The St. Lawrence Market, located in the heart of Old Toronto, is a historic landmark dating back more than 200 years. It was first opened in 1803 by Lieutenant Governor Peter Hunt as a public marketplace for residents, farmers, and merchants to purchase and sell their provisions.
From 1845 to 1899, the St. Lawrence Market was known as Toronto’s City Hall, used as the city council chambers, before it was moved to Queen Street, where City Hall presently resides. What appears to be a charming market has a somewhat eerie history. The basement of the building included a holding jail cell for prisoners, and was subsequently destroyed by a fire in 1849. The market was rebuilt in 1851 and stands today as The South Market, one of the three buildings that currently comprise the St. Lawrence Market.
Today, the South Market is known for hosting over 100 specialty vendors in the produce, meat, dairy, grain, and baked goods sectors. The South Market also hosts the Market Gallery, which presents changing art gallery exhibits on behalf of the City of Toronto’s Cultural Services. Additionally, the South Market offers cooking classes in the Market Kitchen from expert chefs.
The second building, known as St. Lawrence Hall, used to be a meeting hall for politicians to speak to the public and for musicians to perform. Eventually, it housed the National Ballet, and served as the venue for the first two Juno Award Presentations in the 1970s. Today, the Great Hall is often used for wedding and event rentals, seating 1,000, and it has been expanded to include City offices, retail businesses, and cafés.
The third building is the North Market, well-known by locals for its farmers market that takes place every Saturday, a legacy since the 19th Century. In fact, the origins of peameal bacon tie back to this market. By the late 19th century, William Davies began selling pork loin peameal at a booth in the St. Lawrence Market. By 1898, Davies owned the largest pork-packing company in Toronto, and exported pork to Great Britain. Not surprisingly, the time it took to transport these goods was lengthy, and Davies found that curing the pork by adding salt and rolling it in a crushed yellow pea coating acted as a brine to help preserve the meat.
It’s clear that the St. Lawrence Market has contributed to the city’s economic prosperity by offering job opportunities and fostering networks for local, independent businesses for centuries. However, it wasn’t always viewed as an essential component of the city. Despite its current popularity, the St. Lawrence Market faced a demolition threat by the city in 1971. Luckily, a passionate mob of citizens rallied in protest, persuading the city
to abandon its plans and restore the building instead. Evidently, they were successful in their efforts. St. Lawrence Market simply wouldn’t exist today, and neither would the continued traditions of Saturday Markets, without the group of protesters and, for that, we owe them a great deal. Their efforts exemplify how collective action by the public can significantly influence policy and historic preservation, demonstrating power in numbers and inspiring us to take action for what matters to us!
Jackie Marson | Contributing Writer
