In 1847, Mr. William Reynolds opened a bakery at the corner of Yonge and Gould Streets in downtown TORONTO.  A grocery store was added in 1855, and then an impressive 3-storey, 6-unit commercial brick building, which combined elements of Second Empire and Romanesque Revival styles.  This was the Empress Hotel, then the Express Hotel, the New Empress Hotel, and from 1947 – the Edison Hotel.  Back in the sixties, the Edison bar was a favourite hangout for students from nearby Ryerson University.  It’s all gone now.  At 4 am on January 3, a 6-alarm fire broke out and 125 firemen answered the call.  The Reynolds Block is no more.
PHOTOS – Toronto Sun and City Archives