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.

In 1950, Harry Wasylyk (from Winnipeg, Manitoba) and Larry Hansen (from Lindsay, Ontario) invented a disposable green polyethylene garbage bag intended for commercial use. At first there were sold to the Winnipeg Hospital. Using them for residential garbage came long later.

A Toronto man, Frank Plomp, invented a plastic garbage bag in 1950 as well but it didn't catch on. Maybe he didn't try to sell it, or just not enough.

With so much plastic in our environment now... Still what would we do if there were no plastic bags and only paper bags for everything? A lot of liquid mess would need cleaning up. Maybe someone will come up with the next great idea in garbage bags which are strong, don't leak (usually), and don't end up floating in the ocean, or otherwise being an environmental problem.

• 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.