Remember The Warwick, where Dundas East met Jarvis Street. It was the site of significant dance bands in the 1940’s and 50’s – until the 1960’s.

Then it switched to burlesque, and became notable for Toronto’s earliest crossdressing personalities. Allan Maloney, would host the evenings in his alter ego as Brandee. The Ford Hotel, Dundas Street West at Bay, 750 rooms, was built in 1928 and for decades thereafter was one of Toronto’s most prominent hotels. It was close to the Toronto Bus Terminal, and naturally became an ideal place for travelers to find cheap rooms. The Ford became known as a site for crime and vice, as well as outlawed affairs.The Lord Simcoe, 150 King St. West, was named after John Graves Simcoe, Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada. It opened for business in 1956.  <photo – The Lord Simcoe under construction> The 20-storey concrete and glass modernist structure  lacked central air-conditioning, lost money over 24 years, and had insufficient convention space. The Lord Simcoe was closed in 1979 and demolished in 1981. It was replaced by the Sun Life Centre East Tower in 1984.