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52-447: David Mirvish's father, Ed Mirvish , was proprietor of Honest Ed's , a landmark discount retailer established in Toronto in 1948. In 1952, he purchased a house on Markham Street to expand backwards, using original tactics to thwart the area's residential zoning. In 1959, the ward's alderman was displeased by traffic jams near the store, and persuaded City Council to adopt a 1960 report urging

104-611: A decision was postponed until her return; after overcoming some initial shock, she endorsed his plan. Anne Mirvish intended to get a studio in the Gerrard Street Village, an artist's neighbourhood. Just then, the community was displaced for a new parking lot for the Toronto General Hospital . Given the variety of factors, the Mirvishes began to convert the area into art galleries and studios. Among those who leased space

156-410: A dry-cleaner, in partnership with his childhood friend, Yale Simpson. The shop was known as Simpson's. When the well-known downtown Toronto department store Simpson's attempted to force him to change the name of his business, Mirvish pointed to Simpson and said, "Here's my Mr. Simpson. Where's yours?" The dry-cleaning business did no better than the grocery, however, and Mirvish soon abandoned it to take

208-552: A grocery store. The grocery store went bankrupt in 1923, and David Mirvish moved his family to Toronto where he worked as a door-to-door salesman – peddling, among other things, Fuller Brushes and the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry – until he opened a grocery in the Toronto Jewish community, on Dundas Street . The family lived above the store, sharing their tiny apartment with a Hebrew school. Mirvish would often joke that it

260-472: A more American name, Edwin. Mirvish often told the tale of his bris ; there was no mohel in Colonial Beach, so the family hired one in nearby Washington, D.C., to come down to perform the ceremony. The mohel chosen was Rabbi Moshe Reuben Yoelson, the father of Al Jolson . Mirvish credited this as his introduction to show business. The family later moved to Washington, D.C., where Mirvish's father opened

312-576: A nearby warehouse building, which he turned into a restaurant. To cut costs, "Ed's Warehouse" at King Street West and Duncan Street served a set meal: prime rib, mashed potatoes and peas. Along the same street, Mirvish later opened Ed's Seafood (276 King Street West), Ed's Folly (268 King Street West), Ed's Chinese, Ed's Italian Restaurant and Old Ed's or Ed's Warehouse ( Edwardian style warehouse at 266 King Street West or also as Reid Building built 1904 by Alexander Frank Wickson for Featherbone Novelty Manufacturing Company), which attracted local residents to

364-491: A picture of Honest Ed on them, with "Honest Ed Mirvish 1914–2007" placed where normally a photo credit lies. Mirvish was renowned for his publicity stunts, doing everything from riding elephants, to hiring protesters to picket his own restaurant over its dress code. Every Christmas, Mirvish gave away ten thousand pounds of free turkeys in his store to shoppers who stood in line for hours. The giveaway continued each Christmas until 2015. A tradition since his 75th birthday has been

416-435: A regular job working as a produce manager and buyer for Toronto grocery store entrepreneur Leon Weinstein. Now financially stable, Mirvish bought a Ford Model T and began to court a radio singer from Hamilton, Ontario, Anne Macklin, whom he married in 1941. In 1945, their son, David , was born. In 1943, during World War II, Ed and Anne Mirvish opened a dress shop known as The Sport Bar on Bloor Street near Bathurst. In 1946,

468-614: Is a major winner of the Canadian National Magazine Awards , leading current publications with 110 gold awards including 3 awards for Magazine of the Year in 1985, 1989, and 2007. Toronto Life also won the Magazine Grand Prix award at the 2021 National Magazine Awards, with the jury writing that it is "alert to the cultural moment, bold in its journalistic exposés, up-to-the-minute in its services reportage and smart about

520-502: Is a monthly magazine about entertainment , politics and life in Toronto , Ontario , Canada. Toronto Life also publishes a number of annual special interest guides about the city, including Real Estate , Stylebook , Eating & Drinking , City Home and Neighbourhoods . Established in 1966, it has been owned by St. Joseph Communications since 2002. Toronto Life has a circulation of 87,929 and readership of 890,000. The magazine

572-518: Is known for his flagship business, Honest Ed's , a landmark discount store in downtown Toronto, and as a patron of the arts, instrumental in revitalizing the theatre scene in Toronto. Born in Colonial Beach, Virginia , the son of Jewish immigrants from Lithuania (his father, David) and Austria (his mother, Anna). His parents gave him the Hebrew name, Yehuda, but at the urging of a cousin, they added

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624-435: The " loss-leader ", below-cost discounts on selected items designed to lure buyers into the store. "Honest Ed's" gradually expanded to fill an entire city block. Billing itself as "the world's biggest discount department store", it was soon bringing in millions of dollars a year. The store expanded and, in the late 1950s, Mirvish started buying up houses on Markham Street running south from Bloor. When his application to tear down

676-458: The City, and designated Mirvish Village. Frankly, I thought I could get paid for sitting in the back room and just reading. This sounded like a good profession. But, in fact, you don't get much time to read in the art world, except maybe art history. It turned out to be awfully exciting. By choice, I tended to show the same people year after year and didn't try to represent everything that was going on in

728-408: The City. Unlike previous privately founded Toronto museums ( Bata Shoe Museum , Gardiner Museum ), the gallery project is largely dependent on the sale of 2700 condominiums. The project has received mixed reaction. While suggesting the development should be elsewhere, the founder of Doors Open Toronto noted to Spacing that Mirvish was the first honorary chair of the event, and the family company

780-535: The Reichmann family which ... there was no reasonable basis for" and said it now realized that "none of the allegations and insinuations should ever have been raised." Stephen Trumper, the president of Toronto Life Publishing Co., said “we should have been much more rigorous in that process and more precise in our conclusions,” and that “any and all negative insinuations and allegations in the article... are totally false.” In April 2015, Canadian entrepreneur Michael Elder,

832-532: The Victorian structures to build a parking lot was rejected by the city Mirvish, at the urging of his wife, rented them out at low rates to local artists and the street soon became a community of artists studios, galleries, boutiques and niche shops known today as Mirvish Village . In June 2006, Ed and Anne Mirvish marked their 65th wedding anniversary with a party at the Princess of Wales Theatre. The mayor of Toronto,

884-406: The annual birthday bash outside the store, with free food, entertainment and children's rides. In 2003, Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman proclaimed Mirvish's birthday "Ed Mirvish Day". At one time, a sign in the store read: "When Ed dies, he would like a catered funeral with accordion players and a buffet table, with a replica of Honest Ed on it made of potato salad." In addition to Honest Ed's, Mirvish

936-455: The art world. I felt that most of the interesting painters were working in an abstract manner and this was the most difficult way to make a successful paintings at that time. So I concentrated on them ... I had the gallery in my younger, battling days, which were my more assertive, argumentative days. In the theatre, I'm in my more mellow, middle-aged period, where I'm involved with something that puts me in touch with many more people and where

988-456: The article defamed their family. In 1991, after exhausting the cover of Toronto Life 's libel insurance policy, an out-of-court settlement was reached between the parties that saw the article retracted and Toronto Life make “a substantial donation to four charities” designated by the Reichmanns. In its apology, Toronto Life said its article "incorporated many allegations and insinuations about

1040-418: The artists he represented had established careers, he decided to let "others willing to take on the role of championing artists" do so, shuttering his gallery. Painter Tony Sherman was added to the gallery roster a week before the closure was announced. At this time, Mirvish became involved in his father's theatre management business, Mirvish Productions . The Fine Arts department at York University took over

1092-414: The business expanded and was renamed Anne & Eddie's. In 1948, Mirvish cashed in his wife's insurance policy to open a new business, a bargain basement known as " Honest Ed's ", stocked with all kinds of odd merchandise purchased at bankruptcy and fire sales, and displayed on orange crates. This unique no-credit, no-service, no-frills business model was an immediate success. Mirvish claimed to have invented

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1144-451: The chief of police and other public figures delivered congratulatory speeches, followed by a program of vocal music by some of Toronto's opera and theater stars. In July 2006, Mirvish celebrated his 92nd birthday with a lavish party at Honest Ed's. In honor of this occasion, many items in the store were on sale for 92 cents. On July 11, 2007, the Mirvish family released a statement to announce

1196-456: The collection of David Mirvish" in 1985. In 2012, Mirvish announced a new condominium project designed by Frank Gehry , an acclaimed Canadian-born architect, dubbed Mirvish+Gehry Toronto. The project would necessitate the demolition of designated heritage properties at 274, 276, 284, and 322 King Street West, including the Princess of Wales Theatre . Located far south of Mirvish Village, the area

1248-615: The death of Ed Mirvish after midnight at St. Michael's Hospital , Toronto, at age 92. The funeral service was held at the Beth Tzedek Synagogue in Toronto. Mirvish was buried at Pardes Shalom Cemetery in Maple, Ontario . His store was closed and its lights were dimmed, as staff bid farewell to the former owner. A similar gesture was made by theatres on Broadway , which dimmed their lights for one minute at 8 pm on July 13. Toronto Police provided ceremonial and mounted units (including

1300-462: The estate of Jack Bush , the latter one of the most desired Canadian names in the United States' art market. The styles of art that interested Mirvish were no longer popular by the late 1970s; The Globe and Mail noted dealers were forced to maintain price levels despite a smaller base of prospective collectors. Realizing that to maintain a business, he would have to change with the times, and that

1352-484: The gallery in November 1964. Gallery operator Jane Corkin apprenticed under Mirvish. She purchased six $ 3000 photographs for the gallery at one point, feeling that they were "the most beautiful things I had ever seen." Corkin feared David Mirvish's reaction, given the fact there was no precedent for that price at the time, but he accepted Jane's reasoning. Toronto Life magazine noted that an André Kertész photograph in

1404-903: The gallery's building for four months, beginning in December 1978, as part of their outreach program. The project was underwritten by both David and Ed Mirvish. Later articles still called the York facility "Mirvish Gallery", despite the different focus, noting it was part of York University Fine Arts Markham (YUFAM). Klonaridis decided to create a new gallery at an "unfashionable address" in Toronto's "downtown warehouse area", centered on core Canadian artists at Mirvish and some New York artists. David Bolduc , Paul Fournier, Erik Gamble, K. M. Graham, Robert Murray, Tony Sherman, Paul Sloggett , and Daniel Solomon all followed Klonaridis. Klonaridis Gallery opened at University Avenue and Front Street , closing in 1992 due to illness. The following artists had work on display at

1456-511: The gallery: David Mirvish Gallery on occasion showed works from public collections, including "Sculpture in Steel", organized by the Edmonton Art Gallery . David Mirvish personally collected a great deal of contemporary abstract art. After his art dealership closed, selections from his collection were displayed at the same Markham Street structure. As of 1993, the collection

1508-466: The horse Honest Ed) for his funeral. Flags at Toronto's civic centres were lowered to half mast. On August 12, 2007, the City of Toronto had granted a closure of Bloor Street between Bathurst and Markham Streets to accommodate a celebration in honour of Ed Mirvish. Ceremonies began with Mayor David Miller, who proclaimed August 12 "Ed Mirvish Day" in the City of Toronto. In response to his death, Jones Cane Sugar Soda issued bottles of their soda with

1560-574: The largest new theatre – and first privately financed theatre – in North America in the span of thirty years. In 2001, Mirvish Enterprises signed a management contract to run the Pantages Theatre , renamed the Canon Theatre, for Clear Channel Entertainment (now Live Nation), which had bought up the assets of the bankrupt theatre company, Livent . The first show under the Mirvish banner

1612-528: The other side of the street, the area became known as Mirvish Village . Eventually, the neighbourhood would include boutiques, bookstores and restaurants. Also in September 1963, Ed Mirvish opened the newly renovated Royal Alexandra Theatre , on King Street. The first mention of the gallery in The Globe and Mail was a reference to a solo exhibition of works by Armand Flint . From the beginning, Alkis Klonaridis

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1664-453: The platforms it uses to deliver content to readers. The issues its editorial team assembled during the pandemic showed just how relevant and useful a first-class city magazine can be." It is also known for publishing an annual 50 most influential people in Toronto list. Established in November 1966, Toronto Life was purchased by Michael de Pencier in 1972 and held until 2002, when it was sold to St. Joseph Media. The publisher also owns

1716-416: The position from 1972 to 1974 and was succeeded by Alexander Ross. Thomas Hedley was editor-in-chief from 1977 to 1978 and Don Obe was editor-in-chief from 1978 to 1981. Peter Herrndorf was the publisher of Toronto Life from 1983 to 1992. In 2015, an article titled "Jennifer Pan’s Revenge: The inside story of a golden child, the killers she hired, and the parents she wanted dead" by Karen K. Ho brought

1768-424: The previously neglected King Street area and served 6,000 meals a night. As the neighbourhood became revitalized, many other restaurants opened nearby, often serving a wider range of foods than Ed's restaurants and achieving greater popularity; consequently, one by one, Ed's restaurants closed down. The last was Ed's Warehouse, which shut its doors in 2000. In 1993 the Mirvishes built the Princess of Wales Theatre ,

1820-492: The previously relatively obscure Jennifer Pan murder case to international attention. In October 2018, it was announced that Toronto Life will launch a membership program with access to Toronto Life ’s events, as well as special offers from local venues. In November 1987, Toronto Life published a 50,000-word article on the Reichmanns family written by Elaine Dewar. In January 1988, Paul, Albert and Ralph Reichmann sued Dewar and Toronto Life for $ 102 million, claiming that

1872-459: The scale is vastly different. David opened his gallery in one of the renovated houses in September 1963; his was one of the first businesses to open in the new Markham Street community. He was joined by other privately owned facilities, including Gallery Samou and Pollock Gallery. The Globe referred to the neighbourhood as "the Markham Street art community", but after the older Mirvish purchased

1924-474: The set was "recently" sold for $ 300,000. Corkin established her own gallery in 1978, establishing herself as one of Canada's dealers in contemporary and historic photography. Abstract artist Daniel Solomon worked full-time as an attendant; he would eventually be represented by Mirvish and later Klonaridis. Waddington Gallery in Yorkville opened in the late 1970s, taking over representation of Kenneth Noland and

1976-467: The son of Jim Elder , attempted to sue the magazine to prevent publication of a feature about him. Superior Court dismissed the motion for an injunction and awarded the magazine $ 17,000 in costs. In March 2014, Toronto Life was required to shut down its unpaid internship program implemented in 2009, after the Ontario Ministry of Labour declared that its longstanding practice of not paying interns

2028-462: The store to build a parking lot. The neighbourhood, which had originally supported the construction of a parking lot, now opposed rezoning to allow it under a new alderman. Mirvish could put a lot behind the Victorian houses, but could not tear them down. Around the same time, David's mother Anne Mirvish spent five months studying sculpture at The New School in Greenwich Village , a result of

2080-481: The tourism magazine Where Canada (published in several large cities), Fashion , Wish , Wedding Bells , and several smaller magazines. The current editor-in-chief is Malcolm Johnston, who succeeded long-time editor Sarah Fulford (since 2008) in February 2022. Marq de Villiers was editor-in-chief from 1981 to 1992 and then publisher. John Edward Macfarlane was editor-in-chief from 1992 to 2007. He had previously had

2132-474: The urging of artist Paul Burlin . As a youth, she painted and took art lessons, and her family were active in their appreciation of music. Upon marriage to Ed, those interests were largely displaced to help with the business. While Anne was away in New York City, David, who had just graduated from high school, told his father that he wanted to run an art gallery. Since Anne had wanted David to attend university,

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2184-476: Was a one-year freeze on retail development on Bathurst. At the time of the announcement, there were nearly 70 businesses. Some business owners started a petition to get the area named a Heritage Conservation District . Ed Mirvish Yehuda Edwin " Honest Ed " Mirvish , OC CBE OOnt (July 24, 1914 – July 11, 2007) was an American-Canadian businessman, philanthropist and theatrical impresario who lived in Toronto, Ontario . He

2236-575: Was a touring production of Saturday Night Fever . He and his son David operated Mirvish Productions, which staged major touring theatre productions from Broadway and London and which produced and/or co-produced the Canadian stagings of such recent hits as The Lion King , Mamma Mia! , The Producers and Hairspray . In 1982 Ed and David Mirvish bought London 's Old Vic for £550,000  stg ( Can$ 1.23 million) and spent four million dollars renovating it. Under their management, The Old Vic

2288-677: Was celebrated for winning more awards for its productions than any other single theatre in Britain; It never made money, however, and they sold it to its present owners, a theatre trust, in 1998. Ed Mirvish was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for saving the Old Vic. On December 6, 2011 the Canon Theatre was renamed Ed Mirvish Theatre in his honour. Toronto Life Toronto Life

2340-401: Was director of the gallery. The gallery was under renovation from September to October 1964. As of reopening, the artists represented were Greg Curnoe, Helen Frankenthaler, Roy Kiyooka, Kenneth Lochhead, Douglas Morton, Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski, Charles Robb, William Ronald, and Anton Van Dalen . Sheila Gladstone, wife of sculptor Gerald Gladstone , presented her first fashion collection at

2392-409: Was his dream in those days to someday have a bathroom he did not have to share with 50 others. Mirvish lost his father at the age of 15. He dropped out of school to manage the store, becoming the sole support of his mother, his younger brother, Robert (who became a successful novelist and short-story writer) and sister, Lorraine. The grocery business did not do well, and Mirvish closed shop to reopen as

2444-473: Was in contravention of the Employment Standards Act . The magazine responded, saying "The idea that we can start paying everybody completely misunderstands the nature of the economics of the magazine industry at the moment." Toronto Life' s first (unpaid) intern, Derek Finkle, started with the magazine in 1993. During his internship he wrote a cover story for the magazine for free. He weighed in on

2496-484: Was known in Toronto for his theatres and restaurants. His first purchase was the Royal Alexandra Theatre , an Edwardian Beaux-Arts landmark building potentially slated for demolition. Mirvish purchased the building in 1963 and refurbished it, revitalizing the Toronto theatre scene. To liven up the neighborhood and provide patrons with a place to go before and after performances, Mirvish bought and renovated

2548-598: Was largely revitalized thanks to Ed Mirvish's investment in the Royal Alexandria and Poor Alex Theatres, and restaurant and shops leased or owned in the surrounding area. The Princess of Wales itself was the first privately funded and owned theatre in Canada to be built since 1907. The new complex would include facilities and a gallery for OCAD University , as well as a 60,000 square foot free gallery for Mirvish and his wife Audrey's collection. The project has yet to be approved by

2600-400: Was noted for its preservation of heritage structures. In 2013, David Mirvish announced that the family was selling not only Honest Ed's , but the entire 1.8-hectare parcel of land the family owned, including Mirvish Village. Unconfirmed reports suggested a $ 100 million asking price, but no sale had been made, and no demolition would happen within a three-year period. Indeed, at the time, there

2652-427: Was prominent art dealer Jack Pollock . During the renovations of the houses, long-time Mirvish associate Yale Simpson suggested owning both sides of the street would look better; Ed bought the remaining twelve houses, bringing the total to 23. Studios and galleries were joined by shops and restaurants. While the City had issues with its zoning for many years, the area was eventually named an official tourist attraction by

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2704-705: Was variably described as either closed to the public or viewable on appointment. Anne Mirvish had another building in Mirvish Village to store her sculptures. Artists collected include Jack Bush , Anthony Caro , Helen Frankenthaler , Morris Louis , Robert Motherwell , Kenneth Noland , Jules Olitski , Larry Poons , David Smith , and Frank Stella . Mirvish has donated works to the National Gallery of Canada , serving on their board from 1993 to 1997. as well as loaning works to public collections. The Fort Worth Art Museum presented "Grand compositions: selections from

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