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Canary Restaurant, Toronto, 1978

Artist: Gerald Lazare (1927-2021)
Medium: Oil painting
Credit: Baldwin Collection of Canadiana, Toronto Public Library

#1970s #canaryrestaurant #canarydistrict #neon #night #TorontoArt #art #artist #torontohistory #toronto #canada #jeremyhopkin
An oil painting by Gerald Lazare captures a striking corner view of the red-brick Cherry Street Hotel building in Toronto, prominently featuring the historic Canary Restaurant on the ground floor. The architecture is late 19th-century Victorian, with arched windows, detailed brickwork, and a rounded turret corner. The restaurant’s bold signage spans the facade, with the words “Canary RESTAURANT” in stylized cursive blue and yellow on the left, and “STEAKS & CHOPS” in block letters on a white panel to the right, flanked by a red Coca-Cola logo. A golden-yellow canary perches atop part of the sign, evoking the restaurant’s name. A telephone pole stands directly in front of the building, visually dividing the canvas and casting strong shadows. Overhead utility lines stretch across a moody, purplish-blue sky that hints at dusk or stormy weather. Warm light from inside the restaurant glows through the large window where two people sit at a table. The scene evokes a sense of stillness and nostalgia, contrasting the sturdy red-brick structure with the fading light and empty street. A vintage red-and-white phone booth peeks in on the right, reinforcing the mid-20th century atmosphere. This painting captures a beloved and vanishing part of Toronto’s industrial and working-class heritage.
June 29, 2025 at 4:04 AM