St. Lawrence Market Basement

While every tourist crowds the main market upstairs, the basement level on Saturday mornings hosts 80+ antique vendors selling vintage Toronto photographs, old maps, hockey memorabilia, and genuinely strange collectibles. Some vendors have been coming here for 40 years. The building itself has been a market since 1803, making it the oldest continuously-operating market in Canada.

While every tourist crowds the main market upstairs, the basement level on Saturday mornings hosts 80+ antique vendors selling vintage Toronto photographs, old maps, hockey memorabilia, and genuinely strange collectibles. Some vendors have been coming here for 40 years. The building itself has been a market since 1803, making it the oldest continuously-operating market in Canada.

Area: St. Lawrence (King & Jarvis) · Address: 93 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E 1C3 · Best time: Saturday morning (7am–3pm)

Insider tip

The best stuff goes early — vintage Toronto photos and old maps go to the serious collectors by 8am. There are vendors who can tell you stories about the city that no tour guide knows. Upstairs, the Carousel Bakery's hot turkey sandwich (under $6) is one of Toronto's most legendary cheap eats — been on the menu since the 1980s.

Getting there

Subway to Union Station (Lines 1/2), then walk east on Front St for about 6 minutes. The market is at Front & Jarvis. Main entrance on Front St E.

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