This is what the TTC looked like in the 1960s and '70s

The TTC of the 1960s and 70s witnessed great change. While the original 12-stop subway had opened in 1954, it was the following decades that would see the system take its modern shape, first with the opening of the University line in 1963, then with Bloor-Danforth in 1966, and finally with the Spadina Line in 1978.

In some sense, these were the glory years for the TTC. The system was well equipped to deal with the population of the city, and overcrowding wasn't a constant problem.

The stations themselves also had a remarkably clean appeal during this period, representative of a Toronto that was known as "the city that works."

Here's what the TTC looked like in the 1960s and 70s.

Bloor Station streetcar platform pre-Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth). Photo by John Bromley.

Gloucester Car in Davisville Yards, 1960s. Photo via Chuckman's Nostalgia.

Davisville Station looking south, 1969. Photo by NE2 3PN.

St. Clair Station, 1960s.

St. Andrew Station, late 1960s. Note original Vitrolite tiles. Photo via Transit Toronto.

Looking north up Lansdowne at Bloor. Photo via John Bromley's archives.

TTC route map, early 1970s (before Spadina Extension).

Union Station, late 1970s. Photo by Ben Mark Holzberg, Library and Archives Canada.

Queen Station, 1975.

Davisville Station, early 1970s.

Rosedale Station, late 1970s. Photo by Ben Mark Holzberg, Library and Archives Canada.

Presidents Conference Committee streetcar on King near Church, 1970s. Photo via John Bromley's archives.

Interior of subway train, 1975.

Opening Day of Spadina Line at St. Clair West Station, 1978. Photo via Robert Lubinski.

Wilson Station, late 1970s. Photo by Ben Mark Holzberg, Library and Archives Canada.

Spadina Station moving sidewalk, late 1970s. Photo by Ben Mark Holzberg, Library and Archives Canada.

Eglinton Station, late 1970s. Photo by Ben Mark Holzberg, Library and Archives Canada.

by Staff via blogTO

The top 10 ways to escape the cold in Toronto

There's a saying that Toronto has two seasons: winter and construction. We spend the majority of the year either experiencing or mentally preparing for the cold weather. Thankfully, the city offers plenty of ways to escape the treacherous grasp of winter.

Here are my picks for the top ways to escape the cold in Toronto.

Try a Russian Bath

Russian and Turkish baths have been around for centuries and offer a unique refuge from the cold. Unwind in the dry heat of a real banya (or traditional steamhouse) at Banya, or take dip in the pool at Sanduny Spa. Your body will thank you.

Join a hot yoga class

There are many places around the city that'll get the heat back into your frozen bones. Studios like Union Yoga offer a wide range of classes designed for all levels of expertise that'll get your body and mind ready for spring.

Head to the spa

Hot pools, saunas, steam rooms, even warm stone treatments will rejuvenate, like at Body Blitz or Elmwood Spa. Shake off the dead of winter and physically and mentally prepare yourself to be beach ready at any one of these tranquil places.

Check out a greenhouse

Allan Gardens is the most beautiful of Toronto's conservatories, with its multiple greenhouses of various climates, producing gorgeous flowers and greenery more akin to the subtropics than the city. Centennial Park Conservatory in Etobicoke is another gem, and there are a few others worth checking out, too.

Eat some hot pot

This classic Asian dish is offered at any of the specialty hot pot spots across the city and comes in an endless variety of flavours and ingredients, all combined for the ultimate comfort food.

Go for some Turkish coffee

This particularly strong concoction of unfiltered coffee is sure to wake you from your winter slumber. Places worth checking out include Galata Cafe, Baklawa Queen, The Poet, Simit and Chai, and Istanbul Cafe.

Check out an absinthe bar

L'Absinthe Bar is great addition to the city, and Bacchanal is worth checking out, too. Both offer the anise-infused liquor that's guaranteed to light a fire in your belly. Be sure to pace yourself, though, or else risk ending up face-down in a snow bank.

Hit up a tiki bar

After suffering months of cabin fever, going out to a tropical spot can help break the spell. Why not grab a friend (or a few for that matter), snap out of the blues, and escape to the warmth of the islands at places like The Shore Leave and The Shameful Tiki Room, right here in the city.

Get lost in a virtual reality arcade

If travelling to the real tropics just isn't feasible for you right now, one of the city's many virtual arcades is the next best thing. Travel anywhere you want—hot or cold—at places like Toronto VR Games in Kensington, and arrive back in time for dinner.

Visit a board game cafe

Board game cafes are one of the best ways to ward off the winter blues. Places like Snakes & Lattes offer a brunch and dinner menu, drinks, and snacks, making it the perfect place settle in for long haul required for classics like Risk and Monopoly.

by Lisa Power via blogTO

This suspension bridge is the most epic place to snowshoe in Ontario

This is what Toronto looked like in the 1880s

Toronto seems almost unrecognizable in the 1880s.

Lacking major landmarks like the Ontario Legislative Building (Queen's Park), E.J. Lennox's City Hall, the Confederation Life Building or the Flatiron/Gooderham Building (all of which were completed in the decade that followed), it's remarkable just how few structures from this period survive today.

There are, however, plenty of clues that tell you this is our city. Be it the geography, the presence of names like Eaton and Gooderham, the church spires that dot the skyline or the bustle of Yonge Street, there remains something unmistakably "Toronto" about these photos.

The Toronto of the 1880s was a place in which electric lights and telephone polls were just arriving on the street, asphalt started to be used for roads (1887), streetcars/trolleys were finally allowed to travel on Sundays and the Cathedral Church of St. James was one of the largest buildings in the city.

Here's what it all looked like.

Grand Opera House

Skyline

North Glen Road Bridge

Original St. Lawrence Market

University College (U of T)

Yonge looking south from the YMCA

Interior Yonge Street Arcade

Yonge south of the arcade looking east

Looking south across the city

1884 Eaton's Catalogue

1884 Industrial Fair

Horse-drawn streetcar

The Red Lion Inn

Waterfront looking east

Two horse car at old North Toronto Station

King and York streets

Toronto Wards 1889

by Staff via blogTO

5 free things to do in Toronto this week

Free events in Toronto this week run the gamut from family-friendly skating to cerebral films to weird and experimental comedy. With all of these events being offered for free, they're the perfect way to extend the holidays without extending your budget. 

Events you might want to check out:

New Year’s Eve (December 31 @ Nathan Phillips Square)
Ring in 2019 with skating, DJs, and fireworks in one of Toronto's biggest and most fun celebrations.
Festival of New Formats (January 2 @ Comedy Bar)
Check out a one-night-only festival of super weird shows with no holding back, and even better, no ticket price.
European Short Film Festival (January 3 @ Carlton Cinemas)
Indulge your inner Werner Hertzog with a showcase of the best European short films, totally free.
Good Enough Live Karaoke (January 3 @ The Rec Room)
Choose from a list of over 300 songs, and the band (guitars, keys, bass, drums and sometimes saxophone) will call you up on stage to rock out with lyrics on a tablet and a microphone for a great, totally gratis night.
Really Really Free Market (January 5 @ Campbell Park)
Swing by this really, really free market where visitors are invited to fill a shopping bag with free treasures within a one-hour time period, with no money, no swapping, and no trades.

by Martha Stortz via blogTO