He was a great man, and even though Honest Ed Mirvish died last month at the age of 92, everyone that knows Toronto knows his legacy was destined to remain.
And the power of that legacy was demonstrated in rainy weather Sunday, as a huge crowd hit Ed's strip of Bloor between Bathurst and Markham Streets for a celebration of the man and his store.
Everyone from Mayor David Miller to Police Chief Bill Blair was on hand, and several celebrities also mingled with the crowd outside Honest Ed's, the wild, brilliantly lit mega store that sits at the centre of his memory. And the police and politicians weren't the only attendees of note. Some of Ed's oldest and most loyal supporters wouldn't have missed it for the world.
"
I've known him for 68 years," said longtime friend and employee Mickey.
"I was his delivery boy when he had a small grocery store at
Markham
and
Dundas
."
Mirvish's son David also spoke to the large crowd, asking everyone to join in in some bubble blowing, something his father was fond of doing in times of hapiness.
"He used to advertise the successes not the failures," David Mirvish said. "And he'd move on."
The celebrations wrapped up around 7pm, though Bloor was closed between Bathurst and Markham Street until 11.
For a look at some of the day's action, click on the video links.