Look up at the northeast corner of Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto and you’ll see the restored legendary Sam The Record Man sign, just around the corner (and way up high) from it’s original location. Sam the Record Man opened in 1959 and for almost half a century was a beloved music mecca in Toronto. The spinning records flashing neon sign was a cultural touchstone for the city. I remember taking the subway for the first time by myself downtown and being very excited to see that sign- it was truly something special and a symbol of Yonge Street.
When Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) bought the original Sam the Record man location at 347 Yonge Street (at Gould Street on the northeast corner) back in 2008, they agreed to restore these beloved signs and put them up somewhere else. The building they are now spinning above is located at 277 Victoria St, overlooking Yonge-Dundas Square at 1 Dundas St E. in Toronto.