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42-438: Honest Ed's was located originally on Markham Street at the corner of Bloor. The original entrance was on Markham Street. This was done because property taxes would be higher if the store was accessed from Bloor Street. In the block between Markham and Bloor there was a Toronto Dominion Bank and a Loblaw's groceteria which was purchased and occupied as part of the store complex in the early 1950s. When lineups formed to gain access to

84-461: A 2.6 kilometres (1.6 mi) stretch of the street. Mayor John Tory stated, in support of the project, that if council sought to make Toronto a "21st century city", it must improve at providing "alternate ways to move people around the city." These lanes were made permanent in November 2017, following a year's trial period. The lanes have since been extended west into Etobicoke. Bloor street begins at

126-494: A brightly coloured, patterned stage curtain is described by the character as "a shower curtain from Honest Ed's". Honest Ed's was featured as the setting for the music video "Wide Open" by Toronto singer Jenny Mayhem. In the video Jenny plays a daydreaming Honest Ed's employee, who fantasizes about being a star. The video was directed by Ace Billet and was shot in Honest Ed's and in other locations around Mirvish Village. Honest Ed's

168-513: A plaque erected in 2008 to honour the founders of Honest Ed's mentioning the two popular annual store events: Ed's birthday party and the turkey giveaway. On November 1, 2016, the Toronto Transit Commission created a temporary display at Bathurst station as a tribute to Honest Ed's. The display included hand-painted signs in the Honest Ed style including the corny puns. At the concourse level, there were photos and store memorabilia. On

210-515: A walkway with an east building on Bathurst Street. The interior was modest, with simple displays of low-priced merchandise from vacuum cleaners and winter coats to kitchenware, toys and grocery items. Much of the store's decor consisted of posters and photos from old films and stage productions from Mirvish's theatres in Toronto and London , England, and of actors and musicians who performed in them (many inscribed to Ed Mirvish). Every piece of store signage

252-522: A women's clothing store, near Bloor and Bathurst Streets in 1943, renting a property that was five metres (16') wide. The store proved popular. In 1946, the Mirvishes expanded after acquiring several buildings along Bloor, renaming the store "Anne & Eddie's". After a further expansion, Mirvish re-established the store as "Honest Ed's Bargain House" in 1948, adding general household goods to the inventory. In 1952,

294-478: Is expected to affect a number of businesses that lease space within the Honest Ed's building, and a number of standalone businesses on Bathurst Street adjoining the Honest Ed's building running south to Lennox, south of Honest Ed's, and in Mirvish Village which are under the same property ownership. The property's sale to Vancouver-based Westbank Properties, a luxury developer of hotels, residences and office space,

336-546: Is featured prominently in an episode of the Viceland series Nirvanna the Band the Show , where the main characters Matt and Jay look for a Christmas tree to decorate their Christmas float with. The store is the subject of Lulu Wei's 2020 documentary film There's No Place Like This Place, Anyplace . Ed and Anne Mirvish Parkette, within the streetcar loop at Bathurst subway station , has

378-455: Is one of the most exclusive stretches of real estate in Canada. Rents on the upscale Bloor Street have doubled in 4 years, ranking as the 22nd most expensive retail location in the world in 2006, up two spots from 2005. Nationally, Vancouver's upscale Robson Street tied with Bloor Street West as the most expensive street in Canada, with an annual average rental price of $ 208 per square foot. Under

420-711: Is the managing principal of Henriquez Partners Architects with studios located in Vancouver and more recently Toronto. Henriquez was born in 1963, in Winnipeg , Manitoba , to artist/educator Carol Aaron and architect/artist Richard Henriquez . He received a bachelor's degree in architecture from Carleton University and studied in the history and theory master's program at McGill University , in both programs under Alberto Perez-Gomez . He joined his father's studio after completing his architectural education in 1989, and became its managing partner in 2005. Among other projects, Henriquez

462-518: Is the westernmost residential community in the city of Toronto. Through Mississauga, Bloor Street runs through the residential neighbourhoods of Applewood and Mississauga Valleys, and terminates at Central Parkway , about one kilometre east of Hurontario Street . Central Parkway itself has a 90° east-west to north-south bend at the terminus of Bloor Street, with the east-west leg effectively continuing its course westerly as far as Erindale Station Road, where it curves back north. Until 1998, Bloor Street

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504-488: The Christmas season of 2015. Mirvish also threw birthday parties for himself from 1988 until his death, continued since then as anniversary parties for the store itself. At the street parties, there were free cakes, meals, hot dogs, candy, and giveaways. Crowds of Torontonians turned up with their children, and stood in long lines to receive these handouts. The event was accompanied by live bands and balloons. On 16 July 2013, it

546-517: The Honest Ed's annex building was completed expanding the store east to Bathurst Street. The main building was at 581 Bloor Street West and the annex at 760 Bloor Street West with the two connected by a walkway crossing Honest Ed Alley. Honest Ed's gained fame for its marketing stunts, including loss leader specials. By 1968 the store was grossing $ 14 million annually. Mirvish's annual turkey giveaway before Christmas always received media attention; this annual event continued even after his death, until

588-558: The Mirvishes acquired their first property on Markham Street, behind the store and eventually acquired several more homes on the street with the intent of building a parking lot. Instead, this evolved into the Mirvish Village neighbourhood in the 1960s after the city turned down the store's application to raze the buildings and Anne Mirvish persuaded her husband to rent the houses out to artists. In 1958, "Honest Ed's" expanded west to Markham Street to encompass 6,000 square feet and in 1984,

630-604: The Royal Conservatory of Music , and the southern edge of Yorkville , in an area now known as the Bloor Street Culture Corridor . West of the university, which extends to Spadina Avenue , Bloor Street runs through a diverse series of neighbourhoods such as The Annex , Koreatown , Dufferin Grove , Brockton , Roncesvalles , High Park and Runnymede . It generally retains its commercial character, and serves as

672-535: The area. On the eastern terminus Bloor ended at Sherbourne Avenue at Rosedale Valley and where once the Sherbourne Blockhouse stood. A small footpath from Howard Street was the only means to reach the eastern end of the valley to continue along Danforth Avenue until the Prince Edward Viaduct was completed in 1918. The street formerly ended at a dead end west of Highway 27 (now Highway 427 ), but

714-533: The broken sections. The stretch of Bloor between Yonge Street and Avenue Road , in Yorkville , is called Mink Mile , and it is the most prestigious shopping street in Toronto. Gregory Henriquez Gregory Henriquez RCA (born 1963) is a Canadian architect who has designed community-based mixed-use residential, commercial and institutional projects in Vancouver , Toronto , Calgary and Seattle . He

756-625: The cultural and social significance of Honest Ed's, and an art maze. 43°39′53.5″N 79°24′41.2″W  /  43.664861°N 79.411444°W  / 43.664861; -79.411444 Bloor Street Bloor Street is an east–west arterial road in Toronto , Ontario , Canada. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct , which spans the Don River Valley , westward into Mississauga where it ends at Central Parkway. East of

798-558: The dispersion of the working and immigrant class to the inner suburbs of Toronto. Although the store never had a loss, its staff dwindled from 400 to 75 over the years. Another factor in the store's closure was David Mirvish did not have his father's enthusiasm for the store, preferring the family theatre business. David Mirvish said: Retail "wasn’t where my heart was. In the end, I would have had to decide that’s where we should have put our resources and grow. And I had other opportunities in fields I understood better." The site's redevelopment

840-543: The eastern edge of the Prince Edward Viaduct , which crosses the deep and wide valley of the Don River . The street continues through to the Rosedale Ravine, marking the southern border of the affluent community of Rosedale . West of Parliament Street, the street passes just to the north of the large St. James Town housing project, which stretches west to Sherbourne Street . On the northern side of this section of Bloor are

882-473: The first concession road north of the baseline (then Lot Street, now Queen Street), it was known by many names, including the Tollgate Road (as the first tollgate on Yonge north of Lot Street was constructed there in 1820) then St. Paul's Road (after the nearby church, constructed 1842). From 1844 until 1854 it was known as Sydenham Road after Lord Sydenham , Governor General of Canada 1839–1841. The street

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924-399: The forested slopes of the Rosedale Ravine. Between Sherbourne and Church Streets the street is lined by large office towers, mostly home to insurance companies. This area has long been the centre of the insurance industry in Canada. West of Church the street becomes more commercial and is an important shopping district. In downtown, especially around the intersection with Bay Street , Bloor

966-403: The full length of the block west to Markham Street. The exterior was covered with huge red and yellow signs advertising the store's name, lit up like a theatre marquee. The store sign used 23,000 light bulbs. The outside facade was covered with puns and slogans such as "Come in and get lost!" and "Only the floors are crooked!" The store consisted of a west building on Markham Street connected by

1008-538: The iconic Honest Ed's sign is to be restored and moved to the Ed Mirvish Theatre at Yonge and Dundas. A four day long goodbye party was held in the building from February 22 to 27, 2017, as a fundraiser for the Centre for Social Innovation . The celebrations included dance performances, music, installations, film, live sign painting by the original Honest Ed's sign painter, Douglas Kerr, speakers and panel discussions on

1050-526: The iconic Honest Ed's sign will not be part of the site redevelopment. The proposed redevelopment includes 1,000 rental apartments, a permanent public market; and retail space largely divided into small units that mimic the scale of storefronts on Bloor Street. The Honest Ed's retail store closed on December 31, 2016, and the remaining stores in Mirvish Village (Markham Street) and on properties formerly owned by Mirivish on Bathurst Street south of Honest Ed's closed by January 31, 2017. The iconic Honest Ed's sign

1092-574: The intersection of Yonge and Bloor Streets is the Bloor–Yonge subway station , which is the busiest in the city, serving approximately 368,800 people a day. Above ground, the intersection encompasses commercial stores and condominiums. In the downtown, Bloor Street serves as the northern edge of the University of Toronto campus, and is host to several historic sites, including the Bata Shoe Museum ,

1134-425: The main shopping area for most of these communities. Numerous sections of the street have named 'business improvement areas' such as Bloorcourt Village , Bloordale Village and Bloor West Village . In Toronto's west end, Bloor Street criss-crosses Dundas Street twice, between Lansdowne Avenue and Keele Street and again in the "Six Points" area of Islington–City Centre West near Kipling Avenue. Markland Wood

1176-439: The property that includes the design lead Gregory Henriquez of Vancouver's Henriquez Partners Architects, supported by DSA Architects as AOR, ERA Heritage Architects, Janet Rosenberg + Studio, Reshape Strategies, and Urban Strategies Planning The redeveloped property is to be subdivided into zones with residential rental towers, retail storefronts, new pedestrian lanes, and a woonerf on Markham Street. According to Urban Toronto,

1218-433: The store Toronto police directed the lines to go down Markham Street again, to ensure the store was taxed as a Markham Street business instead of a Bloor Street business. Throughout the store were such hand-painted slogans and enticements to buy as "not cheaper anywhere else in Toronto", "You cannot do without this", and "Every home needs this". Honest Ed's was located at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst Streets , extending

1260-586: The store hosted "Honest Threads", an interactive artwork by installation artist Iris Häussler , curated by Mona Filip of the Koffler Centre of the Arts . Häussler installed a boutique of clothes lent by Torontonians, each associated with a personal story. Visitors were able to borrow the garments for a few days and wear them, experiencing both literally and psychologically what it is like to "walk in someone else’s shoes." This synthesis of conceptual art and commercial space

1302-486: The street from the store. One of the fight sequences in the third volume of Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim comic book series takes place at Honest Ed's, with the characters suffering sensory overload due to the incredible amounts of merchandise. The store implodes after Scott's rival Todd breaks an agreement not to use his psychic powers. The store appears in the background of Nathan Fielder 's 2008 video "Side of Smooth-'Morning Walk.'" From February to March 2009,

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1344-403: The subway platform walls there were signs providing facts about Honest Ed's. The commemorative display was removed after the final closing of Honest Ed's on December 31, 2016. The TTC later installed a permanent tribute to Honest Ed's on the concourse level of Bathurst station consisting of five vertical panels with images and memorabilia associated with the former department store. A portion of

1386-635: The viaduct, Danforth Avenue continues along the same right-of-way . The street, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) long, contains a significant cross-sample of Toronto's ethnic communities. It is also home to Toronto's famous shopping street, the Mink Mile . A portion of Line 2 of the Bloor-Danforth subway line runs along Bloor from Kipling Avenue to the Don Valley Parkway , and then continues east along Danforth Avenue. Originally surveyed as

1428-468: Was announced in October 2013, but David Mirvish announced he would rent the property from Westbank for two to three years, during which time Honest Ed's and the Mirvish Village businesses would continue to operate until the developer decided what to do with the 1.8 ha ( 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 acres) parcel of land. On September 13, 2014, The Globe & Mail reported the formation of a redevelopment team for

1470-417: Was announced the site of Honest Ed's was for sale for $ 100 million, and the store was likely to be closed and replaced with a retail and residential building. Until 1990, the store's business had grown, but then started to decline about four years before Walmart entered Canada in 1994. Besides big-box stores, other impacts on Honest Ed's business were internet shopping, the gentrification of downtown and

1512-548: Was designated as Highway 5 from Kipling Avenue east to the Don River. Like many urban stretches of provincial roadway, it was formally decommissioned as a connecting link on January 1. Construction began in 2019 by the City of Toronto to reconfigure the interchange at Kipling Avenue and Dundas Street into an at-grade intersection. This removed the "Spaghetti Junction" created in 1961 and renamed Dunbloor Road as Dundas Street to reconnect

1554-577: Was dismantled and removed from the building on May 23, 2017, and is to be restored and installed above the Victoria Street entrance of the Ed Mirvish Theatre . The store has appeared in several films and television shows shot in Toronto. For example, Honest Ed's was featured in the film The Long Kiss Goodnight , and can be seen in several background scenes in the film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World when Scott and his friends are dining at Pizza Pizza across

1596-587: Was extended west in the early 1960s with the development of the Markland Wood neighbourhood. The Mississauga portion was constructed beginning in the mid-1960s, although the street was not bridged over the Etobicoke Creek (the present Mississauga/Toronto boundary) until 1971. The idea of installing bicycle lanes on Bloor had been debated since at least the early 1970s. On May 4, 2016, city council voted 38-3 to implement physically separated bike lanes along

1638-405: Was hand-painted. The new owners have demolished the structure as of March 2018 and intend to redevelop the 1.8 hectares (4.4 acres) of land; which also includes Mirvish Village and a stretch of retail buildings south of the Honest Ed building on Bathurst Street running down to Lennox Street, which were rented out by the Mirvishes to local businesses. Ed and Anne Mirvish opened "The Sport's Bar",

1680-631: Was involved in the redevelopment of the Woodward's Building , which at $ 475 million, was at the time (2004-2010), one of the biggest single site developments in Vancouver history. He negotiated with the City of Vancouver on behalf of the developer and consulted with community groups to maintain the project's financial feasibility and meet the neighbourhood's social requirements. In his books Towards an Ethical Architecture (2006), Body Heat (2010), Citizen City (2016), Ghetto: Sanctuary for Sale (2021) and How can we live together? (2024) Henriquez discusses

1722-462: Was then given its current name in honour of Joseph Bloor , a local brewer and land speculator who founded the Village of Yorkville in 1830 on the north side of this street and who was one of the street's original residents. Sections of Bloor Street near High Park was still undeveloped in the early part of the 20th Century. Sections along High Park required infill to eliminate the natural deep valleys in

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1764-414: Was well received and reviewed widely on a national and local level and in numerous blogs. In November 2013, the Koffler Centre of the Arts produced 'Honesty', a site-specific play by playwright/director Jordan Tannahill in which performer Virgilia Griffith embodied seven real employees of the store. Honest Ed's was referenced by the character Zazu in the Toronto stage production of The Lion King , where

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