Etobicoke Motel Strip from North American Motel to Concler Motel

This website contains colour pictures of the Etobicoke Motel Strip taken by Roger D. Moore in 1989. The photos are in seven groups which can be accessed via the map below

Concler was just north of modern Brooker's Lane. Hillcrest is aligned with modern unassumed road south of 16 Brookers Lane. Christie's plant is on west side of Lakeshore Blvd.

North American Motel and the neighbouring Hillcrest Motel had common ownership and were operated together. They advertised in the US as an inexpensive place for tourists visiting Toronto. The Gadzala family which owned it provided some uncommon amenities. The grounds were irrigated with water pumped from the lake; there was a gazebo on the south side. The lawn is visible in several pictures of the shore. There was also a large flagpole which has been relocated to entrance to Humber Bay Park East.

North American Motel on the left; Hillcrest Motel on right.

single-story house and North American Motel

North American sign

North American Motel front

Hillcrest Motel

Cumberland Motel

Casa Loma Motel suffered a fire sometime between 1983 and 1989.

Concler Motel was the most notorious motel on the strip. The licensed restaurant was a haunt of drug dealers and prostitutes. On September 19, 1993 Darek Drobek was the night clerk working his first shift. Mr Drobek was an immigrant from Poland with a family. He was studying to upgrade his academic credentials so he could obtain employment as a teacher. He was stabbed to death by Michael Edward Stacey and Joseph Arthur Smith. They fled to Florida where they were apprehended on September 27. Stacey and Smith were convicted of a first-degree murder on 27 Oct 1995. This murder triggered a city effort to close motels with a bad reputation.

Concler without streetwalkers