Canadian Kodak Building

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In 1901, Eastman Kodak company purchased land at 588 King Street West to construct a new factory for its Canadian subsidiary, which had outgrown its Colborne Street location. Designed by Chadwick and Beckett, the four storey building was soon expanded as the company began its transition to a manufacturing operation, producing its own photographic film, paper, and mounts. The company also began to import camera parts—rather than completed cameras—from Rochester for assembly and distribution in Canada. By 1908, the King Street factory had expanded to its full capacity and the company had grown to 108 employees.

By 1912, Canadian Kodak had outgrown its King Street facilities. That year, George Eastman visited Toronto to establish a sustainable plan for expansion. The result of his visit was the purchase in 1913 of 25 acres of farmland at Eglinton Avenue and Weston Road, later to be known as Kodak Heights. Following the transfer of operations to the new Kodak Heights plant, the King Street plant ceased activities in 1917.

That same year, the property was acquired by undergarment maker Kops Brothers. By 1928, Kops Brothers had relocated and the property was taken over by Ontario Silknit Company, which made lingerie, draperies, bedding, clothing and other products at King Street West and plants in Montreal and Cambridge, Ontario as well as plants overseas. Sometime in the early 1980s, the Toronto operation was closed.