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Showing posts with label Bathurst(TTC). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bathurst(TTC). Show all posts

Monday 5 December 2016

Bathurst Station Honest Ed's Tribute

Bathurst Station Honest Ed's Style.

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address: 819 Bathurst Street
Date: Nov 2016 
Website:  www.ttc.ca

   The TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) has redesigned Bathurst Station in honour of its neighbour Honest Ed's.  The famous store is closing its doors at the end of 2016 and just north of the Bathurst and Bloor Street East intersection is the nearest subway.  As a tribute, all of the signage has been redone with the help of Honest Ed's sign makers.

Westbound Platform.
 Subway Streetcars Buses.
 Elevator to Eastbound.
Bathurst Station.

  When we arrived at the station to make one last visit to Honest Ed's we were pleased to see all of the signs.  They all appear to be hand painted just like the pricing signs inside the store.

Ed-Door-Able.

  There was even  a tribute to the vault that was known as Ed's office door.

College & University would be Queen's Park Station.
 Our Prices Aren't Just Good They're Fare.

     The windows at street level are all painted with the kind of humourous slogan you would find inside Honest Ed's but with a twist.  They all relate to the TTC.  Below are some clever examples which usually incorporate subway station names.

Wellesley You Again Tomorrow.
 Give Us A Finch And We'll Take You A Mile.
 We The Northbound Ride For Free On New Year's Eve.
 Prepare For Presto.
 Bacon & Eglinton For 3.25 Is The Best Deal, Lansdowne.

   There is talk of this becoming a permanent change and we hope that it does. 

I Pity The Fool Who Missed Me At Honest Ed's.

  Down on the Eastbound platform we spotted a row of Honest Ed's trivia.  A lot of these little bits of trivia helped us write our previous post.  These included such things as Toronto Mayor Nathan Phillips blowing the power when he attempted to light up the Honest Ed's sign.  It also mentioned 20,000 people coming to see Mr.T at the height of his A-Team, Rocky fame.  If Mr.T was to come to Honest Ed's for the store closing we are sure they could get 5 times the amount of people to show up.  It's all due to the nostalgia factor.  That is why once Honest Ed's closes its doors we hope that this TTC tribute remains as a reminder of the way things were.

Honest Ed's Bathurst Station Tribute.


This location is near Bathurst subway. Visit other Toronto TTC stations.

Map of Our World
Bathurst Station

Post # 148

Wednesday 30 November 2016

Honest Ed's

Honest Ed's All Wet But He Never Soaks You.

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address: 581 Bloor Street West
Date: Nov 2016
Website:  www.mirvish.com

  A bargain centre like this happens once in a lifetime.   Honest Ed's opened in 1948 and will close its doors for good on Dec 31st, 2016 after almost 70 years in business.  It was a place where you could find almost anything for sale and usually at a great deal.

Honest Ed Attracts Squirrels.  At These Prices They Think He's Nuts.

  Honest Ed Mirvish was the owner of the store until he passed away in 2007 at the age of 92.  He is also known for his contributions to Toronto theatre including operating the Royal Alexandra Theatre as well as building the Princess of Wales Theatre.

Honest Ed's is For The Birds. Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!

  Honest Ed was known for throwing his own birthday party and everyone was invited.  There would be free drinks, food, prizes, rides and more.   Since 1987 he hosted an annual Christmas turkey give-away and through the years has given away 40,000 turkeys.  Both of these events drew huge crowds and proved extremely popular for the store.

Only The Floors Are Crooked.
 Honest Ed's an Idiot.  His Prices are Cents Less.

  Honest Ed always has catchy slogans and the store is covered with them both inside and out.

There's No Place Like This Place, Any Place.

  The 160,000 square foot store stretches along Bloor Street West from Bathurst.Street.

Honest Ed Ain't Upper Crust But His Bargain Prices Save You Dough
Honest Ed Alley.

  In the middle of the store is Honest Ed Alley.  A glass walkway connects the two parts of the store.  Looking south from this walkway you can see the CN Tower.

Ed's Office  If You Do Not Have The Combination Please Use The Door At Bloor & Bathurst

  On the west side of the alley is a vault door.   It used to have a sign hanging over it stating that it was Ed's office.  Perhaps it is a special spot where Ed used to do his work or it could just be the emergency exit.  Who knows?

Honest Ed Has A Problem.  High Prices Bug Him.

   The large Honest Ed's signage has 23,000 light bulbs that bring the corner of Bathurst and Bloor to life at night.

Honest Ed Is Never Right And His Bargains Are Never Left.
Ed's Wacky Wirld.

   Inside the world famous bargain centre you can see why they say "Come in and Get Lost".  There are tables of merchandise everywhere and stairs in every corner.  It is very easy to get turned around inside the store and not be able to find your way out.  To make matters worse, all the entrances are one way turnstiles so once you are inside you have no choice but to shop your way to the checkout.

The Nicest People In The World Pass Through Our Doors.

  There are two sign painters who make hundreds of signs each week.  These hand painted signs are used to advertise the prices inside the store.  Since the store declared that it was closing, these signs have been made available for purchase so that the people of Toronto can hold onto a tiny piece of Honest Ed's once it is gone.

Elwood with Harvey The Invisible Rabbit.

  We finally made our way to the checkout line.  Ed Mirvish has made his store a one of a kind shopping experience.  As we left the checkout there was a painting on the wall of Harvey the invisible rabbit from one of the Mirvish theatre productions.  Now is your last chance to visit Honest Ed's because soon it will be something people may not believe existed.  When you try to explain about the giant store with cheap prices, thousands of lights and an owner who kept giving things away for free, they may think you are cuckoo.  Or did Ed's prices already make you that way?


This location is near Bathurst subway. Visit other Toronto TTC stations.

Map of Our World
Honest Ed's

Post # 147