Description:

505-507 Parliament Street is a 2.5 storey building — known as the George Simpson House — located on the east side of Parliament Street midblock between Carlton Street and Winchester Street in the Cabbagetown neighbourhood of Toronto. 505-507 Parliament Street was constructed in c. 1874/1875 and was one of the first buildings built on Parliament Street north of Carlton Street. 505-507 Parliament Street is in a style reminiscent of the Ontario Gothic Revival Cottage, albeit is a uncommon 2.5 storey example of the style.

505-507 Parliament Street shares stylistic similarities with the gabled Maple Terrace at 519-527 Parliament Street. Both 505-507 Parliament Street (the George Simpson House) and Maple Terrace were constructed in 1874/1875 and are representative of the earliest development of this section of Parliament Street. 

505-507 Parliament Street was originally a residential property. In circa 1884/1885, a storefront was added to the ground floor following development intensification in the surrounding area. By the mid-1890s, this storefront had been subdivided into two commercial spaces. It has since been consolidated back into a single commercial space. 

Prior to 1890, 505-507 Parliament Street was known as 393 Parliament Street. 

The exterior of 505-507 Parliament Street has been painted yellow and cream.


First Known Resident - George Simpson: 

The first known resident of 505-507 Parliament Street was George Simpson. George Simpson was a local nurseryman.  

There are two George Simpsons enumerated in the 1871 Census of Canada and residing in this area of Toronto: 

George Simpson, born c. 1817 in Ireland. Commercial traveller by trade. Married to Sarah Jane Simpson, born c. 1836 in Ontario. Father of Emily Louisa Simpson, born c. 1854 in Ontario. Family was Wesleyan Methodist. 

George Simpson, born c. 1827 in Ireland. Flour dealer by trade.

Later Occupants and Uses:   

Later residents of 505-507 Parliament Street included Julia Dugdale — a nurse (c. 1877-1878); William Batt — a clerk (c. 1879-1883); and Robert Walton — a bookkeeper (c. 1884). 

In c. 1884/1885, a commercial storefront was added to the building.

The first commercial tenant was Mary Sullivan — a grocer and confectioner. Mary Sullivan was one of Cabbagetown's first female merchants. Mary was born in c. 1846 in Ireland and resided at the property with her sister (or sister-in-law) Bridget Sullivan (born c. 1848). Mary was widowed prior to 1890 (with her husband being Bernard Sullivan). Both sisters were Roman Catholic. 

The Sullivan sisters remained associated with the property until the early-to-mid 1890s with a brief hiatus c. 1888/1889 when the property housed Walter Inwood's furniture business. This hiatus coincided with a shift of the Sullivans business from a general grocers to a confectionery shop.   

Note: the 1891 Census of Canada enumerates another Mary Sullivan within the same area of the city. This Mary Sullivan was also Irish, Roman Catholic, and a similar age (born c. 1848). Research is ongoing to determine if the aforementioned Sullivans were related. 


By 1899/1900, the storefront had been subdivided into two commercial units (known as 505 and 507 Parliament Street). Later occupants of these units included: 


1894/1895:

505 Parliament Street: Richard Grigg — tailor.
507 Parliament Street: Mrs. Catherine J. Shields — stationery and fancy goods. 

Catherine Shields was born in England in c. 1856.  Like Mary Sullivan, she was widowed at a young age  (prior to 1891). As of 1891, Catherine had three young children: Norman (age 9), Effie (age 7), and Frederick (age 5). Her early widowhood may have contributed to her establishing her own business.


1899/1900:

505 Parliament Street: Elizabeth Robertson — grocer; and John Robertson.
507 Parliament Street: Mrs. C. J. Shields — stationery and fancy goods. 

1909/1910:

505 Parliament Street: Thomas Williams — grocer.
507 Parliament Street: J. G. Johnston — dairy.


1919/1920:

505 Parliament Street: Metfuro Marchant — grocer.
507 Parliament Street: Morris Markovitch — dry goods.  


1929/1930:

505 Parliament Street: Dean & Seymour — tobacco. 

507 Parliament Street: Anna Cainer — dry goods.



1939/1940:
505 Parliament Street: John A. Murphy — barber. 

507 Parliament Street: Anna Cainer — dry goods; and Gabriel Cainer. 

Anna Cainer was a prominent Jewish merchant in the Cabbagetown neighbourhood. She was in business for over 20 years.


1949/1950:

505 Parliament Street: Dean & Seymour — tobacco. 

507 Parliament Street: Anna Cainer — dry goods.


1959/1960:

505 Parliament Street: Dor-Ann Sports Shop — sportswear; and William Montrait.

507 Parliament Street: Toronto Luggage Centre.


1969/1970:

505 Parliament Street: New Fashion - ladies and mens wear.

505A: Two residential apartments.

507 Parliament Street: Tom's Open Kitchen.
 


1980s to early 1990s:

By the 1980s/1990s, the building housed popular neighbourhood restaurants, including the Opera Café — a Hungarian restaurant (c. 1984); and Poor William's — a California-inspired restaurant (c. 1991).


1994 to 2021:

From 1994 to 2021, 505-507 Parliament Street was home to The Pear Tree — a popular Continental restaurant. The restaurant owner Asokan Rasiah died of COVID in January 2021. Following his death, the building was sold.

Redevelopment: 

In March 2023, 505-507 Parliament Street was proposed for demolition as part of the proposed redevelopment of 505-509 Parliament Street with an 10-storey condominium. 


(Research by Adam Wynne)