Landmarks 6: Gladstone Hotel to The Edgewater Hotel Via Gutta Percha

This walking tour explores the historical development of Toronto's Parkdale neighborhood through three significant landmarks. The Gladstone Hotel, an 1889 Richardsonian Romanesque building, illustrates the area's history as a working-class hub and community gathering place. The Edgewater Hotel, built in 1939, highlights the neighbourhood's role as a transportation and transit centre near the former Sunnyside Bus Terminal. Additionally, the tour covers the legacy of the Gutta Percha & Rubber Manufacturing Company, which was established in 1883 and became Canada's largest rubber manufacturer, symbolizing Parkdale's industrial past. Participants will examine how these sites reflect the evolution of local commerce, transportation, and labor in the late 19th and 20th centuries.