In a typically understated CBC.ca article on October 17, 2007, citizens of Toronto received some wonderful news: “The Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) has decided the site of the Matador Club is not the right place to put up a parking lot.”
Even if one gets past the irony of “not the right place” (though rest assured that some other place will be), this little gem brings up some big questions that Torontonians should be asking themselves—namely, how did we come to completely disregard our own history?
The Matador Club is one of those classically Toronto institutions that, like Grossman’s Tavern on Spadina, betrays a wonderful and slightly grimy bit of Toronto’s past. Founded in 1964, the Matador has been a folk and country music house in Toronto for over 40 years, hosting such Canadian greats as Leonard Cohen. Yet despite this heritage, the TPA and some citizens in the area thought it would make a great place for a parking lot. The Matador, it was argued, was a “blight” on the neighbourhood— and just think of how many SUVs could fit on the lot.
This type of thinking is typical of Toronto, which now seems more concerned about building condos than protecting its history. We have an obligation as citizens to take a stand against this reckless destruction, reclaim our city’s past and preserve it for the future.
I have to confess that as an immigrant to the city and a student of history, my views on the importance of this project are undoubtedly coloured. But with a new condo on nearly every corner, this inescapable fact stands: developers are constantly seeking new land in Toronto, with little regard for the sites’ historic value. What makes the potential destruction of The Matador even more disturbing is that City Hall—not a private developer—worked actively to destroy the site.
One only needs to walk up and down Jarvis to see my point. What was once the centre of old Toronto is now a disappointing urban vista of dilapidated buildings and parking lots. The city and its citizens dropped the ball and let a glorious stretch of Toronto fall into disrepair (check out some old photos at the Toronto Archives if you don’t believe me).
City planning in Toronto needs to slow down in a big way—I’m talking about a massive reevaluation of the city’s plan, one that includes historic considerations. After all, world-class cities like Paris don’t tear down historic buildings in favour of condos, no matter how hot the market. Reclamation of Toronto’s history for citizens, as expressed in our development and planning, will be crucial to future generations of Torontonians. Take a stand and demand that Toronto begins behaving like the worldclass city it wants to be—appreciate the history that surrounds you.
