OK, back on the topic that the guy actually wanted to know about...
Having previously lived in Guelph, Ont. and Gimli, Man. I think I can offer
some options.
First, I'm surprised that you'd really need a block heater in Toronto,
especially for a non-diesel engine. Anyway, here are three possibilities
from the late 70's which should still be available.
1.) Dip-stick heater. Easiest to install. Just pull out the dip-stick and
insert this electrically heated probe. Reverse the procedure when you want
to drive away. Never personally tried one but they apparently keep the oil
from getting too cold and thick.
2.) Hot water recirculator. Bought mine from Canadian Tire in Winnipeg.
Relatively cheap and easy to install (at least on a '70 Pontiac 350
Laurentian). You just cut through your heater hose (I think it was the
engine to heater core hose, not the return. And this is important!!) and
plug the recirculator in between the ends of the freshly cut hose. Then
plug in the cord to an AC outlet. The unit has a heater and pump which
keeps hot water circulating around the system. This doesn't do a lot for
the oil temperature but it does work quite well and gives you instant heat
in the morning. The units came in various models up to maybe 1,500 or 2,000
watts. If you go this route remember to leave your heater temperature
dashboard control WIDE OPEN when the recirculator is working.
3). Conventional block heater. This requires removing a frost plug from the
block and installing the block heater through the hole. It's probably very
difficult to get at the frost plugs on your car so you might have to pay
someone else to get their fingers dirty. Some people in Manitoba had dual
block heaters, a recirculator, AND an in-car heater. Nothing like being
toasty when it's -42F.
Of course the most expensive solution is to move to Vancouver, then you can
say "What's a block heater?"
Ha, ha, ha...
Steve