Kodak Building 9 Commemorative plaque, 2023.
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Resource ID
10425
Access
Open
Address
3500 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, ON M6M 4L2
Credit Line
Heritage Toronto
Date of Creation
2023
Historical Themes
Architectural Heritage, Business History, Industrial Heritage, Labour History, Women's History
Program Category
Historical Plaques
Rights
Heritage Toronto
Time Period
1900-1953, 1954-1998, 1999-today
Caption
Kodak Building 9 Commemorative plaque, 2023.
Description
The headquarters and factory of Canadian Kodak were located here for almost a century. This structure — known as Building 9 — was the photography company’s employee recreation centre. George Eastman founded the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York, in 1889. Kodak mass-produced affordable cameras and pioneered flexible photo film, which was invented by company chemist Henry Reichenbach. The company was hugely successful, and following Canadian Kodak’s incorporation in 1899, the company established a small office at 41 Colborne Street. Eastman bought this land in 1913, and a seven-building factory complex, known as Kodak Heights, opened in 1917. The factory was vital to the local community, providing work to generations of the same families. Building 9 opened in 1940; inside was an auditorium, a café, a gym, and a darkroom. Kodak Heights was known for its positive atmosphere, and staff participated in sports teams, theatrical shows, and movie nights. In the 1990s, digital photography had a major impact on the company, which still specialized in film photography. In 2004, Kodak Heights closed. The following year, all the buildings were demolished except this one. It became part of Mount Dennis station in 2023.