Traffic at Yonge and Sheppard - 1860's
This 'urban' view looks West along Sheppard Avenue. The Dempsey Store, originally built by Joseph Shepard Jr. was the largest building in the area and still stands today.
To the right waits a Yonge Street stage-coach, on the Newmarket to Toronto run. This Concord-type coach is outlined by part of Cornelius van Nostrand's wagon and carriage shop behind it.
To the left is the famous Golden Lion Hotel. A typical farm wagon (centre) makes a right turn onto Sheppard Avenue.
The old North York place names across the top of this West-side mural are (or were) located West of a true compass line drawn Northwest to Southeast through the old farming community of Lansing.
Commissioned by the City, these scenes of our heritage have been captured by North York artists Nicholas and Susana Craven and effected through a unique process invented by The Artessa Studio, also of North York. Each mural contains more than 5000 inlaid ceramic tiles and took over a year to make. Together they are the only works of their kind in North America.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Toronto Plaques. Full page here.