#ExperienceTO: Sunnyside Historical Tour

About Sunnyside: "The name “Sunnyside” had been used to denote a beach and its surrounding area for 70-plus years before the amusement park opened. The name may have been coined by George Howard, a prominent citizen whom in 1848 had built a home overlooking the shore on the sunny side of a hill. The Ocean House Hotel was built in 1884. It came to house a Bake-Rite shop, Laura Secord Candy Shop, Tamblyn Drugstore, and a United Cigar Store. Some of these early Canadian businesses would survive into the present to become country-wide chain stores. The structure itself, still stands at the corner of present-day Queen Street and Roncesvalles Avenue above what would generally become the amusement park and specifically, The Boulevard Club’s location. By the 1890’s the population was large enough to warrant the building of a streetcar service to the district, which was extended by new owners in 1893. One promotion started in that decade was the bathing-car service offered free to kids in the summer. They would pick up any children with bathing suits & towels and transport them free to and from the beach area west of Toronto." (Sunnyside Pavilion)

Join us for a FREE, public walking tour that will be a good experience for anyone: whether you’re 8 or 80 years old, and whether you’re a curious local, solo traveler, backpacker, newcomer, or part of a group of friends.

ABOUT

Beginning on the lakefront side of the Sunnyside Pavillion (1755 Lake Shore Blvd W, Toronto, ON M6S 5A3), the interactive tour will be hosted by Alex Rășcanu and David Hollands. The tour will focus on Sunnyside's history. It will conclude at a nearby coffee shop.

WHEN

Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 11:00am. The tour will last approximately 90 minutes.

WHERE TO MEET

The tour will start on the lakefront side of the Sunnyside Pavillion (1755 Lake Shore Blvd W, Toronto, ON M6S 5A3).

WHERE IT ENDS

This tour will end at a nearby coffee shop, where you can order coffee/tea/brunch and spend some more time speaking and connecting with fellow historical tour participants.

GUEST SPEAKER
David Hollands is a Torontonian, a husband, a father, a former head of creative at the Royal Ontario Museum, and an architect.

FACILITATOR
Alex Rășcanu is a Torontonian, a husband, a father of four, and an avid student of our city's history. Stay in touch with him on LinkedIn / X / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube.

#ExperienceTO Sunnyside Historical Tour

Host or Publisher Alex Rascanu