Sports facility.
Details of Site Location: On reclaimed land at the foot of Bathurst Street at Fleet Street.
Boundary History: The stadium occupied a substantial block of land of up to 5 acres.
Current Use of Property: Housing development.
Historical Description: The history of amateur and professional baseball reveals the two intertwined at the beginning in 1897. Hanlan’s Hotel on the Island was the first home of the Toronto Baseball Club, the forerunners of the Maple Leafs. In 1901, the Club changed its name to the Maple Leafs and moved to Diamond Park at Liberty Street and Fraser Avenue, remaining there until 1907 when it moved back to Hanlan’s because of increasing pressure of industrial development on the Liberty area. The destruction Hanlan’s Hotel and grandstand by fire in 1909 forced the Club back to Diamond Field, until the grandstand was rebuilt by 1910. The Club manager, Lol Solmon, recognizing the popularity of the sport and the difficulties posed by fans’ travelling to games by ferryboat, began to lay plans for a new stadium. Journalist Augustus Bridle, writing for The World newspaper, helped to keep public interest high. A block of reclaimed or infilled land at the shore near the Western Gap was purchased and the stadium built amid high excitement. On 29 April 1929, the new Maple Leaf Stadium opened, and the Club officially became the Maple Leaf Baseball Club. Solmon was elated, and his success included satisfaction that the construction company he had set up for the purpose was profitable. By this time, he had bought out all of the other shareholders in the Club as well. For the next 42 years, the Maple Leaf Ball Club played at the stadium, except for the war years when the stadium converted to war service. Solmon had died in 1931; and without his drive and business acumen, the Club began to founder. In 1967, the stadium was closed and the Ball Club became history. Shortly thereafter, the stadium was demolished despite objections from nostalgic fans and heritage advocates.
Relative Importance: The stadium site is important in that it was the first purpose-built facility for professional baseball. The Hanlan’s facility first served amateurs as well as the developing professional ball players, and continued to serve amateurs in leagues. Babe Ruth hit his first home run at Maple Leaf Stadium.
Planning Implications: The site deserves to be plaqued for both its sports history and its architecture as a fine open-air stadium.
Reference Sources: City of Toronto Archives; Toronto Reference Library.
Acknowledgements: Maps Project; Ontario Society for Industrial Archaeology.