Canadian skylines of the past

[MonkeyRonin]

The caption says it's Yonge & King in 1930, but that can't be right either.

[kool maudit]

the cars absolutely look 30s-esque, as does the number of cars. but i can't imagine what building would look like that in the toronto of 1930.

[SignalHillHiker]

Full caption is:

Intersection of King and Yonge from atop the Royal Bank building or the CPR building, ca. 1930. Photo by William James from the City of Toronto Archives (Fonds 1244, Item 10062).

If that helps.

[MonkeyRonin]

Yeah, but that's not it. The buildings aren't right.


Couldn't be King & Bay either. I really have no idea, unless Adelaide, Richmond, or Wellington were originally two-way streets, in which case it'd probably be at the intersection of one of those and Yonge or Bay.

[Dylan Leblanc]

Here's a larger version. It says 1914 but has a question mark. The buildings don't look right either.

What intersection would have had street cars running in all directions in that era?

[Chadillaccc]

Calgary, as seen from an aeroplane!


http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/blog...ory?t=featured


From the top of the Grain Exchange Building...


http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/blog...ory?t=featured


Stephen Avenue...


http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/blog...=featured&pg=6


Stampede Grounds


http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/blog...=featured&pg=6


Theatre District


http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/blog...=featured&pg=6


The Lougheed Building


http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/blog...=featured&pg=6

[Dylan Leblanc]

Okay I've figured it out! The photo is King and Yonge, but taken from the CP Building, possibly while it is still under construction. The Royal Bank hasn't been built yet, so the buildings that existed before it are visible at top-right. The Dominion Bank is under construction on the left, and above that is the old Dominion Bond building.

Reference images


http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Jeff...?sort=3&page=1


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...s,_Toronto.jpg

[drawarc]

Ottawa, mid 60s:

Source: https://www.facebook.com/34781916535...type=1&theater

[Boris2k7]

Calgary, 1962


Calgary Stampede racetrack, 1962 by lreed76, on Flickr

From the Stampede racetrack looking Northwest. Notice the Palliser Hotel... and no towers behind it! No Calgary Tower either.


Calgary, 1971


gm_11805 Calgary from Trans-Canada Highway 1971 by CanadaGood, on Flickr

From the TCH looking East. 9 years later and *poof* there's a skyline.


Calgary, 1974


244 - Twilight Golfing by srv007, on Flickr

From Shaganappi Golf Course looking East.

[MolsonExport]

not bad at all. This angle is quite flattering, and makes the 1974 skyline look impressive. I lived in Alberta at the time that this photo was taken.

[SignalHillHiker]

I was thinking the same thing - the skyline looks impressive. I didn't realize Calgary was that big back then.

*****

A couple of updates from Vintage St. John's.

1930/Today.





And an interesting one.

We still have the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, but we also have the Royal Canadian Mounted Police - why?

Well, prior to Confederation, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary only policed urban areas, the same as it does today.

A separate force, the Royal Newfoundland Ranger Force, policed rural areas. Upon Confederation, the Rangers simply switched to RCMP uniforms and were absorbed into that force.

Since then, of course, the RCMP here has just become the same as anywhere else - officers from everywhere, etc. But that's why it switched.

Here's how the Rangers used to dress:

[RyLucky]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

From the top of the Grain Exchange Building...


http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/blog...ory?t=featured

Wow, too bad we lost a few of those gems. Time to reopen the sandstone quarries!

[SignalHillHiker]

The ones in the foreground remind me of Toronto houses somehow.

[davidivivid]

Québec City - 1908

Quebec City from Citadel 1908 by wlemieux, on Flickr

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by RyLucky

Wow, too bad we lost a few of those gems. Time to reopen the sandstone quarries!

We got some pretty good ones in their place.

[Trans Canada]

Originally Posted by Boris2k7

Calgary, 1962


Calgary Stampede racetrack, 1962 by lreed76, on Flickr

From the Stampede racetrack looking Northwest. Notice the Palliser Hotel... and no towers behind it! No Calgary Tower either.

Great post Boris.

Notice also Elveden House poking up to the left of the words "THE BIG FOUR" in the centre of the photo. "Calgary's first skyscraper" at 80m, completed in 1960, with east and west wings completed in 1961 and 1964.

Photo from 2007 (click for full size):

Source Chuck Szmurlo, Wikimedia Commons, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...en-Szmurlo.jpg

[esquire]

^ That is a really spectacular looking complex.

[Pavlov]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ That is a really spectacular looking complex.

Calgary's most under-rated, no doubt.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ That is a really spectacular looking complex.

It was built by the Guinness Family, as in the beer, and the proper pronunciation is like "Elden".

I lived about a block away from Elveden when I was 5-6.

[Trans Canada]

A close up shot showing detail in Elveden Centre's facade:


Source Cube Lease, http://www.panoramio.com/photo/45617363

Skyline shot from 1961:


Credit: Alison Jackson, Mar 31 1961, source and full size at http://cdm280501.cdmhost.com/cdm/sin...1coll7/id/1740

2012 Street View from the same perspective.


Direct Street View link: https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.05278...0EiNIrd87Q!2e0

Elveden Centre has long since disappeared from view - it is located one block east (to the left from this perspective) of the Nexen Building (the angular silver tower with the sun shining on it to the right). Believe it or not the white house and church are still standing - the church is the only 1961 structure visible in the above screenshot (it is the white spot through the trees in the centre, directly above the Google wordmark).

Close up of the house and church:


Direct Street View link: https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.05126...b67zYOZtEw!2e0