King and Dufferin/Metallic Roofing Company

King Street West looking east across Dufferin circa 1910

A similar view today.

The Metallic Roofing Company of Canada began it’s operation in 1884 and was the first such company in Canada. It was located at 1190-1192 King Street West. Tin ceiling tiles held enormous appeal as they were affordable, fireproof and could be decorated with custom designs. Sadly, the building fell into disrepair, but unlike many Toronto gems, it was dismantled and is presently in storage with the Ontario Heritage Trust. The façade is on display at the Ontario Heritage Trust building on Adelaide if you want to get a rare peak at a pressed metal building façade.

The display building sat on the corner of Lamport Stadium for a couple of years.

The crates below are courtesy of Jamie C. of  Saskatchewan

 Happy to see this bit of history of the Metallic Roofing Co in Toronto. I was cleaning out an old blacksmith shop in Southern Saskatchewan last week ( Sep 2015) and found an old muddy wooden box. I cleaned it up and it has stamped printing on the side which says “From the Metallic Roofing Co Ltd Manufacturers Toronto & Winnipeg”. It will be going into a small private museum the land owner and I are setting up.