trees 66 years ago - Thursday, November 5, 1959 - Don Mills at 1759 Victoria Park Ave Max temp: 19.4°C - Min temp: 8.3°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1963 |  | Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre - designed and built in 1963 by Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama 62 years ago - 1963 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1963 |  | Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre - west side with distinctive chains 62 years ago - 1963 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1964 |  | Traffic survey in 1964 at Lawrence Avenue East at Leslie Street 61 years ago - 1964 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1964 |  | Looking east on Lawrence Avenue East from the west side of Don Mills Road 61 years ago - 1964 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1965 |  | Bata Shoe Headquarters - white pavillion-esque, low-rise concrete and glass office structure by John C. Parkin (Categorized under: Bata Shoes head office ) 60 years ago - 1965 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1965 |  | Bata Headquarters - built 1965, demolished 2005 to make way for the Aga Khan Foundation Ismaili centre (Categorized under: Bata Shoes head office ) 60 years ago - 1965 - Don Mills at 59 Wynford Drive Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1965 |  | Ontario Science Centre - sketch of the buildings on the side of the Don River ravine (Categorized under: Architectural drawings --- Ontario Science Centre ) 60 years ago - Tuesday, April 27, 1965 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road east side, south of Eglinton Ave West Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1965 |  | Ontario Science Centre - Models and Sketches - aerial view into the Don Valley (Categorized under: Architectural drawings --- Ontario Science Centre ) 60 years ago - Tuesday, April 27, 1965 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road south of Eglinton Ave East Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1967 |  | Mississippi Belle nightclub 58 years ago - 1967 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1967 |  | Main entrance of the Ontario Science Centre at Don Mills Road under construction (Categorized under: Ontario Science Centre ) 58 years ago - Tuesday, January 24, 1967 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road south of Eglinton Ave East Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1968 |  | South east corner of the Science Centre under construction - called Ontario Centennial Centre of Science and Technology at the time (Categorized under: Ontario Science Centre ) 57 years ago - Tuesday, January 30, 1968 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road south of Eglinton Ave East Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1969 |  | Ontario Science Centre - Interior - long ramps by the windows (Categorized under: Ontario Science Centre ) 56 years ago - Monday, February 10, 1969 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road south of Eglinton Ave East Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1969 |  | Ontario Science Centre - Brutalist exterior in the winter (Categorized under: Ontario Science Centre ) 56 years ago - Monday, February 10, 1969 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road south of Eglinton Ave East Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1969 |  | Crowds at the opening of the Ontario Science Centre in 1969 - Its a hit (Categorized under: Ontario Science Centre ) 56 years ago - Saturday, September 27, 1969 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road south of Eglinton Ave East Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1971 |  | Dr. Charles Best, co-discoverer of insulin, and Lady Banting, widow of Dr. Frederick Banting in reproduction of their office (in the Ontario Science Centre) (Categorized under: Ontario Science Centre ) 54 years ago - Tuesday, October 12, 1971 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road south of Eglinton Ave East Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1974 |  | R. Buckminster Fuller - innovative architect-engineer-writer, in front of a model of his geodesic dome at the Ontario Science Centre (Categorized under: Ontario Science Centre ) 51 years ago - Friday, January 4, 1974 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1977 |  | Co-discoverer of insulin, Dr. Charles H. Best looking over Bantings notes, 77, in reproduction of their office (in the Ontario Science Centre) (Categorized under: Ontario Science Centre ) 48 years ago - Thursday, February 3, 1977 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road south of Eglinton Ave East Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1978 |  | Ontario Science Centre - soviet spaceship - CCCP on the side (Categorized under: Ontario Science Centre ) 47 years ago - Sunday, February 5, 1978 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road south of Eglinton Ave East Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1986 |  | The 19 carts in this Ontario Science Centre display represent the amount of food the average Canadian eats in a year. (Categorized under: Ontario Science Centre ) 39 years ago - Wednesday, February 12, 1986 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road south of Eglinton Ave East Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1992 |  | Kids enjoy the simulated space station at the Ontario Science Centre (Categorized under: Ontario Science Centre ) 33 years ago - Tuesday, January 28, 1992 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road south of Eglinton Ave East Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1997 |  | Van de Graaff generator for a static electricity hair raising demonstration at the Ontario Science Centre (Categorized under: Ontario Science Centre ) 28 years ago - Thursday, January 2, 1997 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road south of Eglinton Ave East Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 2004 |  | Inn on the Park, Eglinton Avenue East and Leslie Street (Categorized under: Hotels ) 21 years ago - Wednesday, September 1, 2004 - Don Mills at 1075 Leslie Street Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 2005 |  | Bata blues - old Bata Headquarters ceiling (Categorized under: Bata Shoes head office ) 20 years ago - Saturday, November 19, 2005 - Don Mills at 59 Wynford Drive Max temp: °C - Min temp: °C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location |
| 2005 |  | Bata Headquarters (Categorized under: Bata Shoes head office ) 20 years ago - Saturday, November 19, 2005 - Don Mills at 59 Wynford Drive Max temp: °C - Min temp: °C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location |
| 2005 |  | Bata Headquarters - upper two stories of windows reflecting the sky (Categorized under: Bata Shoes head office ) 20 years ago - Saturday, November 19, 2005 - Don Mills at 59 Wynford Drive Max temp: °C - Min temp: °C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location |
| 2005 |  | Bata Headquarters interior panels (artistic reconstruction) (Categorized under: Bata Shoes head office ) 20 years ago - Saturday, November 19, 2005 - Don Mills at 59 Wynford Drive Max temp: °C - Min temp: °C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location |
| 2007 | Ontario Science Centre stamp - 52 cents - 750,000 issued May 9, 2007 - Canadian philatelic collection (Categorized under: Ontario Science Centre ) 18 years ago - Wednesday, May 9, 2007 - Don Mills at 770 Don Mills Road Max temp: 0.0°C - Min temp: 0.0°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the Library and Archives Canada) |
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| 2007 |  | Demolition of the Bata Shoes Headquarters (Categorized under: Bata Shoes head office ) 18 years ago - 2007 - Don Mills Link to archive record - Map location |
| 2007 |  | Bata International Building demolition 18 years ago - Saturday, December 1, 2007 - Don Mills Max temp: °C - Min temp: °C - 13.0cm of snowfall (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location |
| 2007 |  | The demolition of the Bata International Building (Categorized under: Bata Shoes head office ) 18 years ago - Saturday, December 1, 2007 - Don Mills Max temp: °C - Min temp: °C - 13.0cm of snowfall (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location |