The Guild Inn Estate is one of Toronto’s newer premier venues for weddings and banquets. The current buildings are a transformation of what was known as The Guild Inn or more simply as “The Guild”. It started in 1914 when a Colonel Harold Bickford built a 33-room manor.
It is situated in the east end of Toronto along the beautiful Scarborough Bluffs which face Lake Ontario. The Inn has seen many changes over the years including ownership and use of the grounds. Earlier use was for the arts and the Clark family started collecting remnants of old Toronto buildings that had been demolished. There are about 60 remnants of Toronto’s past including the Toronto Bank Building, one of Toronto’s most spectacular buildings that was torn down in the post-war era.
The property attracted many people and in the mid 1960’s, a 6 story hotel was constructed with 100 rooms. It was primarily used as an entertainment and event venue that attracted many Torontonians. In 1993 the inn was closed due to disputes between the developer and the City of Toronto. It was then taken over my Metro Toronto Parks and a private company ran the hotel and restaurant until 2001.
The grounds were left idle by the city and decayed over time. While it was named a heritage site, there was no plan to resurrect it until the Dynamic Hospitality and Entertainment Group’s plan was accepted by the city in 2013.
While some of the original structure was simply not salvageable, the development company was able to maintain the original essence of the building and created a beautiful event venue. For more information on the Guild Inn Estate, visit their official page: https://guildinnestate.com/. Below are pictures taken past and present.
The Guild Inn Estate
