~THE SCARf>OROUGH PuBLIC LIBF{\RY I BOARP THE PEOPLE OF SCARBOROUGH Map of Scarborough ,.; .; .,; ::. .,; .,; .,; "'""- :;, -< "" -< "" "" 'ti "" "" S.teele~ Ave. V IV Finch Avenue III Sileppail.d Ave. 11 D St. REFERENCE POINTS 1. Thomson Park Z. Bluffer's Park J 3. civic Centre 4. Kennedy Subway 5. Metro Zoo Ikml 6. Guild Inn 1 mile! Map of Scarborough courtesy of Rick Schofield, Heritage Scarborough THE PEOPLE OF SCARBOROUGH The City of Scarborough Public Library Board Copyright© The City of Scarborough Public Library Board 1997 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise for purposes of resale. Published by The City of Scarborough Public Library Board Grenville Printing 25 Scarsdale Rd. Don Mills, Ontario M3B 2R2 Raku ceramic Bicentennial Collector Plate and cover photo by Tom McMaken, 1996. Courtesy of The City of Scarborough. Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Myrvold, Barbara The People of Scarborough: a history Includes index. ISBN 0-9683086-0-0 1. Scarborough (Ont.) - History. I. Fahey, Curtis, 1951- . II Scarborough Public Library Board. III. Title. FC3099.S33M97 1997 971.3'541 C97-932612-5 F1059.5.T686S35 1997 iv Greetings from the Mayor As Mayor of the City of Scarborough, and on behalf of Members of Council, I am pleased that The People of Scarborough: A History, has been produced. This book provides a chronological overview of the many diverse peoples and cultures that have contributed to the city's economic, cultural and social fabric. It traces the 10,000 year period from the Aboriginal groups in 9000 B.C. to the current decade in which Scarborough has emerged as a vibrant multicultural city. This publication has been made possible because of the efforts of the Scarborough Public Library Board staff and Scarborough residents and I wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank them for the work they have done. As the City of Scarborough looks forward to a new century as part of a new city, there is no doubt that The People of Scarborough: A History, will serve as a glowing tribute to Scarborough's development into a cosmopolitan and exciting city in the twentieth century. Yours sincerely Frank Faubert MAYOR v Acknowledgments The City of Scarborough Public Library Board gratefully acknowledges the following individuals, groups, agencIes, organizations and departments of government for their contributions to this book. The City of Scarborough Bicentennial Committee for their financial support. The members of the Advisory Group: Lionel Purcell and Meredyth Miller, (Scarborough Historical Society), Ron Rock (City of Scarborough, Coordinator of Community and Race Relations, Alexandra Semeniuk (Director, Arts & Heritage Services Division of the City of Scarborough Recreation, Parks & Culture Department), Dave Fuller (Editor-in-Chief, Scarborough Mirror), who reviewed and provided feedback on the manuscript and provided invaluable referrals. The many community members - present and past, both long­ time residents and newcomers - who shared their experiences as members of the cultural groups which make up the city, and provided a variety of unique perspectives on the city, through their photographs and written reminiscences. The staff of many local and regional organizations and services, including several departments of the City of Scarborough, The University of Toronto at Scarborough, the Scarborough Board of Education and the Metropolitan Separate School Board, the Scarborough Historical Society, Information Scarborough, the Metropolitan Toronto Region Conservation Authority, the Multicultural History Society of Ontario, and the Cross Cultural Communication Centre. vii Members of local religious and cultural groups from all parts of the city. The membership and staff of the many groups and agencles working with and representing the broad spectrum of cultural communities in the city. The Scarborough Mirror which published the feature articles about the plans for the publication of this book that resulted in many community residents coming forward to contribute personal information, written reminiscences as well as photographs and other archival materials which were invaluable in the preparation of the book. The experts in a variety of fields who directed staff to useful resources and publications in their respective areas of expertise, and who read individual chapters of the book and provided indispensable advice about research and feedback on content. Staff in several of the libraries of Metropolitan Toronto, especially those at the branches of the City of Scarborough Public Library Board who provided information and research support for the preparation of the book. Michele Topa for project coordination. Chryss Mylopoulos for developing the concept of publishing this history to celebrate the diversity of Scarborough's peoples. Barbara Myrvold for her development of this unique history. Susan Rickwood for extensive research and editorial support. Cathy Izawa for the cover art and book design. The City of Scarborough Public Library Board viii Foreword The People of Scarborough: A History, was developed as a Bicentennial publication in 1996, and now appears in December 1997 at an even more auspicious time, as Scarborough is poised to become part of a new city and to enter a new century. But this is not a political history, this is the history of Scarborough's people both natives and newcomers. The history provides a chronological overview of the period from about 9000 Be to the current decade and focuses on the courage, ingenuity and hard work of Scarborough's people in building the cosmopolitan and successful city that residents now enjoy. The enthusiastic support of an editorial advisory group and the expertise of members of various historical and archaeological communities has contributed greatly both to the broad scope and detailed approach that the publication is able to provide. Scarborough's early settlers and those who came after them, have contributed through the written works they left behind, while today's residents have shared their reminiscences through interviews, written remarks and photographs, ensuring that the significant contribution of Scarborough's most important asset - its people - are fully documented. The result is a rich and remarkable story. Above all, it is a story of change - population growth, cultural diversity and social and economic development. It is also a story that will serve to reassure the reader that the community of Scarborough will continue to flourish and remain distinct and vital in the newly formed city of Toronto, because it was that sense of Scarborough as a community that pre-dated by many years, the emergence of Scarborough as a political entity - first as a township, and later as a city. ix The People of Scarborough: A History complements and extends the Library Board's ongoing commitment to both multiculturalism and local history. The Library Board has a longstanding commitment to collecting, preserving and documenting the history of Scarborough. The Board has also encouraged, through its services and programs a knowledge of and respect for the heritage and contribution of all the citizens of Scarborough's diverse population to the growth of the city. The Library Board is pleased to continue its tradition of service by publishing this book as a way of providing the community with a unique opportunity to learn more about the richness and diversity of its own history. Sandy Douglas Chairman, The City of Scarborough Public Library Board x Contents Greetings from the Mayor v Acknowledgments vii Foreword ix Chapter I: Scarborough's First Peoples I Before European Contact 2 The Paleo-Indian Period (9000 B.C. - 8000/7500 B.C.) 2 The Archaic Period (8000 B.C. - 1000 B.C.) 4 The Woodland Period (1000 B.C. to European Contact): 6 The Age of the Iroquoians 6 Post-European Contact: the Historic Period 1615-1787 12 The Huron and the Iroquois of the Five Nations Confederacy to 1650 12 Ganatsekwyagon: The Seneca Settlement on the Rouge River, 1665-87 14 The Bead Hill Site 19 The Mississauga, 1700-87 21 The European Presence, 1700-87 23 Land Cessions, I 787- 1923 24 The "Gunshot Treaties" of 1787-88 24 The Toronto Purchase Treaty of 1805 25 The Williams Treaties of 1923 26 xi Chapter 2: Early European Settlement, 1796-1815 29 The Birth of Upper Canada 30 First Land Surveys and Naming of Scarborough 3 I Government Land Grants in Scarborough 32 Population Growth 34 Immigration 36 United States 36 Scotland 40 Ethnic Origin 42 Beginnings of Community 48 Chapter 3: Immigration and Settlement, 1815-1861 50 Population Growth 52 Immigration 52 Ethnic Origin 55 English 55 Scottish 58 Irish 65 Black 70 French 71 German 72 Native 73 Mormon and Jewish 74 Growth and Development 75 xii Chapter 4: The Rural Township: Population Decline, 1861-191 0 77 Population Decline 78 Immigration 79 Out-migration 82 Ethnic Origin 85 Religion 88 Visitors to Scarborough 90 Chapter 5: Suburban Development and Population Growth, 1911-1945 93 Population Growth 94 Immigration 96 Ethnic Origin 98 British 98 European and Asian 100 Religion I 04 War and Depression 105 Holiday Spot, Farm Community, and Suburb I I 0 Chapter 6: Suburban Explosion, 1945-1971 I I 7 Population Growth: I 18 Baby Boomers and Immigrants I 18 Ethnic Origin 120 British 121 German 122 Dutch 123 Italian 125 xiii The People of Scarborough: A History Ukrainian 126 Czech and