Distillery District

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The Maltings
The Maltings

The Distillery District is an historic district to the east of downtown Toronto, Canada, spanning 13 acres (52,000 square metres) and comprises more than 40 heritage buildings and 10 streets. Most of the buildings seem to reflect an industrial Gothic design. It is the largest collection of Victoria-era industrial architecture in North America.

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[edit] History

Until 1990, the district housed the Gooderham and Worts distillery, founded in 1832, and by the late 1860s was the largest distillery in the world providing over 2 million gallons of whisky mostly for export on the world market, and which in later years was bought out by rival Hiram Walker Co., another large Canadian distiller. Its location on the side of the Canadian National Railway mainline and located at the mouth of the original route of the Don River outlet into Lake Ontario which facilitated transport connections to the rest of Canada and indeed the world, and the entire area was once the industrial centre of Toronto and transhipping hub.

With the de-industrialization of the surrounding area in the late 20th century, and the winding-down of the distillery operations, the district was left increasingly derelict. Surrounding industrial and commercial buildings and structures were often demolished, leaving the former distillery surrounded primarily by empty lots. Nonetheless, the closing of the remaining distillery operations in 1990 created redevelopment and investment opportunities for a district that contained the largest and best preserved collection of Victorian-era industrial architecture in North America.

The economic recession of the early 1990s, however, and the resulting crash in residential condominium prices and office lease rates in downtown Toronto, delayed efforts to revitalize the district. Nonetheless, two residential condominium buildings were constructed on the periphery of the district during the late 1990s.

While the site awaited redevelopment and reinvestment, the district's unique ambiance began to attract numerous film shoots. Since 1990, the site has served as a location for over 800 film and television productions (see list).

[edit] Today

The Cooperage with its prominent cupola and a new condo tower under construction in the background
The Cooperage with its prominent cupola and a new condo tower under construction in the background

In 2001, the site was purchased by Cityscape Holdings Inc., which transformed the district into a pedestrian-oriented arts, culture and entertainment neighbourhood. In 2003, the district was reopened to the public to great acclaim. The new owners refused to lease any of the retail and restaurant space to chains or franchises, and accordingly, the majority of the buildings are occupied with unique boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, jewellery stores, cafés, and coffee shops, including a well-known micro brewery, the Mill Street Brewery. The upper floors of a number of buildings have been leased to artists as studio spaces and to offices tenants with a "creative focus". A new theatre, the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, has opened on the site and serves as the home of the Soulpepper Theatre Company and the drama productions of nearby George Brown College. There are plans to develop residential condominiums, offices and more retail space on the vacant lands that surround the district.

There has been some criticism of the district's redevelopment. Some have suggested that the area's gentrification has resulted in yet another upscale shopping district competing for the pocket-books of a wealthy demographic, and that opportunities for more publicly-funded uses have been lost. In contrast, others have noted that the district provides important space to local artists, and are supportive of the fact that the district is not dominated by large retail chains.

Regardless of any criticism, the preservation and active re-use of the historic buildings has been widely praised. The Distillery District is a National historic site, and has been designated for protection under the Ontario Heritage Act since 1976. It was listed by National Geographic magazine as a "top pick" in Canada for travellers. The redevelopment of surrounding vacant lands is expected to accelerate the district's transformation from an abandoned industrial site into one of Toronto's most distinctive neighbourhoods.

[edit] Buildings

The Stonehouse Distillery
The Stonehouse Distillery

The former distillery consisted of a series of buildings, centred around a seven-storey windmill and wharf. Although the windmill and wharf have long since been demolished, the inventory of the main structures on the site is as follows:

  • the Stonehouse Distillery, designed by David Roberts Sr., near the then shoreline of Lake Ontario;
  • a 31-metre (100 ft) chimneystack (now demolished);
  • the Malt House (built in 1860), now called the Maltings;
  • Rackhouse D;
  • the Molasses Storage building;
  • the Boiler House;
  • the Stables;
  • the Cannery;
  • the Paint Shop;
  • the various tankhouses (originally seven of which only three survive today);
  • the Denaturing Room;
  • Rack Houses M, G, and J;
  • the Pump House;
  • the Case Goods Warehouse;
  • the Wharf (now demolished);
  • the Cooperage;
  • the Grain Elevator and Warehouse, located at the wharf (and since demolished);
  • the Pure Spirits Building (built in 1870); and
  • the Grist Mill/Windmill, which was built in 1832 at a height of 21 metres (71 ft). It ceased to be a windmill in 1846, and was rebuilt after damage from a storm in the 1850s and disappeared by 1866. A replica was built in 1954, but it was demolished to make way for the Gardiner Expressway.

In 1996, the music video, for Marilyn Manson's single, The Beautiful People was directed at the Stonehouse Distillery.

[edit] See also

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[edit] External links

Coordinates: 43°39′2.628″N 79°21′35.1714″W / 43.65073, -79.359769833

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