Toronto’s elongated goodbye to Honest Ed’s will reach an emotional conclusion on Tuesday, May 23rd, when the iconic sign is taken down.
A crane will begin removing the sign at around 11 a.m.
It will then be transported to storage for refurbishment. A portion of 23,000-bulb sign will then find a new home at the exterior of the Ed Mirvish Theatre near Yonge and Dundas streets.
Honest Ed’s has a storied history in Toronto. Ed Mirvish first opened the store at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst streets in 1948.
Over the years it became a colourful and beloved part of Toronto’s landscape, with Christmas turkey giveaways, quirky commercials and hand-painted signs touting the best deals in town.
Mirvish died at the age of 92 in July 2007, and his son, David Mirvish, took over the operation before its eventual sale and closure on Dec. 31, 2016.
“I’m sure (my father) would be delighted to see two of his great passions – Honest Ed’s, which in many ways was a theatrical setting for a grand parade of humanity, and the theatre world, which he loved – finally be joined together,” David Mirvish said in a release.
