HOTEL EMPLOYEES RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES UNION - LOCAL 75
229 Yonge Street, Suite 502 Toronto, ON M5B 1N9
Tel. (416) 216-0875     Fax. (416) 216-0876


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In April of 1999, Local 75 moved into its new headquarters, at 229 Yonge St. The Toronto Historical Board has listed the Ryrie Building as an historical landmark. It was built in 1891.The Ryrie Brothers, James and Harry, ran an important Canadian mail order jewelry business, affiliated with Birks of Montreal. In 1913-14, they added a five storey, three bay corner section, identical in design to the I891 building. The fifth storey, is the space now occupied by the Local 75 offices. (In 1914, one of the advertising flyers for the building mentioned all the comforts of heating and electricity, mail chutes, and elevator service that provided "more rapid service and no vexatious delays.") At that time, the ground floor tenants included the Toronto Housing Co. Ltd. (a social housing company representing the City of Toronto, the Board of Trade, the Manufacturers Association and the Civic Guild of the City of Toronto); the Central Liberal Conservative Association of Toronto and the Dominion Liberal Conservative Association (whose party, bolstered by dissident Toronto Liberal businessmen, won the 1911 federal election on an anti-free trade platform). The present owners, Milkin Holdings Limited, purchased it in 1990 and over the last few years have been restoring the facades to their original design. The entrance and lobby are now being renovated to retain as much of the original design elements as possible. Fortunately the original "blue prints" for the 1913 addition survived virtually intact. All the renovation work has been carried out under the careful eye of Mr. Edwin Rowse of ERA Architects. Local 75's interior was designed free of charge by Michael Clifford, Architect.

 

 

 

 

The Ryrie building, 229 Yonge Street, the corner of Shuter is an historic building. For the next 10 years it will also be the Local 75 main office. This picture was taken from the Eaton's Centre parking lot.

For more information about labour union issues please contact H.E.R.E. Union - Local 75, or call 416-216-0875/1-888-229-9983

©2002 H.E.R.E. Union - Local 75
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