The following is cut and pasted from a Facebook post and comments. Sad to see the Planetarium go. I didn't know it had been vacant. I would have liked to visit once more before it was gone. I haven't been there since we went for a school trip. We moved out of Toronto, far enough that making a trip into the city was a bit of an event. Sorry Toronto McLaughlin Planetarium. How many are still left in the world?

I would have added the link to the post but Facebook links are out of control. It was 5 lines of code for one link. So, no thanks. The post came from a group, Canada is Amazing.

Toronto is saying goodbye to a piece of its space-age history. The iconic McLaughlin Planetarium, once a beloved attraction near Queen’s Park, is now being demolished after decades of sitting unused.

Opened in 1968, the planetarium welcomed over six million visitors and served as a gateway to the wonders of astronomy. It was originally gifted to the city through the Royal Ontario Museum and quickly became a hub for science education and discovery.

Over time, however, the building closed in the mid-1990s and remained vacant, slowly fading from the city’s vibrant landscape. Now, construction crews are on-site, marking the end of an era as Toronto continues to grow and evolve.

Here’s a quick look at its journey:

• Opened in 1968 as a public science and education center
• Attracted over 6 million visitors during its peak years
• Closed in the mid-1990s and remained unused for decades
• Currently being demolished as part of urban redevelopment

As the downtown core transforms, the loss of this historic landmark reflects both change and progress—while leaving behind memories of a place that once inspired curiosity about the universe.

For those unfamiliar with its history, it was donated by Colonel R.S. McLaughlin. Colonel Sam’s McLaughlin Carriage Company went onto to build cars, including the McLaughlin Buick, and later became part of General Motors. I’m sure Colonel Sam would be horrified at what has happened to his wonderful gift to the people of Ontario.

His estate, Parkwood, is still beautifully preserved in Oshawa.

• Lost Toronto 1
• Lost Toronto 2
• Lost Toronto 3

I think the sites are from Michael A. Kuch. I'm not 100% sure, it was hard to find any name at all.

Also Heritage Toronto - Another link I found while looking for old Toronto today.

I keep looking to find any image of old farms/barns from Toronto before it became a big city. There are some from what is now the area of Black Creek Pioneer Village. But, I know there must have been more. Nothing left of them, but the photos/ drawings if you can find those even.

This includes a bit about the Johns Manville plant and an aerial photo of it. Must have been taken quite awhile ago. My brother would go there and find marbles, not really marbles but glass balls the size of marbles. Most of them had a blue tint. I don't know what they were used for, if I knew before I've forgotten. Later I attended Sir Oliver Mowat High School which was almost across the road on Lawrence Avenue East from the high school. I don't remember when Johns Manville was completely shut down. I don't think it was still in operation (not sure though) when I was in high school.

We didn't think asbestos was a big problem then. I still wonder how bad it really is when so many old houses were made with asbestos (roof and walls). I was surprised to learn Johns Manville is a US company. I never looked into it all those years we lived near it, I assumed it was a local thing, or at least Ontario. I wonder if they have already built a new subdivision or condominiums over the old site. I wouldn't be surprised, though people had claimed it could not be used for anything for a hundred years. (It hasn't been 100 years because I'm certainly not that old yet).

I never knew the full story about Thomas Adams. But we played at Adams Park often. We watched Victoria and Canada Day fireworks there. Had birthdays there (my brother especially because his birthday is in June). It had a fancy entrance with flowers and landscaping. But, I don't think we ever came through that way. There was another entrance, I forget just where now, but it was closer to the park with the sliding bridge, swings, and other recreation. My sisters and brother played soccer there too, practices and games.

Centennial Community and Recreation Association - Centennial/ Port Union History …more

I found a new drawing/image of Port Union and the West Rouge area tonight. New to me. Posted to the Centennial Community and Recreation Association Port Union Waterfront Trail website, about the renovations to the waterfront awhile ago.

The entrance to the Centennial portion of the trail is near the former location of the Scarborough, Pickering and Markham Wharf Company’s wharf and shipping facilities operating from 1849 to 1895.

I might find that image in a bigger size to read it easier. I will try.

As I child I can remember walking along that beach until I got too tired to keep going. So, the part about not having public access in the past, seems a bit mistaken. This old wharf may be the one Toronto Boris had shown me in a photograph. Not much left of it. Too bad they have opened the beach for public consumption but have not preserved the history. Or maybe there is a plaque or something about the old wharf.