Toronto, Canda

Closed 2016

Honest Ed’s was a beacon in Toronto. Both a landmark, and familiar part of the landscape that I felt comfortable seeing when I walked past or saw as I emerged from Bathurst subway station. Inside, it was a labyrinth of bargain bins, retail memorabilia, and fading hand-painted signs. I only lived in Toronto as an adult for a few years, but when you shopped there, you felt part of an ancient tradition. The exterior of the store, though, with its thousands of bulbs and giant signs, is really what I treasured and miss most of all – it was comforting and exciting, all at the same time. Alison L.

Honest Ed’s was a landmark discount store in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was named for its proprietor, Ed Mirvish, who opened the store in 1948 and oversaw its operations for almost 60 years until his death in 2007. The store continued to operate until it permanently closed on December 31, 2016. The building was demolished in 2018.

The painting is based on a photograph credited to Kurt Budiarto/Flickr Vision.

No. 312