This post looks at the north side of Queen St. in Niagara Falls, Ont., walking eastward, from Ontario Ave. to Erie Ave.
****click on photos to enlarge! ****
Below: Behind (or, to the north of) the Bank of Montreal building (the back of which is seen at the far right of photo, and which stands on the north-east corner of Queen St. and Ontario Ave.) was located the Buckley's Furniture building. It faced the east side of Ontario Ave. Date of photo unknown.
above: same view, Jan.29, 2009; the northern portion of the Buckley's Furniture building has been demolished. The rear of the Bank of Montreal building is seen at the corner. The building with the second-floor bay window is seen in both above photos.
****click on photos to enlarge! ****
Below: Behind (or, to the north of) the Bank of Montreal building (the back of which is seen at the far right of photo, and which stands on the north-east corner of Queen St. and Ontario Ave.) was located the Buckley's Furniture building. It faced the east side of Ontario Ave. Date of photo unknown.
above: same view, Jan.29, 2009; the northern portion of the Buckley's Furniture building has been demolished. The rear of the Bank of Montreal building is seen at the corner. The building with the second-floor bay window is seen in both above photos.
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below is an Aug.5, 1965 view of the Bank of Montreal building on the north-east corner of Queen St. and Ontario Ave. Jack's Army Navy is next to the east along Queen St.; the old Buckley's Furniture building can still be seen standing along Ontario Ave., behind the bank at the far left.
above: same location in 1971. Note clock at left corner is of a newer vintage than the clock shown in the next photo below. Also above the door is the now-familiar stylized "M" logo.
above: same view in colour, date unknown. BMO's colour scheme at the time, at least here, was red; now it's a medium blue, as seen below, with only a dot of red. The old style clock (compared to the one earlier above) dates this photo prior to 1971. The 'new' Canadian flags seen by the front door would mean that the date isn't earlier than Feb.15, 1965, the date when the red and white Maple Leaf flag was officially introduced. The older script is over the door.
above: same view, Feb.5, 2009. The back half of Buckley's Furniture (at the far left) has been demolished, now a parking lot.
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below: Jan.29, 1954 - looking at the front of the Bank of Montreal building, at its right (east) side. Grader's, a women's wear shop, is shown as having been in the east part of the building. Upstairs was a dentist's office.
above: Jan.29, 2009, same view. The former door to Grader's is now a window. The address of the building to the east (where Jack's was seen earlier, and also below) is now 4357 Queen St.; photo prior showed it as 357.
above: Dec.22, 2008 - same view, the little Palms Restaurant, along with its overhanging Coke sign, is gone, My Country Deli is seen expanded into that space. Where Jack's Army Navy Discount was, is now a curtained storefront.
Above: same view, Feb.9, 2009. My Country Deli remains towards the centre left.
above: the same view - date unknown, pos. 1920-30's: there are still streetcar tracks on Queen St. I've often wondered what the facade of that monstrous grey-steel-sided building (seen in the previous two above photos) had once looked like. The photo above gives a clue: in this view, the Bank of Montreal again is seen at the left on the n/e corner of Queen and Ontario; the next building is where Jack's and My Country Deli would later be; and then there appears this glorious three-story building with the bay windows! Can you imagine the dramatic improvement to the streetscape if this facade of bay windows were rebuilt, replacing that slab of steel?
above: Oct.1966 - looking at the Metropolitan Stores building at left, and Dale's at right.
above: same view, Dec.22, 2008
above: Apr. 1951 - same area, looking at the north-side of Queen St. in a north-easterly direction, towards Erie Ave. in the far right distance. The Metropolitan Stores is seen to the left, next is the Hat Box, then Dale's. The corner of Rosbergs department store, can be seen at the far right distance. Rosbergs stood at the north-east corner of Queen St. and Erie Ave.
above: same view, May, 1965. The Metropolitan has expanded into the former Hat Box space.
above: same view, Dec.22, 2008.
above: Apr.1951 - another look at the Metropolitan Stores
above: same view, Dec.22, 2008.
above: same location as above, seen from a little farther back to the east, date unknown. In the centre is Dale's, next to the east is Gullion's; and to the right is Cataract Sports, Hobbies, and Crafts.
above: same view, May, 1965. At this time, the building to the east of Gullion's was Logan's Dry Goods.
above: same view, Jan.29, 2009. The Bank of Montreal building, from where this walk was started, is at the far left distance.
above: a closer view of Dale's and Gullion's storefronts, date not known.
above: same view, Feb.3, 2009. The Gullion's space is now a restaurant bar.
above: Sept.28, 1965 - a closer view of Dale's ladies wear shop.
above: in 1920, the space at the right side of the centre building, where Dale's would later be, was occupied by Fielding and Co. The left side of the building, before it was the Metropolitan, and before it was the Hat Box, was a F.W. Woolworth Co. 5-10 and 15 Cent store. At some point in the 1930's Woolworth's moved further west up Queen St., to a location just east of the Capitol Theatre, which stood on the north-east corner of Queen St. and St. Clair Ave. To the west of Woolworth's above is a store with the name Henderson, and at the far right (east) of the photo above (where Gullion's would later be) is seen T.F. Ball Drugs, Cigars shop.
above: same building, photo date not known.
above: same view, Feb.3, 2009.
above: date unknown. Cataract Sports Hobbies and Crafts was located on Queen St., east of Gullion's.
above: same view, May 1965, the building was occupied by Logan's Dry Goods.
above: same view, on a snowy Dec.22, 2008.
below: date unknown. Same location, looking closer at the building which was seen in the previous above 1925 photo as being to the left (west) of the Canadian Bank Of Commerce building. At this time, on the left (west) is Ben's, with the striped awning, and to the east with the blue awning is Angus Jewellers.
above: same location, seen Feb.6, 2009, the 'new' facade consists of steel siding and angled windows.
above: same view, Dec.22, 2008. The old former Commerce/Hamilton Bank building is at right.
above: same view, Feb.6, 2009.
above: same location in 1971. Note clock at left corner is of a newer vintage than the clock shown in the next photo below. Also above the door is the now-familiar stylized "M" logo.
above: same view in colour, date unknown. BMO's colour scheme at the time, at least here, was red; now it's a medium blue, as seen below, with only a dot of red. The old style clock (compared to the one earlier above) dates this photo prior to 1971. The 'new' Canadian flags seen by the front door would mean that the date isn't earlier than Feb.15, 1965, the date when the red and white Maple Leaf flag was officially introduced. The older script is over the door.
above: same view, Feb.5, 2009. The back half of Buckley's Furniture (at the far left) has been demolished, now a parking lot.*
below: Jan.29, 1954 - looking at the front of the Bank of Montreal building, at its right (east) side. Grader's, a women's wear shop, is shown as having been in the east part of the building. Upstairs was a dentist's office.
above: Jan.29, 2009, same view. The former door to Grader's is now a window. The address of the building to the east (where Jack's was seen earlier, and also below) is now 4357 Queen St.; photo prior showed it as 357.
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below: continuing eastward along the north side of Queen St., next to the Bank of Montreal building was Jacks Army Navy, as seen May 5, 1965. Queen St. was once a bustling retail hub; with many major chain merchants as well as smaller shops and services represented throughout the strip from Rosberg's at the east end of Queen to Loblaws and Eatons at the west end along Victoria Ave. It was a shopping destination where customers could browse the street shops for an entire afternoon. It was what malls today attempt to recreate.
above: Dec.22, 2008 - same view, the little Palms Restaurant, along with its overhanging Coke sign, is gone, My Country Deli is seen expanded into that space. Where Jack's Army Navy Discount was, is now a curtained storefront.
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below: continuing walking east, now looking in a north-westerley direction at the bustling north-side of Queen St., the Bank of Montreal building is just out of frame at the far left (west) of photo, Jack's Army Navy is next to the east; then the Palms Restaurant (without the Coke sign at the time), then My Country Deli; then Hartmann's Meat Market; then a fabric shop. Date of photo unknown.
Above: same view, Feb.9, 2009. My Country Deli remains towards the centre left.
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Below: looking north-east down Queen St., from Ontario Ave., as seen Mar.20, 2009
above: the same view - date unknown, pos. 1920-30's: there are still streetcar tracks on Queen St. I've often wondered what the facade of that monstrous grey-steel-sided building (seen in the previous two above photos) had once looked like. The photo above gives a clue: in this view, the Bank of Montreal again is seen at the left on the n/e corner of Queen and Ontario; the next building is where Jack's and My Country Deli would later be; and then there appears this glorious three-story building with the bay windows! Can you imagine the dramatic improvement to the streetscape if this facade of bay windows were rebuilt, replacing that slab of steel?
above: Oct.1966 - looking at the Metropolitan Stores building at left, and Dale's at right.
above: same view, Dec.22, 2008
above: Apr. 1951 - same area, looking at the north-side of Queen St. in a north-easterly direction, towards Erie Ave. in the far right distance. The Metropolitan Stores is seen to the left, next is the Hat Box, then Dale's. The corner of Rosbergs department store, can be seen at the far right distance. Rosbergs stood at the north-east corner of Queen St. and Erie Ave.
above: same view, May, 1965. The Metropolitan has expanded into the former Hat Box space.
above: same view, Dec.22, 2008.
above: Apr.1951 - another look at the Metropolitan Stores
above: same view, Dec.22, 2008.
above: same location as above, seen from a little farther back to the east, date unknown. In the centre is Dale's, next to the east is Gullion's; and to the right is Cataract Sports, Hobbies, and Crafts.
above: same view, May, 1965. At this time, the building to the east of Gullion's was Logan's Dry Goods.
above: same view, Jan.29, 2009. The Bank of Montreal building, from where this walk was started, is at the far left distance.
above: a closer view of Dale's and Gullion's storefronts, date not known.
above: same view, Feb.3, 2009. The Gullion's space is now a restaurant bar.
above: Sept.28, 1965 - a closer view of Dale's ladies wear shop.
above: in 1920, the space at the right side of the centre building, where Dale's would later be, was occupied by Fielding and Co. The left side of the building, before it was the Metropolitan, and before it was the Hat Box, was a F.W. Woolworth Co. 5-10 and 15 Cent store. At some point in the 1930's Woolworth's moved further west up Queen St., to a location just east of the Capitol Theatre, which stood on the north-east corner of Queen St. and St. Clair Ave. To the west of Woolworth's above is a store with the name Henderson, and at the far right (east) of the photo above (where Gullion's would later be) is seen T.F. Ball Drugs, Cigars shop.
above: same building, photo date not known.
above: same view, Feb.3, 2009.
above: date unknown. Cataract Sports Hobbies and Crafts was located on Queen St., east of Gullion's.
above: same view, May 1965, the building was occupied by Logan's Dry Goods.
above: same view, on a snowy Dec.22, 2008.
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below: July, 1925, what a crowd on Queen St. in front of Niagara Falls City Hall for Old Home Week! This view looks in a north-easterly direction along Queen St.; the City Hall would be just out of view to the right (south), in front of which the crowd has gathered. The building, shown previously above as Logan's Dry Goods, is at the far left of the above photo. Next to the east are seen two stores with awnings, then on the corner is seen the Canadian Bank Of Commerce building. (It is on the north-west corner of Queen St. and Erie Ave.) At the far right (on the north-east corner of Queen and Erie) is where Rosberg's would be; the corner is not yet built up with a three-story building (as is seen directly to the north along Erie Ave.), it shows a smaller two-storey building with an awning on the corner.
below: date unknown. Same location, looking closer at the building which was seen in the previous above 1925 photo as being to the left (west) of the Canadian Bank Of Commerce building. At this time, on the left (west) is Ben's, with the striped awning, and to the east with the blue awning is Angus Jewellers. 
above: same location, seen Feb.6, 2009, the 'new' facade consists of steel siding and angled windows.
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below: date not known; another view of Cataract Sports, Ben's and Angus Jewellers, this time looking along Queen St. in north-westerly direction. The west corner of the Canadian Bank Of Commerce building is seen at the far right.
above: same view, Dec.22, 2008. The old former Commerce/Hamilton Bank building is at right.
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below: Before it was the Canadian Bank Of Commerce, the building on the north-west corner of Queen St. and Erie Ave., was the Bank of Hamilton. Photo's date is unknown. Opposite this building (on the south-west of same corner) stood the (older) Niagara Falls City Hall (still does, as of Feb.2009, although it is vacant; the newer City Hall is behind it); across the street (on the north-east of same corner) was where Rosbergs Department store would be an institution for decades; and kitty-corner to this building (on the south-east side of the same corner) was the main Michigan Central railroad train station. Quite the prime location! Note streetcar tracks on a cobblestoned Queen St.
above: same view, Feb.6, 2009.
The older photos in this study series are from the Niagara Falls, Ont. Library Archives; the recent photos are by R. Bobak.
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To see the next post in this ten-part series, check out: Niagara Falls, Old storefronts on Queen St., Part Three
or
Go back to start at PART ONE
or
Go back to start at PART ONE
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Thanks for viewing Right In Niagara!
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