Click on each picture for a closer look!
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This pair of pictures dramatically show the changes at the John St. Roundhouse and in the city skyline over the past 38 years. The picture on the right was taken by James Rasor a few days ago.
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The picture at the upper left was taken from much the same spot on June 4th, 1971 by Doug McFadgen. Immediately behind the turntable is CP’s “stores building”, which was used for the storage of various materials and also housed some offices and workshops. The CP repair shop is out of sight on the left of the picture. To the right of the TD Centre’s black towers, we see Commerce Court under construction.
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At the left of the picture we also see the CN Express building opened in 1929 and behind that the higher rise CNCP Telecommunications building opened in 1954. In the days before deregulation of the telecommunications industry, the only competitor to the Bell and other regional systems was CNCP Telecommunications. This business had evolved from the CN’s and CP’s telegraph business and lasted until 1989 when it was acquired by Rogers.
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Posting by Russ Milland; Pictures by Doug McFadgen and James Rasor