Take a good look at the wedge of history right in front of you-the Moses Block! You’re not seeing double; this really is one of the rarest buildings in all of Canada-a real, live flatiron building, and one of only six in Ontario. Now, before you ask, yes, it’s named “flatiron” because it looks just like an old-fashioned clothes iron. Kind of makes you wonder if someone’s going to try and press their shirts on the roof, doesn’t it?
Let’s rewind to the early 1900s. This corner of Durham and Elgin was bustling, smoke puffing from nearby railways, excited chatter spilling from shops and theaters, and the ground occasionally shaking as another train rumbled through. Sudbury was growing fast, and if you’d wandered by then, you might have heard the sound of saws and hammers as Hascal Moses and his family worked on what would become the Moses Block-though no one can quite agree if it was done by 1907 or 1915. Either way, they built it right on the spot chosen all the way back in the 1887 master plan for Sudbury-talk about forward thinking!
A mystery wrapped in brick, this spot was shaped not just by visionary architects but also by the odd shape of the lot itself, squeezed tight between Durham and Elgin. When the building first opened, it proudly displayed the words “Flat Iron Building” along the side, as if it was waving hello to New York’s famous Flatiron ancestor. Sudbury might not be Manhattan, but hey, we can still do triangular!
Downstairs, you would have found Wolfe’s Bookstore-a treasure cave stocked by Wolfe Moses, who ran everything from daily newspapers to the latest bestsellers starting in 1935. Imagine folks rushing in for their morning read, raindrops from their umbrellas pattering on the sidewalk. Meanwhile, the second floor played host to Jack Leve’s fur business. He’d served in the military and then decided selling furs was more his speed… after all, Northern Ontario winters make coats practically a necessity. Up there, fresh smells of books mixed with the earthy scent of pelts, creating an aroma you definitely wouldn’t find in any modern-day mall.
But not all news was good. In 1943, flames roared through Moses Block-a fire that threatened to erase its hard-fought history. But like any classic Sudbury survivor, the building came back stronger, with a brand-new third floor, perfect for stacking more books and dreams. Strangely, the “Flat Iron Building” sign never returned, but the spirit of the place marched on.
Through the decades, the block changed with the times. By 1975, an enthusiastic university professor named John Rutherford took over the bookstore, ensuring that wonder and learning never went out of style. As of 2021, if you peek inside you might find an advertising agency, a Money Mart, or the Good Luck General Store-proof that Moses Block keeps reinventing itself, like a chameleon in a business suit.
Standing here, you’re surrounded by some of Sudbury’s oldest masonry. The Moses Block is a window into a time when people dreamed big, wagons rattled on the streets, and downtown Sudbury was alive with promise, noise, and the scent of printing ink. And remember, every flatiron has two sides… so don’t forget to look around the corner!
