June 21, 2010

Tourists in Toronto: Distillery District

Toronto's Distillery District used to be the site of the Gooderham and Worts Distillery, which began as a grist mill in the early 1830s.

Distillery District in Toronto


Some of the facilities in the company's industrial complex beside Lake Ontario included the distillery, mills, a boiler house and several warehouses. All in all, the company had more than forty buildings of various sizes and uses in the area. It even had its own wharf, though that has long been demolished. Gooderham and Worts ceased operations in 1990.

Distillery District in Toronto
Distillery District in Toronto

In 2003, the revitalized buildings of Gooderham and Worts opened as a pedestrian-only arts, culture and entertainment district. No franchises or chains are allowed by the new owners and the historic buildings now house restaurants and cafes, art galleries, and shops offering unique jewelry, furniture, clothes and home products. Various sculptures can be found in different areas of the district, one of which is Dennis Oppenheim's "Still Dancing." (We call it the egg beater and the funnel. Heehee.)

Dennis Oppenheim's 'Still Dancing' sculpture in the Distillery District in Toronto

18 comments:

Janet said...

So glad these beautiful old buildings are being put to good use.

Steve Harris said...

Welcome to Toronto! What a great surprise... and some beautiful shots of my home city. How long are you in town for?

brattcat said...

Mmmm. Did you find good food down there?

Olivier said...

j'aime beaucoup la derniere photo qui est vraiment surprenante avec cette immense oeuvre

lewi14@gmail.com said...

Wonderful shots and interesting informations. Good to hear about the old buildings' usage.

VP said...

My favorite is obviousli the giant alembic! This is a very good examle on how to revuitalize an abandoned industrial plant.

Joy said...

What are you doing visiting a distillery, Hilda? :D I'm sure you found it very interesting.

Sorry for my absence - as I was back home in Manila for two weeks.

Thanks for visiting Norwich Daily Photo and leaving your comment. Come visit again. Have a great start to your week!

GreensboroDailyPhoto said...

I clicked through to Manila and landed in Quebec. It is a small world! Looks like you are having a great time and seeing a lot!

Jan
GDP

Cezar and Léia said...

Super! That second shot is breathtaking, I love the angle and those windows!Fantastic shot!
Léia :)

escape said...

any brick structure is great structure to me. they even look good as ruins.

Kaori said...

You know so much about Toronto, Hilda! You're like a native :D

Lois said...

Beautiful old buildings! I'm glad they are finding new life.

Unknown said...

The light and shadow on the stone wall is fantastic! You are doing a great job, Hilda, especially for those like me who have never been to Canada.

Lowell said...

Those darn Canadians know how to do things right! Lovely old buildings put to a very good use and I'm pleased no franchises or chain stores are allowed.

The egg beater and funnel are funny and I like them a lot!

Re your comment on The Villages: Yes, that kind of service is normal. The competition among golf car(t) stores in central Florida is fierce! I had to install new batteries in mine, and the shop drove out here, picked it up, installed the batteries, tested it and then hauled it back out here - no charge, except for the batteries.

johnny said...

Hilda,
Estas fotos de Toronto son realmente muy buenas. Los interiores de la catedral espectacular.
Gracias por tu visita.
Un abrazo

EG CameraGirl said...

You took some great shots, Hilda! You n=make me proud to be Canadian. :)

Chattahoochee Valley Daily said...

Another great series.

Yes, you did read right about my little Woodstock. Thank you for your kind words.

barb
pcadp

penny said...

I took a tour of your wonderful pictures of Canada. You would make a great tour guide, Hilda. You covered a lot of territory on your visit.