A then-and-now photo tour of Mimico and New Toronto

Toronto’s lakeside neighbourhoods of Mimico and New Toronto have changed considerably since their days as independent municipalities. Both became part of the Borough of Etobicoke in 1967, which was then itself incorporated into the City of Toronto through the 1998 amalgamation. But while their designations may be quite different now on paper, it’s when you’re looking at the brick and mortar of the neighbourhoods that the transformation is most apparent, especially in Mimico.

The seedy motels once dotting the area to the west of the core have disappeared. In their places, high-rises have sprouted. And the cluster of New Toronto buildings that made up the former Asylum by the Lake in New Toronto is now the site of Humber College’s Lakeshore campus.

To show this development, we’ve compared shots from the past and present as part of our ongoing series that has covered other Toronto notable areas including the Beach, Bloor West and Union Station.

All contemporary photos are by James Bombales. The historic photos are courtesy Patrick Cummins, James Victor Salmon and Valentine & Sons’ Publishing Co. Ltd.