[URBAN NOTE] "That time when Toronto was a car manufacturing town"
In another great photo essay at blogTO, Derek Flack enlightens us about Toronto's industrial history.
Toronto is rarely thought of as a car manufacturing town. While there was plenty of heavy industry here at the turn of the 20th century, nearby cities like Oshawa (General Motors), Hamilton (Studebaker), and later Oakville (Ford) are far more tied to car-making. Beyond that, Windsor was the heart of the Canadian auto industry during its boom time.
Toronto did, however, have a small role to play in the rise of the motor vehicle in this country. Intriguingly, some of the evidence of this contribution survives today in two unlikely spots in the city.
The first of these is at Christie and Dupont. The building on the northwest corner was opened by the Ford Motor Company in 1915 as an assembly plant and showroom for its Model T cars. The five-floor structure, located right next to the CPR tracks, was divided according to the various production and retail needs of the company.
The ground floor, now occupied by Faema's cafe, served as the showroom, the second floor was for deliveries, the third and fourth were for assembly and repair, the fifth was for painting (black, of course), and the roof was used as a test drive area for Ford employees. Each floor was heavily reinforced to sustain the weight of the cars and parts being assembled.
Toronto is rarely thought of as a car manufacturing town. While there was plenty of heavy industry here at the turn of the 20th century, nearby cities like Oshawa (General Motors), Hamilton (Studebaker), and later Oakville (Ford) are far more tied to car-making. Beyond that, Windsor was the heart of the Canadian auto industry during its boom time.
Toronto did, however, have a small role to play in the rise of the motor vehicle in this country. Intriguingly, some of the evidence of this contribution survives today in two unlikely spots in the city.
The first of these is at Christie and Dupont. The building on the northwest corner was opened by the Ford Motor Company in 1915 as an assembly plant and showroom for its Model T cars. The five-floor structure, located right next to the CPR tracks, was divided according to the various production and retail needs of the company.
The ground floor, now occupied by Faema's cafe, served as the showroom, the second floor was for deliveries, the third and fourth were for assembly and repair, the fifth was for painting (black, of course), and the roof was used as a test drive area for Ford employees. Each floor was heavily reinforced to sustain the weight of the cars and parts being assembled.