One of the three major exploration locations in Toronto...the Canada Malting Co. Plant located at the foot of Bathurst Street.

A brief history From Infiltration: The derelict Canada Malt plant in Toronto lies right next to the Toronto Island Airport ferry dock at #5 Bathurst Street. Why does this building still stand after years of vacancy? Because it is a historical landmark in the eyes of the city.

With the grain trade growing in North America in the late 1800s, a demand was created for more efficient grain storage facilities. The elevators of the 19th century were constructed out of wood and brick, with wooden interiors. Due to the explosive nature of grain dust, silos back then only had a life expectancy of 12-15 years. The search for fireproof materials with high tensile strength lead to research which found concrete to be the material of choice. The last standing 19th-century wooden elevator was destroyed by fire in 1908, which put the grain trade in Toronto on hold. In 1928, the opening of the Canada Malting Company (CMC) marked the arrival of the first grain shipments to the harbour in nearly 20 years. The CMC is considered an important example of the Modernist maxim "form follows function"; this design actually influenced the thinking of European Modernist architects. It was also considered a milestone in the history of Canadian civil engineering technology. The site was expanded in 1944 due to the increased need for war-purpose alcohol and food supplies.

The CMC silos are made up of two separate but adjacent modules: the silo unit, and the germination-kiln unit. There are four components that make up the silos: the original 1928 silos and head house, the 1944 silo extension and the marine leg. The original silo component contains 15 grain storage bins and stands 120 feet high, while the 1944 silo extension contains 14 bins and stands 150 feet high. Smooth, uninterrupted poured-concrete walls can be seen in this section, representing an advance in construction technology over the 1928 section.

The plant closed in November of 1987.




































The top of the tower, hell anywhere on top of the Malt plant gives you an amazing view of the downtown core of Toronto.