TORONTO - Toronto's Canon Theatre is being renamed in honour of Ed Mirvish.
The entrepreneur, who died in 2007, was the son of a grocer who rose from humble beginnings to open the landmark Toronto department store Honest Ed's at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst.
He developed a keen interest in the arts and went on to refurbish the Royal Alexandra Theatre, where he became a producer, often greeting theatregoers as they left a performance.
He also helped revitalize the King Street area now known as the theatre district, opening various restaurants along the strip.
He later built the Princess of Wales theatre, which opened in 1993. In 2008, Mirvish Productions purchased two more Toronto theatres -- the Canon and Panasonic.
Mirvish Productions announced the name change Tuesday on its website. The Ed Mirvish Theatre (formerly known as the Canon, the Pantages and the Imperial) is located at Yonge and Dundas.
