Toronto's Strange Public Washrooms
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- čas přidán 25. 06. 2024
- Toronto built some unusual public washrooms back in the day - including subterranean lavatories! Let's take a few minutes and find out about them.
00:00 Introduction
00:51 Toronto's First Underground Public Washroom
02:05 Toronto's Second Underground Public Washroom
02:37 But Not Here
03:10 Above Ground, Too
03:31 Someone Else's Job
04:47 Last One Standing
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#Toronto #History #whenyagottago
I get a real 80s/90s public access TV vibe from these videos. Always charming to learn more about our local history.
On Rogers cable 10, there was the show 'Structures' that aired in the late 90s to the 2000s, showcasing the history of buildings and neighbourhoods in Toronto. This channel has a very similar vibe.
@@kutter_ttl6786 my wife and i use to watch that show as often as we could . I think the host was William Coulter who now dose the morning weather on CP24 in Toronto - 5/17/2024 🤠
It's very much like the brief mini documentaries TV Ontario would do in the 1980s.
Did homeboy say "the 'pisstory'" at the end? lol
Yes, caught that 5:37
I was gonna use it, but the video beat me to it. 😅
Yeah but pool
I've lived in T.O. for my entire life and this guy teaches me new things basically every Toronto video.
Might've even walked by him a couple times without noticing.
The edits are due to my stupid broken phone screen and autocorrect combo of stupid corrections.
had to double check lmao
😂😂😂😂 He totally said it 🏆
The public bathroom at Queen & Spadina was never actually removed, it was just moved a few meters northwest, to the entire eating area of McDonald’s.
Ba-dum-pSSSssss...
Golden Arches to Golden Arches.
talk about pisstory
So that's why their burgers taste like shit.
😂
I love how wonderfully old school these vids are! Thanks Steve.
Its awesome seeing someone from Toronto making this kind of content! Not enough people are doing this kind of thing for Canadian Cities and Towns (that I've seen). A big part of my CZcams vortex revolves around channels like Auto Shenanigans, Geoff Marshall, and The Tim Traveller, happy for more! Keep up the good work!!
I did mention Tim in one of my earliest videos (about fake houses) and I've mentioned Geoff a couple of times, including stealing a whole bunch of stuff from him for my video on Line 4 Sheppard :-)
Check out Capitaine Montreal too!!
I love these deep dives into the little mundane tidbits of history
Thank you CZcams algorithm.
It was quite interesting to watch this vid. You never really get any interesting tidbits about Canadian history like this.
Quite relevant as well, considering where we're going.
The CZcams algorithm served me this interesting vid of Toronto history as well!
I can only imagine the unspoken horror that happened in that public washroom
nothjng like today thats for sure....
Gay guys shining each other's boots!
They still have these kinds of public toilets all over Europe. They are much more convenient then asking at a private business to use their toilet. Often there is an attendant you have to pay 25 cents to go in, and the toilets are also regularly cleaned. Toronto is a big city, but not a convenient one, lol! All they needed to do in Toronto is charge people to use the toilets, and keep them cleaned.
Wow, still a mere quarter to use a public toilet. Are you sure about that? He was saying, even decades ago,when the last of these toilets was still running, it was already a few dollars to use one. It would definitely have to be that now to pay for their upkeep. I guess in Europe, it is mostly tax payer subsidized.
The NDP'ers would actually develop a twitch if you told them people have to pay to use a toilet.
@@IRequireMedication Hah, today's NDP;ers in Canada twitch if a citizen has to pay for anything. I'm surprised they haven't decided to subsidize Tim Hortons for all.
A Pisstory lesson I didn't know I needed, but was glad i stuck around to learn!
No one lets you use a toilet anymore.. im in Hamilton and they even rebuilt multiple Tim hortons around town, to be walk in only from sit down.. because there were too many drug users taking advantage of the bathrooms, they tried putting locked buzzers on them and nothing helped.. so now there’s just no toilets in public for anyone! I feel bad for older people who might need a quick toilet
with the immigration from third world countries there are people going every where and anywhere. look at the laneways off of bloor street. the ttc needs to add a few more but they need to be cleaned several times a day because people just piss on the seats and dump beside the toilets. toronto used to be clean. not anymore.
I put a camping toilet in my vehicle
It is summer 2024. There is hardly any public washroom in Toronto. I can find it in public parks. So, if I need to pee immediately, I just go to the parks. If there is no public washroom in the park, then I water the trees with........ I have no choice. Hahahaha
Bring an empty coffee cup. Pee cup.
this is my new favourite channel
Interesting! Public washrooms are everywhere in Vancouver, and thankfully starting to appear in Quebec. As someone who drinks a lot of tea (thus pees a lot) I appreciate it. I have a few Toronto vlogs on my channel but I definitely need to come back and explore more 👍
There was a public washroom on the Lakeshore near the bridge to King/Queen and Roncies (lots of weird creepy men used to hang out in/around it) and there was another one on Keele just north of Dundas on the west side of Keele and it was the last public washroom in Toronto to be shut down and demolished if I'm not mistaken. Never used it myself cause it seemed super sketchy, like all public washrooms back in the 70s and 80s. I think they demolished the one on Keele in the early 80s but I'm not sure about that. Early 80s or late 70s.
As a kid, I remember the Dundas St. W. & Keele (Junction) public lavatory. It was staffed by a city employee for just a few hours per day. The attendant's was there to clean the facility and stock paper towels and toilet paper and drive off anyone who was loitering there. There was 3 or 4 regular homeless men (Hobos) who frequented the facility when it wasn't staffed. Neighbourhood kids all knew the local Hobos by name. Their presence prevented many people from using the facility and made it feel unsafe for the public, so the frequency of use dropped dramatically.
O.m.g. yes!!! i have used it as a kid. I remember it being very stinky!
That was interesting. Thanks for sharing
Honestly, I love this channel, I keep learning new things! Thanks!
Great video !! Amazing that they have a photo of the inside of the first washroom. Sometimes park buildings had public washrooms, don't know if they still do. And TTC used to have some scary washrooms on the subway, I remember Eglinton and Yonge-Bloor, usually a centimeter of water on the floor.
I used to live on Lewis st & remember the public washrooms at Broadview & Queen very well in fact I posted a photo of the entrance but couldn’t locate any of the interior
There were men’s & women’s facilities along with a small office for the public attendant.
The washrooms were beautifully done in art deco style with marble & brass fixtures.
Your channel is fascinating! Thanks so much for the work you do making these, watching them with my partner has been really interesting. There's so much local history and you've got a wonderful way of presenting it.
Thanks Steve!
very interesting watch! keep it up !
Your videos are amazing! Never stop!
Thank You Steve! Very Cool!
This was a great historical video! I learnt so much.
Cool history, thanks for the knowledge.
Hi Steve,
I really like your video clips of Toronto. They're presice and well articulated. You obviously love this city as much as I do. Keep up the good work! Madison
Very interesting
Thx.
Public washrooms became hangouts for creeps, perverts and cottagers. Rather than adding security at additional cost, they just closed them. Now you buy a coffee to use the can. I was at the Bloor Subway having a sudden Taco Bell moment, forcing me reluctantly to use the stations filthy disgusting washroom in a severe emergency. It was like stepping into a Fellini film. It was a horrifying experience..
Cottagers???
As long as you look reasonably clean and walk as if you belong, your best bet in the city core are hotel lobbies.
All the food courts in the PATH have washrooms.
@@EvelynSaungikar exactly, that's why I use hotels lol
Some of the hotels require a keycard even for the washrooms in the lobby (I'm thinking of you Holiday Inn Downtown). It is a decent bet for some of them though.
As a Canadian I’m excited to learn more
Love what you do brother
Cheers from Ottawa ❤
The pistoryI just feel off my chair...
Great video man, thanks for this!!!
I remember being a kid in Toronto in the early 70's and there were pay toilets. It was 10 cents and you deposited the dime to open the door.
Your videos are awesome
There was one across from the Legislative Building in Winnipeg. A low impact structure with a lovely limestone facade. It was demolished just over a decade ago. It had been taken over by drug dealers …
Nice very interesting ty👍🇨🇦
Learning stuff
I lived on Boulton Avenue, just east of Broadview, shopped many days on Queen and yes, I have used the washroom downstairs on the south west side . there was also . horse.
heads for being up horses at that time, I am 87 now and often wondered where the washroom went, was it completely demolished??? Washington Johnstons furniture store was on that corner...
This is a masterpiece 😂❤
@1:57 Chef kiss transition.
Every city should have public washrooms but unfortunately junkies will be ruining it for everyone.
Toronto has lots of public washrooms at the parks, trails, etc. Just not many along the subway network. You have to go to the library, Tim Hortons, Starbucks, etc., just to use the bathroom.
Toronto has tons of public toilets, they're dual role as they also act as the entrance to public libraries.
Watching this in the restroom… how fitting!
Keep up the good work these r fun
That was very interesting, I'll think about you every time I'm taking a leak from now on.
Talk about unique content. Interesting and something, I, or we, didn't really know existed.
wow u know so little about Toronto but so much at the same time hahah meth labs and crack houses are always run by csis/rcmp, they cook all their meth at 105 Isabella st and at 888 Bloor st run the cocaine/ after hours drugs mostly in kennington Market and all conducted by csis agent Bain Coote who lives at 1032 Dovercourt RD! lol I think you need a real education on the streets my friend. Still do enjoy your video's tho.........
This is brilliant 😂 💚👏
As a Toronto Archivist , I Can Say , feel free to Go on line and see (at Toronto Public Libraries" as well) Many Photo's and Locations!..and a High end Posh one as well! (With Attendant , of course!....Toronto has a History Underground ,with a Lot More !, Than just Washrooms!
Think you might video the Scarborough Bluffs? The Water Plant to the Marina? I think the Water Plant was designed by the same guy who did the Empire State bld. Not sure. Loving these videos! If you do, eat at Duckworth's as they have lots of framed pictures of the area of Cliffside, then and now.
The R.C. Harris Water Filtration Plant is a magnificent building. It was designed by Toronto architect Thomas Pomphrey.
@@jdm1505 i hope he does a video on it and the bluffs.
Very interesting, I only knew about 2 of them, Danforth and Queens Quay.
Another great video Steve! Thank you very much, You should do a video on your favourite fun facts about Toronto.
videos on Toronto Police would be interesting they have along history
Wake up babe Steve dropped another banger
This is a banger. Pisstory killed me.
One historian to another…well done.
I tried doing videos like these here in Sudbury but despite being on public domain I kept getting people freaking out cuz I was filming and the cops called and handed citations for filming without consent of others
I like your comment about not caring about gender equality. At University of Guelph, we had a building with only one bathroom per floor because when it was built they didn't expect women to be scientists, so they didn't put in any women's bathrooms. 😂
Finding a clean public washroom in Toronto has been a 20+ year journey for me and no I am not naming the good ones.
Great video as always!
There used to be an underground washroom ( s) at Queen & Broadview south side by the bank ( if it still is a bank ) all they did was fill in the staircase and repave the opening
With the advancements in technology, it would be beneficial to develop electronic restrooms that require payment via a magnetic card or a Presto card, similar to those used for public transportation. This system could potentially deter misuse by individuals without access to such cards and provide a lucrative opportunity for public services.
Thanks for another fun video. Great jacket Steve,
It's always a pleasure to watch your videos, Steve, thank you for the enjoyment!
HamiltonsGore park downtown had underground washrooms. Closed 80s. Still all intact underground from what we hear. Just closed and small park with a waterfall fountain now.
I was going to post a comment about this as well, unfortunately they were filled in with cement (supposedly) a decade ago when they renovated Gore Park/Veteran's Square.
Love the videos Steve! Keep em coming buddy
You should do a video about the Annex!
Yeah, we still have one of those in Hamilton buried under Gore Park. One on the North for Women and one on the South for Men. I remember them still being open in the late 70's. I also remember needing a DIME to use the stalls.
The entrances were removed but I was told that there's now a whole bunch of electrical cables running through it now so they didn't fill them in.
Search for "Hamilton Ontario - Gore Park Washrooms" for a view of them
If my Mother had to go and only a men's room was available or the women's had a huge line my Dad would take her to a stall in the men's and stand guard. Years later learning from him, if my daughter said Daddy I have to go I would put her hat on and take her to the men's since the lines were so long at the ladies.
wow u know so little about Toronto but so much at the same time hahah meth labs and crack houses are always run by csis/rcmp, they cook all their meth at 105 Isabella st and at 888 Bloor st run the cocaine/ after hours drugs mostly in kennington Market and all conducted by csis agent Bain Coote who lives at 1032 Dovercourt RD! lol I think you need a real education on the streets my friend. Still do enjoy your video's tho.........
Plus women's washrooms are a crapshoot for safety, you never know who might be in there and what they might be up to. I have a relative who walked in on a man filming himself doing something very x-rated and of course when she complained she was treated like the problem because she accurately identified the sex criminal as a man. But we're not allowed to tell men to leave our bathrooms anymore. So yeah, a male chaperone into the men's room is probably safer than sending a little girl into the women's on her own.
Hi STEVE what will the future of Toronto be??? Its looking grim in comparison to the past the way i see it.
Its so sad. I love this city with my whole heart and its being destroyed by poor leadership
WOOO LETS GO STEVE!!!
Never noticed that one on Queensquay before, but you can use one at tim hortons.
Please do a video on lost TTC stations!
5:36 did he say the Pisstory of Toronto?
Yes
Interesting, washrooms in the middle of the road
Well there'd be little to no cars, just people, horses and whatever those were hauling. Even the streetcars were horse drawn for some time!
Actually this was kind of interesting, history l didn't know abour!👍😃🐾🌈☮️🇨🇦
Goated steve
Wow, that's extra level NIMBY to force a toilet to be built in the middle of the street!
Im homesick
Hmm, I'm a Torontonian, and never heard of this or any public toilet. Interesting. The city does need to install public toilet. Even though businesses are supposed to allow customer access to washrooms, many don't as there is no enforcement to ensure compliance.
This country needs more rest stops on highways and in cities and towns with the amount of population growth and lack of gas stations compared to years ago. Also a lot of businesses do not have public bathrooms or let you use them unless your a customer .
I love how the first public washroom in Toronto was outside of my office ahaha.
Another amzing video. I'm learning something new about tomorrow evertime I visit back this channel.
Just have to create the rewashable toilet paper roll, like those cloth towels are by the sinks. Or install a air dryer under the toilet seat, and then one can simply scratch away the dried media to help them go on with their day.
I wonder why this isn't a focus anymore. When I visit Toronto all the bathrooms are closed in private businesses, and there's literally nowhere to go to the bathroom.
❤
Unless there's been road work since closing they'd likely have just been paved over, like the ones in Hamilton at Gore Park had been until the park was renovated
5:34 " ... the strange pisstory of Toronto's public washrooms" .. very punny, I laughed so my I hisst my hants.
I use one particular hotel bathroom in downtown Toronto when I’m there. 🇨🇦
0:24 In many parts of Europe, restaurants required by law to provide public washrooms .. What happens is they make a bar bones required by law one out front and it does not access the inside of the restaurant, and they never clean it or provide paper.
I was wondering if I could dig my way into one, and then he immediately asked about how they were filled in ;)
Shame nobody seems to know
Its amazing how many obstacles we will place in our own way, we all need to pee and sit for a bit. The city should provide facilities , they know there is demand the homeless alone justifies their construction
Steve the man!
Gotta see you make a video on Scarborough soon👍
wow u know so little about Toronto but so much at the same time hahah meth labs and crack houses are always run by csis/rcmp, they cook all their meth at 105 Isabella st and at 888 Bloor st run the cocaine/ after hours drugs mostly in kennington Market and all conducted by csis agent Bain Coote who lives at 1032 Dovercourt RD! lol I think you need a real education on the streets my friend. Still do enjoy your video's tho.........
Oh CZcams! I’m 60 (2024) and remember using the washroom at Danforth and Broadview, must have been the 80’s, and only because I “think” it was because we went to the Pizza Pizza located on the corner.
Yup I’m Drunk n Stoned watching this man talk about toilets hell ya Pisstory 🍻🤘🏻🥴
Surprised you didn't mention the one near Royal Thompson Hall.
There's a John Stillwell lurkin around these parts of the youtube!
Behind that washroom at Broadview was a baseball diamond, the players would at time change from suits to ball uniforms if running late...............
Steve gives me Adult Swim at 2am vibes. I love it
There was, maybe still is, a public washroom on Keele just North of Dundas. If I recall, it was a paid washroom. Very unusual at the time.
Very good video. We need these washrooms ALL OVER Toronto.
you looking for a new homestead