Fashion District in Toronto, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Balfour Building

1930

Photographed by Tim Boyd, June 28, 2025

1. Balfour Building Marker

Inscription. Designed with Art Deco ornamentation by architect Benjamin Brown, this building was commissioned by Jewish entrepreneurs and occupied by a number of notable clothing businesses over the years, including the Shiffer Hillman Clothing Co. Together with the Tower Building across Spadina Avenue (also designed by Brown), it formed a gateway to Toronto's garment district, which employed many of Toronto's Jewish residents. The building was named for British statesman Arthur J. Balfour, the author of the 1917 Balfour Declaration pledging British support for a future Jewish homeland in Palestine. Designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, 2016

Erected 2017 by Heritage Toronto.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Toronto Heritage series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1930.

Location. 43° 38.821′ N, 79° 23.721′ W. Marker is in Toronto, Ontario. It is in the Fashion District. It is at the intersection of Spadina Avenue and Adelaide Street West, on the right when traveling north on Spadina Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 119 Spadina Avenue, Toronto ON M5V M5V, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Toronto

and on the Golden Horseshoe.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of

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this marker: Phillips Garment Co. Fire (about 150 meters away, measured in a direct line); David (Bookie) Bookman (about 210 meters away); St. Andrew’s Market and Playground (approx. 0.2 kilometers away); 375-381 Queen Street West (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Canadian Westinghouse Building (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Canada’s First Victoria Cross (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); George Crookshank House (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Waterworks Building (approx. 0.3 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Toronto.

Also see . . . Benjamin Brown (Ontario Jewish Archives).

Brown was among the first Jewish architects to sustain a successful practice in Toronto during the first decades of the twentieth century. The discriminatory atmosphere in Toronto in the 1920s was such that it was difficult for Jewish professionals to attract clientele. Consequently, Brown's early commissions came primarily from members of the Jewish community. He was soon sought after by many Jewish clients in the clothing trade who commissioned him to design functional loft buildings constructed of reinforced concrete and dressed in a stylish art deco cladding of cut stone and brick. His best-known works include the Tower Building (1927) and the Balfour Building (1929–1930), which stand
Photographed by Tim Boyd, June 28, 2025

2. Balfour Building Marker
opposite one another on Spadina Avenue at Adelaide Street West, framing the street and forming an urban gateway to the heart of the garment district.

(Submitted on July 2, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)

Balfour Building in 2025 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, June 28, 2025

3. Balfour Building in 2025

Credits. This page was last revised on July 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 2, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 142 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 2, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.