The Chinese In Early 20th Century Toronto: 79 Queen Street West

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This is a photo that was taken around the area of Bay and Queen, roughly around 65-80 Queen Street West

This is a photo that was taken around the area of Bay and Queen, roughly around 65-80 Queen Street West

After: Pre-occupied by the Sheraton hotel as well as small businesses, this is what the space looks like today. Photo taken: 2014
After: Pre-occupied by the Sheraton hotel as well as small businesses, this is what the space looks like today.
Photo taken: 2014

In 1900 during the month of July, Thomas Humphries wrote a letter to Rev. MacKay regarding the Chinese occupancy being held within Toronto. One of the addresses associated with the Chinese in this letter was 79 Queen Street West. It has been recorded within the Toronto Archives that early settler Frank Lee migrated into Canada and became the tenant of 79 Queen Street West within the year 1899 (1). However, he was not the owner of the place — the property was owned by Toronto’s General Hospital (2). Although he was the resident along with three other residents (although it was not recorded the age nor the gender of any of the residents), his occupation was undisclosed (3). He continued to live there for an additional two years up until 1901 when it was documented that there was a new owner named Arthur Stevenson (4). Throughout the years, Toronto became a prevailing city that was in a high-demand for modernistic expansion. With the building of the New City Hall and the formulation of the subway lines, residential homes within the area were being torn down to make room for the developing city. 79 Queen Street west is no longer existent as an independent space. Currently, it is now pre-occupied by the Sheraton Hotel.

It was difficult to find the before picture since it was not a business but rather just a home for Chinese residents.

Work Cited

Assessment Roll: Division 1 1901, Reel 167.

Assessment Roll: Division 1 1899, Reel 132.

Letter from Humprhies to Rev. MacKay, July 25, 1900, File 33, Box 1, United Church Archives, as noted in Mah 19.

Toronto: Might’s Directory Co. 1899. Microform. the Toronto city directory for 1899: Vol. XIV.     Location no. 2643730-46, Reel 44.

Toronto: Might’s Directory Co. 1901. Microform. the Toronto city directory for 1901: Vol. XXV.     Location no. 2643730-47, Reel 47.

 

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 85 Church Street

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A laundry mat owned built in wood near the public library. It was presumably owned by Sun Long and called Sun Long Laundry.

Fire Insurance Plan 1903

Fire Insurance Plan 1903

 

Current location

Current location

Fire Insurance 1903 close upFire Insurance 1903 close up

Name of owner and type of business 1901 microfilm

Name of owner and type of business 1901 microfilm

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 126 Adelaide St

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A laundry mat built with wood. Originally, it was owned by Hing Quong. Around this time, a sidewalk was put in along Adelaide St W connecting Bay St and York St. A few years later, the shop changed owners to Parfiovsky Louis and Walsh Walters is also cited as living there.

Fire Insurance 1903

Fire Insurance 1903

Adelaide2

Fire Insurance 1903 Close Up

Adelaide3

Sidewalk Installment on Adelaide between York and Bay (photo taken across the street from 126)

Adelaide4

Microfilm 1899 Owner Hing Quong, Laundry

Adelaide5

Microfilm 1903, owner Parslovsky Lois and Walsh Walter, Laundry

Adelaide6

City Assessment Rolls

Adelaide7

City Assessment Rolls

Adelaide8

City Assessment Rolls

Adelaide9

City Assessment Rolls

Adelaide10

Current Address

 

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 1060 Queen Street West

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This is what the space is currently occupied as. Photo taken: 2014.

This is what the space is currently occupied as.
Photo taken: 2014.

Photo taken from Google Maps Later on developed to be Lighthaus - A gallery for condos.
Photo taken from Google Maps
Later on developed to be Lighthaus – A gallery for condos.

 

According to Valerie Mah’s thesis, The Bachelor’ Society, within the bounds of 1060 Queen Street west, there was a single Chinese resident named Sing Lee who lived above an unnamed laundry facility (1). The leaseholder, however, was a man named Tong Ho who was also Chinese but did not live within the space (2). The primary owner of this wooden house lived within the foundations of Trinity College (3). As the number of residents remained at one, Sing Lee continued to be the only resident of 1060 Queen Street west between the years 1899, 1900 and 1901 (4). The house still remained intact between the years 1913-1924 but gradually became a smaller space throughout those years. What stands on that property today is a real estate presentation centre called LightHaus that promotes the growing urbanization in Toronto with the production of condominiums, metropolitan architecture and modernized living spaces (5). In terms of the picture, it was quite impossible to find a before picture of the Laundry.

Work Cited

Assessment Roll: Ward 5 Division 1 1899, Reel 187.

“General Information.” UrbanToronto. Media, n.d. Web. 10 April. 2014.

Toronto: Might’s Directory Co. 1899. Microform. the Toronto city directory for 1899: Vol. XVI.     Location no. 2643730-46, Reel 58.

Toronto: Might’s Directory Co. 1901. Microform. the Toronto city directory for 1901: Vol. XII.     Location no. 2643730-47, Reel 66.

Mah, Valerie. The bachelor society: a look at Toronto’s early Chinese community from 1878-1924. MA Thesis. 1978. Print.

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 29 Queen Street East – Chon Tai’s Laundry

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Among the many names and establishments listed in Valerie Mah’s The Bachelor Society was Chon Tai, of 29 Queen Street East. According to the Goads Fire Insurance Plan Maps, the wooden building was constructed some time before the turn of the 20th century. The Toronto Tax Assessment Rolls indicate that it was a laundry service that predated Chon’s association: as early as 1897 it was staffed by and possibly lived in by Lee Ping, with Chon taking his place the following year. The laundry was part of a larger collection of neighbouring businesses, including a livery (a horse rental service) and a hotel, which were owned–leased to Chon–by the McCarron family.

Over the next 28 years Chon worked at the laundry service, through changes in ownership (from the McCarrons to the James & Bach Macdonald Supply Company; and later to Daniel Kenson and Alfred and Ruth Johnston) and directory assignment (29 Queen Street East was originally part of Division 1B within Toronto Ward 3. Between 1910 and 1911 the location was merged into Division 3 of the same Ward). The first two years, Chon spent all alone, living in his workplace. In 1901 he was joined by another Chon, unfortunately one without any first name listed in the Toronto City Directories. 1901 was also the year Chon Tai moved to 279 Church Street (which opened its own laundry service, possibly by him, in 1902), while the other Chon was stated to live at 177 McCaul Street. It’s possible that the two Chons were married or relatives; the unnamed Chon might have been a relative who immigrated to Canada in 1901. The second laundry service at 279 Church could indicate either Chon opening his own service or getting a second job to make ends meet, which would make sense given the presence of someone other than himself to support. Valerie Mah listed two other Chinese immigrants with Chon Tai, but only the one, unnamed Chon is listed in the city’s records.

Between 1926 and 1927 Chon Tai passed on the lease to a new owner, Tong Chui. The laundry business continued until 1946, when it was demolished and replaced with a parking station. Such became the lot’s purpose until the present day, for it is now part of a multi-level parking garage owned by the Toronto Parking Authority.

 

Sources

Toronto Tax Assessment Rolls: Ward 3 Division 1B. 1898-1910. Toronto Archives. Microform.

Toronto Tax Assessment Rolls: Ward 3 Division 3. 1911-1946. Toronto Archives. Microform.

Toronto City Directory. 1899-1901. Toronto Archives. Microform.

Goads Fire Insurance Plan (1899, 1913). Web. Obtained 04/08/2014 from http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=b1ab757ae6b31410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextfmt=default

Mah, Valerie.  The Bachelor Society: A Look at Toronto’s Early Chinese Community from 1878 – 1924 (unpublished, 1978).

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 420 1/2 Yonge Street

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According to Valerie Mah’s paper, The ‘Bachelor’ Society, a Chinese individual was identified as being connected to 420 1/2 Yonge Street in July 1900.  Bert Lee ran a laundromat at that address in the early 1900s, but today, that address no longer exists.

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 926 Bloor Street West

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This laundry was located at 926 Bloor Street West.  This laundry was found during the years 1889 to 1905. The laundry did not change its name or location during that time and it was also found during this research that two people named Ling and Sam were also mentioned to be working there. Also beside there names was another address mentioned for 206 Queen Street which would assumed to be the place where they lived.

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 158 Bay Street – Kwong Yoot Loy Co.

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158 Bay Street in 1907 - Small building on the lefthand side

158 Bay Street in 1907 – Small building on the lefthand side

According to the 1899 City of Toronto Directory, 158 Bay Street was owned by a man named Jones W H and the building functioned as a restaurant. However, in the following year, 1900, the directory marked the same building as vacant. In 1901, 158 Bay Street came under the ownership of a man named Yee Nam who also ran a restaurant in the same building. The restaurant according to the 1901 City of Toronto Directory was named Kwong Yoot Loy Co. This information corresponds to Valerie Mah’s independent research paper titled, The Bachelor Society. A letter from Rev. Mackay of the United Church recorded that 3 adults of Chinese “religion” lived at this address. From what is known about the history of Chinese immigrants and considering that no children were recorded living in the building, the most likely conclusion is that these residents were Chinese bachelors who came to Canada to make a living.

Chinese residency at 158 Bay Street did not seem to be a long one according to the 1902 City of Toronto Directory. In the year after the Kwong Yoot Loy Co.’s inclusion in the directory, it states that a few barristers and artists took up residence where Kwong Yoot Loy Co. once stood. Of all the names included, none are of Chinese origin. This leads one to believe that the restaurant failed to succeed and therefore closed in favor of business and residential space.

360 Bay Street taken from the southeast corner of Bay and Temperance - April 9 2014

360 Bay Street taken from the southeast corner of Bay and Temperance – April 9 2014

Currently, what once was 158 Bay Street is now a part of 360 Bay Street. On the Corner of Bay and Temperance Street where a restaurant once stood at the turn of the century is now a fast food restaurant called New York Fries/South St. Burger. The address change can most likely be attributed to the expansion of the Toronto harbourfront, causing the addresses to be shifted.

360 Bay Street 2

360 Bay Street taken from the southeast corner facing north on Bay and Temperance – April 9, 2014

 

Works Cited

“Bay Street Looking North from Temperance Street.” 1907. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 43. Web. 7 April 2014.

Mah, Valerie. The bachelor society: a look at Toronto’s early Chinese community from 1878-1924. MA Thesis. 1978. Print.

The City of Toronto Directory. 1899. Microform. City of Toronto Archives. Location no. 264730-45, Reel 45.

The City of Toronto Directory. 1900. Microform. City of Toronto Archives. Location no. 264730-46, Reel 46.

The City of Toronto Directory. 1901. Microform. City of Toronto Archives. Location no. 264730-47, Reel 47.

The City of Toronto Directory. 1902. Microform. City of Toronto Archives. Location no. 264730-48, Reel 48.

“Ward 2 Division 2 (p 196) to Ward 3 Division 2 (p110).” The City of Toronto Assessment Rolls. 1901. Microform. City of Toronto Archives. Location no. 264736-39, Reel 147.

 

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 153 Church Street, Toronto

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153 Church Street appears on the Goad’s insurance map dating back to 1880 when it was the last address on Church Street before Shuter. However, more addresses were added to the map in 1890 and 153 Church Street became 151-3, suggesting that the building was split to allow for more tenants. That the building had multiple tenants is evidenced in the City of Toronto Directory, as in 1899 153 Church Street was not only occupied by a Chinese Laundry run by Lew Mokee, but also listed as occupants of the residence were Wm Brown and Mrs. Melinda Taylor. Listed on the assessment rolls for the same year, the only name that appears is that of Lew Mokee who leased the building from someone named Gilmore. However, this changed in 1900, as the building was then owned by A. Welles and was still occupied by a Chinese Laundry, but the laundry was run by Sam Hing. Also listed as tenants of the building in the City of Toronto Directory for 1900 were Wm Allen, Michal Mcnab, and Mrs. Melinda Taylor, none of whom are listed in the Assessment Rolls for the same year. In 2014, the site of 151-3 Church Street has become “The Gold Lobby” and “The Fire Star Exchange,” both of which are jewellery trading businesses.

 

Works Citedd

Assessment Roll: Ward 3 Division 2 1900 (1899 for tax year 1900). Toronto Archives.

Assessment Roll: Ward 3 Division 2 1901 (1900 for tax year 1901). Toronto Archives.

Toronto Directory (1899, 1900). Toronto Archives. Goads Fire Insurance Plan (1880, 1890, 1899, 1903). Toronto Archives.

Google Maps, 2014. https://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF-8&layer=c&z=17&iwloc=A&sll=43.653833,-79.376002&cbp=13,90.2,0,0,0&cbll=43.653833,-79.376020&q=r+153+church+street+toronto+ontario&ei=ylRIU7HZJqTN2AXTzYDgCA&ved=0CCoQxB0wAA

The Chinese in Early 20th Century Toronto: 358 College Street c. 1899

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Based on Valerie Ma’s information and verified using records from the Toronto Archives, Gum Chong moved into 385 College Street in 1899 and established a laundromat.  Prior to this, the lot varied between an empty space and a church. According to the City of Toronto Assessment files from 1901, Chong was still occupying the space a few years later with four other residents. It can be assumed that these residents were at the least, over the age of 18 as none of these residents were listed as children. Unfortunately, Gum Chong and his laundromat only lasted a few years. By 1913, the building was then occupied by jeweler F.A. Ellis.

 

2012425-spadina-north-to-college-1890s-s0376_fl0004_it0002

This picture was taken on Spadina facing north to College, c. 1890s.

 

This is the building as it stands today, 2014. It is now a commercial and office space located in the now Kensington Market neighbourhood.

 

Information and Sources taken from City of Toronto. Tax Assessment Rolls. Ward 4 Division 3 (1901). City of Toronto. Directories (1895-1899, 1901).  Mah, Valerie. The Bachelor Society: A Look at Toronto’s Early Chinese Community from 1878-1924. MA Thesis. 1978. Print.