Comments on: TTC CLRV streetcar 4025 heads westbound on Dundas Street East just past Bond Street, passing the Imperial Pub right where Dundas takes a jog to the north before crossing Victoria Street (also note the track continuing straight, ending at Victoria). On the right is the Bond Place Hotel. Opened in 1944, the Imperial Pub was an institue on the doorstep of Yonge Street and Dundas Square that would serve patrons in Toronto for decades, including many Ryerson University (TMU) students that often came to drink, study or hang out upstairs in the library/lounge area. It was finally closed in November 2025 after 81 years, as the site was sold to TMU and will be redeveloped into a student residence building. So goes the Imperial Pub the way of many inconic Toronto venues, including Honest Eds and Sam the Record Man (the latter site also purchased by Ryerson and redeveloped). The Bond Place Hotel was purchased by the City of Toronto in recent years, and is now a shelter building. William (Bill) Hood photo, Dan Dell’Unto collection slide.

By: MrDan

MrDan — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 03:17:25 +0000

Hmm, now I’m going to have to dig out my trip to (read as by, outside of) Filmores…

By: Driver8666

Driver8666 — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 16:54:00 +0000

Can you imagine a streetcar running in front of the Zanzibar? It did run past Filmores. Lol.

By: MrDan

MrDan — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 07:35:30 +0000

There was definitely lots of sin in that area of Toronto, Cam, but that was before some of our times. It’s a good thing a streetcar line didn’t run in front of the Zanzibar…

By: applegathc

applegathc — Sun, 24 May 2026 16:54:04 +0000

RIP The Imperial pub. Now demolished. Another Toronto sin.

By: Jacob Patterson

Jacob Patterson — Sat, 23 May 2026 00:12:39 +0000

If not at the Imp, Mickey D’s, Pizza Pizza, or Swiss Chalet, all on Dundas at Gould, were the usual spots. The Studio Theatre, wardrobe, lighting, and audio studios were all in the basement of the new Ryerson building on the old Sam the Record Man site. Most of my time in the Atrium was up on the 9th floor where we had production offices for most departments.

Second year onward I joined the commuting crowd, and of course, vanished from most of those activities.

By: MrDan

MrDan — Fri, 22 May 2026 23:36:27 +0000

Unfortunately I only passed by the Imperial Pub, my normal haunt during the Rye High days was the Pizza Pizza in the old Sterling Bank building at Dundas & Church. That or the Atrium on Bay’s food court, patronizing Vinnie’s Italian food (the couple who ran it moved to Hamilton before retiring a few years ago).

That’s what happens when you commute down, you miss all the fun stuff and shenanigans the campus dorm students get into.

Driver8666: I’d post my shots of Sam The Record Man in its proper location during its final days circa 2006-7, but unfortunately no streetcars ran by it…but I shot that too, and even bought some CDs there before it closed.

By: Jacob Patterson

Jacob Patterson — Fri, 22 May 2026 22:47:21 +0000

Nice scene. Had some good times at the Imp. I remember one February night during first year, we had a gathering of sorts after closing a show at the Ryerson Theatre. Freezing rain started at some point, and it was quite the “walk” for the group of us heading back to the dorms…

By: Driver8666

Driver8666 — Thu, 21 May 2026 14:37:32 +0000

The Sam The Record Man signs survive, and they currently sit atop the Public Health Building right where Mr. Hood took this pic if one looks up.

By: terry.oshell

terry.oshell — Thu, 21 May 2026 11:32:09 +0000

Great shot.