Starbucks Toronto mug: Discovery Series

By The Starbucks Cups team · Last checked 2026-10-08 · How we make these pages

Starbucks Discovery Series Toronto mug with a bicycle, an arch bridge, a streetcar and red cliffs around the word TORONTO — Front view · numbered markers match the list below Show markers

The Toronto mug from Starbucks' Discovery Series sets the city name in pale mint over a dark green circle, with a bicycle, an arch bridge, a streetcar, red cliffs above a lake and a pillared building with a row of flags.

Series: Discovery Series
Place: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Type: Mug
Released: Not confirmed
Capacity: 14 fl ozstandard mug size
SKU: Not confirmed

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The Toronto bridge built for a subway that did not exist

By 1913 the plan for a new bridge over Toronto's Don Valley included a second deck, for underground trains that might come someday. Toronto's commissioner of public works, R.C. Harris, required it, despite controversy over the high added cost ^[1]. A New York firm, Jacobs and Davies, had recommended provisions for a future subway in a report in 1910 ^[2]. The Prince Edward Viaduct was completed in 1918. On 3 July 1965, forty-seven years later, the first subway train crossed the Don Valley on its lower deck ^[3]. The only work left was to lay reinforced concrete as a trackbed ^[4]. According to Spacing Toronto, the deck saved at least $10 million on the Bloor-Danforth line, and Transit Toronto also calls the conversion millions of dollars cheaper than a new bridge ^[5]. The matching deck under the Rosedale Valley span curved too sharply for trains, so the subway got its own bridge there ^[6]. The arched bridge on the Toronto mug (3) may be the viaduct.

The mug does not label its drawings, so connecting this one to the story is our reading.

What's on the mug

1
Lettering
TORONTO in pale mint capitals over a dark green circle.
2
Bicycle
A bicycle with red wheels sits at the upper left.
3
Arch bridge
A red-and-teal steel arch bridge spans the top left of the circle.
4
Streetcar
A red-and-white streetcar stands at the left of the lettering.
5
Cliffs above a lake
Red-orange cliffs rise above dark blue water with a small sailboat at the upper right.
6
Pillared building with flags
A white building with columns, an arch and a row of red flags stands along the base.
7
Hockey player Side view
A skater in a mint sweater and helmet swings a hockey stick across the middle of this view.
8
Movie camera Side view
A film camera on red tripod legs stands at the upper left, with a film reel beside it.
9
Red streetcar Side view
A red and white streetcar runs along the right side, with a bicycle above it.
10
Brick buildings Side view
A row of brick buildings in navy, red and cream stands along the waterline.
11
Food truck Back view
A white truck with red and blue trim drives across the top of a bridge.
12
Film reel Back view
A red film reel with a strip of film unspooling sits above the bridge.
13
Bridge Back view
A low bridge with several arches crosses a pale blue river.
14
Target-ringed lawn Back view
A round green patch with red target rings sits at the right of the houses.

The photo shows one side of the mug. The back and the area behind the handle are out of view.

Collector notes

The photo shows the mug in its open dark green box on a shop shelf.
The streetcar and the bicycle sit at the left of the lettering, and the cliffs above the lake at the right, beside the handle.

Before you buy

The photo shows one side of the mug, so the back and the area behind the handle are out of view. Toronto also appears in Starbucks' Been There, Icon and You Are Here series, so check the series name before you buy.