Description: 

1304-1318 King Street West is a 2-storey commercial/residential block located at the northeast corner of King Street West and Cowan Avenue in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto. 1304-1318 King Street West was designed in June 1938 by Henry John Chown in an Art Moderne style on commission to Principal Investments Ltd. The building was completed by November 1938.

The building originally contained 7 commercial units fronting King Street West with residential units located above and accessed via both King Street West and rear walk-up staircases.

1304-1318 King Street West is notable for being a rare example of Art Moderne architecture within the Parkdale neighbourhood. The only other examples of Art Moderne architecture within Parkdale are: Police Station #6 at 1313 Queen Street West (1931); the Edgewater Hotel at 14 Roncesvalles Avenue (c.1937/1938); the commercial building at 1408 Queen Street West (renovated in the 1930s/1940s); and The Kingsview Apartments at 1433-1435 King Street West (c. 1950s).

1304-1318 King Street West is also notable for being one of the very first purpose-built-and-designed self-serve (modern) grocery stores in Toronto through the design commissions for Dominion Stores Ltd. 1304-1318 King Street West is also notable for being the first "modern" commercial plaza in Parkdale. Further information has been included below. 

1304-1318 King Street West has undergone several alterations over time, including changes to some of the storefront designs and the enclosure of the storefront and roofline cornices with metal siding (research should be undertaken to determine if earlier design elements remain underneath the storefront siding). Chown's original blueprints and design specifications survive in the City of Toronto Archives and could be used to guide restoration of the building.

Prior to the construction of 1304-1318 King Street West in 1938/1939, the northeast corner of King Street West and Cowan Avenue was home to the Parkdale Dahlia Gardens — a flower nursery specializing in the cultivation of dahlias. The nursery was reduced in size and later moved following the construction of 1304-1318 King Street West.



Architect - Henry John Chown: 

The architect of 1304-1318 King Street West was Henry John Chown.

The Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada: 1800-1950 provides the following biography of Chown: 

"Henry John Chown was active in Toronto where he assisted John M. Lyle as a draftsman in 1909, then worked for James Thompson in 1910. Much of his practice was centered in the Beaches neighbourhood of east end Toronto where he opened an office in 1913. He may be related to Wilfred D. Chown, active in Toronto during the same period. Henry J. Chown was born in Northampton, England on 30 May 1887 and was the son of Abraham J. Chown, a successful builder and contractor who specialised in the construction of schools and large residences. His son Henry J. may have trained in the building trades under the supervision of his father. He emigrated to Canada in April 1907, and spent the next 40 years working as an architect in Toronto. After living and working there, he moved to Welland, Ont. in 1950 or 1951 and died there on 27 September 1974. The Northamptonshire County Archives at Wootton Hall Park in Northampton, England holds a collection of scrapbooks on the Chown Family, including one from Henry J. Chown, from 1880 to c. 1910."


Principal Investments Ltd.:

Principal Investments Ltd. was a construction and contracting company active in Toronto during the 1930s/1940s. As of 1938, its president was J. M. Bennett and its headquarters was based at Suite 608 - 465 Bay Street.

Research is ongoing to determine whether Principal Investments Ltd. was a precursor to the Principal Group — a large development corporation active in multiple Canadian cities from 1954 until its collapse in 1987.

Original Storefront Designs: 

There were originally 7 storefronts at 1304-1318 King Street West. Over time, some of the storefronts have been consolidated together to create larger commercial spaces. The storefront on Cowan Avenue (presently home to Duchess Tattoo) was added at a later point in time.

Two of the original storefronts were assigned to specific commercial tenants prior to construction. These two commercial tenants were Dominion Stores Ltd. (a grocery store) and Jenny Lind (a confectionary shop). Three other storefronts (commercial units) were assigned for specific uses, albeit tenants were located post-construction. These uses were: a barber shop, a drugstore, and a restaurant. The two eastmost storefronts were left unassigned for specific use pre-construction.

Chown's specifications note that black vitrolite or equal materials were to be used throughout storefront designs. Additional specifications were as follows: 

Drug Store: To have black field work (vitrolite) with banding of yellow to detail or other suitable design selected and to include 2 chrome vents, kick plate, and 2 bars on door. 

Dominion Store: To have black field work (vitrolite) with name panel in 18" x 18" yellow squares, at top of show windows to be 2 bands of yellow with chrome lining strips, and the space below the window sill to sidewalk to be chrome flutings with 4"x6" black vitrolite base and to have 2 chrome grilles all to be of same design as Dominion Store at Bloor & Sherbourne Streets. 

Jenny Lind: To be black vitrolite 6" base light green field, 2 chrome vents, and the top section above awning box to be light green, with Jenny Lind Candies worked in the vitrolite each side, and to have shaded black flutings at the side of the figure. The centre panel to be Jenny Lind figure in shaded pink worked into the glass, all to be similar to store at 171 Roncesvalles Avenue. 

Restaurant: To be of black vitrolite with red jointing and to have 2 chrome vents and to have Neon lighting in glass panel as shown of drawings and to be similar to Queen's Restaurant at Bloor & Sherbourne Streets. 

Barber Shop: To be black vitrolite, with yellow banding, I grille, in chrome. Hairdressing Parlor to be black vitrolite with red banding design as shown in I chrome grille.

Two East Stores: Generally to be black vitrolite, with coloured banding with I Chrome vent in each store.



Additional sections of Chown's specifications prescribe what type of glass windows, doors, and terrazzo was to be used in the storefront design (see attached). 

For more information, please access this City of Toronto Archives item: https://gencat.eloquent-systems.com/city-of-toronto-archives-m-permalink.html?key=718517


Early and Notable Occupants / Uses:

As of 1939/1940, the commercial tenants were as follows:


1304 King Street West: Vacant

1306 King Street West: Dodge Bakery 
Note: Edna Dodge lived above the bakery in 1306A King Street West.

1308 King Street West: Gillies Beauty Salon

1310 King Street West: McKeown's Barber Shop

1312 King Street West: Queen's Tea Room

1314 King Street West: Vogue Hand Laundry and Cleaners

1316 King Street West: Dominion Stores Ltd.

1318 King Street West: Norman Charles (Drugstore) / Charles Pharmacy
Note: the Charles family lived above the drugstore until 1951.

Selected commercial histories have been included below.


Dominion Stores Ltd.:

As noted above, 1304-1308 King Street West is also notable for being one of the very first purpose-built-and-designed self-serve (modern) grocery stores in Toronto through the design commissioned for Dominion Stores Ltd.

The Archives of Ontario provides the following history of Dominion: 

"Dominion Stores Limited was a national chain of grocery stores, predominantly known in the eastern half of Canada. Founded in 1919 in Toronto, Ontario, as a series of local dry goods stores, the chain was remade after World War II into a number of suburban-based, self-serve supermarkets. Originally acquired by Argus Corporation, it was sold to the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P), and later acquired by the Quebec holding company, Metro Incorporated, which eliminated the "Dominion" name in 2008.

Noting a lack of grocery chains in post-WW I Canada, New Hampshire businessman Robert Jackson and ex- A&P store manager William J. Pentland, with the backing of American investors, opened their first store on 23 May 1919, at 174 Wallace Avenue, Toronto. Within a year, the newly-incorporated Dominion Stores Limited had purchased eighteen locations from Toronto grocer T.P. Loblaw and expanded to sixty-one stores. Growing to 572 stores in central Canada by 1930, most of the chain's operations were small, downtown storefronts where white-coated clerks filled each order. Only non-perishable dry goods, like coffee, flour, and sugar were stocked with customers expected to bring their own storage containers. Meat, fresh produce, and bread were introduced in the mid-1920s with the development of commercial refrigeration units.

In 1939, Dominion began a major modernization with many of the smaller stores being closed while the remainder were renovated into self-service operations. When American stockholders attempted to sell the chain to Safeway Incorporated, the company remained in Canadian hands by becoming part of the newly formed Argus Corporation. By 1954, Dominion had been streamlined down to 195 stores, most of which were new large supermarkets located in the suburbs and accessible primarily by car.

Dominion's demise began with the inflation and "deep discounting" wars of the 1970's. In May 1978, Conrad Black assumed control of Argus Corporation and began liquidating the firm's holdings to further fund his media empire. While the other national grocery chains modernized with computerized inventory control, scanning check-outs, and low cost generic products, the Dominion stores stagnated as pieces of the company were sold off. In 1985, the corporate headquarters, distribution facilities, and the remaining 93 Ontario stores were sold to A&P Canada and were re-named under the "Metro" banner in 2008. Currently, the Dominion name and trademarks survive at 12 stores in Newfoundland."



Dominion moved storefronts within 1304-1318 King Street West on several occasions and eventually consolidated two storefronts together to create a larger commercial space. The store remained in the building until the late 20th century. 


Jenny Lind Candy Shops:

Established in 1930, Jenny Lind was a Toronto-based candy manufacturer. Its headquarters were located at 301 Lansdowne Avenue. The company was acquired by Pet Milk Canada in 1964. 


Charles Pharmacy:

Opened in 1939 by Norman Charles, Charles Pharmacy is one of Toronto's longest running pharmacies and one of Parkdale's longest running businesses. Charles Pharmacy has changed management over time but has retained its founder's name. During the 2010s, the pharmacy moved a short distance east to 1204 King Street West where it remains in business as of 2023.

The following obituary was provided in The Globe and Mail following Charles' death in May 1997:

"Norman Charles. Pharmacist. Born in Toronto on February 1, 1911; died of prostate cancer in Toronto on May 10, 1997, aged 86. 

Many people knew Norman Charles; they may not have been aware of it, but the did. He was the owner-pharmacist of Charles Pharmacy, the Parkdale landmark that stands at the corner of King Street and Cowan Avenue in Toronto. Norman Charles felt proud and privileged to serve his community. He opened his store with pleasure early each morning, 365 days a year for almost 60 years, until the day before his 86th birthday, when he pain of illness struck him at the door of his store and he had to return home. One of his grandsons said if he had had more money he probably would have spent it building a tunnel from the house to the store rather than on expensive cars or trips. 

He was the son of socialists, his mother a seamstress, his father an idealistic tailor. In that era, it was difficult for a Jew to gain admission to university, so it is noteworthy that Norman Charles Goldstein not only graduated with a PhmB from the University of Toronto but also won the Loriman Medal "for proficiency in practical chemistry" in the academic year 1933-34. In 1937, he married into a prominent Jewish family: His bride, Freda Shapiro, was the daughter of Samuel Shapiro, the editor fo the Toronto Hebrew Journal. 

He ended up in Parkdale because he didn't feel it was right to compete with his former boss on Eglinton Avenue, where he had begun his apprenticeship in the early thirties. When he heard about the Parkdale location from his father-in-law in 1939, he sat in front of the recently completed building all day, amazed at how many people walked by that corner. He was so intent on his location research, he didn't realize he was parked in front of an Owl drugstore across the street until it was too late. He had signed the lease. 

Very soon after the store's opening, the young pharmacist began being taunted in the street with anti-Semitic gibes. He doesn't seem to have considered leaving the neighbourhood, and indeed, he and his family lived in the apartment above the store until 1951. Instead, he dropped the name Goldstein, in 1939, and became Norman Charles. 

Over the years, he served thousands of Parkdale community residents. He cared about them as individuals and they cared about them. He safeguarded pay cheques for some customers who worried that if they had cash over the weekend it might be spent unwisely. He threw people out of the store when they thought the rubbing alcohol they wanted to buy might not be used for rubbing into their skin. 

Most of his former employees never failed to visit him when they were in Toronto. A few months ago, a former delivery boy came into the store with his grandchildren and bought them a candy. When he handed Charlie a $20 bill and refused any change, the man assured him that he owed him far more than that for all the pop he surreptitiously drank in the basement. A former clerk said Charlie was the best friend he ever had and he commanded a loyalty that was far beyond an employer-employee relationship. 

Charlie worked all his life As a boy growing up during the Depression, he knew no other way. When asked why he never took a vacation, he said work was his vacation. Pharmacy for him was more than a business; it was a calling. The only time his son Michael, a teacher, ever saw him angry was shortly after he became ill: Referring to the pharmacy, he said "You see what you could have had." 

He faced death the same way he faced life — with a workmanlike attitude, compassion, and integrity. He refused to take morphine until the end because he said it was for people who were dying. When he accepted it was finally "time to go" a few days before his death, he died on his own terms. Even the night before the end, he listened to his beloved Blue Jays and discussed the score, trades, and all aspects of the game with his sons and grandchildren. 

The next day, when he said he didn't want to listen to the game, those around him knew he was going to die that night. He had got sick in the winter, but lived to the spring, so his grandchildren did not have to get mud on their shoes as they carried him to his grave. Typically, in his gentle way, this was something that concerned him when he heard his days were numbered. 

During those last few months, when he could no longer work, he finally had the chance to enjoy his grandchildren. His pharmacy will continue to run, but without Charlie behind the dispensary. This chapter of Parkdale history closed with his death."  (The Globe and Mail, 17 June 1997, A16) 


Bing's Chinese Restaurant:

Opening in 1961/1962, Bing's Chinese Restaurant was a popular Chinese restaurant based at 1312 King Steret West. The restaurant was operated by Don Lee (who lived across the street at 1309 King Street West) It remained in business until the mid-to-late 1970s. The restaurant later became Ho King Chinese Restaurant. 

Present Businesses:

1304-1318 King Street West presently contains a mix of businesses, including a golf simulator, a cannabis shop, a wine shop, a cafe, a bar, a beauty salon, and a tattoo parlour.




Forthcoming Redevelopment: 

In August 2023, KingSett Capital announced plans to demolish the existing building at 1304-1318 King Street West / 143 Cowan Avenue and neighbouring 145 Cowan Avenue in order to construct a 21-storey condominium tower (with commercial at grade).

(Research by Adam Wynne)