Hippies To Hermès: The Transformation Of Toronto’s Yorkville

This neighbourhood in the 1960s looked nothing like it does now.

Hippies To Hermès: The Transformation Of Toronto’s Yorkville

Narcity Media

Contributor

While many Torontonians may associate the city's Yorkville neighbourhood with high-end shopping the likes of Chanel or Hermès, five decades ago that association might have been hippies, coffeehouses, or Neil Young.

In this episode of Then&Now, Toronto historian Morgan Cameron Ross looks back at the popular area and its transition from a village to one of Toronto's most luxurious neighbourhoods.

Throughout the mid-1800s, the area we now call Yorkville was known as the Village of Yorkville and was not actually part of Toronto until its annexation by the city in 1883.

As the Yorkville area transformed, coffeehouses and the emergence of the Toronto hippie scene in the 1960s would coincide with a vibrant music scene where artists like Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot would perform.

But hippies would eventually give way to the luxury shops, galleries, hair salons, and fine dining restaurants that can be found peppered throughout the neighbourhood today.

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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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