38-40 Dundas Street East is a 3-storey office building in a classical, early 20th century commercial style that is situated at the northeast corner of Dundas Street East and Victoria Street on Yonge-Dundas Square in Downtown Toronto.  The date of construction of 38-40 Dundas Street East has been identified as 1913 in several contemporary sources (Quattrociocchi 2018, Architectural Conservancy of Ontario 2018). However, there is the possibility that the extant building may have incorporated parts of an older structure predating the 1910s. Notably, 38-40 Dundas Street East is situated directly on the site of the former, long-time residence of Rev. Dr. Egerton Ryerson and family.[1] [2] Several historical resources indicate the former residence of Rev. Dr. Egerton Ryerson may have been heavily renovated and incorporated into the design of the extant building at 38-40 Dundas Street East instead of being outright demolished. 38-40 Dundas Street East appears to has been painted since at least the mid-1920s and it is possible the paint is obscuring details, such as evidence of an older underlying structure and/or alterations over time. Peeling paint on the rear elevation has revealed yellow brick (likely from the mid-19th century) on the lower levels with red brick (likely from the early 20th century) on the upper levels.


Rev. Dr. Egerton Ryerson (1803-1882) constructed his home near the northeast corner of Victoria Street and Wilton Avenue (now Dundas Street East) in the early-to-mid 1850s (City of Toronto Directory 1850, 113, City of Toronto Directory 1856, 84).[3] [4] A historical drawing of the home published in Egerton Ryerson’s posthumous autobiography The Story of My Life (1883) depicts a 2.5 storey residence with several rear additions, one of which contained Egerton Ryerson’s personal study (Ryerson 1883, 587). A copy of this drawing has been included on this TO Built page. The Ryerson residence was noted to have had private grounds along its Wilton Avenue frontage (City of Toronto Directory 1884, 184). By the mid-1880s, a blacksmith and marble works had also opened operations on or near the rear, Victoria Street Lane elevation of the Ryerson residence (City of Toronto Directory 1884, 176). Following the death of Egerton Ryerson in 1882, the house remained the home of Mary Ryerson (1808-1884) - his widow – until her own death in 1884 (City of Toronto Directory 1884, 174).[5]  The property then became the home of Charles Egerton Ryerson (circa. 1847-1907) — the son of the Rev. Dr. Egerton Ryerson and Mary Ryerson — between 1885 and 1886 (City of Toronto Directory 1885, 200).  


In 1887, the property became home to James H. Cash – a picture framer by trade; and Henry Cash – a carpenter by trade (City of Toronto Directory 1887, 365). 1887 also saw the severance of the southern section of the grounds to facilitate the construction of buildings and residences along Wilton Avenue (City of Toronto Directory 1887, 239).[6]  James H. Cash was later listed as a boarder at the property in 1894 (City of Toronto Directory 1894, 361). City of Toronto Directories indicate that various boarders and residential tenants were associated with the property until 1912.[7]  Between 1913 and 1920, the property had a mix of commercial and residential occupants with the building becoming wholly commercial (offices) by 1921 (City of Toronto Directory 1913, 361 & 815, City of Toronto Directory 1920, 466 & 1411, City of Toronto Directory 1921, 474). Notably, in 1913, the property first appears associated with William A. Murphy — a builder, carpenter, and contractor by trade (City of Toronto Directory 1913, 360).[8] An October 1916 newspaper advertisement references William A. Murphy as being “one of the best known and most prominent contractors and builders in Toronto” with his office at 269 Victoria Street and residence at 146 Shuter Street (The Globe (Toronto) 1916, 14).  Murphy was the earliest commercial occupant of the building. Alongside William A. Murphy, John Gearon (a teamster) and Harry Teasdale (a painter) are also listed as living at the address in 1914 (City of Toronto Directory 1914, 394, 817, & 1477). Further research is required to discern whether records exist that may detail whether Gearon and Teasdale also had their businesses on site.


Contemporary Dundas Street itself was created in 1918 via combining together multiple east-west streets in Downtown Toronto to create a thoroughfare situated partway between College Street and Queen Street.  In the context of Dundas Street and Yonge Street, this involved the merging of Wilton Avenue east of Yonge Street and Agnes Street west of Yonge Street to create this particular stretch of Dundas Street. Further research is required to discern whether records exist that may detail the alterations (additions, demolitions, renovations, etc.) that the property underwent around this time, including both circa. 1913 when William A. Murphy first became associated with the property and in 1920/1921 when the building was converted wholly to offices.


In 1921, the occupants of the property included:  Osborne Electric; Samuel Osborne Canadian Ltd. – a steel company; Auto Supplies Company Ltd.; the offices of architect Thomas White Lamb; the offices of manufacturing agent Edward W. Fisher; and the jewellery manufacturers Paquette & Hughes (City of Toronto Directory 1921, 474).

In 1922, the Powell Chemical Company moved into 38-40 Dundas Street East (then known as 269 Victoria Street) (City of Toronto Directory 1921, 474, City of Toronto Directory 1922, 562).[9] The Powell Chemical Company – also known as the H. Powell Chemical Company — were manufacturing chemists (City of Toronto Directory 1922, 1270).[10]

In 1922/1923, the City of Toronto undertook steps to eliminate a significant jog on Dundas Street that had formed as a result of Agnes Street and Wilton Avenue not being in direct alignment with each other (The Globe (Toronto) 1922, 13, The Globe (Toronto) 1922, 14, The Globe (Toronto) 1923, 12). This street realignment project – known as the Dundas Street Extension - resulted in the acquisition of several properties along the north side of Dundas Street East between Yonge Street and Victoria Street Lane, including part of the Powell Chemical Company property at 38-40 Dundas Street East (then known as 269 Victoria Street) (The Globe (Toronto) 1922, 13). A November 1922 The Globe (Toronto) article specifically references that the City of Toronto’s Assessment Department was slated to “arrange for a piece to be taken off the southwest corner of the Powell Chemical Company building on the east side of Victoria Street” as to prevent the “building project[ing] slightly beyond the line of the new diagonal piece of roadway” and to allow the completion of the realigned Dundas Street East (The Globe (Toronto) 1922, 14).[11] This realignment also resulted in 38-40 Dundas Street East (then 269 Victoria Street) becoming situated directly at the intersection of Dundas Street East (formerly Wilton Avenue) and Victoria Street; whereas it had previously been located several buildings north of the intersection.

Interestingly, a photograph of 38-40 Dundas Street East (then known as 269 Victoria Street) published in The Globe (Toronto) on 11 June 1923 – which shows the building prior to the creation of its distinct angled façade – specifically references the building as being the former home of Egerton Ryerson and notes that the building had become recently revealed due to street changes (The Globe (Toronto) 1923, 12).[12] A subsequent photograph dated 3 November 1923 - taken after the creation of the distinct angled façade – uses the name The Powell Chemical Company Building in its caption (City of Toronto Archives 1923/2021). Interestingly, a similar fenestration pattern on the south elevation is visible on both the June 1923 and November 1923 photographs. The June 1923 photograph also shows masonry that appears to have been recently altered and/or added around the doors, windows, and 3rd floor — indicating potential alterations, additions, and renovations to the structure. The address 36-40 Dundas Street East and name Powell Building had been formally assigned to the property as of 1925 (City of Toronto Directory 1924, 159, City of Toronto Directory 1925, 1252).[13]


In May 1930, 38-40 Dundas Street East (269 Victoria Street) suffered a major fire that originated in the offices of the Kahn Optical Company — an ophthalmic laboratory and manufacturer on the 2nd floor (The Toronto Daily Star 1930, 8).[14] This fire likely resulted in further alterations to the building. The Powell Chemical Company remained in operation at the Powell Building (38-40 Dundas Street East) until 1952 (City of Toronto Directory 1952, 147, City of Toronto Directory 1953, 154). Comparatively, the Kahn Optical Company was another long-term occupant of the Powell Building, having been based there from 1925 until 1967 (City of Toronto Directory 1925, 1252, City of Toronto Directory 1967, 203).

By the late 1960s, 38-40 Dundas Street East was entirely vacant (City of Toronto Directory 1968, 213, City of Toronto Directory 1969, 228).[15]  By the mid-1970s, 38-40 Dundas Street West was used as the offices of Teela Market Surveys (The Globe and Mail 1975, B15).  Teela Market Surveys remained at 38-40 Dundas Street East through the early 1980s. 38-40 Dundas Street East was expropriated by the City of Toronto in the mid-to-late 1990s as part of the 1996 Yonge Dundas Redevelopment Project which eventually resulted in the creation of Yonge-Dundas Square in the early 2000s (Quattrociocchi 2018, Yonge-Dundas Square 2021).

As of early 2023, 38-40 Dundas Street East has sat vacant since 2010 after its most recent tenant – Hakim Optical — vacated the property (Chief Corporate Officer, City of Toronto 2009, Quattrociocchi 2018).

38-40 Dundas Street East is now within CreateTO's portfolio. Debates have arisen over the future of the building, with adaptive re-use proposals of the building having been the subject of numerous articles and a 2018 Architectural Conservancy of Ontario: NextGen facilitated design charrette. Popular proposals have included use as a museum and/or music incubator. More recently, various murals have been painted on the exterior of the building — including Alley Jams by Emily May Rose and a large Harry Styles mural. 


 In 2015, an engineering study was undertaken to assess the condition of the building. This 2015 study — not presently available to the public but referenced in public documents — reportedly notes "structural concerns with the building¿s masonry façade, masonry parapet walls, floor areas within the building and fire escape."  Subsequently, in February 2023, the City of Toronto issued an Order to Remedy Unsafe Building to itself noting that "NO work has been carried out to date to permanently repair the building and remediate the structural concerns that are creating the unsafe conditions to the public in and around the building." Scaffolding has since been erected around the building as of early March 2023. Hopefully steps are being taken to ensure this historic building is repaired and not lost to demolition by neglect. 


[1] Rev. Dr. Egerton Ryerson was considered the founder of Ontario’s public education system. Rev. Dr. Egerton Ryerson was also the eponym of nearby Ryerson University, which opened in 1948. Ryerson University opened on the former site of the Toronto Normal School, which Rev. Dr. Ryerson established in 1847.

 
[2] Rev. Dr. Egerton Ryerson is also a controversial figure due to his role in the development of Canada’s residential school system. The residential school system has had a serious, intergenerational impact on Canada’s Indigenous populations.

[3]  38-40 Dundas Street East is situated on former Park Lot 8. Park Lot 8 was granted to George Playter on 4 September 1793 (The Toronto Park Lot Project 2018). George Playter later patented the Park Lot on 24 August 1796 (The Toronto Park Lot Project 2018).  Mutual Stream – part of Moss Park Creek – also flowed almost directly underneath present-day 38-40 Dundas Street East and Yonge-Dundas Square, but was buried during the 19th century (The Toronto Park Lot Project 2018, Lost River Walks 2021).  

 
[4] Prior to 1879, Wilton Avenue was known as Crookshank (Cruickshank) Street.

 
[5] The property address and number has changed several times over the years. 

 
[6] These buildings to the immediate south of the property were later demolished during the realignment of Dundas Street East in 1922/1923.

 
[7]  Further research is required to determine whether the property was ever explicitly listed as a boarding house in the City of Toronto Directories.

 
[8] William A. Murphy remained associated with the property until 1920 (City of Toronto Directory 1920, 466, City of Toronto Directory 1921, 474)

 
[9]  Several of the previous offices remained in tenants of the building at this point in time, including Edward W. Fisher – a manufacturers’ agent; and Paquette & Hughes Ltd. – a jewellery manufacturer. Interestingly, Paquette & Hughes Ltd. were the victims of 2 high-profile armed robberies in January 1921 and November 1923 (The Globe (Toronto) 1921, 7, The Globe (Toronto) 1923, 12).

 
[10] The company was operated by Harrison Powell (President) and George G. Powell (Secretary-Treasurer) (City of Toronto Directory 1929, 1068).

 
[11] Briefly, in 1921, 38-40 Dundas Street East (then 269 Victoria Street) was home to the office of prominent architect Thomas White Lamb (1871-1942) (City of Toronto Directory 1921, 474). Further research is required to discern whether Thomas White Lamb had any direct role in the design, alterations to, and/or renovations of the building.

 
[12] This was due to the demolition of the buildings immediately south of it as part of the street realignment. As such, the building became much more visible within its surrounding streetscape.

 
[13]  36 Dundas Street East is now disused as an address and the building is known as 38-40 Dundas Street East.

 
[14] The fire was described as a “spectacular blaze” (The Toronto Daily Star 1930, 8). The Toronto Daily Star reported that “so much water was poured into the building that it came out in a Niagara-like torrent, carrying hundreds of partly burned tortoise shelled eye glass frames into the street” (The Toronto Daily Star 1930, 8).

 
[15]  By 1976, the Kahn Optical Co. Ltd. had 10 processing laboratories across Canada (McQuaig 1976, 5).


(Research by Adam Wynne)