Pure Food Building

Last updated
Pure Food Building
Pure Food Building Toronto 1941.jpg
Pure Food Building, 1941, before repairs
Toronto map.png
Red pog.svg
Location in Toronto
General information
StatusDemolished
Location Exhibition Place
Town or city Toronto, Ontario
Country Canada
Coordinates 43°38′05″N79°25′10″W / 43.634682°N 79.419455°W / 43.634682; -79.419455
Opened1922 (1922)
Demolished1953 (1953)
Cost$100,000 (1922)
Owner City of Toronto

The Pure Food Building was a facility opened in 1922 on Exhibition Place at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was demolished after the 1953 CNE to make way for the modernist Food Building, which still stands.

Contents

Architecture

The building featured six open-air courts, with booths arranged in squares, built in Italianate architecture. Ads billed it as the "largest and most costly permanent exhibition building in the world." [1] The 26,900-square-foot (2,500 m2) first unit of the building [2] was lit by 1000 kilowatt lamps, requiring 300 kilowatts to light it; several floodlights gave the "entrances to the building... a brilliant effect". [3]

History of the building

Planning and construction (1920-1922)

The Globe reported that, as of September 1920, a Pure Food Building was being considered by the directors. Other buildings proposed were a Temple of Music, a second Transportation Building, and an Electric Building. [4] The Pure Food Association and architect B. H. Prack presented a design for a Pure Food Building to the CNE Association in October. Final plans for the building were to be prepared by the City Architect of Toronto. [5] Exhibitors at the building would commit to a period of ten years, paying over that period for its construction cost, after which it would be owned by the City. [5] [6] It was the first new building as part of a scheduled 50-year development plan. [6] The Toronto Board of Control and CNE board arranged a conference in November 1920, to discuss the creation of a $150,000 building devoted to "pure food". The proposal was that exhibitors "carry all interest and debt charges for twenty years," if City funding were provided. [7] Later in the month, Toronto City Council was to consider whether to apply to the Province "for the authority to issue debentures" for the structure. [8]

In February 1921, it was reported to the Canadian National Exhibition Association board that "headway was being made" in signing up exhibitors. The City had voted in favour of a $150,000 building to open in 1921, if guarantees were met. [9] Tenders for construction of half the building were opened in September, the lowest being $116,500. [10]

The land used for the building was outdoor space for agricultural and life stock exhibits; they were moved to the eastern end of the site. [11]

Early years (1922–1942)

Weston's display at Pure Food Building, promoting their new line of English biscuits, made in Toronto by English master bakers and baking machines. The Globe deemed it "quaint and picturesque"; they described "its low gabled roof, diamond windows and stout oaken beams". 1924-08-21 Toronto Star Westons.png
Weston's display at Pure Food Building, promoting their new line of English biscuits, made in Toronto by English master bakers and baking machines. The Globe deemed it "quaint and picturesque"; they described "its low gabled roof, diamond windows and stout oaken beams".

The Toronto Daily Star described the building as "attractive and quaint... a complete departure from all precedent in the way of exhibition buildings." Comparatively, The Coliseum, opened the previous winter to present livestock, was "less imaginative architecturally." [13] The Globe suggested the building demonstrated the "growing popularity of the segregation principle," referring to the grouping of exhibits by theme. [14] An exhibitor at the Electrical Building noted a rise in visitors, crediting it to the fact their building was located en route to both Pure Food and the Coliseum, when entering through the Dufferin Gates. [15]

Textile manufacturers were announced in March 1922 to be considering their own structure. [14]

Early tenants included:
Borden's [16]
Canadian Milk Products Limited [17]
Keepsweet Table Cream [18]
Lion Brand Macaroni (A. Puccini & Co., Limited) [19]
O'Keefe's Carbonated Beverages [19]
Weston's Olde English Shoppe [20]

As of April 1922, the CNE noted that all of the Pure Food Building space was allotted, and 25 late applicants had been denied. [2] (Despite around 40 exhibitors moving from the Manufacturer's Building to Pure Food, and the existence of a Dairy Building, the earlier building was sold out by April as well.) [21] They continued to receive many applications for space at the building after the event, including a request for 20 spaces from the British Federation of Industries. The organization decided on a 19,000 square foot addition, to cost $100,000. Association second vice-president G. T. Irving appeared before the Toronto parks committee in November, asking for funding. They promised their full support when the matter was to appear before city council, and the property committee similarly recommended the board be allowed to make interim expenditures on concrete piers. [22] Given the high tariffs charged by the United States at the time, The Manchester Guardian felt it was "a specially favorable time for pushing British trade in Canada." The Star ran an editorial about Canada-British trade, suggesting that the Exhibition's support "for the promotion of trade within the Empire is a laudable project." [23] Indeed, there was a Federation of British Industries Section at the fair in 1923. [24]

Grocery stores Dominion Stores and Loblaws Groceterias were added as of 1926. [25] [26]

Repairs and additions (1942–1952)

Repairs were done to the building in 1941 and 1942. [27]

The building became known for samples; an anonymous Toronto Star writer commented in 1948 that the "hundreds of samples" of yesteryear were replaced with "pay as you go" and a few long lineups. [28] Similarly, a photo caption for the 1951 Canadian Restaurant Association conference describes the samples at that event of reminding visitors of the "halycon days" in Pure Food. [29]

Construction began in mid-August 1949 to create a permanent 60-by-30-foot (18.3 m × 9.1 m) structure for Borden Foods mascot Elsie the Cow, a real jersey cattle, at the southeast corner of the grounds. [30]

New building announced (1953)

CNE executive under President J. A. Northey approved a new $1.5 million structure to replace the existing Pure Food Building in 1954, to be built on the same site. The demolition was to begin immediately after the 1953 Exhibition was over, and have 50% more exhibition space. [31]

See also

Related Research Articles

Marilyn Grace Bell Di Lascio is a Canadian retired long distance swimmer. She was the first person to swim across Lake Ontario and later swam the English Channel and Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Loblaws is a Canadian supermarket chain with stores located in the province of Ontario, and in Alberta and British Columbia under the Loblaws CityMarket banner. Headquartered in Brampton, Ontario, Loblaws is a subsidiary of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loblaw Companies</span> Canadian retail company

Loblaw Companies Limited is a Canadian retailer encompassing corporate and franchise supermarkets operating under 22 regional and market-segment banners, as well as pharmacies, banking and apparel. Loblaw operates a private label program that includes grocery and household items, clothing, baby products, pharmaceuticals, cellular phones, general merchandise and financial services. Loblaw is the largest Canadian food retailer, and its brands include President's Choice, No Name and Joe Fresh. It is controlled by George Weston Limited, a holding company controlled by the Weston family; Galen G. Weston is the chair of the Loblaw board of directors, as well as chair of the board of directors and CEO of Canada-based holding company George Weston.

Dominion was a national chain of supermarkets in Canada, which was known as the Dominion of Canada when the chain was founded. The chain was founded in 1919 in Ontario and was later acquired by the Argus Corporation. It was later sold to The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P), which restricted the chain to the Greater Toronto Area. Stores outside Ontario were converted to the A&P banner or sold to third parties. A&P's Canadian division was later acquired by Metro Inc., which rebranded the remaining Dominion stores to its namesake banner in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian National Exhibition</span> Annual event held in Toronto

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), also known as The Exhibition or The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the third Friday of August leading up to and including Labour Day, the first Monday in September. With approximately 1.6 million visitors each year, the CNE is Canada's largest annual community event and one of the top fairs in North America. The fair is a combination of agricultural exhibits and events, carnival rides and entertainment, live music, food and special events. Special events include the Warriors Day Parade, the Labour Day Parade and the Canadian International Air Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

New Toronto is a neighbourhood and former municipality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the south-west area of Toronto, along Lake Ontario. The Town of New Toronto was established in 1890, and was designed and planned as an industrial centre by a group of industrialists from Toronto who had visited Rochester, New York. New Toronto was originally a part of the Township of Etobicoke. It was an independent municipality from 1913 to 1967, being one of the former 'Lakeshore Municipalities' amalgamated into the Borough of Etobicoke, and eventually amalgamated into Toronto. The neighbourhood has retained the name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exhibition Place</span> Publicly owned mixed-use development in Toronto

Exhibition Place is a publicly owned mixed-use district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just west of downtown. The 197-acre (80 ha) site includes exhibit, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments, parkland, sports facilities, and a number of civic, provincial, and national historic sites. The district's facilities are used year-round for exhibitions, trade shows, public and private functions, and sporting events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exhibition Stadium</span> Former multi-purpose stadium in Toronto

Canadian National Exhibition Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the grounds of Exhibition Place. Originally built for Canadian National Exhibition events, the stadium served as the home of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1959 to 1988, the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1977 to 1989, and the Toronto Blizzard of the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1979 to 1983. The stadium hosted the Grey Cup game 12 times over a 24-year period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Agricultural Winter Fair</span> Annual agricultural fair in Toronto

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (RAWF), also known as The Royal, is an annual agricultural fair that is held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the first two weeks of November. It was inaugurated in 1922 in the Coliseum, on the grounds of Exhibition Place. It has since been expanded to also take up the Enercare Centre and remains an important exhibit for livestock breeders. Elizabeth II, as Queen of Canada, was the fair's royal patron. Members of the Canadian Royal Family have also been guests of honour at the fair. It is the largest indoor agricultural fair in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Fort York</span> Former Canadian military facility

New Fort York, later the Stanley Barracks, is a former British and Canadian military base in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It was built in 1840–1841 to replace Toronto's original Fort York at the mouth of Garrison Creek as the primary military base for the settlement. Unlike the older fort, many of the new fort buildings were made with limestone instead of wood. A protective wall was planned for the new fort but was never built. The fort was used by the British army until 1870, and the Canadian military subsequently used the fort to train troops for the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. It also trained one of the first regiments of the North-West Mounted Police. The Canadian military stopped using it after World War II and the fort was demolished in the 1950s. Only the Officers' Quarters building remains on the site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coca-Cola Coliseum</span> Arena at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Canada

Coca-Cola Coliseum is an arena at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, used for agricultural displays, ice hockey, and trade shows. It was built for the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 1921. Since 1997 it has been part of the Enercare Centre exhibition complex. It serves as the home arena of the Toronto Marlies ice hockey team, the American Hockey League farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs. For the 2015 Pan American Games the venue hosted the gymnastics competitions and was known as the Toronto Coliseum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automotive Building</span> Exhibition building in Toronto, Ontario

The Automotive Building is a heritage building at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, containing event and conference space. In the 1920s, as a result of burgeoning interest in automobiles, additional exhibition space for automotive exhibits during the annual Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) was needed. A design competition was held, and the winning design was submitted by Toronto architect Douglas Kertland. The building opened in 1929, and the "National Motor Show" exhibit of automobiles was held in the building until 1967. It was also used for trade shows. When it opened, it was claimed to be "the largest structure in North America designed exclusively to display passenger vehicles". During World War II, the building was used by the Royal Canadian Navy and named HMCS York. After the end of automotive exhibits at the CNE, the building was used for other CNE exhibits and continued to be used for trade shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse Palace</span> Stables building in Toronto, Canada

The Horse Palace is a heritage building at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, containing stables, a horse ring and various agencies. It was constructed to support the equestrian events of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. The ornamentation of the building is considered a fine example of Art Deco. It is a listed heritage building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CNE Bandshell</span> Concert venue in Toronto, Canada

The CNE Bandshell is an open-air concert venue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at Exhibition Place on the shores of Lake Ontario. Built in 1936, it hosts the annual music program of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) and is also used for festivals and picnic events, for which the "Bandshell Park" can be rented from the City of Toronto.

George Weston Limited, often referred to as Weston or Weston's, is a Canadian holding company. Founded by George Weston in 1882, the company today consists of the Choice Properties real estate investment trust and Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest supermarket retailer, in which it maintains a controlling interest. Retail brands include President's Choice, No Name and Joe Fresh. The former Weston Bakeries division, which owned the brands Wonder, Country Harvest, D'Italiano, Ready Bake and Gadoua, was sold off to FGF Brands in 2022. The company is controlled by the Weston family, which owns a majority share in George Weston Limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">W. Garfield Weston</span> Canadian businessman & philanthropist (1898-1978)

Willard Garfield Weston was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who was a member of the prominent Weston family. He led George Weston Limited and its various subsidiaries and associated companies, including Associated British Foods, for half a century and established one of the world's largest food processing and distribution concerns. He also served as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the British House of Commons during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enercare Centre</span> Exhibition complex in Toronto

Enercare Centre, formerly known as the Direct Energy Centre and originally the National Trade Centre, is an exhibition complex located at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is used by the Canadian National Exhibition and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, as well as by various trade shows. In 2015, it hosted several sport competitions and the broadcasting centre for the 2015 Pan American Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princes' Gates</span> Triumphal arch and a monumental gateway at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The Princes' Gates is a triumphal arch and a monumental gateway at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Made out of cement and stone, the triumphal arch is flanked by colonnades on both of its sides, with curved pylons at both ends. The 350-foot-long (110 m) structure serves as the eastern gateway to the Canadian National Exhibition, an annual agricultural and provincial fair held at Exhibition Place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel X Toronto</span> Hotel and sports complex in Toronto, Ontario

Hotel X Toronto is a hotel and sports club complex on the grounds of Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The hotel, part of the Library Hotel Collection, is intended to serve visitors attending conventions, meetings, and trade shows booked at the adjacent Enercare Centre and the Beanfield Centre. Hotel X Toronto is divided into three parts: the hotel tower, the Ten X Toronto (10XTO) athletic facility and the historic Stanley Barracks Officers' Quarters and foundations.

David Bednar is an American-born former theatre manager in Canada. He served as the general manager of the Canadian National Exhibition Association, which runs an annual fair called the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). He retired in May 2015.

References

  1. ↑ ""Canadian National Exhibition" ad". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 29 August 2013. p. 19.
  2. 1 2 "C.N.E. to use unit systems on new halls". The Globe. Toronto ON. 18 April 1922. p. 13.
  3. ↑ "Latest lighting shown at the fair". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 2 September 1922. p. 3.
  4. ↑ "Need of more buildings at Ex. manifest". The Globe. Toronto ON. 2 September 1920. p. 1.
  5. 1 2 "A suggestion for the "Pure Food" Building for the C.N.E.". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 25 October 1920. p. 2.
  6. 1 2 "Spic and span is Exhibition after big day". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 30 August 1922. p. 1.
  7. ↑ "Confer on building pure food edifice". The Globe. Toronto ON. 11 November 1920. p. 9.
  8. ↑ "Ald. [Aldermen] to debate tax exemption; two schenes". The Globe. Toronto ON. 22 November 1920. p. 5.
  9. ↑ "Agree to site for live stock arena". The Toronto World. Toronto ON. 10 February 1921. p. 10.
  10. ↑ "Pure Food Building Tenders Are Opened". The Globe. Toronto ON. 7 September 1921. p. 7.
  11. ↑ "Canada's yeomanry come thronging to nation's big fair". The Globe. Toronto ON. 7 September 1922. p. 15.
  12. ↑ "Exhibition notices". The Globe. Toronto ON. 2 September 1922. p. 18.
  13. ↑ "All getting ready for the opening day". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 24 August 1922. p. 3.
  14. 1 2 "New building for textiles". The Globe. Toronto ON. 1 March 1922. p. 9.
  15. ↑ "Electrical show at Ex. boomed by coal scare and expansion of hydro". The Globe. Toronto ON. 7 September 1922. p. 10.
  16. ↑ "Borden's ad". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 5 September 1923. p. 23.
  17. ↑ "Klim Brand Powdered Whole Milk ad". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 24 August 1923. p. 4.
  18. ↑ "Taste the Keepsweet at the Exhibition". The Daily Toronto Star. Toronto ON. 31 August 1922. p. 14.
  19. 1 2 "O'Keefe and Lion Brand ads". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 27 August 1923. p. 8.
  20. ↑ "Weston advertisement". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 1 September 1922. p. 18.
  21. ↑ "Last available space for big Toronto fair is already purchased". The Globe. Toronto ON. 22 April 1922. p. 15.
  22. ↑ "To enlarge buildings for British exhibits". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 14 November 1922. p. 26.
  23. ↑ "Britain at the Exhibition". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 10 March 1923. p. 8.
  24. ↑ "The home of good tobaccos". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 31 August 2013. p. 5.
  25. ↑ "Loblaws Groceterias ad". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 26 August 1926. p. 7.
  26. ↑ "Dominion Stores Limited ad". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 26 August 1926. p. 29.
  27. ↑ City of Toronto Archives Fonds 200, Series 487, File 609, "Repairs to Pure Food Building, Exhibition Park".
  28. ↑ "Children are style critics at Exhibition fashion show". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 31 August 1948. p. 19.
  29. ↑ "'Come and get it,' Farmer to Sell Milk 15-18 Cents". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 14 March 1951. p. Second section cover.
  30. ↑ "Elsie and son Beauregard will attend 1949 Exhibition". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 17 August 1949. p. 7.
  31. ↑ "New Food Building approved for CNE". The Toronto Daily Star. Toronto ON. 12 May 1953. p. 7.
  32. ↑ "Accident mars Children's Day". The Globe. Toronto ON. 12 September 1922. p. 11.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.