Love Your Venue: End of The Line

A Synonym for Love is an opera that moves (with its audience) throughout the iconic Gladstone Hotel, which has been putting a roof over the heads of weary travelers since 1889. While The Gladstone is well known today as a prominent showcase for Toronto artists - with 37 artist designed rooms and regular exhibitions - its connection to the arts goes back to its beginnings as a posh hotel on the outskirts of the city.

The NW corner of Queen and Gladstone circa 1889
Photo from Lost Toronto

The Gladstone once stood across the old Parkdale Station, the last railway stop before leaving Toronto. The Gladstone was the lodging-of-choice for Vaudeville performers during gigs at the Canadian National Exhibition, and a rest stop for Massey Hall performers on their way out of the city.

South Parkdale Station circa 1910
Photo from BlogTO

The interior of The Gladstone, from Toronto Before

The interior of The Gladstone, from Toronto Before

Of note at the hotel is its elevator, one of the oldest hand-operated elevators in the city. Without it, our upright bass player would have to personally lug the instrument up and down three flights of stairs for the show (and would likely be charging us a lot more to do it than we've budgeted). Needless to say, we're glad about The Gladstone's elevator.

You can read more about The Gladstone's history on their website.

Queen and Gladstone: Then and Now (circa 1899 and 2008)
From Toronto Before