Market Square is located in a neighbourhood rich in history. Today's St Lawrence Neighbourhood offers a wide range of modern conveniences in a unique atmosphere that owes much to its past.

The Early Days

The land on which the present day St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood stands was originally the shoreline of Lake Ontario. Immediately to the north of Front Street was the Town of York, which eventually became the City of Toronto.

In the early 1800s, the site of the present neighbourhood was created from landfill. The original intention was to create a public promenade with a grand Esplanade along the waterfront. However, the city turned the land over to the railways, which in turn attracted industry to the St. Lawrence area.

In 1830, the south side of Front Street was still open land. On the present day site of Market Square stood a hotel called the Steamboat, which had second floor verandas that looked over the lake just steps away.

By the beginning of the 19th century, the neighbourhood around the St. Lawrence Market at Front and Jarvis had become one of Toronto's leading industrial centres. It remained a vital area until the late 1940s, when Toronto's industrial base began moving outside the city.

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