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

It even housed the first proper Toronto City Hall.

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

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.

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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

Lance McMillan
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