In 1947, Christie Pits became the centre of one of Toronto’s most unusual protests: a citywide movement led almost entirely by children.
After the price of chocolate bars rose from 5¢ to 8¢, thousands of young people across Canada organized strikes and marches in protest. In Toronto, children marched along Bloor Street to Christie Pits demanding the return of the 5¢ chocolate bar.
The movement quickly drew national attention before fading under pressure from newspapers, parents, and accusations that the protests were being influenced by communists. The price increase stayed — but the story of Toronto’s “Candy Bar Strike” remains one of the city’s most unexpected acts of collective protest.
