Farewell to a Giant

"Honest" Ed Mirvish passed away at the age of 92.

The American-born retailer and theatrical impresario was a man of many facets. His gaudy Honest Ed's department store on Bloor Street is a tribute to kitsch. His generosity on holidays, when he handed out free turkeys, or on his birthday, when he treated people to cake and hot dogs, were part of the Toronto fabric. And of course, his commitment to the theatre scene in Toronto was second to none. It is not much of an exaggeration to say that the Toronto theatre scene would be far less lively had Ed Mirvish not gotten involved in it back in the 1960s.

Goodbye, Ed. Toronto won't be the same without you.