Prohibition's 100-year hangover in a Toronto neighbourhood

City Space

At the turn of the 20th century, a murder, a bar brawl and a sermon led to a 100-year ban on booze in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood. The Junction was Toronto’s last “dry” neighbourhood — meaning no alcohol was allowed to be sold — until 2000. While other nearby areas saw business booming as bars and restaurants opened, The Junction declined and became known as “The Junkie Junction.” We’re telling the story of the Junction’s prohibition — and how it got its bars back. Today it’s a rapidly gentrifying area, thanks to the allure of its galleries, boutiques, bars and music venues. But are businesses always the best way to breathe new life into a neighbourhood? Has revitalization become synonymous with gentrification?