My Autistic Perspective on the Lost Landmarks of Toronto - Part I
The Eaton Centre (and Toronto) of my youth.
"Diversity: Our Strength." - City of Toronto
It's been seven years since my parents and I left Toronto, the city where I was born and raised, for a small city in the countryside. I'm grateful for the life I have here but can't deny the change in lifestyle has been difficult for me, and no matter how many years pass, I'll never stop feeling homesick for the big city. However, while I yearn for the hustle and bustle of big city life, the homesickness I feel towards Toronto is specifically for a bygone version of my hometown that no longer exists. The Toronto we left behind had become a very different place from the one I'll always long for and mourn, having succumbed to gentrification, rising crime, increased cost of living, and an infestation of high-rise condominiums that have replaced beloved landmarks and completely blocked out the sun, along with the once lovely views of the original skyline and Lake Ontario. As such, I thought I'd share memories of the fun and funky Toronto from my youth and discuss some of the lost landmarks I loved growing up. Without further ado, let's embark on our field trip through the sands of time...
The Organ Grinder (Spring 1975 - November 1996)
Ah, the Organ Grinder pizzeria, home to the Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ. This was such a cool place to celebrate childhood birthday parties in Toronto. Not only were guests serenaded by the Mighty Wurlitzer for the duration of their stay, but they could also request the tunes that were played on it...so long as the organist was familiar with their selections. It was pretty funny when a childhood friend of mine requested Danny Elfman's 1989 Batman theme, only to be disappointed when the organist mistakenly played the 1966 Batman theme instead. Another cool perk of the Organ Grinder was that it housed its very own video game arcade, allowing you and your friends to plunk down some quarters to play a few rounds of your favourite arcade games while waiting for your meals.
Fate: Replaced by Bier Markt.
Albert Britnell Book Shop (Approximately 1893 - March 28, 1999)
While the Canadian bookstore industry is now monopolized by Indigo Books & Music, there were no shortage of cool, independent bookstores all over Toronto back in the day, one of which was Britnell's, an authentic Victorian era British bookstore in a beautiful, historic building. A particularly cool perk of Britnell's was that they would import books for their customers that were only available in the UK. When I learned a children's book I really wanted, What-a-Mess, wasn't available in Canada, Britnell's came through and shipped a copy over from England for me.
Fate: Replaced by Starbucks.
Eaton's, Toronto Eaton Centre (February 10, 1977 - October 17, 1999)
A great example of Toronto's 21st century gentrification is the Toronto Eaton Centre, which transformed from a mall that once had something for everyone to one now largely associated with trendy, high-end boutiques and little else. While there were no shortage of cool shops and restaurants to check out in the original Eaton Centre, its nine-storey flagship Eaton's department store was a cut above the rest. Not only did it anchor the mall, it served as its very namesake. This Eaton's had it all; fashion, footwear, jewellery, cosmetics, furniture, appliances, toys, electronics, a bakery, a nautical-themed restaurant, and so much more. Whenever our family visited from South America, they loved shopping for clothes and shoes there. While this normally would've resulted in extreme boredom for my childhood self, Eaton's had several 3DO video game kiosks hooked up, allowing me to entertain myself for hours with the likes of Road Rash, Jurassic Park, and Soccer Kid, until our relatives were ready to leave.
Fate: Replaced by Sears, which went out of business. Then, replaced by Nordstrom, which also closed down.
Cineplex Eaton Centre (April 19, 1979 - March 14, 2001)
Though no physical remnant of it remains standing today, the 18-screen Cineplex Eaton Centre will forever hold the distinction of being the world's first megaplex. This record-breaking cinema was located at the end of the Eaton Centre's original western wing, past a few shops and up a set of escalators to street level. I always enjoyed checking out all the cool movie posters outside the megaplex to see what was currently playing or coming soon. As a child, I saw Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Free Willy there. As a teenager, I saw Me, Myself & Irene there, which also happened to be the final flick I saw on one of its screens.
Fate: Demolished and replaced by Best Buy, Canadian Tire, and Ryerson's School of Management.
Tower Records (December 1995 - October 7, 2001)
True to its name, the Tower Records in the 4-story Woolworth Building had a broad selection of music and movies on each of it floors, making it one of my favourite downtown hangouts growing up. Not only did the store's basement level provide direct access to the Eaton Centre, but it also happened to be stocked with a cool selection of LaserDiscs, for anyone who remembers those. I once had a teenaged crush on a bubbly English girl who worked there while she was studying in Canada. We chatted about Scooby-Doo and she then gave me a Britney Spears sticker depicting the Oops!...I Did It Again album cover, which I still have somewhere or other.
Fate: Replaced by Sport Chek.
Grand Illusion (June 24, 1987 - Approximately 2003)
Thankfully, Doug Duff's popular meeting spot, Shooting Fountain, and Michael Snow's iconic Canada geese sculptures, Flight Stop, both survived the Eaton Centre's gentrified purge in the early 21st century. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Philip Richards' lovely collection of Japanese kites and cut-out figures, Grand Illusion, which once adorned the mall's original Dundas Enclosure, greeting guests as they entered from the street. I always enjoyed gazing up at these beautiful works of art whenever I visited the Eaton Centre, and felt they truly added to the fun and funky vibe of Toronto at that time.
Fate: Donated to the Barrie Public Library.
Sam the Record Man (September 4, 1961 - June 30, 2007)
Today, Downtown Toronto is overpopulated with trendy, high-end boutiques, luxury high-rise condominiums, a knock-off of Times Square, and Ryerson's ever-increasing expansionism. However, this strip was once home to countless record stores, bookshops, video game arcades, and one-hour photo labs, many of which illuminated their storefronts with flashing neon signage at night. Here, you would find the undisputed mecca for Canadian music lovers, the Sam the Record Man flagship store. This was one of my absolute favourite hangouts around Yonge & Dundas, as not only did it stock its shelves with an impressive selection of music, but all the latest movies and video games as well. This is where I finally tracked down a copy of Garfield's Halloween Adventure after months of searching for it. I also remember one of the cashiers inviting me to play Wipeout on one of their PlayStation video game kiosks, which was my first exposure to Sony's then-new 32-bit console.
Fate: Demolished and replaced by Ryerson's Student Learning Centre.
That's it for now, but I already have a follow-up in the works, so please stay tuned for it. Do you have any thoughts on this post? If so, feel free to reach out by leaving a comment, dropping me a line, or signing my guestbook to share your opinions on this or any other topic. To receive the latest updates on my work or to directly interact with my content ("likes" or comments), follow me on Neocities. Also, feel free to press the "like" button if you enjoyed this post, as "likes" help me gauge audience interest in the content I post. After all, I don't want to bore anyone, ha-ha. Until next time, love, peace, and chicken grease!
Posted in "Autistic Perspectives" on Monday, September 8, 2025.