May 24, 2012

Fitting tribute for long-time Village resident

Canon Theatre renamed after impressario Ed Mirvish

Michelle Ervin
The facade of the newly minted Ed Mirvish Theatre

The facade of the newly minted Ed Mirvish Theatre

The Canon Theatre on Victoria Street was recently renamed after Ed Mirvish, the man behind Toronto landmark Honest Ed’s and theatre company Mirvish Productions — and a long-time Forest Hill resident. His son, David, had wanted to honour his dad’s contributions to the city — and in particular to theatre — for some time, according to Mirvish spokesperson John Karastamatis.

When Ed was alive, he didn’t want to have a theatre named after him. When he applied his moniker to his businesses, it had always been done in a fun rather than serious way, Karastamatis explained.

“Even though Ed was bigger than life in many ways, he was pretty modest as to his accomplishments,” he said.

With the elder Mirvish having passed away in 2007 and the sponsorship agreement with Canon having expired, the time was right. David thought this theatre was fitting, given its history of reinventions, having gone through numerous name changes over its nearly 100-year history.

“What Ed Mirvish has done for the theatre in the city and Canada was take an old building, the Royal Alexandra Theatre, and restore it, bring it back to life and create an entire neighbourhood around it,” Karastamatis said.

This article appears in the January 2012 issue of Post City Magazines

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