A mill that’s over 100 years old has been serving brunch to people in Toronto since the 1930s. It’s also been a popular spot for afternoon tea for even longer.
Old Mill in Toronto was established in 1914, but the restaurant and venue’s history extends back even further.
Mills on the site have been built, succumbed to fires and rebuilt again since 1793 when Toronto’s first industrial building was built – a government-owned sawmill.
By the 1800s, many mills were in operation along the banks of the Humber River, making the area a hub for business and social activity.
It was on the west bank of the Humber River that Robert Home Smith, a local entrepreneur who began to develop Toronto’s Kingsway area in the early 1900s, opened The Old Mill Tea Garden on the first day of World War I.
“When Robert Home Smith acquired the property that we sit on, he also acquired the accompanying 3,000 acres of land now known as The Kingsway. Many of the homes in this area were built and continue to be built in the same architectural essence used for Old Mill Toronto,” says Irene Hryniuk, CEO of Old Mill Toronto Hospitality.
“The continuity is quite stunning. Of course, we are also lucky to be situated along the banks of the Humber River which has seen more and more visitors taking walks and who enjoy the park-like surrounding setting.”
Despite the times,…
