It takes a serious videographer like you, to remind us of how much Yonge St. has changed in 36 years. In 1987 you were a video pioneer, this is almost like 'found footage' after the apocalypse.
I was born in Toronto in 82 and I'm loving this series. Reminds me of a lot of happy memories of riding through downtown with my late father on Saturdays while he did errands.
I was working at Yonge/Bloor when this video was taken.Toronto was great then. People were handing out flyers looking for employees. Most of those large stores on Yonge near the Eaton Centre are gone now. The Toronto that I knew is long gone.
You passed my street (McGill) while driving south on Yonge at 1:28. Man, this brings me right back. I feel like I've entered a time machine, with all the sights and sounds. Wow.
Traffic report refers to the 401 being jammed. Twenty-six years later and it's the same story. We've come a long way, Toronto. Thanks for posting this time capsule!
Thank you for posting this. A true flashback of the city in one of my favorite years, 1987. Recognized 2 classic songs of 1987 at the end. Suzanne Vega's "Luka" and Kenny G's "Songbird". From the sound of the traffic reports, sounds like much hasn't changed in the past 28 years.
I was in my early 20s..had gone to Toronto for my very first visit and my very first flight in 1987..for 3 weeks ..towards end of August - first of September. Stayed with a friend who lived on Queens Quay/ Bathurst..I remember Tina Turner and Whitney Houston performing in the same week I do believe at CNE when I was there. My last night we went to Ontario Place and CNE..and I rode the roller coaster over and over..one of my highlights was riding on the back a guys motorcycle at like 3 am through the streets of downtown Toronto and feeling like a million bucks. Great memories-
Toronto 1987: Diverse neighbourhoods and urban enclaves Toronto 2022: CONDOS CONDOS CONDOS in gross conformity and an above-ground subway that hacks the city in half!
Cool! This is the Downtown Toronto of my childhood. This was filmed exactly 3 weeks before my 8th birthday. About this time, some of my relatives from the old country came over for a memorable visit of roughly 3 weeks; there was a teachers' strike so I really got to spend time with them. One day we went downtown and walked down Yonge St. (I think) for a certain distance until we got to the Eaton's Centre. This video reminds me of that trip.
I was 12 at this time and my cousin and I practically live on yonge st. I always wonder till this day how my parents allowed us to be gone from morning to night and how we was not killed raped but I do remember being chased by 5/6 Rockers that all looked like they where from the band poison lol we ran down the stairs in and caught the subway across from the Eaton center. lol crazy stories always wondered why they was chasing us and what would they have done if they caught us
@@mikeywilson8526 This exact day was my twelfth b-day, I recall our family during the summer time would go park downtown and just walk on Yonge street for hours. During Christmas times we would go down to see the store windows display of animatronics. Went to HS in 1990s and had a good friend that I know till this day that lived close to Ryerson and I spent alot of time Downtown, that's when I saw the darker side of the city as a teen. It was crazy back then because there wasn't much regulation with cameras everywhere. Went to strip bars, was drinking and smoking pot by the time I was 16. Grew up too fast and seen some crazy things happen downtown.
From the start most of those buildings on the left are now under construction for condos 1:32 on the right parking lot is now condo 2:47 remember that jean store now Dundas Square
I miss it...I miss the simpler days.....when not all stores catered to the elite and 1% . When middle class and poorer people could still shop in the hub of downtown Toronto! Now!.....buddy you better have an A black American Express card or have a debit card that holds at least $150,000.00 cause if you don't...you can't shop here! It caters only to the rich!
Driving seems look so civilized then,over is it that over growth hadn't inhibited the city yet ? I think I was about 11 months at this point, when this video was shot ! Used to live on Don Mills/Eglinton as a baby !
I'm watching this and getting upset that cars are cutting in front, cutting off pedestrians. I'm thinking Hurry up its a green light! That's what this city has done to me. I can't even relax and enjoy a video
So different than today! At 5:15 the 76 Malibu makes a left turn in front of the pedestrian. Pedestrian calmly waits for the vehicle to complete its turn. Today the person would be raging taking the driver's door and grabbing the license plate lol
The famous old Edison hotel, a landmark for music acts of the 60's. Was a few things after that, including a Majestic Electronics store. Eventually brought down by an Arsonist, during the process of the city reviewing an application to deem it a heritage property.
I guarantee you I was somewhere around there walking the streetI guarantee you I was somewhere around there walking the street with my friends hanging out shopping. my cousin and I use to practically live on Yonge Street Yonge and Isabella. Really miss those days.
A great video. A correction though, I'm pretty sure the date is wrong. I can see half way through that the Imperial Six cinemas are open but they closed in May 1986 and the building was then restored back to it's original state and went on to play Phantom of the Opera for about 11 or 12 years.
Cobra yes. There were lots of stores were Dundas Square is now. There was a jeans store, a Coles book store, a Baskin & Robbins ice cream store and so much more! I spent my youth on Yonge in those days and I dearly miss it. I was 23 in 87. My son was born less than 6 weeks before this video was filmed.
All of what you see as Dundas Square was small businesses. I still recall shopping at the corner store Rockwells for clothing back in the early 1990's, it was good times, but Toronto was heading into a bad time in the 1990's with crime, I remember all the gangs in highschool. The clubbing, the sleepless nights, it was so incredible back then, it was the golden era or Hip hop, dance music, tehcno and R&B was at the greatest times. I recall this underground rave at the outskirts of Toronto now known as the Stockyards (St.Clair & Keele) they had d.j. from all over the U.S. come there. Now everyone is so anti-social, no one had computers or cell phones until the mid to late 1990's and it was better back then, you didn't have the distraction of social media or cell phones so you experienced life in a fulfilling way unlike now. The reckless youth abandon was incredible, I miss those times of my life.
just south of Wellesley on the east side of yonge there was a lower entrance to a basement pub that was open from above. Two guys used to play guitar there singing Neil young songs and people would throw money down. Ones and two dollar bills and stuff. Anybody remember them?
Sears, Eatons, Bay Zellers, RadioShack, Warden Woods Mall, SKyDome, and everything else that got fucked in the ass by lasman and his megashitcity idea. City is full of self serving asshats, time to move North!
Wow i was there big slice dude remember from.1984 i came back 98 We steal all drop off food milk La maisson croissants So brazen Police dept on gerrard 4 in MORNING we sneak over r remove stuff Kids do things to survive We all live on maitland
When Yonge street was fun,arcades,record stores.
It takes a serious videographer like you, to remind us of how much Yonge St. has changed in 36 years. In 1987 you were a video pioneer, this is almost like 'found footage' after the apocalypse.
I was born in Toronto in 82 and I'm loving this series. Reminds me of a lot of happy memories of riding through downtown with my late father on Saturdays while he did errands.
Priceless. Capturing a moment in 1987.
the fuzzy dice are the perfect 80s touch
Tickle the dice
It was a great time in Toronto.
I was working at Yonge/Bloor when this video was taken.Toronto was great then. People were handing out flyers looking for employees. Most of those large stores on Yonge near the Eaton Centre are gone now. The Toronto that I knew is long gone.
I was working in the atrium on bay in a grocery store. Brennan fine foods. Met Eddie van Halen and Valerie berteneli there too
You passed my street (McGill) while driving south on Yonge at 1:28. Man, this brings me right back. I feel like I've entered a time machine, with all the sights and sounds. Wow.
Traffic report refers to the 401 being jammed. Twenty-six years later and it's the same story. We've come a long way, Toronto.
Thanks for posting this time capsule!
Thank you for posting this. A true flashback of the city in one of my favorite years, 1987. Recognized 2 classic songs of 1987 at the end. Suzanne Vega's "Luka" and Kenny G's "Songbird". From the sound of the traffic reports, sounds like much hasn't changed in the past 28 years.
I was in my early 20s..had gone to Toronto for my very first visit and my very first flight in 1987..for 3 weeks ..towards end of August - first of September. Stayed with a friend who lived on Queens Quay/ Bathurst..I remember Tina Turner and Whitney Houston performing in the same week I do believe at CNE when I was there. My last night we went to Ontario Place and CNE..and I rode the roller coaster over and over..one of my highlights was riding on the back a guys motorcycle at like 3 am through the streets of downtown Toronto and feeling like a million bucks. Great memories-
These videos are gold, thank you 🙏🏾
Hey thanx for the feedback Booger!
@@hardyboy1959 You truly have made some incredible videos here bud. Definitely historic gold.
Thank you for sharing this trip down memory lane! So many shops are not there anymore and since then, I avoid Downtown Toronto as much as possible.
This is such a great video. I spent a lot of Saturday’s on young st buying records. Love that we can also hear the radio. Thxs for posting this!
thx for putting this up, i forgot what yonge and dundas looked like when i was a kid
Tepperman wrecking sign at 3:53, tearing down The Colonial. A real loss.
The radio still sounded the same! Amazing
You were way ahead of your time with the dash cam! Thanks for the chance to reminisce
fantastic vid. mixed the scenery I see now with the radio in the 70's. This upload is very much appreciated.
Wow... I moved to TO in 85 the change is incredible!!
Toronto 1987: Diverse neighbourhoods and urban enclaves
Toronto 2022: CONDOS CONDOS CONDOS in gross conformity and an above-ground subway that hacks the city in half!
awesome foresight to record yonge street in the 80s !! thxs!
Walk up to bloor
I just want to go back to the summer of 1987 and just stay there
Me too. I was 7, turning 8 in Sept. Mid 80s to 87 was the best year a child could have. .
70's, 80's and 90's was amazing, after that its all gone to shit.
Cool! This is the Downtown Toronto of my childhood. This was filmed exactly 3 weeks before my 8th birthday. About this time, some of my relatives from the old country came over for a memorable visit of roughly 3 weeks; there was a teachers' strike so I really got to spend time with them. One day we went downtown and walked down Yonge St. (I think) for a certain distance until we got to the Eaton's Centre. This video reminds me of that trip.
I was 12 at this time and my cousin and I practically live on yonge st. I always wonder till this day how my parents allowed us to be gone from morning to night and how we was not killed raped but I do remember being chased by 5/6 Rockers that all looked like they where from the band poison lol we ran down the stairs in and caught the subway across from the Eaton center. lol crazy stories always wondered why they was chasing us and what would they have done if they caught us
@@mikeywilson8526 This exact day was my twelfth b-day, I recall our family during the summer time would go park downtown and just walk on Yonge street for hours. During Christmas times we would go down to see the store windows display of animatronics. Went to HS in 1990s and had a good friend that I know till this day that lived close to Ryerson and I spent alot of time Downtown, that's when I saw the darker side of the city as a teen. It was crazy back then because there wasn't much regulation with cameras everywhere. Went to strip bars, was drinking and smoking pot by the time I was 16. Grew up too fast and seen some crazy things happen downtown.
Awesome. In all candor, I was looking for myself as I STAYED on Yonge St back in the day
Awesome. I was a 16 year old street urchin back then. You probably caught me on tape loitering around Yonge and Scumdas:)
Me too. Club Focus. Nutz and boltz.
Thanxs for posting this video! Great memories and monuments from a bygone Toronto. Love the Fleetwood Mac song in the bkgd!!!
radio has not changed really 30 years later
No,has changed a lot, it used to be better.
@Daniel Drader Radio programs used to be very better until invention of internet in 80's
It's gotten better, if you turn the dial, from shit to tolerable: country to, ANYTHING BUT COUNTRY
So much for the "space van."
Oooh! Eaton Centre. My old home away from home. Brings back so much memories. I was probably at the Atrium & Bay at this exact time. Around 10:00 am?
Victor Malangyaon wowzers i worked at brennans fine foods in the atrium on bay till 87 i might have seen u around lol
I recall all the dealers standing out in front of Eaton Center and now 30 yrs later pot is legal. crazy life!
My son was born less than 6 weeks before this video. August 14, 1987 ❤️
man that brings back memories. I was a street kid on that strip right around that time. those were not happy times.
From the start most of those buildings on the left are now under construction for condos 1:32 on the right parking lot is now condo 2:47 remember that jean store now Dundas Square
A&A Music next to Sam's. It was owned by my ex-wife's uncle, Fred Rich.
This video made my day. Wish you had more videos
BI-WAY on Yonge Street......
I miss it...I miss the simpler days.....when not all stores catered to the elite and 1% . When middle class and poorer people could still shop in the hub of downtown Toronto! Now!.....buddy you better have an A black American Express card or have a debit card that holds at least $150,000.00 cause if you don't...you can't shop here! It caters only to the rich!
Driving seems look so civilized then,over is it that over growth hadn't inhibited the city yet ? I think I was about 11 months at this point, when this video was shot ! Used to live on Don Mills/Eglinton as a baby !
Great video...Wish I could go back to those days....2014 Toronto sucks.
I have no memory of writing this.
I love seeing Clips like this of The City..I was only 2 years old at this time.
Biggz Was Here. 33.
Cool. I miss the Silver Rail Tavern.
Anyone remember Mr. Green Jeans in Eaton Center? It was a huge joke shop with gags and anything to do with pranks. Used to love that store as a kid.
Um... As I remember it, Mr. Green Jeans was a restaurant at the north end of the mall. Memories are weird things!
Cool video. I think I saw my old Cutlass Supreme. 😁
Geez, was there ever no gridlock!?!?
I'm watching this and getting upset that cars are cutting in front, cutting off pedestrians. I'm thinking Hurry up its a green light! That's what this city has done to me. I can't even relax and enjoy a video
The amount of people Jaywalking is unreal, at least that's improved.
Just graduated from university that June. Can’t believe it has been 34 years!
Love the documentation
So different than today! At 5:15 the 76 Malibu makes a left turn in front of the pedestrian. Pedestrian calmly waits for the vehicle to complete its turn. Today the person would be raging taking the driver's door and grabbing the license plate lol
I noticed the 76 Malibu too!
Unless they were jaywalking, that driver was a boor. Pedestrians at controlled intersections have right-of-way on a walk signal--even in 1987
I wish the video had continued with the Kenny G music that started at the end. It was a nice combination with the driving.
found the long lost vhs tape of the remainder of that day with the end of that Kenny Gee song, enjoy!... ua-cam.com/video/yMQWx5TySdg/v-deo.html
Wow, I was not expecting to ever see a continuation of this! Really great that you found it. Can't wait to watch it.
And nobody is looking down at their stupid phones
Ok boomer
Matthew Lysenko ok millennial...🤦🏻♂️
@@travisazzopardi5383 Oh look, another Millennial
@@edwardbliss8931 I’m not a millennial Bobo. I was born in 64.
@@travisazzopardi5383 I was talking about Travis
IM IN TEARS THANK YOU
When Toronto was good. Left the city in 1989 for Calgary, came back 22 years later and WTF?!?!?
lol
Still a good city? What dont you like about it
too much diversity @@AllGasNoBreaks416
I think Toronto looks way better now maybe because I’m still young and your getting old😂😂
Franklin Hatch lol I hear what you are trying to say.. but at least Toronto is becoming better and high tech compare to before
0:58 so you’re telling me they never changed that commercial
Haunting.
anyone know what the building at 2:15 on left with "Music World" sign used to be?
The famous old Edison hotel, a landmark for music acts of the 60's. Was a few things after that, including a Majestic Electronics store. Eventually brought down by an Arsonist, during the process of the city reviewing an application to deem it a heritage property.
I guarantee you I was somewhere around there walking the streetI guarantee you I was somewhere around there walking the street with my friends hanging out shopping. my cousin and I use to practically live on Yonge Street Yonge and Isabella. Really miss those days.
10 years and a few months before I was born. Wow
A great video. A correction though, I'm pretty sure the date is wrong. I can see half way through that the Imperial Six cinemas are open but they closed in May 1986 and the building was then restored back to it's original state and went on to play Phantom of the Opera for about 11 or 12 years.
One thing never changes, traffic reports @ 2:57 and @4:30 could be repeated today and everyday
Cannot really recognize the yonge dundas intersection. Was there a building on the now empty yonge dundas square?
Cobra yes. There were lots of stores were Dundas Square is now. There was a jeans store, a Coles book store, a Baskin & Robbins ice cream store and so much more! I spent my youth on Yonge in those days and I dearly miss it. I was 23 in 87. My son was born less than 6 weeks before this video was filmed.
All of what you see as Dundas Square was small businesses. I still recall shopping at the corner store Rockwells for clothing back in the early 1990's, it was good times, but Toronto was heading into a bad time in the 1990's with crime, I remember all the gangs in highschool. The clubbing, the sleepless nights, it was so incredible back then, it was the golden era or Hip hop, dance music, tehcno and R&B was at the greatest times. I recall this underground rave at the outskirts of Toronto now known as the Stockyards (St.Clair & Keele) they had d.j. from all over the U.S. come there. Now everyone is so anti-social, no one had computers or cell phones until the mid to late 1990's and it was better back then, you didn't have the distraction of social media or cell phones so you experienced life in a fulfilling way unlike now. The reckless youth abandon was incredible, I miss those times of my life.
We can probably still ride on the (then new) streetcars that are pictured crossing Yonge at Queen!
Cool music should be added during the video, especially from the Mills Brothers.
just south of Wellesley on the east side of yonge there was a lower entrance to a basement pub that was open from above. Two guys used to play guitar there singing Neil young songs and people would throw money down. Ones and two dollar bills and stuff. Anybody remember them?
Next to a liquor store as I remember. (?)
Possibly. It was right where the dollar store and liquor store are right now. Just south of that building with the Timmie’s in it.
Toronto The Good!
Is that JD Roberts?
This video I was taken the day I was born. It was a Friday.
Well, at least the talk radio hasn't changed in this city.
love hearing the CJCL
The original dash cam!
Is that Alex on the radio?
Is it just me or are the accents different than the ones we have today?
More Caucasian sounding rather than any other mixed European or West Indies
No, it's not you...the accents were indeed different...
Reminds me of Grand Theft Auto for some reason.
The ORIGINAL dash cam
I miss bi way 3:24
Sears, Eatons, Bay Zellers, RadioShack, Warden Woods Mall, SKyDome, and everything else that got fucked in the ass by lasman and his megashitcity idea. City is full of self serving asshats, time to move North!
VOICE-OF-REASON - Really? Mel Lastman?
Carla M what about shoppers world at Danforth and victory park
80's 90's movies how about woolworth, woolco, knobhill, and eatons cineplex ?
@@totoroutes5389 Zellers, BiWay, Honest Ed's, Bargain Harold's, Stitches, U Save Center.
Sam The Record Man.
Take me Back
Good old Sam's.
And not one hijabi wearing woman seen. Honestly everyone was so clean looking back then
And you can tell all this by looking at a blurry old video?! You must be a superior person with supreme eyesight!
You don't think Hijabs belong do you?? Because it 'bothers' you??
Wow i was there big slice dude remember from.1984 i came back 98
We steal all drop off food milk
La maisson croissants
So brazen
Police dept on gerrard
4 in MORNING we sneak over r remove stuff
Kids do things to survive
We all live on maitland
And of you type English?
It's totly change young street
SAMs 😢
o cool!!!
👍
Fuzzy dice
here to post the obligatory "bAcK wHeN tOrOnTo wAs a rEaL CiTy!"
What's with people jaywalking all over the place?
Freedom!
@@D33Lux 'fReEdUmB!'
cjcl...wow
Viewer 11,007 ;-)
6
with a police escort...lol
Back when I was a sperm
nice but keep it under 100mph --ok
this is when toronto was nice, clean, and safe.
It was safer than 2020 for sure, all of Toronto was, but during the 1990's it got a little rough for sometime.