Toronto Star Archives

Toronto Star Archives The Toronto Star newspaper has archived photos, each day for the past century.

The photo archive includes images, in more than 15,000 subject categories, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada and the world. In 1892, Toronto was a bustling city, with a population of 180,000 people and six newspapers fiercely competing for readers. On November 3, 1892, 21 printers and four teenage apprentices who were locked out during a labour dispute with the Afternoon News, launched The Evening Sta

r, a seventh daily newspaper. Created almost overnight, their aim was to publish a serious journal, a self-styled "Paper for The People" - and possibly teach the News a lesson. Little did they realize their bright new four-page sheet would grow into Canada's largest daily newspaper, the Toronto Star.

Happy New Year! This will sadly be my last post on the starchives. Don’t worry, this account will continue to post but I...
01/01/2026

Happy New Year! This will sadly be my last post on the starchives. Don’t worry, this account will continue to post but I'm moving on.
I started running this account more than 5 years ago as a passion project and I’m so proud of all I’ve been able to share here. I loved digging up the photos and stories I've shared but my favourite part was when followers recognized family, friends or themselves. The stories from the people in these photos; they are what make Toronto great.
These are a few of my favourite photos from over the years. It’s been a joy sharing Toronto history with you! ❤️

The Blue Jays’ 4-3 win over the Mariners Monday night secured the team’s first trip to the World Series in more than thr...
10/21/2025

The Blue Jays’ 4-3 win over the Mariners Monday night secured the team’s first trip to the World Series in more than three decades. Torontonians clearly haven't changed much in the way they celebrate a win. Swipe through to see photos from last night and after the World Series win on October 23, 1993.

📷: Rick Eglinton, Steve Russell, Andrew Stawicki, Arlyn McAdorey

Robert Munsch, the beloved Canadian children’s author who has sold more than 82 million books worldwide, has been approv...
09/23/2025

Robert Munsch, the beloved Canadian children’s author who has sold more than 82 million books worldwide, has been approved for medical assistance in dying (MAID) as he lives with dementia and Parkinson’s disease. As one of the millions of kids who grew up on his books, I thank him for making story time something I looked forward to. We'll love you forever!📷: Vince Talotta, 2007.

For decades, George Pimentel has been a fixture at TIFF, capturing the A-list in their most authentic moments. Now, in a...
09/14/2025

For decades, George Pimentel has been a fixture at TIFF, capturing the A-list in their most authentic moments. Now, in a special partnership with the Toronto Star, he has selected 50 of his most compelling images for this exclusive, limited-edition collection.
Each photograph is signed and authenticated by the photographer. With only 10 of each available, once they’re gone, they’re gone. Link in bio to check them out.

Simpsons department store had its flagship location at 176 Yonge Street for more than 100 years. In 1991, the location w...
03/27/2025

Simpsons department store had its flagship location at 176 Yonge Street for more than 100 years. In 1991, the location was taken over by Hudson's Bay and is now one of six stores the company hopes to keep operating since a court approved its liquidation.

📷: Ken Faught/Richard Lautens

“Come get ya patties and ya dasheen! Come see Joyce the Wonder Girl!” Such rang out the ever-present patter of patois ou...
02/27/2025

“Come get ya patties and ya dasheen! Come see Joyce the Wonder Girl!” Such rang out the ever-present patter of patois outside Bathurst subway station in 1971, when Carmel Elias Shoucair would hand out flyers for Joyce’s West Indies, his Jamaican grocery store across the street.
Joyce’s West Indies served Toronto’s Jamaican community for decades. After her parents — Carmel and Joyce Shoucair — passed away, Kaylah Shoucair was determined to keep their legacy alive.
She tried to keep Joyce’s open, but it was too much for her, a single mother of two. When she decided to rent the space she had one condition. “I wanted to preserve the heritage. It needed to be a Black business.”
Today, Smart and Morris Jamaica Takeout keeps that legacy alive by serving traditional Jamaican food just like its predecessor.
📷: Ron Bull, 1971.

Parkdale, 1982. 📷: Boris Spremo
01/29/2025

Parkdale, 1982. 📷: Boris Spremo

View of downtown Toronto 25 years ago.📷: David Cooper, 2000.
01/08/2025

View of downtown Toronto 25 years ago.

📷: David Cooper, 2000.

These fans waited outside Maple Leaf Gardens to get tickets to see The Beatles for up to $5.50 per ticket back in 1964. ...
11/15/2024

These fans waited outside Maple Leaf Gardens to get tickets to see The Beatles for up to $5.50 per ticket back in 1964. To put that in perspective the cost of that ticket with inflation would be roughly $50 today. Let that sink in.

📷: Norman James, 1965.

Who remembers the iconic Team Canada bucket hats from the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics? The khakis were also ... a choice...
07/30/2024

Who remembers the iconic Team Canada bucket hats from the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics? The khakis were also ... a choice.

📷: Bernard Weil/Wendy Longlade

The beloved DVP rainbow tunnel has been vandalized yet again. But have you ever wondered where the tunnel came from or h...
03/21/2024

The beloved DVP rainbow tunnel has been vandalized yet again. But have you ever wondered where the tunnel came from or how the iconic mural has remained for more than 50 years?
The story behind the tunnel began in the early 70s, when B.C. Johnson painted the mural in memory of a friend who had passed away in a car accident on the DVP.
As the decades passed the mural would be painted over, neglected and vandalized many times. But Johnson and the local community would continue to repaint it over the years until the city handed over maintenance to in 2012.
Mural Routes is a charity that works with communities and artists to create and maintain more than 75 murals across the GTA. Right now they’re asking for donations to help them continue to restore the many murals they’re responsible for maintaining across the city, including the rainbow tunnel.
But regardless, Mural Routes will be there, this spring, next spring and every spring to come to keep the mural alive. Pictured are Mural Routes painting the mural in 2013 and swipe right to see a rare pre-rainbow tunnel from 1966.

📷: Bernard Weil/Boris Spremo

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