Walking tour
Toronto’s Yonge Street
Put on your walking shoes and explore Toronto’s downtown core as you journey up Yonge Street to Bloor Street (duration: 90 minutes) — with a few detours along the way.
S.S. Noronic, 1929
Photo: Andrew Young/Library and Archives Canada
Noronic Disaster, The
A little-known disaster on the Great Lakes happened right here in the Toronto Harbour when a passenger cruiser, the Noronic, burned on September 19, 1949, taking 119 lives. This remains Toronto’s worst disaster.
Provincial plaque commemorating Yonge Street, Toronto
Yonge Street 1796
The longest street in the world was built by Ontario’s first lieutenant governor, John Graves Simcoe, to connect his recently founded Town of York with the naval base at Penetanguishene on Georgian Bay.
Unveiling of the provincial plaque to commemorate the King Edward Hotel, Toronto
King Edward Hotel, The
This grand hotel opened in 1903 and became almost immediately known as the “King Eddy.” It was designed to provide luxury and service in dramatic settings. The 18-storey tower, with its top-floor Crystal Ballroom, was added in 1920-21. Although threatened with demolition in the 1970s, the hotel was revitalized in the early 1980s and this plaque was unveiled in 2003 to commemorate the hotel’s 100th anniversary.
Stained-glass windows at the Metropolitan United Church, Toronto
Photo: Metropolitan United Church
Metropolitan United Church
This church was designed by architect Henry Langley in the high Victorian Gothic style. Constructed in 1872 to replace an earlier structure, it was badly damaged by fire in 1928 and rebuilt. It was here that the first General Council of the United Church met in 1925.
The Bay Queen Street Store (when it was R. Simpson Store), c. 1913
Photo: Toronto Public Library
Bay Queen Street Store, The
Originally Simpson’s department store, this landmark building was a Bay store from 1991 to 2025. It was the first building in Canada constructed with a load-bearing metal frame.
Illustration of St. Michael's Cathedral, Toronto, c. 1910
Photo: Owen Staples, Toronto Public Library
St. Michael's Cathedral
This church is the main church of Canada’s largest English-speaking Catholic archdiocese. Begun in 1845, the site has seen several additions over the years — including the chancel window in 1858 and the tower and spire in 1867.
Reverend Henry Scadding, c. 1885
Photo: Toronto Public Library
Reverend Henry Scadding 1813-1901, The
Born in Devonshire, England, Scadding came to Canada in 1821. He was the first rector of the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity and authored many books on the history of Toronto. Scadding lived in this house from 1862 until his death.
Interior of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Toronto, c. 1913
Photo: Toronto Public Library
Church of the Holy Trinity 1847, The
When this church was built, it was then on the outskirts of Toronto. Henry Scadding, who lived in the house nearby, was the church’s first rector. Starting in the 20th century, it started offering programming and assistance to Toronto’s inner city.
Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University)
Photo: Nick Stanley
Ryerson Polytechnical Institute
This university has had many names over the years. Established in 1948, it was named for Egerton Ryerson (founder of the province’s education system). In the 1970s, it was given limited degree-granting powers. It became a full university in 1993. Today, it is known as the Toronto Metropolitan University.
Moulton College, Toronto
Photo: Toronto Public Library
Moulton College
The last stop on this walking tour is Moulton College, which once stood at this site. The school was a girls’ preparatory school founded by Susan Moulton McMaster (as part of McMaster University in Hamilton) and was housed in the former McMaster residence located here.
