If you stand at the corner of Toronto’s Gerrard St. E. & Broadview Ave. today, you see a modern glass facility overlooking the Don Valley. But this specific plot of land has been through many iterations since the mid-19th century, each one reflecting a different, and sometimes conflicting, priority for our city.
The history of this site offers a sobering life lesson: What we choose to preserve, and what we choose to replace, defines the character of our community.
The story began in 1860 with the “House of Refuge,” a shelter built during a depression for those with nowhere else to go. It was a place of last resort for the city’s most vulnerable residents.
By the 1870s, the mission changed out of necessity. As smallpox moved through Toronto, the building was converted into an isolation facility. For nearly a century, this hilltop was defined by quarantine and the treatment of infectious diseases like diphtheria and scarlet fever. By 1904, it was officially known as the Riverdale Isolation Hospital.
In 1963, as the need for infectious disease wards declined, the site saw the addition of the “half-round” hospital. Designed by architects Howard Chapman and Len Hurst, the building was a celebrated piece of Canadian Modernism. Its semi-circular shape was intentional, designed to give every patient a view of the surrounding parkland rather than a sterile hallway.
However, as healthcare standards evolved, a tension emerged between the building’s architectural value and its functional utility. Despite a significant fight from heritage advocates who considered the curved building a national treasure, it was demolished in 2013 to make way for the current Bridgepoint Active Healthcare campus.
Today, the site is a mix of the brand new and the very old. While the modernist landmark is gone, the historic Don Jail next door was saved and refurbished to house the hospital’s administrative offices. It is a striking juxtaposition: a place once defined by incarceration now serving a place of healing.
We are often told that the “new” is inherently better, but looking at the empty space where a landmark once stood reminds us to look closer at what is being erased. Whether these changes represent progress or a loss is often a matter of perspective.
Suggested action items:
- Attend the #ExperienceTO: Riverdale Historical Tour: Walk the grounds and hear more about the complex history of the House of Refuge and the Don Jail. The tour starts this Saturday at 10:00 a.m.
- Explore the records: Take a look at the National Trust of Canada’s records to see a photo and a description of the modernist building that was lost in 2013.
- Explore local history online: Dive into the City of Toronto’s digital exhibit, “An Infectious Idea,” which details how the Department of Public Health evolved alongside these buildings.
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