The five spookiest abandoned buildings in Toronto

Toronto might be in the midst of a construction boom, but there are still abandoned buildings across the city stuck in limbo, awaiting restoration, demolition, or repurposing. In the cases of the massive Hearn Generating Station in the Port Lands and the Symes Transfer Station near St. Clair and Keele, the challenge of successfully rescuing the long-abandoned structures has so far proved too great for even the boldest developers.

However, the future appears brighter for the disused Canada Linseed Oil Mills Building on Sorauren and Kodak Building #9 on Eglinton, both of which have been recently targeted for adaptive reuse. The Kodak building, it seems, will be folded into a new transportation hub on the new Eglinton-Crosstown LRT.

Here are 5 abandoned Toronto buildings that could use some

Hearn Generating Station

Experts agree the Hearn power station on Unwin Ave. has potential, but no-one seems able to find a way to properly repurpose the massive building. The last electricity produced by the Port Lands plant entered the grid in 1983. Since then, the structure has been in a state of decay, attracting urban explorers like 26-year-old Ryan John Nyenhuis, who died after falling into a disused coal hopper in 2008. More recently, the Hearn has provided the backdrop to numerous stylish parties.

Kodak Building #9

The once massive Kodak manufacturing plant at Eglinton and Black Creek Dr. is now a rubble-strewn wasteland, but at its peak 900 people worked there, producing camera film and other photographic equipment. Building 9, erected in 1940 and shown on the far right of the picture above, was the employee recreation area and the only building not demolished when Kodak fell on hard times in 2006. Now under the ownership of provincial transit agency Metrolinx, it looks likely the structure will see use once again in the near future.

Symes Transfer Station

The tall grass and detritus around the former trash incinerator near St. Clair and Keele hides what was once an impressive art deco structure, albeit one used for burning garbage. The heritage structure has potential to be renovated and repurposed, but at considerable expense. In the 20 years since it was last used, the building has been set on fire several times, used for illegal parties, and subjected to vandalism. "The derelict building had become a safety hazard and concern for the neighbourhood," writes Build Toronto, a city corporation responsible for selling off surplus buildings.

Canada Linseed Oil Mills Building

Before it joined the city's extensive list of abandoned industrial buildings, the Sorauren Ave. linseed oil mill, built in 1910, was a bustling factory. The company produced its last batch of pale yellow oil in 1969 and its former home has been dormant ever since. The City of Toronto currently owns the property and has spent considerable money decontaminating the soil, but so far no-one has come forward with a viable restoration plan. Meanwhile, water damage and vandalism continue to threaten the structure.

Kormann House Hotel/Canada House Tavern

The derelict and disheveled brick building on the southwest corner of Queen and Sherbourne almost became a condo, but market forces intervened. Now, the former hotel and Canada House Tavern sits empty, an empty shell awaiting a make over. Condo sales king Brad Lamb had a hand in the original Kormann House project (he claimed in 2012 to have sold 50 percent of the promised units) and has since tried to revive the development, but to no avail.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Images: City of Toronto Archives

by Chris Bateman via blogTO