Neighbourhood: Toronto Shopkeeper Explores Liberty Village

Where once factories rumbled, now condos and shops thrive.

51 Hanna Avenue

If you were to go back 50 years and tell a Torontonian that you lived in Liberty Village you'd be greeted with a blank stare. Back then the area which would later become known as Liberty Village (the moniker was bestowed by property developers seeking to spur gentrification of the neighbourhod) was once one of Toronto's most industrial.

Liberty Village's industrial past grew out of it's location along the city's main railway lines. Factories making everything from carpets and baking powder to toys and farm equipment once kept the streets alive with manufacturing. The Inglis plant alone once employed over 17,000 people at its peak (I now understand how that Inglis billboard visible from the Gardiner Expressway came to be). The site of the current Lamport Stadium once housed the Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women and nearby was the Central Prison for Men, Liberty Street being where freed prisoners would step back into their normal lives.

By the 1980s, most industry had abandoned the area in favour of cheaper premises either off shore or in the suburbs. Artists began to move in attracted by the light filled former industrial spaces and the affordable rents. Developers took advantage of the trend for loft living and converted many of the remaining buildings into condos, shops, and galleries. The result is a mixed use neighbourhood with both newly built condominiums and repurposed industrial buildings.

Roughly defined, Liberty Village encompasses the area bordered by King Street, Dufferin Street, the Gardiner Expressway, and Strachan Avenue.

The Liberty Market Building (171 East Liberty Street) houses 300,000 square feet of retail and commercial space on the south side of Liberty Village and includes several historic buildings. Much of the site was used for gun manufacturing during the Second World War. The Galleria that runs through the building once carried trains used to deliver supplies and collect the arms being manufactured there.

Casalife

At the east end of the Liberty Market Building you'll find Casalife (unit 170), a large home store selling the perfect mix of condo-sized furnishings and home accessories. The retailer stocks a comprehensive selection of barstools as many of the small neighbourhood condos feature breakfast bars rather than dining rooms.

The Village Cheesemonger

Walking west you'll stumble upon The Village Cheesemonger (unit 155). The shop carries over a hundred varieties of cheeses from around the globe as well as a selection of gourmet treats for your pantry; everything you'll need to fill the cheese board at your next dinner party.

Demo Soap

Continuing down the Galleria discover Demo Soap (Unit 171), a unique purveyor of handmade soaps and bath bombs. The fragrant store is decorated with vintage sound systems (which are unfortunately not for sale) and sells soaps with a wide variety of fragrances and shapes. Their soaps are vegetable based and hand cut on site.

Shoppers looking to oufit their new condo are well served at EQ3 (51 Hanna Avenue). The two-storey outpost features home accessories on the ground level and furniture upstairs. This location features a Marimekko shop with colourfully designed bedding, pillows, and tableware.

West Elm

Nearby you'll find West Elm (109 Atlantic Avenue), the only Toronto location for Pottery Barn's urban sister. Available here is a wide selection of modern furniture, home accessories, and rugs. Their new Market concept features a range of kitchen tools, cookware, and gifts.

Grab a bite: Finish your day of shopping with dinner at Origin (Unit 100 at the Liberty Market Building) where the global menu is served in the former Bren gun factory; or enjoy a cold beer and a signature burger at Williams Landing (120 Lynn Williams Street); or sample the seasonally inspired menu at Mildred's Template Kitchen (85 Hanna Avenue). If you're visiting in the morning, check out School for their brunch menu and freshly baked treats.

[Click here for an informative walking tour by the Liberty Village BIA]

News: Saks Fifth Avenue Coming to Bloor Street

Hudson's Bay to convert Bloor Street store to Saks banner.

Hudson's Bay Bloor Street

Last week in an article in the Globe and Mail, Hudson's Bay Company CEO and majority owner Richard Baker confirmed new plans for the retailer's Bloor Street location. The article's author viewed a rendering which showed the store "sleekly redesigned, with a white façade and large sheets of glass at the front. And it prominently displays a new name: Saks Fifth Avenue."

Baker said the Canadian flagship will be the second-largest Saks store in the world (after the New York City location) and at 342,000 square feet nearly twice as large as the nearby Holt Renfrew.

Prior to the conversion of Simpson's Queen Street into The Bay in 1991, the Bloor Street location was the retailer's Toronto flagship. Part of the Hudson's Bay Centre, the store opened in 1974 as the anchor tenant in a complex that includes a 35 storey office tower, a Marriott hotel, condos, and sits atop the city's busiest subway station Bloor-Yonge. The store currently carries a full assortment of departments including furniture, appliances, and a restaurant through six storeys of selling space.

The renovation is expected to cost up to $100 million as the store will need to undergo significant modification. The store currently has low ceiling heights and an awkward maze-like interior layout. A big positive is the store's location at a busy intersection and a huge boom in local development (the large 1 Bloor East is currently under construction across the street).

Baker confirmed that up to eight Saks stores are planned for Canada and that he is currently negotiating for space at Sherway Gardens and Yorkdale. Also on the drawing board is the potential conversion of The Room at Hudson's Bay to Saks departments. Recently HBC appointed former Harrods executive Marigay McKee to president at Saks, and she will help oversee the forthcoming changes at Saks.