1

'Adaptive reuse' refers to the process of taking an old building that has ceased performing its original role, as new life is breathed into it once more by taking on a new role. Some old buildings in our society are turned into museums or historic sites in order to become monuments to the past. But "adaptive reuse" has emerged as an alternative to creating museums out of old buildings. For one thing, not every old structure can become a museum. But secondly, when new roles are given to old structures they can take on a more active involvement in the present and future life of the community, while evoking the past through sensitive preservation of architectural features.

There are numerous examples of adaptive renewal in old breweries and distilleries in the old town of Toronto. These include:
1) the Dominion Brewery on Queen St, built in the late 19th century, was adapted in 1988 to become the new commercial centre known as Dominion Square
2) the Worts & Gooderham windmill, built in 1831, was adapted to serve the needs of the new Gooderham & Worts Distillery in the 1840s.
3) the Gooderham & Worts Distillery was adapted to become a new residential neighbourhood with an arts and entertainment facility at its core - the Distillery Historic District - in 2003.
4) the Mill Street Brewery located its operations in the old G&W Distillery, which opened to the public in 2003.
5) the 1929 Canadian Pacific Railway Roundhouse, used to repair locomotives, was transformed into the Steam Whistle micro brewery in 2000.

Dominion Brewery, built by Robert Davies in the late 19th century, was adapted to become the Dominion Square commercial facility in 1988.

2

Dominion Brewery, invoice, 1896
22 October 1896
Queen St East (north side, between Sumach and Sackville Sts), Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Collection: Larry Sherk, Toronto. Canada
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto, Canada

3

Robert Davies, (1849 - 1916)
early 20th century
Queen Street East, Toronto, Canada

Credits:
collection: Douglas Worts, Toronto, Canada

4

Dominion Square, invitation to opening, Part A
24 June 1987
Queen St East (north side, between Sumach and Sackville Sts), Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Collection: Larry Sherk, Toronto, Canada
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto, Canada

5

Dominion Square - invitation to opening, part b
24 June 1987
Queen St East (north side, between Sumach and Sackville Sts), Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Collection: Larry Sherk, Toronto, Canada
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto, Canada

6

Dominion Square, Toronto
2008
Queen St East (north side, between Sumach and Sackville Sts), Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto, Canada

7

Worts & Gooderham windmill of 1831 is incorporated into the Gooderham & Worts Distillery of the 1840s.

8

General View of Toronto (featuring the windmill of Worts and Gooderham, Millers), 1834
c. 1834
Looking west from the mouth of the Don River, York (now Toronto), Canada

Credits:
Illustration: PA Gross, Lithographers, Toronto; in Timperlake, J., "Illustrated Toronto: Past and Present", Toronto: PA Gross Lithographers, 1876 p. 16

9

Gooderham and Worts Distillery, during 1850s, painting by William Armstrong
about 1855
Gooderham and Worts Distillery, Mill St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Painting: property of Hiram Walker, Gooderham & Worts, Walkerville, Canada
Scanned image and commentary: Sally Gibson, Manager of Heritages Services, Distillery Historic District, Toronto, Canada,

10

Gooderham & Worts Distillery of the 1840s is adapted to become the Distillery Historic District in 2003

11

G&W - Advertising Poster, 1896
1896
Gooderham and Worts Distillery, Mill St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Produced by Toronto Lithographic Company, Toronto, Canada

12

Gooderham and Worts Distillery is transformed into the "Distillery Historic District", Toronto
2003
Gooderham and Worts Distillery (now Distillery District)

Credits:
Photo: Douglas Worts

13

Distillery District, Trinity Street Square, 2008
2008
Gooderham and Worts Distillery, (now Distillery Historic District), Mill St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto, Canada

14

Distillery District - streetsign
2003
Gooderham and Worts Distillery, (now Distillery Historic District), Mill St., Toronto, Canada

Credits:
Photo: Douglas Worts, Toronto, Canada