The Clock Tower Trail

Thanks to everyone who participated in selecting a new name for the pedestrian walk in the Bay Cloverhill, Church Wellesley and McGill Granby Village neighbourhoods.
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The most popular name was "The Clock Tower Trail". It was inspired by the historic St. Charles Clock Tower at 484-488 Yonge Street that was restored as part of the Immix apartment building construction. Located near the centre of the pedestrian walk, as part of the St. Charles Tavern, it was a landmark in Toronto’s gay community.  It was a witness to much history and lgbtq discrimination over the years.

Toronto Fire Hall Number 3 was built in 1871 by architects James Grand and William Irving.  The clock tower provided a space for firefighters in horse drawn fire trucks to hang their rubber lined cotton fire hoses to dry.  It took a few days for the hoses hoisted by block and pulley to dry out, preventing rotting of the hoses.
 
The fire hall was closed in 1929 when a new fire station opened at 12 Grosvenor.  Ironically the lower part of the building burned in 1939.  In 1951, the St. Charles Tavern opened after some of the original building was demolished.  The Victorian style clock tower was relocated in 2018 as part of the redevelopment of the site, a short distance north and east of the original location.