As its signage looms over Yonge Street, the Brass Rail Tavern certainly makes an impression. But is that impression one for Toronto’s history books? Heritage experts argue that is it. A Notice of Intention to Designate the site of the Brass Rail Tavern — an adult entertainment club located at 699 Yonge Street — under the Ontario Heritage Act has been issued by the City of Toronto.
The three-storey brick row building the Brass Rail is located within was constructed in 1887 and has been listed on the City’s Heritage Register since March 2016, according to a staff report. Heritage Preservation Services Manager Mary MacDonald says there are “strong” grounds for designating the property, as peculiar as this particular case may seem at first blush. Chin explains that the property checks off two important boxes. First, it has clear contextual value, she says, noting that historians believe that designating the property is a way to celebrate Toronto’s adult entertainment and sex-related industry