Dundas + Carlaw: MADE IN TORONTO
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This building is a local landmark.

Animation of a figure climbing out of tent

You are now outside the Woods Manufacturing Co. building, one of the first to be built in the neighbourhood.

You are now outside
the Woods    
Manufacturing Co.
        
building, one of the            
first to be built in the                
neighbourhood.                   

You are now outside the
Woods Manufacturing Co.    
building, one of the first to be        
built in the neighbourhood.            

8

Woods Manufacturing Co.

Location:
401 Logan Ave.

 
Year:
1907

Architect:
James Layrock Havill

Made:
Fibre products, tents, clothing, wartime products

Woods factory, 1919
Woods Building, June 2018

Left:  Woods factory, 1919.
Toronto Public Library


Right:  Woods Building, June 2018
Image by Susan Roden


Known for its tents, sleeping bags, and outdoor clothing, Woods was also one of the largest producers of fibre and canvas products in the country.

The company had factories in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Welland, and its shipping sacks transported grain and other products across Canada.

Black and white image of an advertisement for Woods Manufacturing Co. Ltd. tents and sleeping clothes with a prominent illustration of a family in a tent in a pine forest clearing. The text reads: 'Tents for spring: a style for every purpose'.

Advertisement for Woods tents
and sleeping robes, 1919.

Rod and Gun in Canada


During the world wars, Woods made products vital to the war effort, including hammocks, tents, summer uniforms, and gas mask covers.

Illustration of gas mask
Illustration of a figure pointing upward

     Check
it out ...


Abandoned rails and crossing signs

The freight tracks that supported the factories in this neighbourhood have mostly disappeared, but near the intersection of Dickens and Thackeray you can still find tracks poking through the ground and an old crossing sign.


Dickens and Thackeray Street Signs

These streets are named for two prominent Victorian novelists, Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray, the author of Vanity Fair. It's not clear why, though Dickens’ work did focus heavily on the working class.

Illustration of mountains

In 1982, Woods outfitted the first Canadians to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Wearing Woods insulated jackets, Laurie Skreslet of Calgary and sherpas Sungdare and Lhakpa Dorje were the first to reach the top.

Tragically, four members of the expedition died in an avalanche and an icefall before reaching the peak.

A young male mountaineer wearing reflective sunglasses, a red Everest '82 expedition hat, and a thick blue Woods jacket on a snowy mountainside.

A Canadian climber from the Everest '82 expedition
Woods Canada


20 Canadians and 39 Nepalese sherpas took part in the Everest ‘82 climb, which was sponsored by Air Canada, Woods, and 98 other companies. It took 5 years to plan.


A Canadian climber from
the Everest '82 expedition

Woods Canada

A Woods tent used during the Everest '82 expedition
Woods Canada


Woods provided tents, sleeping bags, and parkas for the expedition. The tents were made of “bulletproof” nylon to withstand the harsh Mount Everest climate.


A Woods tent used during
the Everest '82 expedition

Woods Canada

A tubular red Woods tent with ropes and metal legs hangs from the vertical rock face of a mountainside. A climber emerges from the door while another is outside, tethered with a harness and ropes.

Woods has moved on,
but the factory remains a neighbourhood landmark.

The watertower at the corner of the building still has painted signs advertising the company.

Remodelled and expanded, the building now houses multiple commercial enterprises, such as a clothing company, sculpture school, dance studio, and 3D printing workshop.

Still, this part of Dundas and Carlaw remains industrial.

   Fast Fact   

Colour image of an industrial brick building with a water tower at the end. The water tower is painted with a logo for 'Woods': an evergreen tree with the words Woods vertically across.

As the ghost sign says...

This was Woods’ “Plant No. 2”. Plant No. 1 was on rue Mullins in Montreal, close to the Grand Trunk Railway and the Lachine Canal.

Is the name Woods familiar? Canadian Tire now owns the brand and uses it for a line of outdoor products.

Colour image of a corner industrial brick building with a water tower at the back. The bricks to the back of the building are darker than the ones used at the front of the building.

Woods building, as seen from Dundas St. E. and Logan Ave., June 2018.
Image by Susan Roden


Illustration of a figure taking a picture with a camera phone

     Check
it out ...


Read the plaque

This plaque is located at the northeast corner of Dundas St. and Logan Ave. You likely passed it on your way to this stop.

WOODS MANUFACTURING CO. FACTORY

This landmark factory was designed in 1907 by James Layrock Havill for the Smart Bag Company of Montreal, which made cotton and jute ropes, twines, bags, and sacks for the transport of flour, cereals, and cement.

Renamed Smart-Woods after a merger, then Woods Manufacturing in 1918, it became one of the largest producers of fibre products in Canada with factories in Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba. The company also became known for its tents, sleeping bags, and outdoor clothing.

At the time, this area was quickly industrializing. Many manufacturing plants opened on Carlaw and Logan Ave. in part due to easy access to the nearby Grand Trunk Railway line.

During the world wars, Woods made products vital to the war effort, including tents, hammocks, summer uniforms, and gas mask covers. Its civilian products continued to be popular with outdoor enthusiasts.

The Woods complex was split by the extension of Dundas St. E. through this area in 1954. The company continued to operate here until the 1980s, and the building now houses multiple commercial enterprises.


Creative Spirit

When the Woods complex was split it half by the construction of Dundas St. E. in 1954, part of the building was orphaned on the south side of Dundas. A 2012 mural by the German street art duo Herakut, one in an international series, animates this former interior wall. The mural is located on the south side of Dundas St. You likely passed it on your way to this stop.

Colour image of a person in a lift painting a large mural in a brick wall. The person is working on the top corner, writing the sentence 'Was it the most glorious or the most monstrous moment when Jay met his creative spirit?' Colour image of a mural on a large brick building. The mural represents two figures kneeling and talking to each other. The one of the left is bare chested and wearing jeans; the other is a white ghostly figure. On the left top corner, is the sentence 'Was it the most glorious or the most monstrous moment when Jay met his creative spirit?'

Courtesy of Allan Parke via Flickr


Compass pointing north

Ready to hit the next stop?

Head east on Dickens St. towards Carlaw Ave.

Careful! This is still an active industrial area, be mindful of traffic.
 

Once you reach Carlaw Ave., head north on the west side of the street until you find the plaque for Jefferson Glass Co. Factory. This is your next stop.


Full steam
ahead!

Next Stop