Author: mariak@trebnet.net

Starting in the profession was a bit different back in the 1950s. In 2002, Past President George King was asked about what he saw as the most significant change in real estate: “Well, considering that when I joined real estate in 1959 and I paid $2 and got a license, I think the big exchange is the standards of entering the real estate business  and the continuing education that is now required and necessary.”

In this video, TRREB Member Scott Cusimano talked about his pride in helping to build Toronto into a world class city – in particular his involvement with the Skydome.

The opening of the Yonge Street Subway was hailed as both a local and national success. The impact on the growth of Toronto was profound. After five years of construction, the first line was opened on March 30, 1954, at cost of $67 million. Jack Key, TRREB President in 1966, stated that “this small investment ignited a $10 billion development explosion along the route from Front and York Street to its terminal, Eglinton Avenue. … two-thirds of all new development in a five-year period (after the subway was built) was put in place within a five minute walk from the Yonge Street subway.” (July 1966, Listings)

In 1956, a REALTOR® city map cost a dime and a detached two-storey Forest Hill home was about $30,500. It was all about neighbourhoods – schools, churches, stores and streetcars. But the city was rapidly changing. In 1954, the north to south stretch of the subway system was completed from Union Station to Eglinton Station. This line was followed by the construction of the Bloor–Danforth and University Avenue subways, connecting the core to the suburbs to the east and west. It meant people could get around the city faster and more easily. The construction of major highway arteries led to quick growth of nearby communities, including Mississauga, Etobicoke, and Richmond Hill.