A Look at The Edge, the Legendary Toronto Rock Club
This appeared on The Grid. If you’ve never heard of The Edge and what went on there, read on.
Club: The Edge, 70 Gerrard St. E.
Years in operation: 1979-1981
History: On the northeast corner of Gerrard and Church sits a modest three-floor building that has had—and housed—many lives. It is said to have once been the residence of Egerton (pronounced “Edge-erton”) Ryerson, a prominent Canadian educator who, in 1852, founded the Toronto Normal School at what is now Bond and Gould streets.
Ryerson University is named after him, as was Egerton’s Restaurant and Tavern, a student hangout and folk-music club that opened at 70 Gerrard St. E. in the early 1970s. Licensed as a “listening room” and required to sell food, Egerton’s was open seven days a week, sold cheap beer, and booked live performers like Stan Rogers.
I saw Blue Rodeo here before they were Blue Rodeo. They were the Hi Fi’s with Keelor and Cuddy. Circa 1980 or 81.