“Yes, we’re gonna have a subway in Toronto; we’ve got to get the working man home pronto…”

“Canada’s First Subway” was completed in Toronto in 1954, after 4 long years of construction. The cost for that groundbreaking transit system was around $60 million (source).

1950s Vintage Photo for the 1954 Opening of the toronto subway (TTC) featuring women in TTC uniforms. — Source: Toronto Archives

It was an immediate hit with the people; 250,000 rode it on the first day. Its opening established it as an icon for the booming economy that lay ahead for post-war Toronto (source).

1950s Vintage Photo of a billboard for the TTC "Canada's First Subway". — Source: Toronto Savvy

Now if you have been following my blog for some time you know that I have a thing for fun history and sometimes history that is a bit kitschy and there is nothing more kitschy then a song written about the making of the Toronto Subway.

**Originally recorded in 1950, the Toronto Subway Song was written by Mel Hamill. Betty Carr and Charles Baldour performed the vocals, backed by the Ozzie Williams Band (Source).

**When the Toronto Subway Song‘s singers mention “bearing the noise” and the inconvenience caused by construction, they weren’t exaggerating. As crews were excavating one downtown section, for instance, they ran into solid rock that stretched from Front Street to Queen Street. This meant that for much of the excavation period, workers had to use dynamite twice each day — at noon and at 4:30 p.m. — which caused quite a noise disturbance for the city (Source).

Can’t hear the song? Here are the words:

Now have you heard what’s going on in Toronto?
They’re digging deeper, deeper, deeper every day.
Though proprietors are raving while they’re tearing up the paving,
The racket is nerve-wracking, so they say.
And though the noise may be distressing, so construction is progressing,
And we can’t afford a further delay
So with the help of you and me and the blessed T.T.C.
We’ll soon have a real subway.

CHORUS:
Yes, we’re gonna have a subway in Toronto.
We gotta get the working man home pronto.
So bear the noise with a smile and in a little while
We’ll be riding in a new subway.

Now it’s generally conceded that a subway here is needed
For the people have to get to work each day.
We have men in Deseronto, girls who live in North Toronto
And to all of them we have just this to say:
Modern history’s in the making with this hallowed undertaking
And Rome wasn’t built in a day.
You may find it’s aggravating, but be sure it’s worth the waiting
For we’ll soon have a real subway.

Now with modern engineering dear old Yonge Street’s disappearing
By the truckload they are hauling it away (INTERJECTION: Stay away!)
Excavation so extensive will doubtless be expensive
But who cares about expenses anyway? (INTERJECTION: anyway)
Though we may have open Sundays there are plenty of blue Mondays
When the pile drivers start every day
The workmen do the swearing while the public do the staring
And we’ll soon have a real subway. (INTERJECTION: Yes, sir!)

Repeat CHORUS, then:
Don’t take the streetcar,
Riding in a new subway!

To end this post I will leave you with a poem which was written about the bystanders who watched this historic subway being built.

1950s Toronto TTC Subway Poem — Source: ttc

Do you have a Kitschy song about your city? Share any thoughts about this blog post in the comment section below.

FURTHER READING:

Vintage Toronto Blog Posts Archive

Liz 🙂

If you’re Canadian you know the famous and very historic Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs for over 60 some on years BUT did you know that outside of hockey the Gardens played a role in bringing top musical acts, ice shows, operas and rally’s to the public of Toronto (to name a few)?

1930s Maple Leaf Gardens vintage photo — Source: BlogTO

Lets take a look at the Vintage Non Hockey History of Maple Leaf Gardens pre 1970s

Let’s Begin with…..ELVIS!

Elvis Presley played the Gardens in April of 1957 and it should be noted that this performance was among only five he ever performed outside of the U.S.

1950s vintage photo of Elvis Presley in Toronto 1950s at Maple Leaf Gardens — Source: Flickr-Greg’s Southern Ontario

This is a letter signed by his fans that say “Presented to Elvis Presley, April 2 1957 on your personal appearance in the Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens. We would like to convey our greatest & warmest wishes for your continued success & happiness.”

A Description of the Evening:

Crowds estimated at 8,000 and 15,000 persons jammed Maple Leaf Gardens last night as Elvis Presley gave his first and second Canadian shows. Col. Tom Parker, Presley’s manager, said the second-show crowd was the largest Presley has ever faced in a personal appearance. I think Toronto audiences are terrific,’ Col. Parker said.

But if the Toronto audience was the largest Elvis has ever faced, to all reports it was also one of the quietest and best-behaved audiences ever to watch Elvis in action. Members of the troupe said the whooping and hollering and shenanigans just didn’t compare to what they had seen in other cities. However, they gave part of the credit for this to the 90 special constables on duty and to the alert Gardens’ staff. Whenever a youngster bounced up in his seat a policeman would reach over and plunk him down again. This sometimes gave the Gardens the appearance of a large jack-in-the-box, but it seemed to have the desired effect. Two women fans were ejected late in the second performance when they tried to break through 20 policemen and as many Maple Leaf Gardens’ attendants to reach the stage. Frankie Trent, who leads off the Presley show with a tap dance routine said he had heard a lot more heckling than was usual in most towns.’But the kids didn’t screech and run around as much as they did in other places,’ he said (Source).

Elvis on Stage.

1950s vintage photo of Elvis Presley in 1957 playing at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens — Source: Elvis Collectors

The Ice Capades

Having an Ice Show at a place where there is Ice kind of makes sense. Here are the Ice Capades of 1955 as I don’t know what but those ARE giant ice cream cones in background. How cute!

Performer in Maple Leaf Gardens’ Ice Capades rehearsing Peter Pan with journalist. 1950s vintage photo.

1950s Ice Capades Maple Leaf Gardens -Performer in Maple Leaf Gardens' Ice Capades rehearsing Peter Pan with journalist. — Source: Flickr-Toronto History

Wartime Rallies

The rallies were held at the Gardens for enlisting as well as supporting Victory Bonds (source).

1940s photo of a Wartime Rally at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens — Source: Wikipedia Commons

U.S. Radio stars Fibber McGee and Molly at Victory Loan rally-October 30th, 1945.

1940s vintage photo of American radio stars Fibber McGee and Molly perform during a Victory Loans Rally in 1945. — Source: Wikipedia Commons

Need to hold a meeting?

Why not at the Gardens, like the Red Cross did in 1945.

Further Reading: Vintage Toronto: Meetings, Committees & Clubs

1940s vintage photo of Girls skating at Red Cross meeting, Maple Leaf Gardens 1945 — Source: Flickr-Toronto History

The Metropolitan Opera was also noted for performing at the Gardens

Here is an image of a adorable little girl getting ready for her performance.

1950s vintage photo of the Metropolitan Opera performers in dressing room at Maple Leaf Gardens 1950s — Source: Flickr-Toronto History

Back to the Concerts

In what was deemed the arena’s first rock ‘n’ roll show, Bill Haley and his Comets headlined a 12-act bill on April 30, 1956, that also included Bo Diddley, LaVern Baker, Big Joe Turner, the Drifters, the Platters, and Frankie Lymon.

FURTHER READING: The Biggest Rock n Roll Show of 1956 Performs at Maple Leaf Gardens Toronto

Bill Haley and the Comets Performing.

1950s vintage photo of Bill Haley and the Comets, 1956 Maple Leaf Gardens — Note: I would NEVER be sitting down at that concert like the crowd in the front. Dancing all the way!

The Isley Brothers in the “The Biggest Show Of Stars-1960”.

1960s vintage photo of The Isley Brothers perform at 1960’s “The Biggest Show Of Stars Maple Leaf Gardens — Source: Flickr-Toronto History

And now for the..BEATLES!

The Beatles performed in Toronto a total of three times before calling it quits, each time at the legendary Maple Leaf Gardens. First, on September 7, 1964, and then a year apart on August 17 in ’65 and ’66 (one of their final concerts) (source).

Here are fans outside Maple Leaf Gardens (August 17th), as the press conference takes place.

1960s vintage photo of the Beatles at maple leaf Gardens -Toronto, Canada. — Source: Zoomer Radio

This photo below is pretty cool as it was a garage sale find by the current owner who purchased an old photo album and found the ticket inside. What a find! (source). Can you believe that it only cost $5.00 to go see the Beatles in ’65.. $5.00!! Yooza!

1960s vintage photo of a Beatles Ticket Stub, August 17, 1965 in Toronto — Source: Flickr-Tanja-Tiziana

The Beatles performing at the Gardens on August 17th, 1965.

1960s vintage photo of the Beatles at maple leaf Gardensn 1965 — Source: Zoomer Radio

What happened to the Gardens?

The Maple Leaf Gardens of today is a multipurpose facility, with a Grocery store occupying retail space on the lower floors and an athletic centre for Toronto’s Ryerson University, known as Mattamy Athletic Centre at the Gardens, occupying another level.

Recognition

Maple Leaf Gardens was named a National Historic Site of Canada in 2007 because it was:

One of the most renowned “shrines” in the history of hockey… the largest arena in the country when it was built, it was one of the country’s foremost venues for large-scale sporting events such as boxing matches and track meets, and non-sporting events such as concerts, rallies and political gatherings, religious services and opera… the Gardens holds a special place in the country’s popular culture: here Canadians welcomed a wide range of cultural icons from the Beatles to the Metropolitan Opera, from Tim Buck to Team Canada vs. the Soviets, from Winston Churchill to the Muhammad Ali-George Chuvalo fight.

—Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, June 2006 (Source).

Question: Do you have an arena in your home town or surrounding city that has amazing vintage history like this? Share in the comments section below!