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128-534: Leaside (/'liːˌsaɪd/) is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario , Canada. It is located northeast of Downtown Toronto , in the vicinity of Eglinton Avenue East and Bayview Avenue . It is one of the most expensive and exclusive neighbourhoods in the city. The area takes its name from William Lea and the Lea family, who settled there in the early years of the 19th century. The area first developed as farmland along with Toronto through

256-408: A "splash pad", a water playground for young children. Northlea Elementary and Middle School is located on the site of the old Divadale Estate on Rumsey Road north of Eglinton Avenue. It was opened in 1944 and had 15 classrooms. In 1991–93, the school underwent extensive renovations and the school now educates over 800 students. The renovation provided additional classroom space to the school as well as

384-716: A capital. In 1787, the British Lord Dorchester arranged for the Toronto Purchase with the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, thereby securing more than a quarter of a million acres (1000 km ) of land in the Toronto area. Dorchester intended the location to be named Toronto. The first 25 years after the Toronto purchase were quiet, although "there were occasional independent fur traders" present in

512-633: A channel to the harbour. The peninsula was formed by longshore drift taking the sediments deposited along the Scarborough Bluffs shore and transporting them to the Islands area. The other source of sediment for the Port Lands wetland and the peninsula was the deposition of the Don River, which carved a wide valley through the sedimentary land of Toronto and deposited it in the shallow harbour. The harbour and

640-486: A continuous raised bicycle lane that would be the longest bike lane in the city. The initial implementation of the redesign would be carried out with the reconstruction at Crosstown line station locations that would be funded as part of the Crosstown line project. Reconstruction between stations will be funded by the city and is proposed to be carried out after completion of the Crosstown line so that it does not interfere with

768-498: A factory for production of 9.2 inch shells for World War I . In addition to the new factory, Canada Wire and Cable moved their other Toronto production plants to the same location to increase efficiency. Canada Wire and Cable also created the subsidiary company Leaside Munitions Company to oversee shell production. Soon after, construction began on a federal government owned airstrip, named Leaside Aerodrome . The York Land Company leased about 220 acres (0.9 km; 89.0 ha) to

896-455: A family connection, despite the slight difference in spelling. The wagon trail connecting to Yonge Street between the third and fifth concessions ( St. Clair and Lawrence Avenues respectively) soon adopted the name of the village and was gradually improved over the years near Yonge Street. In 1890, the area was incorporated as North Toronto , and in 1912, it was annexed to Toronto itself. In 1953, Metropolitan Toronto (commonly known as Metro)

1024-552: A home and court house for William Lea's family, but after he became a Magistrate in the County of York , soon served as a residence, a town hall and a post office as well. The property became the possession of William's eldest son Joseph upon his death in 1893. Joseph lived in the octagonal house until 1903. Afterwards, it was abandoned and later demolished by the Canadian Northern Railway in 1913. The company later set fire to

1152-591: A junction was built in the Leaside area, and a railway line named the Don Branch was constructed south along the Don River towards the original Union Station on Toronto's waterfront. In 1912, William Mackenzie and Donald Mann , the owners of the Canadian Northern Railway , hired landscape architect Frederick Todd to plan development for a community to be built around a maintenance yard for their railway, which ran beside

1280-566: A natural state. The park is used for picnicking and hiking in the summer and cross country skiing in the winter. The park is also connected by walking paths to Sunnybrook Park. Trace Manes Park is in south Leaside. The park is home to the Leaside Tennis club and sports six tennis courts . Other facilities in the park include a playground , a baseball diamond , and an outdoor ice rink in winter. Howard Talbot Park in south-west Leaside features two baseball diamonds. Additionally it features

1408-650: A new library, and second gymnasium. The playing field is artificial turf. The school is operated by the Toronto District School Board . Northlea is a dual track school offering regular English programs from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8, and French Immersion programs from Senior Kindergarten to Grade 8. Northlea welcomes commuters for the impressive French Immersion programs. Bessborough Elementary and Middle School, located close to Leaside High School in South Leaside, has offered education to those living in

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1536-579: A ravine or valley and continue on the other side. Toronto has many bridges spanning the ravines. Large bridges such as the Prince Edward Viaduct were built to span broad river valleys. Despite its deep ravines, Toronto is not remarkably hilly, but its elevation does increase steadily away from the lake. Elevation differences range from 76.5 metres (251 ft) above sea level at the Lake Ontario shore to 209 m (686 ft) above sea level near

1664-466: Is a French separate public school board. However, the French school boards do not operate a school in the Leaside neighbourhood. St. Anselm Catholic School is a coeducational, Catholic, elementary school in the south of Toronto , Ontario . It was named after the philosopher and theologian of Canterbury, Saint Anselm . It was established in 1939, with only 2 classrooms under principal Mary Breen. Additions to

1792-454: Is a prominent centre for music, theatre, motion picture production, and television production, and is home to the headquarters of Canada's major national broadcast networks and media outlets . Its varied cultural institutions , which include numerous museums and galleries , festivals and public events , entertainment districts, national historic sites , and sports activities , attract over 43 million tourists each year. Toronto

1920-556: Is an educational facility physically located within the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in north Leaside, although they are each separate legal entities. The Bloorview School Authority offers various educational programs for children, some of whom are patients in the hospital. Included in the offerings is a full day program for children from junior kindergarten to grade one, based on Ontario school curriculum. The first town council for Leaside

2048-509: Is its escarpments. During the last ice age , the lower part of Toronto was beneath Glacial Lake Iroquois . Today, a series of escarpments mark the lake's former boundary, known as the "Iroquois Shoreline". The escarpments are most prominent from Victoria Park Avenue to the mouth of Highland Creek , where they form the Scarborough Bluffs . Other observable sections include the area near St. Clair Avenue West between Bathurst Street and

2176-660: Is known for its many skyscrapers and high-rise buildings , in particular the CN Tower , the tallest freestanding structure on land outside of Asia. The city is home to the Toronto Stock Exchange , the headquarters of Canada's five largest banks , and the headquarters of many large Canadian and multinational corporations. Its economy is highly diversified with strengths in technology, design, financial services, life sciences, education, arts, fashion, aerospace, environmental innovation, food services, and tourism. Toronto

2304-579: Is now a museum. The pre-amalgamation City of Toronto covers the downtown core and older neighbourhoods to the east, west, and north. It is the most densely populated part of the city. The Financial District contains the First Canadian Place , Toronto-Dominion Centre , Scotia Plaza , Royal Bank Plaza , Commerce Court and Brookfield Place . This area includes, among others, the neighbourhoods of St. James Town , Garden District , St. Lawrence , Corktown , and Church and Wellesley . From that point,

2432-422: Is residential, for the most part, though it becomes a major commercial area from Allen Road to Don Mills Road . The Eglinton West or " Little Jamaica " area, which stretches from Marlee Avenue / Winona Drive to Keele Street , is home to a number of Caribbean stores. Eglinton Avenue is one of the few east–west routes north of Bloor Street that cross Toronto uninterrupted in a more or less straight line across

2560-485: Is supplied by 332 Eglinton West Blue Night (between Eglinton Station and Pearson Airport) and 334 Eglinton East Blue Night (between Eglinton Station and the intersection of Finch Avenue and Neilson). In Mississauga, MiWay route 35 Eglinton serves most of the street corridor within the city, while routes 7 Airport, 9 Rathburn, 68 Terry Fox, and 74 Explorer also serve some sections of the road. Eglinton West (at Allen Road ), Eglinton (at Yonge Street ), and Kennedy (at

2688-566: Is the anchor of the Golden Horseshoe , an urban agglomeration of 9,765,188 people (as of 2021) surrounding the western end of Lake Ontario , while the Greater Toronto Area proper had a 2021 population of 6,712,341. Toronto is an international centre of business, finance, arts, sports, and culture and is one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world. Indigenous peoples have travelled through and inhabited

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2816-517: Is the third-largest tech hub in North America after Silicon Valley and New York City , and the fastest-growing hub. The word Toronto has been recorded with various spellings in French and English, including Tarento , Tarontha , Taronto , Toranto , Torento , Toronto , and Toronton . The most frequent early spelling, Taronto , referred to 'The Narrows', a channel of water through which Lake Simcoe discharges into Lake Couchiching where

2944-552: The 2010 Toronto municipal election that saw Rob Ford elected to the office of Mayor of Toronto, Parker won another tight race for councillor of Ward 26, beating runner up Jon Burnside by only 415 votes. After a tumultuous term of increased traffic in the neighbourhood and rapid development along the Laird Drive corridor and in Thorncliffe Park, Parker lost the seat to Burnside by a margin of 3,248 votes. Mayors of Leaside from

3072-400: The 2026 FIFA World Cup . Toronto covers an area of 630 square kilometres (243 sq mi), with a maximum north–south distance of 21 kilometres (13 mi). It has a maximum east–west distance of 43 km (27 mi), and it has a 46-kilometre (29 mi) long waterfront shoreline, on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario . The Toronto Islands and Port Lands extend out into

3200-509: The CP lines through the Leaside area. Mackenzie and Todd founded the York Land Company to purchase land for such a town. The company purchased over 1,000 acres (4.0 km; 400 ha), including most of the third concession and some land north of Eglinton Avenue . The purchased lands extended from the railway tracks in the south to three farms north of Eglinton Avenue, from Leslie Street in

3328-690: The Earls of Eglinton . Several early settlers, impressed by the Eglinton Tournament of 1839 hosted by the 13th Earl , named the hamlet developing in the area as the Village of Eglinton after the Earl. More likely is the humbler story that it was named by the tavern keeper John Montgomery who settled in the area in 1830 and named the village after the Earl of Eglinton of the Montgomerie family, to whom he believed he had

3456-1289: The Erin Mills Town Centre , Centennial Park , Planet Bowl , the Eglinton Flats sports park, Eglinton Park , Little Jamaica and Reggae Lane , Yonge Eglinton Centre , the Canada Square Complex and the TVO Headquarters , Sunnybrook Park , the Ontario Science Centre , the Eglinton Square Shopping Centre, The Golden Mile , and Toronto East Detention Centre . The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) operates bus routes 32 Eglinton West (between Eglinton subway station and Renforth MiWay Terminal ), 34 Eglinton East (between Eglinton and Kennedy stations ), 51 Leslie, 54 Lawrence East and 56 Leaside (between Eglinton station and Leslie Street). East of Kennedy station, routes 86 Scarborough, 116 Morningside, 905 Eglinton East Express, and 986 Scarborough Express provide regular all-day service (until 2014, 34 Eglinton East provided service east of Kennedy station). Overnight service

3584-569: The Great Irish Famine ; most of them were Catholic . By 1851, the Irish-born population had become the largest single ethnic group in the city. The Scottish and English population welcomed smaller numbers of Protestant Irish immigrants, some from what is now Northern Ireland, which gave the Orange Order significant and long-lasting influence over Toronto society. Almost every mayor of Toronto

3712-622: The Mississaugas had displaced the Iroquois, who abandoned the Toronto area at the end of the Beaver Wars , with most returning to their homeland in present-day New York state. French traders founded Fort Rouillé in 1750 (the current Exhibition grounds were later developed there), but abandoned it in 1759 during the Seven Years' War . The British defeated the French and their indigenous allies in

3840-542: The Rugby truck. Leaside's growth slowed after World War I, with its primary industry being war industry. The existing houses had all been built for employees of the Leaside Munitions Company by the company. However, at this time Leaside stood on the edge of Toronto and was increasingly an appealing place for investment. Investors from Baltimore bought property that had previously belonged to Robert T. Davies for

3968-470: The Toronto Carrying-Place Trail , led to widespread use of the name. The pronunciation of the city is broadly / t ə ˈ r ɒ n t oʊ / tə- RONT -oh , which locals pronounce [təˈɹɒnoʊ] or [ˈtɹɒnoʊ] , leaving the second 't' silent. The site of Toronto lay at the entrance to one of the oldest routes to the northwest, a route known and used by

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4096-589: The York University grounds in the city's north end at the intersection of Keele Street and Steeles Avenue. There are occasional hilly areas; in particular, midtown Toronto , as well as the Silverthorn and Fairbank neighbourhoods, have several sharply sloping hills. Lake Ontario remains occasionally visible from the peaks of these ridges as far north as Eglinton Avenue, 7 to 8 kilometres (4.3 to 5.0 mi) inland. The other major geographical feature of Toronto

4224-500: The first shopping centres in Toronto. The site was previously a marsh where people dug loam for their gardens . In 1952 the Lincoln Electric company expanded to a 2,200-square-foot (200 m) plant, and their site expanded to cover almost 7 acres (28,000 m; 2.8 ha). They leased an additional 500-square-foot (46 m) building in Leaside to house their distribution center. The last horse race at Thorncliffe Park

4352-540: The 19th century, the city built an extensive sewage system to improve sanitation, and streets were illuminated with gas lighting as a regular service. Long-distance railway lines were constructed, including a route completed in 1854 linking Toronto with the Upper Great Lakes. The Grand Trunk Railway and the Northern Railway of Canada joined in the building of the first Union Station in downtown. The advent of

4480-474: The 19th century. It was incorporated as a town in 1913. In 1967, it amalgamated with the township of East York to form the borough of East York . In 1998, it became part of the city of Toronto. The general area of Toronto had been inhabited by various First Nations at least as early as 3000 BCE, when the Laurentian peoples moved south into the area just east of Toronto. The first European known to travel to

4608-449: The 2000s, many neighbourhoods became ethnically diverse and underwent gentrification due to increasing population and a housing boom during the late 1990s and the early 21st century. The first neighbourhoods affected were Leaside and North Toronto , gradually progressing into the western neighbourhoods in York. Eglinton Avenue The Toronto section was surveyed in the 19th century as

4736-458: The Canada Wire and Cable company. At the start of World War II , Lincoln Electric moved their operations to Leaside industrial park, adjacent to the Canada Wire and Cable plant. The new location, constructed in 1940, covered 300 square feet (28 m). On July 16, 1940, Research Enterprises Limited was incorporated. The company operated only during the war, closing in 1946. It was, however,

4864-569: The City of Toronto in 1834. Toronto hosted the 4th G20 summit during June 26–27, 2010. This included the largest security operation in Canadian history. Following large-scale protests and rioting, law enforcement arrested more than 1,000 people, the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. On July 8, 2013, severe flash flooding hit Toronto after an afternoon of slow-moving, intense thunderstorms. Toronto Hydro estimated 450,000 people were without power after

4992-482: The Don River, and north of Davenport Road from Caledonia to Spadina Road ; the Casa Loma grounds sit above this escarpment. The geography of the lakeshore has dramatically changed since the first settlement of Toronto. Much of the land on the harbour's north shore is landfill, filled in during the late 19th century. Until then, the lakefront docks (then known as wharves) were set back farther inland than today. Much of

5120-699: The Fourth Concession Road (with the first being Queen Street ). It was historically known as Richview Sideroad in Etobicoke and Lower Baseline in Mississauga. It was also designated Highway 5A (and later Highway 109) in Scarborough . There are two sources for the naming of Eglinton Avenue. Henry Scadding in an early history of the city wrote that it originated from Eglinton Castle in Scotland , itself named for

5248-717: The Huron had planted tree saplings to corral fish. This narrows was called tkaronto by the Mohawk , meaning 'where there are trees standing in the water', and was recorded as early as 1615 by Samuel de Champlain . The word Toronto , meaning 'plenty', also appears in a 1632 French lexicon of the Huron language , which is also an Iroquoian language. It also appears on French maps referring to various locations, including Georgian Bay, Lake Simcoe, and several rivers. A portage route from Lake Ontario to Lake Huron running through this point, known as

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5376-576: The Huron, Iroquois, and Ojibwe . Archaeological sites show evidence of human occupation dating back thousands of years. The site was of strategic importance from the beginning of Ontario's recorded history. In the 1660s, the Iroquois established two villages within what is today Toronto, Ganatsekwyagon (Bead Hill) on the banks of the Rouge River and Teiaiagon on the banks of the Humber River . By 1701,

5504-478: The Iroquois Plain. The actions of the glacial Lake Iroquois made the Leaside area into a flat plateau , surrounded on three sides by deep river valleys . Leaside is made up predominantly of single-family homes housing upper-middle-class families. The most famous house in Leaside is James Lea's, located at 201 Sutherland Drive. Built in 1909, it is unique in that the back of the house faces Sutherland Drive. It

5632-669: The Progressive Conservatives' majority. North York mayor Mel Lastman became the first "megacity" mayor, and the 62nd mayor of Toronto, with his electoral victory . Lastman gained national attention after multiple snowstorms, including the January Blizzard of 1999 , dumped 118 centimetres (46 in) of snow and effectively immobilized the city. He called in the Canadian Army to aid snow removal by use of their equipment to augment police and emergency services. The move

5760-664: The Toronto Harbour), and the Rouge River at the city's eastern limits. Most of the ravines and valley lands in Toronto today are parklands and recreational trails are laid out along the ravines and valleys. The original town was laid out in a grid plan on the flat plain north of the harbour, and this plan was extended outwards as the city grew. The width and depth of several of the ravines and valleys are such that several grid streets, such as Finch Avenue , Leslie Street , Lawrence Avenue , and St. Clair Avenue , terminate on one side of

5888-600: The Toronto and York Roads Commission, later the Metropolitan Toronto Commission of Roads. In 1943, city planner Norman Wilson indicated the possible future need for a new urban highway to connect Eglinton Avenue with the Richview Sideroad. These plans would mature into the Richview Expressway with the formation of Metropolitan Toronto in 1954. Part of the requirements for the Richview Expressway

6016-607: The Toronto area, located on a broad sloping plateau interspersed with rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest , for more than 10,000 years. After the broadly disputed Toronto Purchase , when the Mississauga surrendered the area to the British Crown , the British established the town of York in 1793 and later designated it as the capital of Upper Canada . During the War of 1812 , the town

6144-622: The Toronto skyline extends northward along Yonge Street. Old Toronto is also home to many historically wealthy residential enclaves, such as Yorkville , Rosedale, The Annex, Forest Hill, Lawrence Park , Lytton Park , Deer Park , Moore Park , and Casa Loma, most stretching away from downtown to the north. East and west of downtown, neighbourhoods such as Kensington Market , Chinatown , Leslieville , Cabbagetown and Riverdale are home to bustling commercial and cultural areas as well as communities of artists with studio lofts, with many middle- and upper-class professionals. Other neighbourhoods in

6272-665: The West. Like the Irish before them, many of these migrants lived in overcrowded shanty-type slums, such as " the Ward ", which was centred on Bay Street , now the heart of the country's Financial District . As new migrants began to prosper, they moved to better housing in other areas, in what is now understood to be succession waves of settlement. Despite its fast-paced growth, by the 1920s, Toronto's population and economic importance in Canada remained second to

6400-460: The adjacent Port Lands on the harbour's east side was a wetland filled in early in the 20th century. The shoreline from the harbour west to the Humber River has been extended into the lake. Further west, landfill has been used to create extensions of land such as Humber Bay Park. The Toronto Islands were a natural peninsula until a storm in 1858 severed their connection to the mainland, creating

6528-405: The architecture of its homes, and for being one of Toronto's earliest planned communities, was designated as an Ontario Heritage Conservation district in 1985. The Casa Loma neighbourhood is named after "Casa Loma", a castle built in 1911 by Sir Henry Pellat , complete with gardens, turrets, stables, an elevator, secret passages, and a bowling alley. Spadina House is a 19th-century manor that

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6656-830: The area was Étienne Brûlé , who passed through the area in the early part of the 17th century. Surveying by Europeans began in earnest in the 1780s, with people fleeing the American Revolution . John Lea Sr. was born in 1773 in Lancashire and immigrated to York, Upper Canada in 1819, coming from Philadelphia in the United States where they immigrated to in 1818. Before immigrating, he married Mary Hutchison (born in Cumberland ) and they had their first child in Lanchester on May 28, 1814 and named him William Lea. He purchased Lot 13 in

6784-423: The area, with the usual complaints of debauchery and drunkenness. In 1793, Governor John Graves Simcoe established the town of York on the Toronto Purchase lands, naming it after Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany . Simcoe decided to move the Upper Canada capital from Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) to York, believing the new site would be less vulnerable to attack by the United States. The York garrison

6912-449: The cancellation of Transit City on the day that he took office. The redesigned Eglinton–Scarborough Crosstown line along with a Line 4 Sheppard extension was announced four months later, with the support of Metrolinx and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty . The redesign put the 19 kilometres (12 mi) Eglinton portion completely underground, integrated the Line 3 Scarborough portion (which has since been decommissioned due to age and

7040-481: The capital until 1865 (two years before Canadian Confederation). Since then, the capital of Canada has remained Ottawa , Ontario. Toronto became the capital of the province of Ontario after its official creation in 1867. The seat of government of the Ontario briefly returned to the same building that hosted the Third Parliament Building of Upper Canada, before moving to the Ontario Legislative Building at Queen's Park in 1893. Because of its provincial capital status,

7168-617: The central city retain an ethnic identity, including two smaller Chinatowns, the Greektown area, Little Italy , Portugal Village , and Little India , among others. The inner suburbs are contained within the former municipalities of York and East York. These are mature and traditionally working-class areas, consisting primarily of post–World War I small, single-family homes and small apartment blocks. Neighbourhoods such as Crescent Town , Thorncliffe Park , Flemingdon Park , Weston, and Oakwood Village consist mainly of high-rise apartments, which are home to many new immigrant families. During

7296-407: The channel of the Don River have been dredged numerous times for shipping. The lower section of the Don River was straightened and channelled in the 19th century. The former mouth drained into a wetland; today, the Don River drains into the harbour through a concrete waterway, the Keating Channel . To mitigate flooding in the area, as well as to create parkland, a second more natural mouth was built to

7424-527: The city granted the operation of the transit franchise to the Toronto Railway Company . The public transit system passed into public ownership in 1921 as the Toronto Transportation Commission , later renamed the Toronto Transit Commission . The system now has the third-highest ridership of any city public transportation system in North America . The Great Toronto Fire of 1904 destroyed a large section of downtown Toronto . The fire destroyed more than 100 buildings. The fire claimed one victim, John Croft, who

7552-411: The city of North York successfully lobbied for the Sheppard line . The underground subway line was approved despite the official transit plan only recommended a bus rapid transit line for the road in the near future. The Eglinton line was abandoned by Rae's successor Mike Harris after construction had started at Eglinton West station and underground excavation was filled in. The Eglinton Crosstown LRT

7680-471: The city was also the location of Government House , the residence of the viceregal representative of the Crown in right of Ontario . Long before the Royal Military College of Canada was established in 1876, supporters of the concept proposed military colleges in Canada. Staffed by British Regulars, adult male students underwent a three-month-long military course at the School of Military Instruction in Toronto. Established by Militia General Order in 1864,

7808-414: The city was hit by a massive blackout which affected millions of Torontonians (it also affected most of Southern Ontario and parts of the United States), stranding some hundreds of people in tall buildings, knocking out traffic lights and suspending subway and streetcar service across the city during those aforementioned days. On March 6, 2009, the city celebrated the 175th anniversary of its inception as

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7936-449: The city, there exist hundreds of small neighbourhoods and some larger neighbourhoods covering a few square kilometres. The many residential communities of Toronto express a character distinct from the skyscrapers in the commercial core. Victorian and Edwardian-era residential buildings can be found in enclaves such as Rosedale , Cabbagetown , The Annex , and Yorkville . The Wychwood Park neighbourhood, historically significant for

8064-441: The city. Eglinton Avenue was also the only street to cross all six of the municipalities that eventually amalgamated to form Metro Toronto : East York , Etobicoke , North York , Scarborough , Toronto , and York . The section between the Etobicoke Creek and Renforth Drive forms part of the city limits of Toronto and Mississauga. There are many notable sites and landmarks along Eglinton Avenue; from west to east, they include

8192-427: The community in various ways, including the construction of a water main in 1918. East York merged with five other municipalities in 1998 to form the new City of Toronto . Line 5 Eglinton , also known as the Eglinton Crosstown LRT , will have 3 stations in Leaside when opened in 2024 (est.): underground stations at Bayview Avenue and at Laird Drive , and a grade level station at Leslie Street . Leaside lies on

8320-528: The company was to create Leaside as a new upper class residential area of Toronto, the "New Rosedale ". The developers first approached the town of North Toronto , hoping that North Toronto would annex the area and provide services such as streets, sewers, and public transportation. The town council of North Toronto refused. A similar request to the city of Toronto was met with a similar reply. With their attempts to include Leaside within another city or town rebuffed, Colonel Davidson and Randolph McRae applied to

8448-500: The construction of a race track . They formed the Thorncliffe Park Racing and Breeding Association Ltd. to operate the track. The Leaside Viaduct was completed on October 29, 1927, providing easy connection between east Toronto and Leaside. This led to the rapid growth of Leaside at the time, and in the future. The impassibility of the Don River valley had previously made it difficult for people employed in Toronto to reside in Leaside. The same month, an underpass on Millwood Road

8576-407: The demand for industrial output but diminished the call for new housing. The bankruptcy of Canadian Northern Railway left the project at a loss and Leaside's isolated location made it unappealing to workers from Toronto. After the war, the strip became the site of Canada's first delivery of airmail on June 18, 1918, when pilot Brian Peck delivered 120 letters from Montreal , Quebec. This delivery

8704-491: The dump was once site of hangar for Leaside Aerodrome ) and resumed at Victoria Park Avenue (then known as Dawes Road). This break resulted in a bypassed eastern stub at Bermondsey Road signed as Old Eglinton Avenue . The Department of Highways relinquished control of Highway 109 to the newly formed Metro government. Metro built the new section of Eglinton Avenue, first between Dawes Road and Don Mills Road in 1955, and later between Don Mills Road and Leaside in 1956. In

8832-455: The east end of Mississauga, just south of Toronto Pearson International Airport . Renforth Station is a terminal hub for TTC, GO Transit , and MiWay buses; meanwhile, the other three are exclusively served by MiWay. The provincial government of Bob Rae started work on the Eglinton West line of the Toronto subway in 1994 as a way of appeasing politicians in Etobicoke and York who demanded rapid transit expansion in their constituencies after

8960-457: The east to Bayview Avenue in the west. The town of Leaside was planned by Todd for the company, which put its name to many of the local streets; Laird Drive, Hanna Road, and Wicksteed Avenue all bear the name of Canadian Northern Railway company executives. The new community was planned with commercial areas, residential areas, and a town centre west of Laird Drive, and space was laid out east of Laird Drive for industrial development. The goal of

9088-408: The eastern terminus of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth ) stations of the Toronto subway system are located on Eglinton, where the respective lines cross it. In Mississauga, a portion of the Mississauga Transitway , a grade-separated bus rapid transit line, follows Eglinton Avenue stopping at: Etobicoke Creek, Spectrum, Orbitor and Renforth. All of these stations are located at the Airport Corporate Centre at

9216-571: The elimination of racially based immigration policies by the late 1960s, Toronto became a destination for immigrants from all over the world. By the 1980s, Toronto had surpassed Montreal as Canada's most populous city and chief economic hub. During this time, in part owing to the political uncertainty raised by the resurgence of the Quebec sovereignty movement , many national and multinational corporations moved their head offices from Montreal to Toronto and Western Canadian cities. On January 1, 1998, Toronto

9344-628: The first mayor of Toronto . Mackenzie would later lead the unsuccessful Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837 against the British colonial government. Toronto's population of 9,000 included some African-American slaves, some of whom had been brought by the Loyalists, and Black Loyalists , whom the Crown had freed (most of the latter were resettled in Nova Scotia). By 1834, refugee slaves from America's South were also immigrating to Toronto to gain freedom. Slavery

9472-438: The government for the airfield, between Wicksteed Avenue and Eglinton Avenue. On May 21, 1917 construction began on the airfield. At the close of the war, there were accommodations for around 1000 military personnel. While the industrial development in the area went ahead as planned during World War One, the anticipated residential development did not occur. As late as 1929 the population remained under 500. World War I spurred

9600-680: The hurricane caused more than CA$ 25 million in damage. In 1967, the seven smallest municipalities of Metropolitan Toronto were merged with larger neighbours, resulting in a six-municipality configuration that included the former city of Toronto and the surrounding municipalities of East York , Etobicoke , North York , Scarborough , and York . In the decades after World War II, refugees from war-torn Europe and Chinese job-seekers arrived, as well as construction labourers, particularly from Italy and Portugal. Toronto's population grew to more than one million in 1951 when large-scale suburbanization began and doubled to two million by 1971. Following

9728-400: The lake, allowing for a somewhat sheltered Toronto Harbour south of the downtown core. An Outer Harbour was constructed southeast of downtown during the 1950s and 1960s, and it is now used for recreation. The city's limits are formed by Lake Ontario to the south, the western boundary of Marie Curtis Park , Etobicoke Creek , Eglinton Avenue and Highway 427 to the west, Steeles Avenue to

9856-428: The largest single employer in Leaside's history, employing over 7500 men and women at its peak. The site manufactured military radio equipment and optical supplies, with a total value of $ 220 million (CDN) in goods produced during the war. As part of a Royal Canadian Air Force public relations plan, the town of Leaside officially "adopted" No. 432 Squadron RCAF of No. 6 Group RCAF . Formed and adopted on 1 May 1943,

9984-404: The last hangar was demolished. Canada Wire and Cable was purchased by Alcatel in 1991, and the operations relocated to Markham in 1996, with the location being converted to a shopping centre. The plant had expanded through the years and been a major influence in Leaside, employing over 2700 workers at its peak. It had also been a strong influence over the community in other ways, investing in

10112-574: The last mayor of Leaside ran against True Davidson (the reeve of East York) for mayor of the amalgamated borough. Nealson lost to Davidson. In 1998, East York (including Leaside) was amalgamated with the City of Toronto to form the City of Toronto, from this point forward Leaside was a community within Toronto, and governed by the municipal council of Toronto. In 2006, incumbent Don Valley West councillor Jane Pitfield , whose ward included Leaside, ran for mayor. Former Progressive Conservative MPP John Parker won her former seat in that year's election. In

10240-409: The majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, over 160 languages are spoken in the city. The mayor of Toronto is elected by direct popular vote to serve as the chief executive of the city. The Toronto City Council is a unicameral legislative body, comprising 25 councillors since the 2018 municipal election , representing geographical wards throughout the city. Toronto

10368-505: The much longer established Montreal , Quebec. However, by 1934, the Toronto Stock Exchange had become the largest in the country. In 1954, the City of Toronto and 12 surrounding municipalities were federated into a regional government known as Metropolitan Toronto . The postwar boom had resulted in rapid suburban development. It was believed a coordinated land-use strategy and shared services would provide greater efficiency for

10496-511: The north and the Rouge River and the Scarborough–Pickering Townline to the east. The city is mostly flat or gentle hills, and the land gently slopes upward away from the lake. The flat land is interrupted by the Toronto ravine system , which is cut by numerous creeks and rivers of the Toronto waterway system , most notably the Humber River in the west end, the Don River east of downtown (these two rivers flanking and defining

10624-458: The old landmark in order to clear the land to make way for the company's proposed sidings and townsite . In the 1870s, the Ontario and Quebec Railway Company purchased a few acres (hectares) of land on the south-east corner of William Lea's property to run its railway across. The Ontario and Quebec Railway Company encountered financial difficulties in 1884, and leased part of its railway, including

10752-449: The older part of Leaside. St. Anselm Catholic School, also located on Bessborough Drive, opened in 1939 and presently has an enrollment of 340 students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. Rolph Road Elementary School, an elementary school for junior kindergarten to grade 6, is the other elementary school in the neighbourhood. Located on Rolph Road, it is in South Leaside and is a feeder school to Bessborough. Leaside High School began on

10880-454: The plan could be implemented. On June 21, 1913, the Toronto World carried the announcement that properties in Leaside's planned community would be marked in the fall of that year. In September 1913, lots went on sale within the planned community. In 1914, the industrial area that had been set aside east of Laird Drive received its first tenant. Canada Wire and Cable began construction of

11008-450: The proposed Expressway are high-speed ramps from Eglinton Avenue to Highways 401 and 427 at a massive interchange near Renforth station . At a signalized intersection this results in westbound Eglinton traffic defaulting to the on-ramps for 401 and 427 as drivers wishing to continue on the Eglinton routing have to make a left-turn. Eglinton Avenue runs through a number of neighbourhoods and

11136-403: The province of Ontario to incorporate Leaside as a town. The Town of Leaside was officially incorporated on April 23, 1913. The population of Leaside was 43. The Canadian Northern Railway company approved Todd's town plan on May 8, 1913. A town council for Leaside was elected on May 8, 1913 and they approved the plan for the town on May 21, 1913, which was the final legal approval needed before

11264-458: The railway dramatically increased the numbers of immigrants arriving, commerce and industry, as had the Lake Ontario steamers and schooners entering port before. These enabled Toronto to become a major gateway linking the world to the interior of the North American continent. Expanding port and rail facilities brought in northern timber for export and imported Pennsylvania coal. Industry dominated

11392-506: The referendum results and did so in April when it tabled the City of Toronto Act . Both opposition parties held a filibuster in the provincial legislature, proposing more than 12,000 amendments that allowed residents on streets of the proposed megacity to take part in public hearings on the merger and adding historical designations to the streets. This only delayed the bill's inevitable passage, given

11520-462: The region. The metropolitan government began to manage services that crossed municipal boundaries, including highways, police services, water and public transit . In that year, a half-century after the Great Fire of 1904, disaster struck the city again when Hurricane Hazel brought intense winds and flash flooding. In the Toronto area, 81 people were killed, nearly 1,900 families were left homeless, and

11648-485: The school enabled officers of militia or candidates for commission or promotion in the Militia to learn military duties, drill and discipline, to command a company at Battalion Drill, to drill a company at Company Drill, the internal economy of a company, and the duties of a company's officer. The school was retained at Confederation, in 1867. In 1868, Schools of cavalry and artillery instruction were formed in Toronto. In

11776-610: The school moved to its present 469 Merton Street location, just west of Leaside in Davisville. In addition to the Toronto District School Board, three other public school boards also operate in the city. The Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), is a public English separate school board; Conseil scolaire Viamonde is a secular French public school board; and the Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud

11904-492: The school were made in 1943, 1947 and 1951. The library and gymnasium were added in 1966. Today the school serves students from Kindergarten to 8th grade. In 1997, the MSSB/TCDSB made funds for the school to be a two-story building. When the school was being renovated, the students were moved to 1107 Avenue Road, which is now Marshall McLuhan . The students came back to the newly renovated school in 1998. Bloorview School Authority

12032-522: The section of track running through Leaside, to the Canadian Pacific Railway for 999 years. The Canadian Pacific Railway decided to establish a maintenance stop and a sliding by-pass on the railway on the land purchased from William Lea, which was considered attractive because it was uniformly flat. The station was completed in September 1894 and named "Leaside" in honour of William Lea. In 1892,

12160-548: The south during the first half of the 2020s, thereby creating a new island, Ookwemin Minising . Toronto encompasses an area formerly administered by several separate municipalities that were amalgamated over the years. Each developed a distinct history and identity over the years, and their names remain in common use among Torontonians. Former municipalities include East York, Etobicoke, Forest Hill , Mimico , North York, Parkdale , Scarborough, Swansea , Weston and York. Throughout

12288-462: The squadron took the town's name as its nickname, becoming 432 "Leaside" squadron RCAF. The sponsorship lasted the duration of the war. In 1945, at the end of World War II , the population of Leaside stood at 9,800. In 1949, Leaside's population had grown to 14,826. On May 14, 1952, the Sunnybrook Plaza, located on the north-east corner of Bayview Avenue and Eglinton Avenue East, became one of

12416-409: The storm and Toronto Pearson International Airport reported 126 mm (5 in) of rain had fallen over five hours, more than during Hurricane Hazel. Within six months, from December 20 to 22, 2013, Toronto was brought to a near halt by the worst ice storm in the city's history, rivalling the severity of the 1998 Ice Storm (which mainly affected southeastern Ontario, and Quebec). At the height of

12544-568: The storm, over 300,000 Toronto Hydro customers had no electricity or heating. Toronto hosted WorldPride in June 2014, and the Pan and Parapan American Games in 2015 . The city continues to grow and attract immigrants. A 2019 study by Toronto Metropolitan University (then known as Ryerson University) showed that Toronto was the fastest-growing city in North America. The city added 77,435 people between July 2017 and July 2018. The Toronto metropolitan area

12672-423: The street. In 2014, the municipal government of Toronto released a report proposing a redesign of the street to provide generally a four lane roadway over the underground LRT, with a three lanes (two traffic and centre turning lane) between Avenue Road and Mount Pleasant Road. The variation in number of lanes is based on lower car traffic volumes near Yonge Street. The redesign would also provide wider sidewalks and

12800-419: The third concession from Alexander McDonnell on January 23, 1820 and settled there with his family. John Lea Sr. had three children - William, John Jr. and Mary. In 1851, William Lea bought land just south of his father's farm, and began constructing a large, octagonal brick house, which he named "Leaside". The house was completed in 1854, the same year John Lea Sr. died, aged 81. The building served not only as

12928-453: The top floor of Rolph Road School in 1945. The "new" high school opened in September 1948 and welcomed back local students who had been attending Lawrence Park and Jarvis Collegiate. Along with the growth of these schools in the 1940s and 1950s, the growing population of Leaside also supported one of North Toronto's first preschools. Sunnybrook School was founded in 1952 in the basement of St. Augustine of Canterbury Church in Leaside. In 1960

13056-453: The town's incorporation until its merger into East York. 43°42′29″N 79°22′05″W  /  43.708°N 79.368°W  / 43.708; -79.368 Toronto Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario . With a population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the fourth-most populous city in North America . The city

13184-461: The town's surrender. American soldiers destroyed much of the garrison and set fire to the parliament buildings during their five-day occupation. Because of the sacking of York, British troops retaliated later in the war with the burning of Washington, D.C. York was incorporated as the City of Toronto on March 6, 1834, adopting the Indigenous name. Reformist politician William Lyon Mackenzie became

13312-457: The unavailability of new rolling stock), and would run contiguously from Black Creek Drive in the west to McCowan Road in the east. The redesign has since been shelved with construction plans reverting to the original design. Once the first phase of Line 5 Eglinton is completed by Metrolinx in 2024, the existing bus lanes on Eglinton between Black Creek Drive and Kennedy Road will be significantly reduced, providing an opportunity to redesign

13440-589: The war, and the area became part of the British colony of Quebec in 1763. During the American Revolutionary War , an influx of British settlers arrived there as United Empire Loyalists fled for the British-controlled lands north of Lake Ontario. The Crown granted them land to compensate for their losses in the Thirteen Colonies. The new province of Upper Canada was being created and needed

13568-631: The waterfront for the next 100 years. During the late 19th century, Toronto became the largest alcohol distillation (in particular, spirits ) centre in North America. By the 1860s, the Gooderham and Worts Distillery operations became the world's largest whisky factory. A preserved section of this once dominant local industry remains in the Distillery District . The harbour allowed access to grain and sugar imports used in processing. Horse-drawn streetcars gave way to electric streetcars in 1891 when

13696-569: The west, the street ended at the Humber River until 1970. On the opposite side in Etobicoke, the Richview Sideroad followed the same alignment as far as the Metro Toronto–; Peel boundary. That year, the river was bridged to connect the Richview Sideroad segment as an extension of Eglinton Avenue. At about the same time, when the Highways 401 and 427 interchange was reconstructed, the street

13824-513: Was a member of the Orange Order between 1850 and 1950, and the city was sometimes referred to as the " Belfast of Canada" because of Orange influence in municipal politics and administration. For brief periods, Toronto was twice the capital of the united Province of Canada : first from 1849 to 1851, following unrest in Montreal, and later from 1855 to 1859. After this date, Quebec was designated as

13952-445: Was a staged construction of a parallel arterial road. This was approved in 1963, and construction began on Eglinton Avenue from west of Weston Road to Royal York Road . With its completion in 1970, the four-lane Richview Sideroad was renamed Eglinton Avenue West. In Toronto, the right-of-way to construct the Richview Expressway remains but in the face of Local opposition the project has never come to fruition. The only built part of

14080-600: Was amalgamated with the township of East York to form the borough of East York, from this point forward Leaside was a community within East York, and governed by the municipal council of East York. Amalgamation was opposed by Leaside residents fearing residential tax increases and the loss of the Leaside community identity. Taxes in Leaside were lower than the surrounding regions as residential taxes in Leaside were subsidized by those from industrial areas; residential taxes climbed in Leaside every year from 1967 to 1972. Beth Nealson,

14208-464: Was an explosive expert clearing the ruins from the fire. It caused CA$ 10,387,000 in damage (roughly CA$ 277,600,000 in 2020 terms). The city received new European immigrant groups from the late 19th century into the early 20th century, particularly Germans, French, Italians, and Jews. They were soon followed by Russians, Poles, and other Eastern European nations, in addition to the Chinese entering from

14336-587: Was banned outright in Upper Canada (and throughout the British Empire) in 1834. Torontonians integrated people of colour into their society. In the 1840s, an eating house at Frederick and King Streets, a place of mercantile prosperity in the early city, was operated by a black man named Bloxom. As a major destination for immigrants to Canada, the city grew rapidly through the remainder of the 19th century. The first significant wave of immigrants were Irish, fleeing

14464-483: Was built at the entrance of the town's natural harbour, sheltered by a long sand-bar peninsula. The town's settlement formed at the harbour's eastern end behind the peninsula, near the present-day intersection of Parliament Street and Front Street (in the " Old Town " area). In 1813, as part of the War of 1812 , the Battle of York ended in the town's capture and plunder by United States forces. John Strachan negotiated

14592-587: Was connected to Lower Base Line, extending the street even further west into Mississauga. West of Mississauga, in the Regional Municipality of Halton , it is a rural road and is still named Lower Base Line (the corresponding Upper Base Line being present-day Steeles Avenue ). The structure over the Richmond Hill line and East Don River is known as the Harvey C. Rose Bridge, and honours the chief engineer of

14720-513: Was elected on May 8, 1913. The council had five members: Randolph McRae, who served as the mayor , and Harvey Fitzsimmons, Laurence Boulton, George Saunders and Archibald McRae who served as aldermen. All were acclaimed in the election, all were employees of the Canadian Northern Railway . From 1913 to 1966, Leaside had its own mayor. The last four occupants were - Howard T. Burrell (1951–1955); Charles H. Hiscott (1956–1961); Lloyd M. Dickinson (1962); Beth Nealson (1963–1966). In 1967, Leaside

14848-570: Was formed. Seeking to build new connections to the rapidly developing suburbs, Metro widened and interconnected Eglinton Avenue to its current form through the decade. The eastern segment through Scarborough was known as Highway 5A between 1937 and 1953; this number also appeared on St. Clair Avenue West until 1952 when the Toronto Bypass, (the precursor to Highway 401 ), opened between Weston and Highway 11 (Yonge Street). The two pieces of "Highway 5A" were never connected. In 1953, what remained

14976-561: Was greatly enlarged, not through traditional annexations , but as an amalgamation of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto and its six lower-tier constituent municipalities: East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, York, and the original city itself. They were dissolved by an act of the Government of Ontario and formed into a single-tier City of Toronto (colloquially dubbed the " megacity "), replacing all six governments. The merger

15104-612: Was initially organised at the behest of some of his friends in Montreal who wanted letters delivered to Toronto; however, when Canada Post heard of the plans, they gathered together the letters as a test of an airmail system. After the war, with little need for shells and other war materials, the factories of the Leaside Munition Company were closed. These buildings were quickly occupied by the Durant Motor Company , which produced cars named Durants and Stars as well as

15232-544: Was named the Charles Hiscott Bridge in honour of Leaside's mayor at the time. In 1967, Leaside amalgamated with the township of East York to form the borough of East York . As such Leaside became a neighbourhood within East York. Passenger train service to Leaside Station ended in 1970, and the station was closed. The station would reopen briefly in the 1980s as a restaurant, but would see no further passenger traffic. Leaside Airport fell into disuse, and in 1971

15360-616: Was opened through the valley. In 1928, the Lincoln Electric Company of Canada Ltd. relocated from Toronto's west end to Leaside. The company originally sold Lincoln motors in Canada, but incorporated in 1930 and began the manufacture of motors in Leaside. At the onset of the Great Depression , the Durant Motor Company ran into financial troubles. The last cars were produced in 1933, and the buildings were occupied by

15488-458: Was originally built to face a street that no longer exists. The largest recreation centre in Leaside is Leaside Memorial Community Gardens which includes an indoor swimming pool, two ice rinks, a curling rink , and a large auditorium. Serena Gundy Park is in the north-east corner of Leaside. The parkland was donated to Leaside in 1960 by the estate of James H. Gundy. The park covers 62.6 acres (253,000 m; 25.3 ha) which are generally in

15616-541: Was proposed as a cost-saving measure by the Progressive Conservative provincial government under premier Mike Harris . The announcement touched off vociferous public objections. In March 1997, a referendum in all six municipalities produced a vote of more than 3:1 against amalgamation. However, municipal governments in Canada are creatures of the provincial governments, and referendums have little to no legal effect. The Harris government could thus legally ignore

15744-525: Was renumbered as Highway 109 ; a year later, the road was removed from the provincial highway system. Because of its time as a provincial highway, the road through Scarborough was widened considerably. A right of way was also acquired to bridge the gap in Eglinton Avenue. Until the mid-1950s, Eglinton Avenue did not cross either of the valleys of the Don River . The road ended at Brentcliffe Road (unassigned path beyond Laird Drive towards Brentcliffe Road and

15872-408: Was ridiculed by some in other parts of the country, fuelled in part by what was perceived as a frivolous use of resources. The city attracted international attention in 2003 when it became the centre of a major SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak. Public health attempts to prevent the disease from spreading elsewhere temporarily dampened the local economy. From August 14 to 17, 2003,

16000-488: Was run on June 23, 1952. Investors from Toronto bought the racetrack that year. The rapid growth of Thorncliffe in the 1950s necessitated the construction of a second north–south bridge across the Don Valley . In 1955, Leaside's population had grown to 16,779 and the Leaside town council approved the second bridge. Construction of the bridge was completed on September 7, 1960 and it was opened by Leslie Frost . The bridge

16128-609: Was the second-fastest-growing metropolitan area in North America, adding 125,298 persons, compared with 131,767 in the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metroplex in Texas. The large growth in the Toronto metropolitan area is attributed to international migration to Toronto. The COVID-19 pandemic in Canada first occurred in Toronto and was among the hotspots in the country . Toronto was named as one of 16 cities in North America (and one of two Canadian cities) to host matches for

16256-694: Was the site of the Battle of York and suffered heavy damage by American troops . York was renamed and incorporated in 1834 as the city of Toronto . It was designated as the capital of the province of Ontario in 1867 during Canadian Confederation . The city proper has since expanded past its original limits through both annexation and amalgamation to its current area of 630.2 km (243.3 sq mi). The diverse population of Toronto reflects its current and historical role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada . About half of its residents were born outside of Canada and over 200 ethnic origins are represented among its inhabitants. While

16384-539: Was unveiled as part of the TTC's Transit City light rail expansion program in 2007, which proposed an underground line to run from Jane Street to Laird Drive, with above ground sections running to Pearson International Airport in the west and to Kennedy station in Scarborough in the east. The provincial government's MoveOntario 2020 capital funding announcement in June 2007 funded the line. Toronto mayor Rob Ford announced

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