Toronto Ghost Signs

This sign, and the remnants of a faded sign on a nearby wall, are all that are left of over eighty years' worth of effort by two generations of Robertsons, in a firm that was started at about the time Canada was born.

Robertson's Chocolates were manufactured by the Robertson Brothers confectionery firm, which was founded in 1868 by Gideon, George, William, Thomas and Alexander Robertson. They started off making baked goods as well as confections but eventually specialized in sweeties, as they are more fun to eat than mere bread. In 1873, the enterprising Robertsons moved to the corner of Queen and Jarvis, where they remained for over three-quarters of a century, outlasting eleven Canadian prime ministers, five Commonwealth monarchs, two world wars, and thirty-seven constitutional crises.