1789–1862
Toronto Necropolis
Section K Lot 153
Few names are as woven into Toronto’s identity as that which gives itself to Bloor Street. The person behind that name stands Joseph Bloore, innkeeper, brewer, land developer and founder of Yorkville.
Born in 1789 in Staffordshire, England, Bloore immigrated to Upper Canada in 1818. He began as a farmer, later opening the Farmer’s Inn at King and Francis Streets, just north of St. Lawrence Market. By the 1830s, Bloore moved north into the countryside to open a brewery near the top of Sherbourne Street, where it crossed the Rosedale Valley.
Around his brewery, a small settlement began to grow – a community that would become Yorkville, Toronto’s first suburb. Bloore partnered with Sheriff William Jarvis to subdivide land and sell lots, shaping the future of the city. So prominent was Bloore that the area was nearly called “Blooreville.”
Bloore built a grand home on the concession road east of Yonge Street. That road soon became known as “the street to Bloore’s”, and eventually, “Bloore Street,” with the “e” disappearing over time.
Bloore’s brewery thrived in the Rosedale Ravine, powered by water from Castle Frank Brook. The dam he built created a pond that became a popular skating and swimming spot. In 1843, Bloore sold the brewery to John Rose, who renamed it Castle Frank Brewery, and turned his attention to land development.
Joseph Bloore died on August 31, 1862, leaving behind an inimitable Toronto influence and legacy etched into the city’s streetscape. Today, he rests at Toronto Necropolis, alongside his family. His name lives on in one of the city’s most important east–west arteries and in the vibrant neighbourhood of Yorkville.
Sources:
• Mount Pleasant Group – Joseph Bloore
• The Canadian Encyclopedia – Joseph Bloor
Photos:
• Unknown author, public domain via Wikimedia Commons
• Brewery, north of Bloor Street East, between Mount Pleasant Road & Sherbourne St, Public Domain, Toronto Public Library
