Toronto has lost another small gas station in the downtown core. Originally a repair shop with two gas pumps, 132 Harbord St. was transformed into an Esso Station after it was sold  in 2020. Passersby may have noticed that a fence has recently been erected. Rory Gus Sinclair, past chair of the Harbord Village Residents’ Association, shared factors that may have contributed to the closure.

According to Sinclair, an agreement was reached after a City of Toronto committee of adjustment process. Due to its location in a residential community, the station was limited to four pumps total and the height of the canopy was restricted so that it did not obstruct the view from nearby houses. In addition, the gas station could only be open between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.

Perhaps surprisingly, gas stations rely heavily on sales made in their attached convenience stores.

In the case of 132 Harbord St., the site did not have sufficient space for customers to park their cars; consequently, the station depended mostly on foot traffic, further limiting revenue.

Under these constraints, the station was only able to remain open for a few years and has now gone into receivership. Sinclair said, “They went bankrupt. The company is now in what is called receivership…something else is going to go in there, and we don’t know what. It could be another gas station, but I think the lesson from this gas station is that it is not very profitable.” 

While it is not yet known what the plans are for the location, it might be transformed into housing. The growing population means that when spaces like these become available, they are often used for additional housing. Paradoxically, with more people in the neighbourhood, more services should be available to meet their needs, but those still operating are gradually being lost to new residential developments.

—Elliot Barker/Gleaner News