Then and Now Series: Around the Eaton Centre
- Nathalie Prézeau
- 22 hours ago
- 5 min read
Here are my FIVE new favourite discoveries around the Eaton Centre, followed by a few “Then & Now” shots and photos I took along the 2.5 km stroll.
I wanted to check out Luminato’s inflatable pyramid in Trinity Square until June 28, so I chose to revisit my YONGE STREET Hidden Gems Stroll to recreate some old photos. Good news! The enthusiastic staff near the (quite impressive!) temporary art installation told me that a similar one, much bigger, can be seen at the TD Centre North Courtyard until at least July 11, as the original dates have been extended.
Old and new things along a 2.5 km circuit.
1. Little Canada inside the Cineplex building
So many locals don’t even realize what Little Canada is all about, thinking it has appeal only for gullible tourist. Not at all! I am blown away every time I visit. It opened in 2021 after nearly a decade of planning by founder Jean-Louis Brenninkmeijer.
It currently features miniature representations of Toronto, Golden Horseshoe, Niagara, Ottawa, Québec City, East Coast, West Coast, and the territories and Arctic regions). Little Montréal and Little Prairie’s are in the making.
Expect day and night cycles, Northern Lights, actual clips on the tiny screens. Lots of little Easter Eggs to be found in the displays, bring binoculars! You can see artisans creating miniatures in the studio. And this is the only place I know where you could actually buy a 3D print of yourself!
2. World Food Market
It looks like a temporary collection of food trucks but they are permanent, thanks to a regular influx of customers form nearby Toronto Metropolitan University students. I know from experience that there’s more ambiance in the evening, especially when the students are not off but it’s fun in the summer time. We’ve sampled many interesting street food in this funky cluster of vendors set at 335 Yonge St.
3. Second-hand cluster on Edward Street
A BMV store and a huge Value Village next to each other. Perfect for treasure hunting!
There used to be the self-proclaimed World’s Biggest Bookstore on that street. It closed in 2014 but BMV (Books, Music, & Videos) has been on that spot since 1997. They specialize in end-of-the run and second-hand books. (Can you spot the green spine in the Canadiana section? It’s a copy of the 4th edition of my old guide for local parents Toronto Fun Places!)
The Value Village (which opened in 2024) has to be the biggest one I’ve seen in Toronto, on two huge floors. Also with a good book section.
4. Three floors of murals
I was curious to see what lied beyond the architectural pedestrian tunnel running over Queen Street. It used to link the Eaton Centre Hudson’s Bay and Sacks Fish Avenue. And I stumbled onto one of the biggest public-art projects in Toronto!
Created in late 2025 by Carson Ting for Cadillac Fairview (the CF in CF Toronto Eaton Centre). What I thought was a fun couple of murals at the end of the tunnel turned out to be 27,000 sq ft of murals spread over THE PATH and Levels 1 and 2 of the old building! A scavenger hunt playground to spot Canada geese, pigeons, Drake… and discover the cast of funny "Billion Buns" from the artist’s universe.
5. Qishr Coffee House
The timing couldn't have been better! Revisiting my Yonge Street Hidden Gems stroll led me to the café Qishr which opened in June 2026! What a gem! Beautiful, in the chic style I associate with Dubai but it all about Yemen. Qishr is actually a traditional Yemeni spiced drink made from coffee husks. I’ll have to return with friends to share a pot of Turkish dark roast coffee with cardamom and sample their five different tiramisus, and lavender cake, and za’atar croissant…
Then and Now:…
BEFORE shots from 2004. AFTER shots from 2026.
I’ve been itching for years to revisit streets I explored for my past walking guides. Here are some of the BEFORE and AFTER shots I took around the Eaton Centre.
Still standing on Yonge!
When I first saw these impressive buildings, they seemed vacant. The one on the left was the Toronto headquarters of the Bank of Toronto (1905), and you can still read the name of its competitor carved on the building on the right. The sleek glass structure inserted between them is the entrance to the lobby of 60-storey Massey Tower, completed in 2019. The condominium incorporates the former Canadian Bank of Commerce building.
Massy Hall
Open in 1894, the famous venue underwent a massive restoration completed in 2021. It brought its façade closer to its original look. But it’s inside that the renovations really show. When restoring, they uncovered 100 stained-glass windows that had been boarded over since the 1950s to improve acoustics. They also restored the ceiling which was partly covered behind chicken wire to catch falling debris! The seats were replaced with a more comfortable version modelled after the originals.
Will be missed behind Trinity Church
The little nook behind Trinity Church used to be one of my favourite spots to show to visitors. The ultimate hidden gem made me feel as though I was in the square of a small European town. The fountain is gone! But much could still be done with the addition of an art installation shaped like a village well surrounded by welcoming chairs.
Cry me a river?
I understand that maintaining water features is expensive but this is a sad sign of the passage of time: the empty pond in front of Trinity Church. It was once one of Toronto’s most original pond, with a waterfall feeding a winding stream, with stones creatively placed to create the illusion of a natural riverbed. Until the City finds money to fix the water system, they should commission artists to paint a waterfall and river directly on the concrete, as a place holder!
More of my best shots around the Eaton Centre (2026)
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