The Archives hosts exhibits and events throughout the year. Find out what’s on.

Under the Wrecking Ball: Shaping Toronto’s Downtown 1960-1989

Open now! Runs until April 2026. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free Entry

Toronto’s post-war era was marked by a long period of optimism and prosperity, which among other things, resulted in massive architectural projects emblematic of the city’s wealth and modernist ambitions. The years between 1960 and 1989 witnessed the city’s downtown core transformed through large-scale land redevelopments. These projects were made possible by the sudden availability of railway lands, changes in architecture and engineering, and the growth of Toronto’s banking and financial sector. This exhibit explores the impact of these visionary decades, and the demolitions of older city blocks that resulted. The structures that arose in their place forever changed the Toronto streetscape.

Monochrome photograph of demolition site.
Demolition of Registry Office during construction of New City Hall
1964
City of Toronto Archives
Fonds 1268, Series 1318, File 4, Item 468
Colour photograph of demolition site
Demolition of Eaton’s Yonge Street store, from James and Queen streets
August 17, 1977
City of Toronto Archives
Fonds 1526, File 89, Item 83