Harold Ballard's Woodycrest mansion demolished in Etobicoke
The longtime home of the controversial Maple Leafs owner, where he once renovated using fraudulently obtained funds, has been torn down as part of a Tridel development at Bloor and Montgomery.
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Harold Ballard's former residence, Woodycrest, at Montgomery Road and Bloor Street in Etobicoke's Kingsway neighbourhood, was demolished this week as part of a larger Tridel redevelopment site.
Toronto approved demolition applications for 4, 6, and 8 Montgomery Road in April. Ballard had dubbed the estate Woodycrest and maintained it as his longtime home, though he also kept a small apartment on the second floor of Maple Leaf Gardens.
The property became notorious in 1972 when Ballard was indicted on 47 counts of fraud, theft, and tax evasion. He had issued fake invoices for construction work supposedly done at Maple Leaf Gardens; the funds actually went toward renovations at Woodycrest and his cottage near Midland, Ontario. Ballard served one year of a three-year prison sentence. He went on to become the Leafs' majority owner in 1972, a position he held until his death in 1990.
Leafs fans have long blamed Ballard for the team's decline after his takeover, noting he traded star players out of spite and alienated others like Dave Keon. The team won four consecutive Stanley Cups in the 1960s, with the last in 1967, only five years before Ballard's arrest.
On social media, fans have joked that demolishing the house might finally lift the "Ballard curse." One Reddit user mused, "Imagine if we won the cup this year just because of this. I would believe in curses for the rest of my life lol." Another fan contemplated taking a jackhammer to Ballard's handprint, which was immortalized in concrete under centre ice at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1983 — the slab was excavated and preserved in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010.
At a glance
Where was Harold Ballard's Woodycrest mansion located?
Woodycrest stood at Montgomery Road and Bloor Street in Etobicoke's Kingsway neighbourhood.
When did Toronto approve demolition of the site?
Toronto approved demolition applications for 4, 6, and 8 Montgomery Road in April.
Why did Ballard's name become associated with fraud?
In 1972, Ballard was indicted on 47 counts of fraud, theft, and tax evasion after issuing fake invoices for construction at Maple Leaf Gardens; the funds actually financed renovations at Woodycrest and his cottage near Midland, Ontario.
