Let's say you want to know which famous Canadian poet lived in the Waverley Hotel for seven years, constantly changing rooms in fear of RCMP bugs. Or you live at 44 Walmer and want to know what on earth they were thinking with those balconies. Or you want to know what's behind (or underneath!) that giant O hanging over Harbord at Spadina. These things were troubling us, too, so we assembled East/West: A Guide to Where People Live in Downtown Toronto.

East/West is a guided tour of old stories and fresh perspectives on the architecture and planning of housing and urban development in central Toronto – including both success stories and perennial problems. With specially prepared maps and over 120 photos, and essays – written by 65 of our best architects, historians and planners – exploring the history and development of neighbourhoods and of the individual buildings within them, East/West is a portrait of Toronto like no other.

East/West is not your average city guide. It'll take you down alleyways you've never heard of, show you buildings you've never seen, offer you that bit of history you've never been able to access. It tells you how Toronto has tried to house the homeless over the years, how the waterfront evolved (or devolved, depending on how you look at it), and the character of different neighbourhoods has changed. FromAnnex abodes to Rosedale residences, this book will introduce you to a Toronto you only thought you knew.

Nancy Byrtus holds a Master of Arts degree in Heritage Conservation. A former Director of the Framingham Historical Society in Massachusetts and member of the board of Heritage Vancouver, Nancy now works at ERA Architects Inc. in Toronto. She is a member of CAPHC and ICOMOS Canada.

Nancy Byrtus' profile page

Mark Fram is an architectural consultant, designer and planner. He has written extensively about architecture and the history and planning of buildings and cities. Books by Mark Fram include East/West (co-written with Nancy Byrtus), Well-Preserved and 4Square. He holds professional and graduate degrees from the University of Toronto, where he teaches in the faculty of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

Mark Fram's profile page

Michael McClelland, OAA, FRAIC, is a registered architect with over twenty years of experience. He is actively involved in the promotion of Canada’s architectural heritage and is a founding member of the Canadian Association of Professional Heritage Consultants (CAPHC). Prior to establishing E.R.A. Architects with Edwin Rowse in 1990, McClelland worked for the Toronto Historical Board. He is the recipient of a certificate of recognition from the Ontario Association of Architects and the Toronto Society of Architects for his outstanding contributions to architecture and a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. He currently lives in Toronto. 

Michael McClelland's profile page