by kurtkraler » Thu Sep 29, 2022 8:58 am
Golden Mile Chrysler (formerly Willison)
ADDRESS: 1743 Eglinton Avenue East, Scarborough
Text by: Glyn, edited by Kurt
What the sign colloquially referred to as the “Swinging Lady” of Scarborough looks like, has changed over time and depends on the season. And, like many Torontonians, she was forced to move when the landlord sold the building. She's about six feet tall, swinging to and fro from the branch of a tree, under a lush, green canopy, on the far left side of a stark, white billboard. Currently, the sign reads “Introducing the new Golden Mile Chrysler” — a reference to the dealership's relocation. At the bottom of the sign are various brand logos and the business' web address.
Originally, however, the Lady hit the scene at the once-celebrated Golden Mile at Victoria Park Avenue and Eglinton Avenue East in 1962. The business was a Ford dealership throughout the 1950s until it switched brands, effectively “swinging” over to Chrysler. According to his nephew Paul Tappenden, owner Paul Willison wanted to announce the switch, and the “swing over to Willison” idea was born. To illustrate the slogan, the Lady on the swing was born.
The Golden Mile was once a post-war industrial, manufacturing, and shopping plaza which reflected the giddy optimism of that era. It was visited by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1959. The the 250 acres of land was acquired by Scarborough council in 1948, under the advice of then-reeve Oliver Crockford who, according to <i> The Globe and Mail's </i> Dave Leblanc, was hoping to broaden the tax base for the growing town. It was a massive employment area, as well as a place to buy groceries, modern appliances, and (of course) cars. Unquestionably, the most influential salesperson on the Mile was the Lady.
After 60 years and counting, the sign has gone through too many changes to give a full account of, but there are some significant highlights. The name changed from “Paul Willison” to “Willison” to “Golden Mile Chrysler.” At one time, it boasted “Canada's largest Chrysler showroom.” The common thread has been the white billboard, the invitation to “swing over,” and the Lady — whose outfits notably changed to match the current season. With one major exception.
When Willison died in the mid-90s, his other nephew Mike Tappenden took over. According to his brother Paul Tappenden, Mike wanted to switch things up and unveiled a new sign for a new century: a girl and boy, swinging together inside the W of “Willison.”
Paul says people took the sign very seriously, and were very vocal in their opposition to the new sign.
“A lot of the letters I used to get were from children,” says Paul. “And the children would usually say 'the Lady on the swing is not wearing the right clothes,' 'it's too cold,' 'it's too warm,' or whatever, and things like that. But there was usually more complaints when there was two people in the sign.”
They brought the Lady back, and there she swings to this day.
She was also lost, briefly, in the '80s. The dealership offered a $1,000 reward for her return. But, Paul says, she was ultimately discovered under a pile of snow by one of the maintenance guys, so his uncle decided to donate the money to the Salvation Army instead.
Paul Tappenden, who's worked at the dealership since the 1970's, reflects on the enduring legacy of the Swinging Lady; “It's a nostalgic thing. You want things to be the way they were. Too many things are changing.”
Golden Mile Chrysler (formerly Willison)
ADDRESS: 1743 Eglinton Avenue East, Scarborough
Text by: Glyn, edited by Kurt
What the sign colloquially referred to as the “Swinging Lady” of Scarborough looks like, has changed over time and depends on the season. And, like many Torontonians, she was forced to move when the landlord sold the building. She's about six feet tall, swinging to and fro from the branch of a tree, under a lush, green canopy, on the far left side of a stark, white billboard. Currently, the sign reads “Introducing the new Golden Mile Chrysler” — a reference to the dealership's relocation. At the bottom of the sign are various brand logos and the business' web address.
Originally, however, the Lady hit the scene at the once-celebrated Golden Mile at Victoria Park Avenue and Eglinton Avenue East in 1962. The business was a Ford dealership throughout the 1950s until it switched brands, effectively “swinging” over to Chrysler. According to his nephew Paul Tappenden, owner Paul Willison wanted to announce the switch, and the “swing over to Willison” idea was born. To illustrate the slogan, the Lady on the swing was born.
The Golden Mile was once a post-war industrial, manufacturing, and shopping plaza which reflected the giddy optimism of that era. It was visited by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1959. The the 250 acres of land was acquired by Scarborough council in 1948, under the advice of then-reeve Oliver Crockford who, according to <i> The Globe and Mail's </i> Dave Leblanc, was hoping to broaden the tax base for the growing town. It was a massive employment area, as well as a place to buy groceries, modern appliances, and (of course) cars. Unquestionably, the most influential salesperson on the Mile was the Lady.
After 60 years and counting, the sign has gone through too many changes to give a full account of, but there are some significant highlights. The name changed from “Paul Willison” to “Willison” to “Golden Mile Chrysler.” At one time, it boasted “Canada's largest Chrysler showroom.” The common thread has been the white billboard, the invitation to “swing over,” and the Lady — whose outfits notably changed to match the current season. With one major exception.
When Willison died in the mid-90s, his other nephew Mike Tappenden took over. According to his brother Paul Tappenden, Mike wanted to switch things up and unveiled a new sign for a new century: a girl and boy, swinging together inside the W of “Willison.”
Paul says people took the sign very seriously, and were very vocal in their opposition to the new sign.
“A lot of the letters I used to get were from children,” says Paul. “And the children would usually say 'the Lady on the swing is not wearing the right clothes,' 'it's too cold,' 'it's too warm,' or whatever, and things like that. But there was usually more complaints when there was two people in the sign.”
They brought the Lady back, and there she swings to this day.
She was also lost, briefly, in the '80s. The dealership offered a $1,000 reward for her return. But, Paul says, she was ultimately discovered under a pile of snow by one of the maintenance guys, so his uncle decided to donate the money to the Salvation Army instead.
Paul Tappenden, who's worked at the dealership since the 1970's, reflects on the enduring legacy of the Swinging Lady; “It's a nostalgic thing. You want things to be the way they were. Too many things are changing.”