Entertainment facility.
Details of Site Location: Immediately west of the mouth of the Humber River and south of Lake Shore Boulevard West,
Boundary History: The site was bounded by the lake on the south, by Lake Shore Boulevard on the north, by the Humber River on the east. It occupied close to 1 acre.
Current Use of Property: Condominiums and public parkland.
Historical Description: The vision of a grand lakefront amusement pier was conceived in the 1920s as a rival for the neighbourhood The pier was designed by Cyril and Madil with various structures in a flamboyant Morocean style of architecture and was to project 1800 feet into Lake Ontario and terminating with a steamboat landing. Financial difficulties in the early 1930s delayed construction. Only the first phase of the of the redesigned amusement pier, 300 feet long, was opened on June 10, 1941 and it became popular as a major dance hall of the big band era during World War two and the post war years. The pier was destroyed by fire in 1963 and the site was later developed into condominiums and a public park.
Relative Importance: Palace Pier helped Torontonians to recover from the privation of the Great Depression and keep up their spirits during the worrisome war years. It is looked upon by those who remember it with great affection, as it was the location that brought some of North America’s most famous musicians to Toronto.
Planning Implications: A monument to Palace Pier was donated by residents of the condominiums and is on one of the original concrete pier footings. The site should be otherwise commemorated tM
Reference Sources: Files of the Alderwood, Long Branch, and New Toronto Historical Societies.
Acknowledgements: Alderwood, Long Branch, and New Toronto Historical Societies; Maps Project.