Beyond the Tracks in Old East Village EOA (East of Adelaide) has historically been a bad side of the tracks kinda place in London, Ontario. As in many cities, it’s an area whose reputation has come from the history of having been more merchant or labour-driven. The presence of businesses like McCormick’s and Kellogg’s, combined with the arrival of goods on both the railroad tracks and the main highway (Dundas St/Hwy 2), set an expectation for what people might see when crossing the ‘border’ at Adelaide St. If only we could step back 100 years to see it. I imagine a flurry of shoppers looking for products or services they might not find elsewhere: horseshoes, radio supplies, bicycle accessories, radiant heaters, milk churns, automobile repair and of course all the necessities to feed and clothe families who live and work in the area. What often comes with this mix of businesses is great diversity and a built-in sense of acceptance and tolerance. When you work and live with this wide variety of folks, you become exposed to the eccentricities of people and learn to co-exist with their behaviours. Like it or not, it’s your home and your community, and you accept the ups and downs that come from the diversity. This tolerance and acceptance has been the fabric of Old East Village for a long time and continues to define how we exist facing today’s realities in contrast to other areas of the city. This is being put to the test lately and causing stress in the neighbourhood. But if you consider the history of EOA and the incredible work that has always been done to serve people, you would see something that isn’t happening elsewhere in London. Several registered charities and non-profits are doing work in OEV that many might not be aware of. Some examples include: Growing Chefs Ontario, Aeolian Hall, Clayworx, the Palace Theatre, Banting House, The Food Co-op, Carson Library, SqueakyWheel Bike Co-op, The BIA (Business Improvement Area), Indwell/Embassy Commons, The Unity Project, London InterCommunity Health Center, Ark Aid Mission, RHAC (Regional HIV/AIDS Connection)…the list goes on. Whether groups are providing educational opportunities, a service to neighbours or helping people find comfort when the world is seeing tough times, Old East Village tackles the issues head- on, and it is something one can be proud of as a Londoner.
To advertise here, please contact Marty@villagerpublications.com Harry Hines photography studio at 666 Dundas Street circa 1912. All above photos courtesy of ‘East of Adelaide - Photographs of commercial, industrial and working-class urban Ontario 1915-1930’ by Alan Noon. Left: Artwork by James Kingsley, designed after Robert Indiana’s famous LOVE piece. Above: A.J. Briggs Bicycles circa 1925 located at 768 Dundas. Telegraph boys would congregate and exchange pleasantries. Young girls in the chocolate dipping section at McCormicks. One girl could average 100 pounds of chocolate per day.
Page 2 Old East Villager Nov-Dec 2025
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