More Than Food: The Unique History Of Toronto's St. Lawrence Market Area

It even housed the first proper Toronto City Hall.

More Than Food: The Unique History Of Toronto's St. Lawrence Market Area

Narcity Media

Contributor

While Torontonians may associate St. Lawrence Market primarily with food, rewind 170 years, and the association was likely to also include City Hall, a jail, and even the first Great Fire of Toronto.

In this edition of Narcity's Then&Now series, Toronto Historian Morgan Cameron Ross looks back at a place that has some 200 years worth of history and food.

Editor's choice: Ontario Has A Hidden Waterfall Trail That Looks Like It Belongs In The Amazon Rainforest

Like so many other buildings in Toronto that have a unique history, the site of St. Lawrence Market is no exception and was actually home to Toronto's first proper City Hall, which occupied the space beginning in 1844.

And City Hall wasn't the only significant building located here either, as the South Market also housed a police station with an accompanying jail in the basement.

Today, the market continues to look different from even its very recent past too, as the once constantly bustling spot feels significantly quiet, clearly a result of the pandemic and stay-at-home order currently in effect.

Toronto Has More Than One City Hall & Here’s Where You’ll Find Themwww.youtube.com

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    Associate Photo Editor Lance McMillan is a Toronto based photojournalist who is focused on telling stories visually. Lance's photography has been published in numerous newspapers and magazines including National Geographic and his images have earned him awards including a 2nd Place in the 74th Pictures of the Year International (POYi), a Finalist in the 2019 Travel Photographer of the Year, and an Award of Excellence in the 78th Pictures of the Year International (POYi). To Lance, the power of telling stories through not just the written word, but through images, and the passion he has for doing so, cannot be overstated. This is particularly true when it comes to telling stories about nature and wildlife, striving to provide insight into the vulnerability of our environment and its inhabitants.

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