Wilson and Dufferin Street

Downsview in the late 50s and early 60s

Wilson Ave., looking w. to Dufferin St. May 14, 1955 (James Victor Salmon)
Supertest Station on the left east of Dufferin, Shell station on the right west of Dufferin.
Why are there hydro wires running in front of the runway -- but with a warning light on top? Notice the bus loop at Winston Park.

Dufferin & Wilson looking south in 1949 before all the housing development of the 1950s. The photo shows 'new' houses on Winston Park Blvd. All the rest was farmland. Photo from Victor Perry and the Anthony Road Public School Facebook page.

Supertest station there on the left.

The stop light to allow the "Mossie" to taxi.

Again, Dufferin & Wilson looking south in 1949 before all the housing development of the 1950s.

Now see this building here at the east end of Regent Road.

The Toronto Library Archives caption reads "Danforth Bus Lines, garage, Dufferin St., e. side, n. of Wilson Ave." about 1953. Maybe later the "Florida Garage"?
What makes this picture interesting is the water tower off on the horizon along the right edge of the picture.
This northeast corner was a forgotten territory merging with the runway fields of de Havilland.

Here is a picture, again from about 1953, showing the same building. There is a great comment on one of these photos saying how the Danforth Bus Lines had the dirtiest and most broken down buses.

At the southwest corner of Wilson and Dufferin where Coffee Time is now was the Diplomat Tavern. A friend of my father used to frequent there.

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See other Downsview restaurant matchbook covers here
eBay Matchbook covers Downsview

Then there were two gas stations, an Esso and right across was a Supertest.
Across the road, on the northwest corner, was an early McDonalds with its golden arches and its millions and millions served.
We loved their fries and milkshakes and wouldn’t think much about healthy food until much later.

A bit west on the triangle of land where Winston Park comes into towards Wilson and Dufferin,
there was a Dairy Queen selling DQ Blizzards and soft ice cream.

This second coloured photo gives the general idea of the sign of building but
The black and white photo is much closer to what we remember.

This building later turned into the Oasis (hamburger, fries and pop = $1.00), then maybe a Harvey's, then a Subway.

   
The old Denison Armoury on Dufferin.
The original Dennison Armoury opened in 1965 at the corner of Dufferin Street and Highway 401, originally housing 5 Column, 134 Company, RCASC.
and I remember talking to the guy who lived across the road who got up every morning to see
the armoury Sherman Tank pointing its gun into his dining room over breakfast. If you passed the Armoury on
the Dufferin bus, that meant your were close to coming home. You would have to pull the cord on the Dufferin bus to transfer to Wilson bus. Teenagers would play ball on the grass fields around the armoury. The new armoury was built in the early 2000s.

Denison Armoury reunion in May 1983 from http://militarybruce.com/abandoned-canadian-military-bases/abandoned-armouries/ontario/

Aerial Views

An aerial view of the neighbourhood between Wilson Avenue and deHavilland
and the tracks and Dufferin Street from 1962.
Everybody who went to Ancaster Road Public School will like this photo.
Click here for a larger more detailed view of the same picture. Wilson_deHavilland_Tracks_Dufferin_1962_large.png

An aerial view of the neighbourhood between Wilson and the 401 and between Dufferin Street and Keele Street from 1962.
No Canadian Tire, and no Red Barn, by the way. This photo is more for the Anthony Road Public School crowd.
Click here for a larger more detailed view of the same picture. 1962. Wilson_401_1962_large.png

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Canyons sculpture by Ted Bieler at the Wilson Subway Station opened in 1978. The station was a bit awkward with long corridors and many steps, but we were on our way home.

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Since May 18, 2016