Baldwin Steps

The Baldwin Steps are set of stairs in Toronto, Canada. They mark the steepest part of the bluffs that mark the shoreline of the ancient Lake Iroquois. The sheerness of the cliff prevented roads running through thus the spot marks an interruption of Spadina Road. Along the top of the cliff some of Toronto's most exclusive homes were constructed including Casa Loma and Spadina House.

A set of wooden steps were installed to allow people to move through the area. The original wooden stairs were replaced with a permanent structure in 1913. In the 1960s the region was threatened by the Spadina Expressway. The proposed expressway was intended to enter a tunnel around St. Clair Avenue and emerge from the cliff face before heading downtown. Jane Jacobs successfully lobbied against the municipal government, which eventually killed the expressway project. In the 1980s, the area was restored and new steps were built. They were named the Baldwin steps after Robert Baldwin who lived in the area.