Details of Site Location: Queen Street West, just east of modern Ossington Avenue, on the north side of the street.

Boundary History: The lot was approximately a quarter acre.

Current Use of Property: Commercial buildings.

Historical Description: In the early days of York, the portion of modern Queen Street West (then called Lot Street) west of Yonge was at the time referred to as part of the road to Dundas. This Dundas Road turned north at modern Ossington and continued for a short distance in the same direction. Then it turned in a northwesterly direction on the height of land that offered the lowest grades. At the turn on modern Queen West, about three miles from the town, a small cluster of taverns and houses were built. According to John Ross Robertson, the cluster was known as Blue Bell Village. (It was shown on military maps of 1818 with no name, but is labelled Blue Bell after 1837.) The hotel of this name was a frame building with its name on a framed sign that swung on a pole in front of the front door. It was the nucleus of the village, and like most hotels of its day, was of two storeys under a double-pitched roof. It had two windows on either side of the front door and five windows on the second story. All nine windows had shutters. At the east side there was an open drive shed, consisting of little more than a roof supported by four poles, with the rear wall closed in. The hotel was listed in city directories from 1834. When it was torn down, probably in 1852, the name Blue Bell vanishes as a name for any hotel, and after 1856 the community’s growth is recorded but not under any name.

Relative Importance: The Blubell or Blue Bell is important as an early hotel and as the focal point for an early community’s growth and development. As Blue Bell, the community has disappeared and the hotel has gone, but present-day inhabitants would enjoy learning about their history.

Planning Implications: The name Blue Bell or Bluebell might be made available to some commercial interest in the area on condition that it also provide a plaque or exhibit about the early hotel and village that grew on virgin land across from garrison Common. The city’s original communities often left their mark in street names still in user, and even in some surviving buildings, but Blue Bell vanished without a trace. In view of the felicity of the name, it at least should be revived.

Reference Sources: John Ross Robertson, Landmarks of Toronto; Henry Scadding, Toronto of Old (1873).

Acknowledgements: Maps Project.