My Neighbour Honest Ed's

When Kirsten Gunter moved to Toronto in 1984, she shared a fabulous two-storey apartment above the Midtown Bakery at 586 Bloor St. West at Bathurst.

The blinking light bulbs of Honest Ed’s spectacular signage shone through her bedroom window. “It was a bit like living on a movie set,” says Kirsten. “I loved that apartment.”

She also grew fond of Honest Ed’s, the chaotic store created by entrepreneur Ed Mirvish and patronized by the multicultural clientele of a changing city. She also appreciated her landlords, the personable bakers Mechel and Fryda Krebs, who used to keep her mail for her. They were Holocaust survivors.

Kirsten had sublet her share of the apartment. Much to her disappointment, she had to leave a year later when the original tenant returned. Honest Ed’s, a landmark in Toronto retailing, closed Dec. 31, 2016 after 68 years in business. A mega redevelopment, Mirvish Village, now occupies the site.