Tuesday Treasures

  Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme.

Spice Mill Lane runs north from Adelaide Street East to Lombard just west of the Spire Condominium. It was named in 2012 to commemorate the spice mills that were once prominent in this neighbourhood and nearby to Lombard Street. City directories from the late 19th century list many importers and wholesalers of all sorts of goods, including spices, coffee, tea, chocolate, and other baking goods like extracts and baking powders.

While not the largest spice mill in town, Thompson, Bradshaw and Co. occupied the building labelled “Spice Mills” at the north end of Spice Mill Lane. They were the first tenant, occupying two floors and the basement of a new factory building that was constructed here in 1889/90. By 1892, Thompson had dropped out of the picture and his partner Mr. William A. Bradshaw, had switched gears to soap manufacturing, using the business name Toronto Soap Company. He remained in this building until 1895.

OTHER LANES TO EXPLORE

Jean Lumb Lane Chinatown

Old Post Office Lane

Al Green Davisville

Memory Lane East end

Bistro Lane Yonge and Wellesley

Galipo Brothers Lane College St.

Luttrell Loop Lane, Paul Estrala, Angelone Danforth

Frank Kovac Lane Harbord

Biscuit, Reverend Porter, Chechalk Downtown Yonge

Alan Powell and Art Eggleton Lanes  Harbord

Boys of Major, Peperonata, Jewish Folk Choir Lanes Harbord

Ice Cream Lane Danforth Ave.

Ching, Ditty, Leader Lanes Downtown