Some appear like grand Georgian mansions or late-Victorian buildings, while others look like humble suburban homes.
Even the most sharp-eyed resident couldnt tell these faux homes apart.
Some are not even aware they are living next door to a transformer.
This is not a house.
Photo credit: City of Toronto Archives
Toronto was first electrified in the late 1880s.
At that time a number of small private companies were supplying electrical demands.
A driveway and some low-maintenance shrubs in the garden helped complete the deception.
One of the grandest of these structures is the Glengrove Substation, built in 1931.
As architectural styles evolved, so did the camouflage.
These substation homes were so authentic that they were sometimes broken into by burglars.
There used to be over 270 substation homes scattered across Toronto.
According toSpacing Toronto, as of 2015, 79 of these substations are still active.
Photo credit: City of Toronto Archives
Glengrove Station.
Photo credit: Robin Collyer
169 Goulding Avenue, North York.
Photo credit: Robin Collyer
555 Spadina Road, Toronto.
Photo credit: Robin Collyer
85 Elmridge Drive, Toronto.
Photo credit: Robin Collyer
Palmdale Drive and Sheppard Avenue East, Scarborough.
Photo credit: Robin Collyer
Photo credit: Robin Collyer
520 Rustic Road, North York.
Photo credit: Robin Collyer
