While we eagerly await the construction of the new 100 million dollar North Building at St. Lawrence Market, slated for 2021, Toronto Guardian takes a look back at the nearly two hundred years of markets on the historical site.

The storied location at Front Street has survived two major fires, a roof collapse of the Eastern Hall, and waves of urban redevelopment as it evolved from an open fish market on the old wharf, to the luxurious Saint Lawrence Hall, and the drab, brick building erected in the 1960s. Throughout the centuries, St. Lawrence Market has hosted political campaigns, boxing matches, and even the late Anthony Bourdain, after it was recognized in 2012 by National Geographic as the best of the world’s Top 10 Food Markets.