Toronto Don Valley Brickworks

Built: 1889, Closed: 1984

25 million bricks per year. At peak production, the Don Valley Brick Works produced a lot of bricks. Located along the Don River in Toronto, Canada, this quarry and brick making plant was responsible for a significant number of buildings in Toronto. The plant hit peak production in 1928 and operated until 1984, when the clay in the quarry had begun to run out.

Brick kilns, catwalks and various other pieces of industrial machinery were still present at the time of my visits. With interior spaces unevenly lit by a punctured roof, the mood of the place could be remarkable.

Between 2004 and 2009, it might have been difficult to find a photographer in Toronto that hadn't been here. It attracted all manner of people willing to see something different. The relative ease of accessing the site meant there was a good chance you'd run into 5 or 10 other people during any visit.

This period of intense curiosity mostly ended when redevelopment plans began in 2009. With the buildings gutted and transformed signficantly, the site has lost much of its appeal. This transformation is now complete, and the new facility opened in 2010.

For further details about the Don Valley Brick Works, a comprehensive account can be found on Wikipedia.
The Don Valley Brick Works

Information about the redevelopment plans by Evergreen can be found at their website.
Evergreen Brick Works

Selects

The Main Shed

Pipes & Ducts

Hanging Around with an Aerialist

Tunnels

Equipment

Details

Exteriors

Adjacent Spaces

The 'B-Roll'

Photos in the “B-Roll” group are (in my opinion) lower-quality images, included for completeness or because they were posted when this site was in its infancy.

The 'B-Roll' / First Visit: 2004