Probably my favourite downtown building, seen on Monday evening, the Security Building at the corner of University & Pelissier. Designed by local architects Pennington & Boyde, the Security Building opened December 1, 1927.
The Security Building as it appeared as it neared completion in the fall of 1927
A rendering of the proposed Security Building from 1926.
Now I wonder, were the bricks lighter in colour as the 2 older pics seem to show? Today they are a brownish gold .. . Pollution?
I’ve always liked this building. Is it still primarily an office building? I know it was mainly law offices in there.
What about the nearby Guaruntee Trust Building and Bartlet Building, what are their uses currently? I remember hearing that the Guaruntee Trust building was being converted to condos but I haven’t heard anything about it in a while.
I think the studios of CBE radio occupied the tenth floor for a lot of years before moving into the CBC Place on Riverside Dr. W., which originally housed CKLW-TV channel 9.
The high-rise office building to the left of the Security Building in the photo, a couple of doors down at the corner of London Street (now University Ave. W.) was the Canada Trust Building in my day. It also was ten stories high, quite a height back then. Back in the 40’s and 50’s, the tenth floor was occupied by the studios of CKLW radio, “your good neighbour station.” This was before the days of “Radio 80” and “The Big 8” of the 60’s and 70’s. I remember Val Clare who reported as “Cunningham’s News Ace” who “zooms into your home with the latest news.” There was also Mary Morgan and Toby David. The one I identified with the most was the late Bud Davies, who started his long radio career there and had a most rich and friendly voice. He transitioned to Radio 80 and, I believe also to The Big 8 (I stand to be corrected as this was back in the mists of time). I remember when they had a booth set up on Bob-lo Island, with other celebrity DJ’s like Joe Van, Dave Shaffer (spelling?), and Tommy Shannon (the sun never sets on the Shannon empire! – remember that?). There was also a guy named Tom Clay, who moved to CKLW from WKNR (Keener radio) in Dearborn. The late, great Gene McDaniels had a couple of hits that made it big back then: “One Hundred Pounds of Clay” and “Point of No Return.” (I refer you to YouTube to hear). Tom Clay would open up his mic and just pound out these songs along with the recording — e.g.”Point of No Return aaaaaand there will be no returning back uh uh uh uh uh!” You really had to be there to appreciate all this wonderful stuff, part of the great past of this great city! We had fun growing up here.