History
1793: Lt. Col. John Graves Simcoe names Yonge Street after Sir George Yonge, Secretary at War. Simcoe makes settlers and convicted drunks aid in the problem of clearing the road.
1816: Yonge Street is finally passable and due to the busy, polluting harbour, Toronto is nicknamed “The Big Smoke”.
1869: Timothy Eaton moves to Toronto where he eventually creates the unheard of concept of one-stop shopping at a "department store"; a phenomenon that soon spreads to New York, Chicago, London and Paris.
Mid-1800s: As Toronto’s economy starts to grow, so too does Downtown Yonge with stores such as Eaton’s and Simpson’s appearing on the scene.
1904: Toronto’s nickname takes on a tragic significance as a fire destroys more than 100 buildings in the downtown core.
1910-1930: Offices begin to rise as far north as Carlton/College Street.
1913: The Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre is built.
1931: Conn Smythe uses creative financing to build hockey arena, Maple Leaf Gardens in only five months.
1939: Yonge Street has a reputation as a party place, with people attracted to the taverns that line the area.
March 30, 1954: Canada’s first subway opens in Toronto, taking riders from Union Station, through the downtown core, to uptown Toronto.
1950s & 1960s: Rapid office development helps protect the downtown core against the economic drain of suburban development.
1976: Toronto issues a policy of retaining existing residential areas within the downtown core and creating new ones.
1979: Toronto’s Eaton Centre opens. The third largest mall in Canada, it quickly becomes one of Toronto’s most popular tourist destination.
March 1995: The Yonge Street Business and Residents Association (YSBRIA) is formed.
June 1995: The Downtown Yonge Street Improvement Plan is developed to encourage property owners to improve their facades. As a community improvement area, it is eligible for funds from the city, which later provides the money in the form of a grant.
February 1998: Toronto’s Yonge Street considers adopting a Business Improvement Area (B.I.A.) model for revitalizing the downtown after seeing the success in such areas as Times Square, New York City.
February 13, 1999: After 67 years at Maple Leaf Gardens, the National Hockey League plays its last game at the oldest, most famous arena in the NHL.
June 26, 2001: The Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area is formed with a goal to make Downtown Yonge safer, cleaner and more inviting.
June 22, 2002: The Downtown Yonge B.I.A. makes history by becoming the first officially recognized tourist district in Toronto, allowing retailers to legally open on statutory holidays.
May 30, 2003: Yonge-Dundas square officially opens as part of the revitalization of Downtown Yonge. It offers the perfect meeting place for celebrations, concerts, receptions, theatrical events and promotions.