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Sponsorship & more Info? Tel: 1-800-224-5554 www.healthymarrow.org Email: [email protected] f acebook.com/shahrzadjourney Publisher: Silk Publishing Founder: Steve Moghadam General Manager: Elly Achack Issue: 01 || August 2014 Management Team: Bahareh Nouri, Mike Mahmoudian Sheri Chahidi, Parviz Achak, Eva Okati, Nikita Vira Editor: Deleone Downes The Festival is an annual celebration. The festival Public Relations: Samantha Gorys has taken place in the heart of North York on the breathtaking grounds of Square. Phone: 416-500-0007 Our event is the largest and only multicultural event outside of Email: [email protected] downtown . Web: www.NorthYorkFestival.com The festival includes participation from the European, Asian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic, South Asian, African, and Afro-Carib- bean communities, and many, many more…

Contents OUR VISION • Mel Lastman Square...... 13 Hosted in one of the most multicultural cities in the entire world, the North York Festival aims to promote cultural diversity through • ...... 17 cooperation and participation by both local and surrounding com- munities. • North York Centre...... 19 OUR VALUES • ...... 21 We believe in the benefits of diverse communities coming togeth- er to share their cultures and traditions. • ...... 23 Our event organizers and participating businesses, governmental offices and organizations, and esteemed guests, also share a com- • Airport...... 26 mon belief: community service. • ...... 28 Healthy Marrow Canada is the official charity of the North York Festival. We will renew our support for this very important organi- • ...... 30 zation, to help spread awareness about the effects of cancer, and support cancer research. • Building...... 33 OUR MISSION • Hillcrest Village...... 33 To provide a platform that is both education- and live entertain- ment-based, allowing guests to explore cultural music, cultural • Jane and Finch...... 35 dance and cultural food, which have no language and are univer- sal in nature. • ...... 37 Unique • ...... 38 The North York Festival is the only and largest multicultural event outside of . While other cultural events occur • Leslie Street...... 38 individually around the GTA, our event is the only festival, which brings together all of these cultural communities and cultural or- • North York Board of Education...... 39 ganizations under one roof. • ...... 41 Inclusive Staying true to the meaning of the word, our event aims not only • Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre...... 42 to highlight cultures found in North York, but also the multitude of cultures found across the GTA. • Toronto District School Board...... 45 Convenient • ...... 47 Would it not be great to visit 10 different ‘countries’ sampling their culture, their music, their dance and their food, in 10 minutes? • Willowdale...... 48 Visiting 10 countries in the span of 10 minutes is both challenging and can cost a fortune. Our event is free to attend, and an eco- • ...... 50 nomical choice this summer to experience both new and beauti- • ...... 53 ful things. This is what the North York Festival has to offer. We want you to • 401...... 55 take a trip around the world without leaving your doorstep. • Ontario Highway 404...... 58

3 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014

I would like to extend my warmest greetings to everyone taking part in the North York Festival at Toronto’s Mel Lastman Square.

Canada’s success as a nation is based on the contributions of people from all backgrounds working together. We draw strength from our diversity. This festival gives Canadians of different backgrounds an opportunity to celebrate their roots, to make new friends, and to share their traditions with one another.

I would like to commend the organizers, sponsors, and volunteers for putting together this celebration of arts, community, and heritage.

Please accept my best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable festival.

The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P.

OTTAWA 2014

North York Festival 2014 www.facebook.com/northyorkfestival 4 North York Festival 2014 twitter.com/northyorkfestival 5 North York Festival 2014 www.facebook.com/northyorkfestival 6 North York Civic Centre 5100 Yonge Street North York, ON M2N 5V7

416-395-6411 [email protected]

August 4, 2014

Organizing Committee, North York Festival:

On the occasion of your gathering for the 2014 North York Festival, on behalf of the City of Toronto and the Community of Willowdale, I offer you, your guests and participants my best wishes for a fantastic weekend. Though I regret that I am unable to join you in person, I am thrilled to see many parts of our community coming together in the heart of Willowdale bringing such energy to the area. It is our cultural diversity, and the abilities of organizers such as yourselves, which make the North York Centre area one of the strongest communities in the City.

Best wishes,

John Filion Toronto City Councillor Ward 23 – Willowdale

7 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014

www.johnfilion.ca Office: Constituency Office: Room 700 La Promenade Bldg. 250 Sheppard Ave. East, Unit 200 151 Sparks St., Ottawa, ON Toronto, ON K1A 0A6 M2N 6M9 613-992 4964 416-223 2858

Chungsen Leung Member of Parliament Willowdale August 9, 2014 Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism

August 9th, 2014 Dear North York Festival Group, I am honoured to extend my warmest greetings to all those taking part in the North York On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to extend my warmest greetings and Festival, presented by the Silk Road Group. congratulations to the North York Festival Group for hosting the North York Festival 2014!

North York Festival is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the great summer in Canada, and to The North York Festival has pleased audiences across the community with amazing singing and dancing performances. I commend the North York Festival Group for bringing together family reflect upon the many ways in which Canadians of different heritage have contributed to and friends in the community for the spirit of friendly competition. Canadian society.

Canada's diversity and multiculturalism shape our country's unique character. Through this The vibrant festival brings together people in celebration and laughter. It forges friendships and festival, Canadians of all different backgrounds get the opportunity to gather together to connections, sharing in the diverse culture of Canada. Our communities benefit greatly from the celebrate various cultures and traditions. We are proud of all that it has accomplished during the ability to celebrate together in times of joy. past years and its significant contribution to building the foundations of our community. As the Member of Parliament for Willowdale and Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism, I would like to thank all the organizers, participants and sponsors of the North York Festival for I would like to commend you all for your continued dedication to the betterment of our their continued efforts and dedication towards the success of our community. May this event community and our country. continue with its success for countless years.

I wish all of you an enjoyable and memorable festival. Sincerely,

Sincerely,

Hon. Bal Gosal, PC, MP Minister of State (Sport)

Chungsen Leung, M.P. Willowdale Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” Constituency Office - Marcus Garvey 2201 Finch Ave. West Unit 25 Toronto, Ontario CANADA M9M 2Y9 To My Friends Attending the 2014 North York Festival:

416-744-1882 ph On behalf of the Parliamentary Caucus of the Liberal Party of Canada and 416-952-1696 fx our Leader Justin Trudeau, I am pleased to add my name to the list of those [email protected] extending best wishes as you open the 2014 North York Festival, at Mel Lastman Square in Toronto.

Parliament Hill It has been said that Canada is a nation of newcomers that, unlike any other Office place on Earth, celebrates and honours various cultural traditions, languages and Justice Building histories within our civic and national mosaics. There is perhaps no other place in Room 204 Canada that embodies this spirit of inclusion and blending like right here in North House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario York and, I am proud to know that the 2014 North York Festival will showcase this CANADA K1A 0A6 for all to see, to experience and to enjoy.

613-992-7774 ph 613-947-8319 fx Today as you come together to celebrate our rich and vibrant languages, cultures and shared history and traditions, please know there are those of us in the [email protected] Liberal Party who stand with you. May you continue to enjoy success and happiness in the years ahead and may the traditions of our ancestors be a legacy for our children.

Sincerely,

Hon. Judy A. Sgro, Privy Council, MP Liberal Industry Critic

North York Festival 2014 twitter.com/northyorkfestival 8 Office of the Mayor

Thank You for Attending the North York Festival

August 9, 2014

On behalf of the City of Vaughan, it is my pleasure to welcome everyone attending the North York Festival.

This family event provides an opportunity for the entire community to enjoy a fun-filled day of music, dance, activities and great food.

The City of Vaughan is proud to be a part of the that contributes to Canada’s multicultural mosaic. By honouring our many different cultural and social traditions we can better appreciate and understand Canada’s rich heritage. Our goal is to foster a community that promotes equality, inclusiveness, respect and tolerance for everyone who lives here.

Please accept my best wishes for a successful event.

Yours sincerely,

Hon. Maurizio Bevilacqua, P.C. Mayor

Bas Balkissoon, MPP Scarborough-Rouge River

August 9, 2014

North York Festival 2014 A Personal Message from MPP Bas Balkissoon

I am pleased to extend warm greetings to the participants in this year’s As the Member of Provincial Parliament for Scarborough-Rouge River, I regret that due to North York Festival, fellow Torontonians and visitors alike. prior commitments in my schedule I am unable to join you at the Opening Ceremony of the North York Festival 2014, at the Mel Lastman Square, Toronto. This celebration highlights the diverse cultures that form the fabric of our Province. Through food displays, music, dance, and activities, friends and In sending my regrets, I thank you sincerely for your kind invitation and extend my families from all walks of life, enjoy the cultural expressions our warmest greetings to everyone attending this event. This annual festival reflects the rich diversity of the Greater Toronto area in a communal celebration of food and entertainment. communities. The Mel Lastman Square, in the heart of the former City of Canadians take pride in their cultural diversity and delight in being able to explore the rich North York, provides the perfect backdrop encouraging and engaging traditions and customs of individual heritages. outdoor summer activities. On behalf of the Legislature of Ontario, I would like to thank the organizers and extend I congratulate the organizers, sponsors, entertainers and volunteers for my best wishes for a memorable celebration. their contribution and involvement in ensuring a successful and memorable event. Sincerely,

Wishing you continued success, Bas Balkissoon, MPP Queen’s Park, Toronto Scarborough-Rouge River August 9, 2014

Laura Albanese, MPP York South-Weston

4559 Sheppard Avenue East, Unit B, Scarborough, ON M1S 1V3 ~ T (416) 297-5040 F (416) 297-6767 E [email protected]

9 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014 Dignitaries at North York Festival 2014 Live Performances at North York Festival 2014 Vendors at Guests at North York Festival 2014 North York Festival 2014

Kids' Activities at North York Festival 2014

'Near the Stage' at North York Festival 2014 Mel Lastman Square is a pub- lic square at North York Civic Centre in the North York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is named for former North York mayor (and later Toronto mayor) Mel Lastman.

The square hosts a variety of activities throughout the Vendors at Guests at year, but is primarily a quiet North York Festival 2014 North York Festival 2014 space in which to relax or eat lunch. Mel Lastman Square

An artificial stream runs from a Early life and career tario as a Progressive Conservative fountain under a large sign at Yonge Lastman was born in Toronto in candidate. He lost to former Toronto street down into a large concrete 1933, the son of Jewish immigrants Mayor, Phil Givens, who was running square. Planters, trees, shrubs and from Poland. He began his sales career for the in the Ar- wooden benches surround the area. A as a child, hawking fruit and vegetables mourdale electoral district. That pro- large pool is located in the centre of the at his family’s Kensington Market gro- vincial election was his only election square that serves as a relaxing focal cery store. loss throughout his career. The Bad Kids' Activities at point in the summer and a skating rink Boy trademark was ultimately acquired North York Festival 2014 in the winter. He met Marilyn Bornstein when he by the large furniture chain The Brick was 16 and she was 13, and they were but the new owners allowed it to lapse The square also features an outdoor married five years later. He left school through lack of use until it expired. theatre for a number of events, includ- after Grade 12 and, with Marilyn’s help, ing Sunday Serenades jazz concerts got a job at a furniture In 1991, Lastman’s son Blayne and each summer. Other events include a store. He quickly established himself as business partner Marvin Kirsh re- farmer’s market, cultural festivals, Can- a successful salesman. He switched to launched the chain, over the objections ada Day festivities and numerous fam- selling appliances and promoted him- of his father, who felt the economic cli- ily events. self as “Mr. Laundry” (alias the “Bad mate was unsatisfactory. The store was Boy”). He opened a small frame build- soon memorable to most Southern On- Mel Lastman ing at Kennedy Road and Eglinton in tario television viewers who have seen Melvin Douglas “Mel” Lastman Scarborough, selling used applicances, its commercials. The ads feature Last- (born March 9, 1933), nicknamed and then, at age 22, bought out Heather man in a cameo appearance, Blayne in “Mayor Mel”, is a former businessman Hill Applicances and established Bad a prison suit, and always ended with and politician. He is the founder of the Boy Furniture in 1955. the line: “Who’s better than Bad Boy?... Bad Boy Furniture chain. He served as Nooooooobody!” the mayor of the former city of North Having adopted the nickname “the York, Ontario, Canada from 1972 until Bad Boy” for himself and developed 1997. At the end of 1997, North York, Bad Boy Furniture into a chain of stores along with five other municipalities, around the Toronto area. “Bad Boy” was amalgamated with the city of To- Lastman was associated with many ronto. Lastman ran for and won the publicity stunts, including travelling to mayoral race for the new “megacity”, the Arctic in the 1960s to “sell a refrig- defeating incumbent Toronto mayor erator to an Eskimo.” Barbara Hall. Re-elected in November 2000, he served until his retirement af- Lastman sold the chain in 1975 to ter the 2003 municipal election. run for Legislative Assembly of On-

'Near the Stage' at North York Festival 2014 13 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014 In 1993, Lastman saw Clinton im- member of Metro Council. Lastman Post-amalgamation Toronto personator Tim Waters on television, was supported by many in North York See also: Moose in the City and shortly afterwards contacted him for operating that city efficiently and ef- and arranged for a commercial to be fectively, and for keeping property taxes In 1997, Lastman’s position was shot. The commercial featured Waters low. As a result of his efforts to promote abolished when the provincial govern- dressed as Clinton delivering the clas- development around Yonge Street and ment under amalgamated sic Nooooooobody! line. While merely Sheppard Avenue, the area unofficially North York with Scarborough, York, a mildly amusing commercial to most became known as the “new downtown” East York, , and Old Toronto, of the viewing public, Lastman’s move with many office towers and condos creating a single-tier “megacity” form- attracted attention, as he soon received springing up in a formerly suburban ing the new City of Toronto. Lastman a letter from the White House request- area. Mel Lastman Square at the North ran for the mayoralty of the new “meg- ing that he “cease and desist all unau- York Civic Centre is named after him. acity” against incumbent Toronto May- thorized use of the likeness of the Presi- or Barbara Hall. Lastman’s electoral dent of the United States of America Lastman joined the Ontario Liberal victory was credited to his very strong in advertising of commercial services Party in 1987, although he subsequent- base of support in the suburban cities, and products”. Lastman refused to ly claimed that it was the result of a mis- namely North York as well as in Etobi- stop airing the commercials, and even understanding. He agreed to support coke and Scarborough. Hall had won produced several more, featuring both Norman Gardner’s bid for the Liberal the majority of the vote in old Toronto, Waters and a Hillary Clinton imper- nomination in Willowdale, and did not York and East York. sonator. “Last time I checked,” Lastman realize that he was also purchasing a quipped, “this was Canada, not the 51st party membership card in the process. Lastman gained national attention state.” He did not regret his accidental mem- after multiple snowstorms, including bership, but said he had no long-term the Blizzard of 1999, dumped 118 cm of loyalty to the party (Globe and Mail, 28 and effectively closed the city. He April 1987). proceeded to have the Canadian Forces (Army) aid in helping to shovel snow, Lastman was a critic of Metro- and use their equipment to augment politan Toronto’s , attacking police and emergency services. The Metro Council’s decision to locate the move was ridiculed by some in other $220 million building downtown. He parts of the country, fueled in part by argued that it would be more equitable what was perceived as a frivolous use and would have been much cheaper to of resources, although Lastman’s de- build the headquarters in the suburbs. fenders noted that at the time the army Mayorship Metro Hall was later passed over in fa- was called in, Toronto was already at a standstill, and that the Environment North York vour of City Hall for the future amalga- mated city of Toronto. An attempt to put it Canada weather forecast called for an- Lastman entered politics in 1969, up for sale only received a maximum bid of other severe storm to hit the city later when he ran for and was elected to the $125 million which was far below the con- that week. (This second storm did not North York Board of Control. It was struction cost. actually come to pass.) there he met another young motivated rising political figure, Paul Godfrey, Throughout Lastman’s political ca- Lastman paid back the soldiers by who would later serve as Metro Chair- reer, he was generally supported by the giving them each a free NHL Toronto man. Progressive Conservatives and Liberals, Maple Leafs Hockey pass in honour of such as Norman Gardner, Mike Colle, their hard work. These tickets were ob- On December 4, 1972, Lastman Mike Feldman, Joe Volpe, and David tained free of charge due to an agree- was elected mayor of North York by Shiner. Though usually opposed by the ment with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ defeating fellow North York city coun- New Democratic Party, he did cross management claiming that if these cillor Paul Hunt for the open mayoral party lines to work with left-leaning soldiers had not come out to shovel seat. Lastman took office on January councillors Jack Layton and Olivia the snow, then the Leafs game that day 1, 1973 and was also automatically a Chow. wouldn’t have had as many people at-

North York Festival 2014 www.facebook.com/northyorkfestival 14 tending. Ten years later, in 2009, Last- In June 2001, shortly before leaving leading candidates to succeed Lastman man gave an interview to the Toronto for Mombasa, Kenya to support Toron- as city mayor. Star newspaper, stating he is proud of to’s bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics, his decision to bring in the army during he jokingly said to a reporter “What the Lastman continues to live in Toron- the Blizzard of 1999. hell do I want to go to a place like Mom- to with his wife and returned to leading basa?... I’m sort of scared about going the Lastman’s Bad Boy Furniture chain Some expected that Lastman would out there, but the wife is really nervous. in May 2006. Lastman sometimes com- face Independent federal MP John I just see myself in a pot of boiling water ments publicly on Toronto affairs, such Nunziata in the 2000 municipal elec- with all these natives dancing around as in 2007 when the city faced a $575 tion, but Nunziata nixed the rumours me.” The remarks sparked a firestorm million shortfall and struggled to make when he found that he could not hold of controversy, with much speculation service cuts to immediately save $100 onto his seat in Parliament while cam- that they would offend African IOC million. Lastman sympathized that paigning for Mayor. members and endanger Toronto’s bid. provincial downloading had burdened Lastman apologized profusely for those Toronto, but also criticized Miller’s ser- Re-elected in November 2000, with remarks. IOC Vice-President Dick vice cuts as hurting the quality of life an 80% majority, his closest opponent, Pound later stated that the comments while not going far enough to solve civic activist Tooker Gomberg, drew did not affect the outcome of the bid. the shortfall. Lastman pointed out that just a little more than 8% of the vote. spending had increased by $1.5 billion In January 2002, Lastman was ridi- since he left office, and suggested that Lastman shared Gomberg’s three culed for hugging and shaking hands councillors had to consider measures main campaign planks: committing with members of the Hells Angels mo- such as contracting out services and Toronto to 100% recycling diversion by torcycle gang when they held a conven- cutting staff. 2010 to replace the controversial Adams tion in Toronto. Lastman later claimed Mine plan, agreeing with Prime Minis- that he didn’t know that the Hells An- After his wife Marilyn was caught ter Jean Chrétien to end homelessness gels were involved in selling illegal shoplifting from an Eaton’s store in in Toronto, and appointing Jane Jacobs, drugs. Toronto, he threatened to kill CITY- the ethicist and urbanist, to head the TV reporter Adam Vaughan unless he Toronto Charter Committee to explore During the 2003 SARS (Severe stopped reporting on his family. the potential for more autonomy for Acute Respiratory Syndrome) crisis, Toronto. Jacobs had publicly endorsed Lastman did an interview on CNN. During his tenure as mayor, Last- Gomberg. When he was asked what the World man and his wife held a surprise news Health Organization was doing about conference announcing that he had a Among his accomplishments as the crisis, Lastman replied “They don’t 14 year long extramarital affair with mayor of Toronto, Lastman brought know what they’re talking about. I don’t Grace Louie, a former Bad Boy em- World Youth Day to Toronto in 2002. know who this group is. I’ve never ployee. Louie, along with her two sons He also succeeded in pushing the con- heard of them before.” by Lastman, sued for 6 million dollars struction of the TTC Sheppard line, claiming that they were his illegitimate the first new subway line in decades. Personal life children but had not received sufficient He played a key role in the negotia- On January 14, 2003, Lastman an- child support. Lastman denied respon- tions that had the Empress Walk con- nounced that he would not run for re- sibility for the two children and suc- dominium complex developed and two election, citing deteriorating health. cessfully fought them off when they leading schools refurbished, all without tried to claim a share of his estate, al- using public funds. On November 10, 2003, David though it was already revealed that he Miller was elected out of a field of five was indeed their father.

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647-924-2297 North York Civic Centre

The North York Civic Centre is a tended to act as a catalyst for the devel- is home to the North York Community building that once served as the city opment of the “North York City Cen- Council and a number of local munici- hall for the former City of North York, tre”, a downtown area for the formerly pal departments and services. Oppo- Ontario, Canada. suburban North York. The building site the Civic Centre is the North York received The Governor General’s Medal Central branch of the Toronto Public Designed by Adamson Associates for Architecture in 1982. Library. Architects, the building is located on Yonge Street north of Sheppard Av- With municipal amalgamation, The Civic Centre is served by the enue, and features Mel Lastman Square North York is now part of the City of Toronto Transit Commission’s North along the Yonge Street frontage. The Toronto, and the building no longer York Centre subway station (opened in construction of the building was in- serves as a city hall. Today, the building 1987). Toronto Centre for the Arts The Toronto Centre for the Arts, • The George Weston Recital Hall previously known as the Ford Centre with 1036 seats for the Performing Arts, is a perform- ing arts center in Toronto. It opened • A multi-purpose 200-seat studio in 1993 as the North York Perform- theatre ing Arts Centre and was designed by Canadian architect Eberhard Zeidler The facility regularly rents out its for musicals, theatre productions and lobby, piano lounge, VIP suites, and facility was the home of the Andrew other performing arts. It houses three rehearsal hall for various events. The Lloyd Webber musical Sunset Boule- theatres: Main Stage was home to the Dancap vard and a 1993 production of Show Productions Canadian production of Boat that transferred to Broadway. It • The Main Stage Theatre with 1727 Jersey Boys from August 2008 until has since hosted several productions, seats August 2010. Prior to Jersey Boys, the including the musical Million Dollar Quartet.

17 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014 Fariborz Ansarian Broker

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Royal LePage Your Community Office: Realty, Brokerage 905.731.2000 Address: Fax: 8854 Yonge Street, 905.886.7556 Richmond Hill, ON, L4C 0T4 North York Centre

North York Centre is a neighbour- Condominiums pack this strip now The North York Civic Centre (for- hood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. growing northward past Finch and ex- merly North York City Hall) contains Prior to the Amalgamation of Toronto tending south from Sheppard toward City of Toronto offices, and faces onto in 1998, it was considered the central Highway 401. The area has become an Mel Lastman Square on the west side of business district of the former city of increasingly vibrant part of Toronto due Yonge Street. North York. It is located along Yonge to the dense residential population and Street and surrounds the Toronto sub- numerous commercial and entertain- The station serves Earl Haig Sec- way station of the same name. ment destinations. Growth has become ondary School (two blocks east), the so rapid that on new condominium adjacent North York Central Library, History projects, the Toronto District School as well as the Empress Walk shopping The Yonge corridor between Finch Board and Toronto Catholic District centre with a movie theatre (above) and and Sheppard Avenues grew extensive- School Board have posted notices stat- a stage theatre (the Toronto Centre for ly after the opening of the subway sta- ing that they are unable to accommo- the Arts, three blocks south). tion. To relieve pressure on downtown date new students in local schools. A 2001 Census showed that the Toronto, the Official Plan for Metropol- average household income is approxi- itan Toronto encouraged high-density Landmarks mately $78 000, with a disposable in- redevelopment at North York Centre The North York Centre subway sta- come of $48 000. It is projected that by (and other suburban centres) permit- tion is accessed through the basement the year 2011, the average household ting high rise condominium towers and levels of the two shopping malls at the income will reach $97 000, with a dis- office buildings. In the past decade over intersection of Yonge Street and Em- posable income of $62 000. 20,000 units of new housing have been press Avenue; Empress Walk and North approved, with over 16,000 of these York Centre. presently built or under construction.

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5292 Yonge St FOR INQUIRIES OR APPOINTMENTS: North York, Ontario M2N 5P9 CALL: 416-223-6666 South of Finch Ave W & North of Sheppard Ave E EMAIL: [email protected] (Closest subway station is North York Centre) Allen Road

William R. Allen Road, also known as Allen Road, the Allen Ex- pressway or The Allen is a short ex- pressway/freeway and arterial road in Toronto, Canada. It starts as a con- trolled-access expressway at West north to Transit Road and then continues as an arterial road north to Kennard Avenue and Duf- freeway with a speed limit of 80 km/h directions of the 401, with two ferin Street. Allen Road is named after in the northerly direction and 80 km/h proceeding north of the 401. Similarly, late Metro Toronto Chairman William until 500m north of Eglinton Avenue. two lanes are provided south-bound R. Allen and is maintained by the City The tracks of the Yonge–University– over the 401, and access from the east- of Toronto. Landmarks along the road Spadina subway line (Y-U-S) are situ- bound and west-bound 401 merges include the Lawrence Heights hous- ated between the roadways. There is a with the Allen south of Yorkdale Road. ing project, subway station at Glencairn Avenue. Access to Yorkdale Road from the east- and (formerly CFB The roadway and subway are situated bound 401 is provided at the partial Downsview). A section of the Toronto in a cut-out section of land, with grass Dufferin Avenue to the subway Yonge–University–Spadina line and trees on either side. west. The southbound ramp from the is located within its median from Eglin- Allen to the eastbound 401 flys over the ton Avenue to Sheppard Avenue. The roadway intersects with Law- whole interchange and connects with rence Avenue West with on- and off- the eastbound 401 collector lanes. The The portion south of Sheppard Av- ramps which are signalized. The Law- interchange is one of the few on High- enue was originally constructed as part rence West subway station and bus way 401 that uses conventional light of the Spadina Expressway project. The terminals are located between the two poles instead of high-mast lighting. Spadina Expressway was a proposed roadways. From The subway is situated on bridges over north-south freeway, intended to con- north, the roadway is six-lanes, with a the 401 between the north- and south- nect downtown Toronto to the suburb speed limit of 80 km/h. The Allen con- bound lanes. From north of the 401, of North York, and to serve the York- nects to Yorkdale Road by on- and off- the Allen is four or six lanes, and meets dale Shopping Centre project. It was ramps. The Yorkdale subway station is with Transit Road at a signalized inter- only partially built before being can- located between the two roadways, and section. The subway diverges from the celled in 1971 due to public opposition. over the Yorkdale connecting ramps. route just north of Sheppard Avenue, It was proposed in the mid-1950s as For a short stretch, the Allen is eight with a large rail yard to the west of the part of a network of freeways for Metro lanes, the lanes connected to the Yor- road. Just south of Transit Road, a par- Toronto. Its cancellation prompted the kdale Road exits. On either side of the tial interchange with Wilson Heights is cancellation of the rest of the network. road through this stretch concrete re- provided. It was the former northern taining walls were built on both sides. terminus of the road until 1982. North Route description of Transit Road, Allen Road is a an ar- The road begins at Eglinton Av- The interchange of the Allen and terial road of four- or six-lanes, meet- enue West with two separate signalized Highway 401 is a hybrid of the turbine ing Sheppard Avenue West at a signal- intersections with the street. The north- and clover-stack. The Allen proceeds on ized intersection. Its speed limit is 70 bound lanes intersect with Eglinton to bridges over the lanes of the 401, with km/h (45 mph). It continues north, still the east of the Eglinton West subway ramps from the Allen to 401 passing maintaining the higher speed limit with station, and the two south-bound lanes overhead. The interchange also serves signalized intersections at Rimrock and connect to Eglinton Avenue west of the to connect Yorkdale Road with the 401. Kennard Avenue. The road becomes station. The road proceeds north to The exit from the north-bound Al- north of Kennard Av- Lawrence Avenue West as a four- len to the 401 serves as a ramp to both enue.

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Bayview Village is an affluent neigh- 2006, it had a population of 15,370. east corner, according to the City of To- bourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, ronto’s definition. The Bayview Village formerly in North York before it was The area is bordered on the north Association regards the east boundary amalgamated into Toronto in 1998. It is by Finch Avenue East, on the west by as the (east branch) and the part of the federal and provincial elec- , on the east by Leslie south boundary as Sheppard Avenue toral district Willowdale, and Toronto Street, and on the south by Highway East, thereby excluding land between electoral wards 24: Willowdale (East) 401, and also including the grounds of the Don River and Leslie, Sheppard and and 33: (East). In North York General Hospital, east of Highway 401. Leslie in the neighbourhood’s south-

Community Nearly a quarter of the space in Bay- tre, located at the northeast corner of The present day Bayview v neigh- view Village is green. Bayview Village’s Sheppard Avenue and Bayview Avenue. bourhood was planned in 1954 by a winding streets and culs-de-sac are group of developers led by Farlinger planted with mature birch, cedar, wil- Community Associations Development Ltd. Bayview Village low, spruce, pine and maple trees. Some Homeowners are actively repre- was hailed as “contemporary living in of the Bayview Village houses are situ- sented by the Bayview Village Associa- the countryside, at the doorstep of the ated on ravine lots that feature views of tion. Established in 1956, this is a vol- urban concentration of Metropolitan the East Don River Valley Parklands. unteer group of residents who work to Toronto.” The design and layout of Bay- Several of the street names in Bayview monitor city and provincial initiatives view Village is very much influenced Village, such as Citation Drive, recall on a wide range of topics including traf- by the East Don Valley Parklands. Dr that the area was a racehorse training fic, local development, parks, and safe- E.G. Faludi, the town planner who stable and grounds before being devel- ty. In addition, they produce a regular designed Bayview Village, recognized oped. In the Bayview Village area, there newsletter distributed to all homes cov- the importance of the East Don Valley are United, Greek Orthodox, Catholic, ering a wide range of topical issues. The Parklands when he said “We will fit the and Anglican churches, the latter is lo- Bayview Village Association also hosts community into the landscape and not cated just outside the area’s southwest a number of events throughout the year the landscape into the community.” Fa- boundary. including clean-up days, all-candidates ludi’s trademark curvilinear street pat- meetings, community fairs, annual per- tern that follows the natural contours of The main shopping centre located ennial swaps, etc. Over 50% of Bayview the land was designed to highlight the in Bayview Village and serving the Village residents are members of the natural beauty of the neighbourhood. community is an upscale shopping mall Association. called Bayview Village Shopping Cen-

23 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014 Homes park’s naturalization and preservation offered at this YMCA include playgym Most Bayview Village homes were programs have made the space a habitat and swim lessons for preschoolers, built between 1954 and 1964. The mix for wildlife and a number of rare plant gymnastics, karate, swimming and of housing here includes raised and species. There are many smaller parks basketball programs for children, and executive ranch style bungalows, split- and parkettes in Bayview Village. Blue aerobics, yoga and aquafit for adults. level houses, and Georgian Revival- Ridge Park and Bayview Village Park Facilities at this centre include a gym- style homes. Most of the houses are are child-focused, with baseball dia- nasium, a dance studio, a condition- original. Many homes have undergone monds, splash pads and playgrounds. ing room, a main swimming pool with renovation and landscaping to fit the lanes and a training swimming pool. park-like neighbourhood. There has Recreation been some infill housing (newly built The Bayview Village Tennis Club, Education houses replacing the older ones) within home of “tennis ace” Daniel Nestor is There are two public schools in the the Bayview Village area. a community tennis club serving Bay- Bayview Village community, Elkhorn view Village since 1975. The courts at Public School and Bayview Middle There also continues to be high Bayview Village Tennis Club were com- School. Most high school students who rise condominium development along pletely rebuilt at the end of the 2008 live in Bayview Village attend Earl Haig Sheppard Avenue and in the land south tennis season. Today, Bayview Village Secondary School, located west of Bay- of Sheppard Avenue and north of Tennis Club continues to be looked view. There is also a Catholic Elemen- Highway 401. This development is of a upon as the premier tennis club of tary school located on the west side completely different nature to the fifty- North York. of Bayview Avenue, called St. Gabriel year-old suburban low-rise architecture Catholic School. found in the northern area. There are also free public tennis courts in Bayview Village Park. Transportation Parks The Toronto Transit Commission The North York YMCA, located at The western edge of the East Don (TTC) Sheppard subway line passes the southeast corner of Bayview Ave- Parklands winds its way through the through the neighbourhood, including nue and Sheppard Avenue, is the largest centre of Bayview Village and is a vast Bayview and Bessarion stations. and expansive green haven with various recreational facility serving this neigh- trails, walkways and bicycle paths. The bourhood. Some of the programs being

Famous residents of Willowdale for the Mandopop group Super nightly newscast, CTV News with past and present include: Junior M Lloyd Robertson Ravi Baichwal, news anchor of Geddy Lee, bassist and lead Seymour Schulich, Canadian ABC Television singer of progressive rock band businessman and philanthropist Joseph Boyden, author Rush Dick Shatto, Canadian Football David Clayton-Thomas, singer Alex Lifeson, lead guitar player League player for Blood, Sweat & Tears of progressive rock band Rush Steve Shutt, ice hockey player Dream Warriors, hip hop group Howie Mandel, comedian Frog Fagan, NASCAR Winston Kirk McLean, ice hockey player Cup Series driver Mark Napier, ice hockey player Corey Haim, an actor in the Joshua Raj, orthopaedic surgeon 1980s who was in The Lost Boys and author Jimenez Lai, architect, lived on Lloyd Robertson, O.C., Chief Cummer Avenue News Anchor and Senior Edi- Henry Lau, actor, and singer tor of CTV Television Network’s

North York Festival 2014 www.facebook.com/northyorkfestival 24 GREATER TORONTO

The YMCA of Greater Toronto is a charity focused on community support and development. Our aim is to provide every individual in our community with opportunities for personal growth, community involvement, and leadership. By making connections, collaborating, and mirroring our region’s diversity, we believe we can become the network that binds our many neighbourhoods into one city, one country, and one world.

As one of the largest charities in North America, we help over 400,000 people each year through three core programs:

www.ymcagta.org  YMCA Health, Fitness & Recreation programs help members of our community – regardless of their background or economic circumstances – to live active, meaningful lives

 YMCA Child & Family programs and YMCA Camps ensure toddlers and school age kids get the child care they need and create memorable camp experiences. These programs also support parents and guardians

 YMCA Employment programs, Skills Development programs, Youth Support Services, and Newcomer programs provide employment counseling and training, Mailing address: help newcomers settle in Canada, and offer youth-at-risk with the support they need to survive and thrive 2200 Yonge St., Unit 300 Toronto, Ontario M4S 2C6

Telephone: 416-928-9622 or 1-800-223-8024

Fax: 416-928-2030 Downsview Airport

Downsview Airport or Toronto/ Since 1998, the property has been Downsview Airport, (ICAO: CYZD), administered by a civilian Crown cor- is located in Toronto, Ontario and has poration Parc Downsview Park, which been exclusively owned and used as a co-manages the airfield with Bombar- testing facility by Bombardier Aero- dier Aerospace (the successor to de space since 1994. Havilland Canada). In recent years the property has been undergoing various Downsview Airport has its own landscape usage plans and some rede- fire service (Bombardier Aerospace velopment has taken place. Emergency Services) which covers air- port operations (using two airport fire The airfield was used in recent rescue vehicles) and plant operations years to host the 1984 and 2002 papal (using two SUV emergency vehicles). visits by Pope John Paul II, as well as Bombardier Emergency Services em- to host the Molson Canadian Rocks for ployees are cross-trained as firefighters, Toronto concert headlined by The Roll- first responders and airport security. ing Stones to revive the local economy after the severe acute respiratory syn- Downsview Airfield drome (SARS) outbreak in 2003. Downsview Airfield opened in 1929 as general aviation airfield and The airfield has also served as a one of two airports in the area. It was test site for several famous aircraft built by de Havilland Canada for test- produced by de Havilland and Avro ing aircraft at the plant at the site. Canada, including the Beaver, the Twin Otter, Dash 8 and the Avro Arrow. The The site was expanded during airport is available to pilots only with World War II by the Royal Canadian prior permission. Air Force and renamed RCAF Station Downsview. Bombardier Aerospace currently owns 12 hangars in the southwest cor- Downsview Airport ner of the airport, where the De Havil- land Dash 8 is built and assembled. The The Downsview Airport was devel- Bombardier Global Express and the oped in 1939 as an airfield next to an Bombardier Global 5000 are also as- aircraft manufacturing plant operated sembled here at the Downsview plant, by de Havilland Canada. In 1947, the as are the wings and wingboxes of the Department of National Defence pur- Learjet 45. chased property surrounding the air- field and expanded it, creating RCAF The airport has one operational Station Downsview to provide an air runway, 15/33 at 7,000 feet with a paral- base for Royal Canadian Air Force lel taxiway. Runway 09/27 at 3,164 feet units. The base was renamed Canadian is closed (east section removed), as is Forces Base Toronto (Downsview) in runway 04/22 at 4,000 feet (north sec- 1968 and retained this name until its tion removed and south part retained closure in 1996. as taxiway into the Bombardier plant).

North York Festival 2014 twitter.com/northyorkfestival 26 SC NY Festival Ad_SC NY Festival Ad 14-07-21 2:56 PM Page 1

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NE CORNE R OF Y ONGE + SHE PPARD SE CORNER OF YONGE AND EMPRESS BLVD W W W . S H E P P A R D C E N T R E . C O M Overview Future Shop (originally SportCh- Empress Behind the Empress Walk complex ek) (28,970 sq ft.) on its east side is Princess Park, com- memorating the original sites of the Wendy’s and the former Fabricland Walk first municipal building and fire hall of (originally Tower Records) (3.934 sq ft. North York. The clock tower from the and 10,100 sq ft (940 m2). respectively) fire hall has been reconstructed and Fabricland closed in late 2012 and serves as the centrepiece for the park. was replaced by Dollarama Across the street, and connected via the TTC tunnel, are Mel Lastman Square, Re-zoning the North York Civic Centre, the office tower and No- Prior to the building of Empress votel. Next door, and connected via a Walk, the east side of Yonge Street did passageway is the 5075 Yonge Street not have the zoning capacity to build tower, with Scotiabank and Upper condominiums but only office space Madison College. and retail stores. A deal was made with City Council to re-zone the area on the It was built as part of Mel Lastman’s condition that the developers had done bid to create a downtown in North the following without municipal fund- York to rival the old city of Toronto. It ing: remains a hub of activity with condo- minium projects being built north and rebuild Mitchell Field Community south of it today. Centre

In 2000, the property was acquired re-align Doris Avenue to prevent by RioCan REIT, a Canadian real estate thru-way traffic in a residential area investment trust. connecting Bayview Avenue and Yonge Empress Walk is a large con- Street. dominum and retail complex at the Major retailers intersection of Yonge Street and This decision proved to be a very Cineplex Cinemas (originally Fa- Empress Avenue in the North York popular one in the community because mous Players SilverCity & Empire The- Centre area of the city of Toronto, Empress Walk would contribute op- atres) (63,644 sq ft.) Ontario, Canada. Developed by portunities for entrepreneurs and also revitalize the aging community. Mitch- Menkes Development, Phase 1 was Staples Business Depot (originally ell Field Community Centre drasti- completed in 1997 and Phase 2 by Indigo Books and Music) (20,202 sq ft.) 2000. The lower portion is a three- cally required rebuilding or advanced storey retail mall (lower level with LCBO (3,238 sq ft.) renovations; however, funding was not access to the North York Centre available. subway station) covering 240,000 Loblaws greatfood Empress Market square feet (22,000 m2) topped with (60,100 sq ft.) a 95 feet (29 m) dome, the highlight being the longest unsupported esca- lator in North America to give ac- cess to the movie theatre from the ground floor. There is a 3035-seat Cineplex Cinemas movie multi-plex featuring an IMAX Theatre. Above are two 34-storey residential tow- ers with a total of 745 units between them. These skyscrapers remain among the tallest in North York.

North York Festival 2014 www.facebook.com/northyorkfestival 28

Finch Avenue

Finch Avenue is an arterial thoroughfare and which travels east–west through the city of Toronto. The road also has short extensions into Peel and Durham Regions as Peel Regional Road 2 and Durham Regional Road 37.

History The street is named after hotel owner John Finch, who operated John Finch’s Hotel at the northeast corner of Finch Avenue and Yonge Street in Toronto. The road allowance was a concession road, and at one time, there were a number of older churches, schoolhouses, and cemeteries on each side of the road. In the 1950s, Ontario Hydro constructed a series of transmission lines around Toronto, and paralleled Finch from Highway 400 eastward into Pickering. A compressed natural gas pipeline also follows this routing.

As suburban development in North ton, turning northwestward onto the where a 4 lane roadway once was is ap- York progressed northward in the Gorewood Road concession (formerly proximately 20–25 feet (7 metres) deep. 1960s, Finch was rapidly reconstructed Toronto Gore Township Concession 3). Two lanes reopened in late 2005, and from a gravel road into a four-laned The road now ends at , the remaining lanes opened in April traffic artery. This began with the rea- where Gorewood Road is cut off by 2006. lignment of several sections, such as at Highway 407. The concession is then Bayview where Newtonbrook Creek called MacVean Drive in northeast- On July 24, 2009 two sink holes ap- flows diagonally beneath the cross- ern , north of , peared on Finch Avenue West between . A rail west of Leslie was the former Highway 7. It then contin- Dufferin Street and Bathurst Street. built by 1968. ues into Caledon as Centerville Creek Road. Transit hub West of Islington Avenue, Finch Finch Station, located at the in- ended at the . Traffic Sink holes tersection of Finch Avenue and Yonge proceeding west had to travel on Is- On August 19, 2005 a freak rain- Street, is the northernmost station of lington, northwards towards Steeles storm in Toronto caused the Black the network and is a Avenue, or south across the Humber Creek water level to rise, which caused major regional transit hub. The sta- to Albion Road. As urban development a section of Finch Avenue West near tion features a large TTC bus terminal, came to the Toronto area, a Finch Av- Sentinel Road (due south of York Uni- and the adjoining Finch Bus Termi- enue alignment was developed in this versity between Keele and Jane Streets) nal is a hub for GO Transit, Viva and area, and was completed in the 1980s to collapse, leaving a deep pit that pre- York Region Transit buses. Finch Av- within Toronto (at Islington), and then vented any pedestrian or vehicular traf- enue is served by TTC buses 24 hours briefly into with the con- fic from passing through. The crater left a day, with the 36 Finch West (309 Blue struction of Highway 427, and Bramp-

North York Festival 2014 twitter.com/northyorkfestival 30 Night) serving Finch Avenue West, and Yorkgate Mall — near Jane Street est streets in the Greater Toronto Area), 39 Finch East (308 Blue Night) serv- few major landmarks are located on ing Finch Avenue East. There are also Norfinch Mall — near Jane Street Finch; it runs primarily through busi- two express routes serving Finch Av- ness and residential areas. When it enue East. Route 139 Finch- Jane Finch Mall — near Jane Street intersects Yonge in Uptown, there are Express is a peak-hour bus that serves located office high-rises and condo- , north on Keele the on the Sheppard miniums. Street and Sentinel Road Subway line and the 199 Finch Rocket is an all day route serving Scarborough Most of Finch Avenue west of G. Ross Lord Dam and Reservoir, Centre Station on the Scarborough RT. Morningside Avenue is a four to six- on the Don River (Western Branch), lane principal arterial, with a speed near Dufferin Street/Allen Road As a part of the canceled Transit limit of 60 km/h (35–40 mph) in most City light rail plan, Finch Avenue would sections. East of Morningside, Finch Av. North York Branson Hospital, near have been served by the Etobicoke- E becomes Staines Rd. a collector road Bathurst Street Finch West LRT, which would have run that runs through residential commu- in the median of Finch Avenue West. Herb Carnegie North York Cen- nities, northeast to Steeles Av. E. How- In 2012, the LRT plan was revived by tennial Recreation Complex (opposite ever Finch Av. E continues briefly at the city councils, now renamed to Finch W. Branson) south end of Beare Road heading east LRT and shortened from the original as it enters into the City of Pickering Transit City proposal, serving between Esther Shiner Stadium, behind in Durham Region after Scarborough- Humber College and the future Finch Northview Heights SS at Bathurst Pickering Townline where it is simply West Station of the Yonge-University known as Finch Av.Durham Road # 37. Spadina line. The line is proposed to be Finch Transit Terminal at Yonge in service by 2019. Street. In Pickering, Finch Avenue is also known as Durham Road # 37 and con- Neighbourhoods Finch Parkette — site of John tinues east to Brock Road (Durham Re- Other sites and neighbourhoods Finch’s Hotel and tavern in 1848; de- gional Road 1). It ends at a cul-de-sac along Finch: molished in 1873 at (Durham Regional Road # 2 and formerly Highway 2), and Wild Water Kingdom — at Steeles Historic Zion Schoolhouse near the highway follows this concession line Avenue East (Brampton), located with- Leslie Street to the eastern boundary of . in Brampton, Ontario. Old Cummer GO Station at Leslie In Mississauga and Brampton, Humber College Main Campus, Street Finch Avenue is also known as Peel Re- near Highway 27 gional Road 2, and is the shortest road Newnham Campus corridor under the jurisdiction of the Etobicoke General Hospital at Highway 404 Region of Peel.

Albion Mall — at Albion and Ki- Bridlewood Mall at Warden Av- Side streets enue pling Avenue Pawnee Avenue and Old Finch Avenue are both former alignments of Thistletown Regional Centre for Scarborough Grace Hospital at Finch Avenue. Pawnee Avenue runs Children and Adolescents Birchmount Road along the former North York Township road alignment between Highway 404 Thistletown Woodside Mall at McCowan Road and Victoria Park Avenue. Old Finch Malvern Avenue runs in northeastern Scarbor- Emery — at ough, and includes a section of the Rouge Park at the Rouge River original road alignment east of Morn- York-Finch Hospital — Humber ingside Avenue to Meadowvale Av- River Regional Toronto Zoo enue, including the routing through the Street details Rouge Park, and the northern edge of Jane and Finch Despite its length (one of the long- the Toronto Zoo.

31 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014

Government of Canada Building, North York The Government of Canada Building, also known as the Joseph Sheppard Federal Building, is a Govern- ment of Canada office complex at 4900 Yonge Street in North York. Built in 1977 to service residents of the former boroughs of North York and Etobicoke, it houses a branch of the Pass- port Office in addition to other federal departments.

The structure, with its multi-layered design, stands out among the surrounding skyscrapers along Yonge Street, which were built during the office boom of the 1990s surrounding the diversification of down- town North York.

Hillcrest Village

Hillcrest Village is a neighbourhood located in the district of North York at the northernmost tip of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Hillcrest Village is considered by some to be part of the , the neighbourhood di- rectly to the south, however it is quite distinct. It is bordered by Finch to the South, Leslie Street to the West, Steeles to the North and Victoria Park to the East. Both neighbourhoods share the Don Valley as a point of reference in the Eastern border of the neighbourhoods.

Hillcrest Village is home to one of Toronto’s most popular Chinese areas. The top ethnicity in the area is by far Chinese and most recent immigrants to the area continue to arrive from China, Hong Kong and Korea. While there is social hous- ing in the area and a large percentage of residents earning low incomes, many residents earn incomes in the top tax brackets. The 75%+ home ownership rate is another indicator of affluence in the area.

The Don Valley provides an interesting hillside landscape in the East end of the neighbourhood. In conjunction with Duncan Creek and numerous parks the area has some natural splendour to enjoy.

Public transit in this area is only bus routes. Most of these are operated by the TTC, including the 42 Cummer, 53 Steeles East, 51 Leslie, 25 Don Mills, 39 Finch East, and 24 Victoria Park bus routes. YRT buses run along Don Mills Road en route to York Region, and also serve Seneca College’s Newnham Campus.

North York Festival 2014 twitter.com/northyorkfestival 33 Dr. Nourkeyhani

Phone: 416-493-7657 Address: 5 Fairview Mall Dr, North York, ON M2J 2Z1

“ A Healthy Smile Says It All! ”

Cosmetic Dentistry Cleaning Family Dentistry Jane and Finch Jane and Finch is a neighbourhood located in the north- west end of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in the district of North York. Centred at the intersection of Jane Street and Finch Avenue West, the area is roughly bounded by Highway 400 to the west, Driftwood Avenue to the east, Grandravine Drive to the south, and Shoreham Drive to the north. It is a multicultural neighbourhood.

The community has one of the largest concentrations of criminal gangs of any area in Canada. It also has “one of the highest proportions of youth, sole-supported families, refugees and immigrants, low-income earners and public housing tenants of any community in Toronto”. Only 70% of people in the neighborhood have proper indoor plumbing (compared to 95% of Canadians), and brownouts are com- mon.

As well, there is a substantial and equally diverse pop- ulation living in middle class detached and semi-detached houses, townhouses, and high-rise tower blocks.

In January 2009, the area was alternatively named Uni- versity Heights by Toronto Ward 8 city councillor Anthony Perruzza, in an attempt to rid the area of its notorious repu- tation.

History experienced astronomical growth from service organizations, based on princi- Jane-Finch was originally devel- 1961 to 1971 when the population went ples of mutual aid. Jane-Finch residents oped as a model suburb in the 1960s in from 1,300 to 33,000, thereby account- managed to create the infra-structure response to the rapid urban growth of ing for more than 40% of the growth that their community needed to be- Toronto. The community was planned in North York. In general, urban plan- come healthy and sustainable. They to accommodate a socially diverse ners, local politicians, residents of Jane- succeeded in bringing together various population and included a substantial Finch, and others today are of the opin- sectors to address a wide range of eco- amount of public housing, but insuf- ion that the OHC and North York erred nomic, social and recreational needs. ficient thought was given to the social seriously, contributing to rapid popula- The United Way’s “Poverty by Postal infrastructure needed to sustain com- tion growth in the area without antici- Code-The Geography of Neighbour- munity life. (A historical name for the pating its negative consequences. hood Poverty: 1981-2001” (2004) re- general area from 1878 to 1956 was port explained that by 2001, there were Elia). In 1973, a group of dedicated more high-poverty neighbourhoods residents, politicians and community in the former City of North York than The 1960s development plans workers started identifying ways to in any of the other former cities. More spearheaded by the Ontario Housing address community problems. They than one in five families in North York Corporation (OHC) coincided with concentrated their efforts on improv- live in poverty, and in the Jane-Finch North York Planning Department’s goal ing their neighbourhood’s negative im- region. of creating a more urban-looking sub- age and creating a sense of community urb. Known for its series of high-rise pride. Since then the neighbourhood The Toronto City Summit Alliance’s buildings and, concomitantly, its above has developed over 30 grassroots as- Strong Neighbourhoods Task Force average population density, Jane-Finch sociations, including social and health identified the Neighbour-

35 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014 hood as one of the 13 Priority Neigh- Nations communities). See related arti- The percentage of population be- bourhoods across the city, where there cles, Poverty in Canada and Economic low the poverty line dropped from 47% are not enough social services to ad- impact of immigration to Canada As a (in 1996) to 40% (in 2001). dress the growing needs of the commu- result, many more children in this area nity. The United Way “Strong Neigh- are being raised in high poverty house- Glenfield-Jane Heights bourhoods: A Call to Action” (2001) holds than in the city as whole.Jane and In 2006, it had a population of Fact Sheet on Black Creek also reports Finch also contains a large portion of 30,715. that the Black Creek Neighbourhood, residents without indoor plumbing and which is encompassed in the catchment inconsistent electricity. Major ethnic populations (2006) region of this project, has a higher rate of racialized groups, immigrants, re- Currently, several community- Italian – 5,675 cent newcomers, children, youth, lone based organizations, businesses, com- parents, low income families, low in- munity residents and city staff have Vietnamese – 3,020 come unattached individuals, lower joined together to form the Black Creek median household income, higher per- West Community Capacity Building East Indian – 2,945 centage of households with incomes Project. Funded by the City of Toronto, Chinese – 2,930 below $30 000, higher proportion of the project aims to “improve the qual- ity of life for residents living in the rental households, higher unemploy- Jamaican – 2,645 ment, lower percentage of population Black Creek West community by plac- with university education, and higher ing emphasis on building on assets and Canadian – 1,425 percentage of population with less than capacities, prevention, community in- high school education. volvement, diversity and community Spanish – 1,395 well-being.” There are also a number of Between 1981 and 2001, the to- other organizations and networks that African – 935 tal population of North York grew by have come together to develop pro- 8.7%; higher economic families by 9%, grams and solutions to the problems Guyanese – 810 but poor economic families by 80.5%. that have been identified in the various Poverty intensified in 5 main areas. reports. Ecuadorian – 780 The most prominent is the Jane-Finch area, where four poor neighbourhoods Black Creek Places of interest turned into regions of very high pov- In 2006, it had a population of Black Creek Pioneer Village erty, and a region that previously had 21,715 low to moderate poverty became clas- York University sified as having high levels of poverty. Black Creek’s major ethnic and cul- By 2001, a major had taken place, tural groups (by ancestry) in 2001: Rexall Centre (venue for the pro- with the immigrant family population fessional Canada Masters tournament) now accounting for 62.4% of the total Jamaican – 14% Seneca College (Seneca@York and family population in these communi- Yorkgate Mall campuses) ties, and Canadian born families mak- South Asian – 10% ing up the remaining 37.6%. The immi- Italian – 10% (York grants were disproportionately poor, as Woods Library, including its Theatre, 65% of the ‘poor’ family persons were Chinese – 9% and Jane Sheppard Library) immigrants. Between 1981 and 2001, the number of racialized individuals Vietnamese – 7% Canadian – 6% Jane Finch Mall (featured in the also increased by 219%. The racialized video for Organized Rhyme’s hit song family population then accounted for Guyanese – 4% English – 4% “Check the O.R.”) two thirds of the total family popu- lation in higher poverty neighbour- Spanish – 4% African Black – 3% hoods. Jane and Finch also contains the highest rates of malnutrition and hun- Other – 35% ger in Canada (higher than that of First

North York Festival 2014 twitter.com/northyorkfestival 36 Lawrence Heights

Lawrence Heights is a neighbour- rise buildings were not originally per- by North York and Metro without any hood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is mitted to be constructed in this area, support from the Ontario or the federal located north-west of central Toronto, and the majority of the housing is in housing agency Canada Mortgage and in the district of North York. The neigh- low to mid-rise buildings. Housing Corporation. bourhood is bounded by Lawrence Av- enue to the south, Highway 401 to the Public housing development In 2007, city councillor Howard north, Allen Road to the east and Duf- Lawrence Heights was the first Moscoe unveiled a plan to revitalize ferin Street to the west. It is part of the large public housing project built by Lawrence Heights. The plan proposes greater Yorkdale-Glen Park official To- Metropolitan Toronto outside of the a demolition of all 1,208 units in the ronto neighbourhood. then-City of Toronto and is now man- neighbourhood, as well as Lawrence aged under Toronto Community Hous- Square, and they would be replaced by Character ing. By 1955, 100 acres (40 ha) had modern affordable units, market hous- Lawrence Heights has been re- been assembled by Metro. The project ing and retail/commercial streets, in- ferred to as the “Jungle” by residents would have approximately 6,000 resi- cluding a northward extension of Mar- and police alike soon after its creation dents in 1,081 family units at a density lee Avenue. in 1962. The Globe and Mail news out- of 12 families per acre, the largest pub- let’s article “Toronto’s new murder capi- lic housing project to that date in Can- Notable locations tal” gives an insight on the crime in the ada. When the project was announced, Lawrence Heights Community area without actually specifically going it sparked a strong opposition from the Centre into the reasons for the “Jungle” moni- then North York Township. Citizens ker, but does contain a quote “It’s like and elected officials threatened legal Lawrence Heights Community you’re in the jungle. It is like a war,” says action to block the development. A Health Centre Linkx, a 20-year-old rap producer from compromise was worked out between John Polanyi Collegiate Institute - nearby Rexdale who wears Crip colours Metro and North York whereby some Formerly known as Sir Sandford Flem- and spoke on condition of anonymity. “ of the units would be rented at market ing Academy in the Bathurst Heights rates so that the project would not be Secondary School facility which was The area is divided into two dis- exclusively very poor families. tinct subsections. The area bounded by once home to one of Toronto’s elite Yorkdale Shopping Centre to the north, Construction was completed by basketball teams. Bathurst Heights was Lawrence Avenue to the south, Duf- 1962. It consisted mainly of row houses closed by the Toronto District School ferin Street to the west and Highland and maisonettes with some small apart- Board. The site was temporarily the Hill to the east. The neighbourhood ment buildings of less than 30 units home of Brebeuf College as Brebeuf is a post World War II development each. A buffer of single-family dwell- underwent a school restoration. The of bungalows and storey-and-a-half ings was built between the project and school reopened in 2011 as JPCI when dwellings. As the frontage of the these the private sub-division to the east. Sir Sanford Fleming was leased as the homes average 45 feet, the area has had An elementary school was part of the new (but temporary) home of the over- significant changes as older houses are project. The elementary school filled crowded Dante Alighieri Academy for torn down and replaced by “Monster up immediately and senior elementa- its grade 9 students. Homes” as the area’s proximity to ma- ry students were sent to a neighbour- Lawrence Square Shopping Centre jor city arteries and the downtown core ing junior high. A controversy erupted make it lucrative to builders. over the use of the swimming pool Canadian Imperial Bank of Com- at a neighbouring secondary school, merce Head Office Operations — 750 The other housing area, which is whereby project students could only Lawrence Avenue West east of Flemington Road, is short-term use the pool on one or two evenings per public housing. Because of the area’s week. A community center was built in Yorkdale Shopping Centre — lo- proximity to Downsview Airport, high- the mid-1960s, its $100,000 cost shared cated just north of the community

37 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014 Ledbury Park

Ledbury Park is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Canada. It is located in the southern part of the North York area, just across the border from Midtown Toronto. Its boundaries are Av- enue Road to the east, Lawrence Avenue to the south, Bathurst Street to the West, and Wilson Avenue and Highway 401 to the north.

The area was settled by farmers in the 19th century. In 1918, most of the land was pur- chased by real estate developers, who began to sell lots on the site. Developer H.A. Clark named a number of the new streets, such as Marmion, Deloraine, Melrose,and Falkirk after the works of Sir Walter Scott. It was not until after the Second World War that most of the area was developed. The area was filled with small post-war bungalows and became a middle class suburban area with easy access to Highway 401. The character of the neighbourhood began to change rapidly beginning in the 1990s. Ledbury Park is adjacent to Lawrence Park, one of Toronto’s most exclusive neighbourhoods. Ledbury Park began to be redeveloped in its image as many of the 1950s bungalows were demolished and replaced with much larger based structures.

The park “Ledbury Park” sits in the middle of the neighbourhood and contains a skating rink in winter and a swimming pool in the summer. It also sits next to Ledbury Park Elemen- tary and Middle School, which in 2013 placed 3rd overall among 2000 private and public schools internationally and first in Canada in the International Math League competition.

Leslie Street was originally the Avenue and Vanderhoof Avenue in second concession line, laid about the Leaside Industrial land area. It is Leslie Street 13,200 ft (4,000 m) east of Yonge separated from the third segment by Street. Leslie Street was named for the Ernest Thompson Seton park- nursery owner George Leslie, who lands. owned a store on Queen Street in Leslieville. The third segment begins at Eg- linton Avenue near E.T. Seton and Leslie Street, which has four Wilket Creek Park. It travels north separate sections, begins at Lake through commercial and residential Ontario at the foot of the Leslie neighbourhoods in Don Mills and Street Spit. Just north at Lake Shore the Don Valley. A proposed exten- Boulevard East was the former sion from Eglinton Avenue south to eastern terminus of the Gardiner Bayview Avenue (north of Pottery Expressway. It continues north to Road) never came to fruition. It ex- the railway tracks north of Gerrard its Toronto and enters York Region Street East, where the first segment at Steeles Avenue. North of there, ends. Donlands Avenue, which runs Leslie Street is a local road and ends from the north side of the railway shortly thereafter in Wycliffe Park. tracks to north of O’Connor Drive, The fourth segment continues as an was originally another segment arterial road north of in of Leslie Street. The second seg- Markham, where Don Mills Road ment is represented by a one-block becomes Leslie Street. stretch of road between Wicksteed

North York Festival 2014 www.facebook.com/northyorkfestival 38 North York Board of Education

The North York Board of Education Nelson A. Boylen Collegiate Institute French-language schools (NYBE, commonly known as School Previously the district operated two District 13) is the former public school Downsview Secondary School French-language schools in addition to board for the former city of North York English-language schools. As of May Drewry Secondary School in Ontario, Canada. 1980 the district operated two of the Emery Collegiate Institute seven public French-language schools In 1998, the provincial Government in Metropolitan Toronto, with the other of Ontario passed legislation which Sir Sandford Fleming Academy five being operated by the Metropolitan amalgamated North York into the City Separate School Board (now the Toron- of Toronto. As part of the amalgamation Earl Haig Secondary School to Catholic District School Board). The process, the NYBE ceased to exist. To- North York school board required that day, administration of schools in North George S. Henry Academy a potential student must know French York is handled by the Toronto District before being admitted to a French- School Board. The NYBE building was C. W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute speaking school. located at 5050 Yonge Street, in the same complex as Mel Lastman Square, William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate In- In 1977 the school board voted the former North York City Hall. This stitute to build a school out of surplus port- building now houses the Toronto Dis- able buildings on the site of the Ecole trict School Board offices. Don Mills Collegiate Institute Etienne Brule, spending $120,000 to construct the school. The residents in Newtonbrook Secondary School Schools the area where it was being constructed This is a listing of secondary schools Northview Heights Secondary School were against the proposal because 172 that were within this district before the children from the area were bussed 2.4 merger. Victoria Park Secondary School kilometres (1.5 mi) away to another school, and the new school in their Secondary schools Westview Centennial Secondary School community would not serve them. At Avondale Secondary Alternative School nighttime, when workers tried to move York Mills Collegiate Institute the portables onto the site, some resi- A. Y. Jackson Secondary School dents tried to obstruct their efforts Yorkdale Secondary School Bathurst Heights Secondary School

North York Festival 2014 twitter.com/northyorkfestival 39

Sheppard Avenue is carried across the lanes of Highway 404. Sheppard Avenue East of Yonge Street, Sheppard Sheppard Avenue is an History which was later moved and travels east through North York to east-west principal arterial restored as a . The Highway 404. Historically, it contin- Sheppard is named road in Toronto, Ontario, for Joseph Sheppard I, former site is now an emp- ued straight to Victoria Park Avenue at Canada. A small portion who acquired 400 acres ty lot pending developed the Scarborough border, where travel- (2.5km) of a continua- (160 ha) of land at the of a commercial building. lers then turned south to meet up with tion of the road in Picker- northwest corner of Shep- the Sheppard section through Scarbor- ing, Ontario is also called pard and Yonge Street. In the former Scarbor- ough. However, a new section called the Sheppard Avenue from His son opened a general ough municipality, Shep- Lansing Cutoff was constructed joining Altona Road and Fairport store there. The site was pard was once called the the two disconnected pieces. The or- Avenue. occupied in 1860 by the Lansing Sideroad. phaned section of Sheppard between Dempsey Hardware Store, the 404 and Victoria Park was renamed constructed along the northern edge of 84 Sheppard West (1974–present) Old Sheppard Avenue. 43°46’34?N the now former base in the 1970s, con- 79°20’13?W necting Sheppard at Wilson Heights to 85 Sheppard East (1963-present) Sheppard continues straight east . 43°45’17?N 79°28’42?W Today, Sheppard also intersects Allen Blue Night Network 385 Sheppard through Scarborough until just east of East (2005–present) Meadowvale Road, where the Rouge Road on this section, but the intersect- ing portion of Allen Road was not con- River valley presents steep grades This bus route runs along Sheppard structed until 1982. Sheppard Avenue 43°48’33?N 79°09’58?W, and so Shep- Avenue East between Scarborough continues still further west to Weston pard curves southwards to meet King- Centre and Don Mills Stations: ston Road just north of Highway 401. Road, but cannot be extended because the Humber Sheppard Community At that junction, it also meets Port Un- 190 Scarborough Centre Rocket Centre (the former site of St. Basil’s ion Road, which heads south into the (2002-present) Port Union neighbourhood. However, Catholic High School) is on the west Twyn Rivers Drive continues east into side of the intersection.43°44’01?N GO Transit has stations at Ag- the Rouge valley as a collector road, 79°32’18?W incourt on the , on and becomes Sheppard again at Altona Sheppard between Kennedy Road and Road just east of the border of Picker- Public transportation Midland Avenue, and at Oriole on the ing, Durham Region. It continues far- The Sheppard Subway runs un- , south-west of the ther east until it ends at Fairport Road der Sheppard Avenue East from Yonge intersection of Leslie Street and Shep- just north of Highway 2 / Kingston Street to Don Mills Road, with propos- pard. Road. 43°49’28?N 79°06’26?W als to continue the line farther east- wards to the Communities This routing parallels the align- and westwards to Downsview Station at Emery , Dublin Heights ment for Highway 401 and serves as an Allen Road. There are five stations on alternative if the highway is closed or the line providing access to Sheppard Elia, Downsview congested. Avenue, including Bayview, Bessarion, and Leslie, as well as the Sheppard- Lansing, Bayview Village Sheppard Avenue West Yonge (at the junction with the Yonge West of Yonge Street, Sheppard section of the Yonge-University-Spadi- Don Valley Village travels west across the Sheppard Avenue na line line) Don Mills termini. Downs- Willowdale (includes Lansing) Bridge over the Don and past Bathurst view station is located at the corner of Sheppard and Allen Road at the north- Street and Wilson Heights Boulevard. North York Centre Further west, the road allowance be- ern terminus of the Spadina section of the Yonge-University-Spadina line. came blocked in 1939 by the appropria- , tion of land for a DeHavilland aircraft Three bus routes runs along Shep- plant and, after World War II, Cana- The Peanut, Agincourt dian Forces Base Downsview. A cres- pard Avenue in Toronto from Sheppard cent-shaped section of road was finally Subway station: Malvern, L’Amoreaux

41 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014 Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Cen- leaders in the respective areas of medi- Veterans Hospital opened its doors in tre, abbreviated SHSC and known cine. In October 2008, Sunnybrook was June 1948. In 1991, The Province of simply as Sunnybrook, is an academic named one of Greater Toronto’s Top Ontario opened major research facili- health sciences centre located in Toron- Employers by Mediacorp Canada Inc., ties to house the rapid growth of re- to, Ontario. which was announced by the Toronto search on campus.The hospital merged Star newspaper. with Women’s College Hospital and the It is the largest trauma centre in Orthopaedic and Arthritic Hospital in Canada and is one of two major trau- The Kilgour Wing (K Wing) is a June 1998 under the provisions of Bill ma centres in Toronto; the other is St. long-term care centre with the large 51, but Sunnybrook and Women’s Col- Michael’s Hospital. It offers compre- majority of patients being war veterans lege Health Sciences Centre was de- hensive care and is a national leader in in World War II. amalgamated in April 2006 to create image-guided therapies. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre History and the separate Women’s College Hos- It is one of the fastest growing hos- Alice M. Kilgour donated the Sun- pital. On July 1, 2012, Sunnybrook and pitals in North America, and is the na- nybrook Farm to the City of Toronto in St. John’s Rehab Hospital voluntarily tion’s largest maternity hospital with memory of her husband, Joseph Kilg- merged, recognizing that their highly the new Women & Babies Program, our, for use as a public park in 1928. complementary programs and services which opened on September 12, 2010. With the consent of the Kilgour heirs, can offer patients a seamless, continu- Sunnybrook is home to the Edmond part of the parkland was transferred to um of care from acute injury or illness, Odette Regional Cancer Centre and the the Government of Canada to build a through to rehabilitation and recov- Schulich Heart Centre, both national hospital for veterans. The Sunnybrook ery. Currently, Sunnybrook maintains

North York Festival 2014 www.facebook.com/northyorkfestival 42 three campuses, with its main campus philanthropist from . The cen- Private, for-profit cancer clinic (Bayview) on Bayview Avenue in North tre, as per the name, is a cardiac care Sunnybrook Hospital was the site York, the satellite Holland Centre (or- clinic and is involved in research, sur- of Ontario’s first private cancer clinic thopaedic and arthritic care) on Welles- gery and intervention. created since the inception of Medi- ley St. E., and St. John’s Rehab on Cum- care. The clinic operated after regu- mer Avenue. SHSC became affiliated Odette Cancer Centre lar working hours at the hospital, and with the in 1966. The centre is involved in cancer re- was owned by Dr. Tim McGowan. An search but also provides education and investigation by the Auditor General Areas of focus treatment. of Ontario revealed that the cost per Veterans and Community procedure was $500 greater than in the Trauma, Emergency and Critical Located in the Kilgour Wing it is public sector and that the waiting times Care partnered with Veterans Affairs Cana- did not decrease in the public system da and has about 500 veterans of WWII The hospital provides critical care as a result of the clinic’s creation. The and the . For veterans they and provides a consultation service to clinic operated from 2001 until 2003. provide various types of services such the Ross Tilley Burn Centre. The emer- as mental health, cognitive and pallia- gency department is open 24 hours a Holland Musculoskeletal Centre tive care which is also provided to the day. The trauma centre provides emer- The Holland Centre consists of general population gency medical services to patients suf- the Orthopaedic Program located in fering traumatic injuries. downtown Toronto; the Holland Cen- Brain Sciences tre Campus is located on 43 Wellesley St. John’s Rehab They provide care for people with St. East. brain-related problems including de- St. John’s Rehab Hospital provides The Holland Orthopaedic and Ar- mentia, strokes and mood and anxiety specialized rehabilitation, education thritic Centre was initially founded as disorders. It is also a research centre and support for people recovering from the Orthopaedic and Arthritic Hospital looking into areas such as neuropsy- complex, life-changing illnesses and in- by Dr. James E. Bateman and Charles chology and neurochemistry. juries, including: amputations, cancer, cardiovascular surgery, organ trans- S. Wright II in 1955 based on a charter procured by Dr. C. Stewart Wright, an Holland Musculoskeletal Program plants, orthopaedic conditions, stroke and neurological conditions, traumatic orthopaedic surgeon. It was founded as The program is mainly involved a specialty hospital for the treatment of in musculoskeletal injury but are also injuries and complex medical proce- dures and conditions. patients with orthopaedic ailments. The involved in musculoskeletal education building it was founded in was a sanito- and research. Heliport rium and since then it has undergone a series of renovations and additions. Women and Babies A helicopter pad (TC LID: CNY8) The program provides gynaecol- is located at the east end of the hospi- As part of the Ontario initiative to ogy services and includes a neonatal tal grounds. Sunnybrook handles air reduce hospital wait-times, the Holland intensive-care unit. They deliver about ambulance flights with urgent trauma Orthopaedic and Arthritic Centre was 4,000 babies a year, of which 25% are cases from the Greater Toronto Area named as a centre of excellence in joint high risk births. where an ambulance run is not possi- replacement. ble. Only two other hospitals in Toron- Schulich Heart Centre to have helipads (St. Michael’s Hospital (Toronto) and Hospital for Sick Chil- The centre is named for Seymour dren). Schulich a Canadian businessman and

North York Festival 2014 twitter.com/northyorkfestival 43 Shop online at http://www.LinQTab.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone: 416-775-8796 Store Location: LINQTAB (next to Shoppers Drug Mart) CenterPoing Mall Toronto District School Board

The Toronto Dis- acts as a student council for trict School Board the entire board.There has (TDSB; known as Eng- also been an attempt to place lish-language Public student input in the TDSB’s District School Board Equity Department through No. 12 prior to 1999) the second, and last, board- is the English-language wide student group: Students public-secular school Working Against Great In- board for Toronto, On- justice.Both groups have put tario, Canada. The mi- together various events and nority public-secular have had much success in francophone (Conseil giving input towards the de- scolaire Viamonde), cisions of the Board public-separate anglophone (Toronto Catholic District School Board), and Former Directors public-separate francophone (Conseil Chris Spence 2009-2013 - resigned scolaire de district catholique Centre- tional mission is “to enable all students due to a plagiarism scandalGerry Con- Sud) communities of Toronto also to reach high levels of achievement and nelly 2005-2009 David Reid 2001-2005 have their own publicly funded school to acquire the knowledge, skills, and - now with Ontario Institute for Studies boards and schools that operate in the values they need to become responsible in Education same area, but which are independent members of a democratic society.” of the TDSB. Its headquarters are in Marguerite Jackson 1998-2001 - North York.The TDSB is Canada’s larg- The TDSB is the largest school now CEO of the Education Quality and est school board and the fourth largest board in Canada and the 4th largest in Accountability Office school board in North America. North America. The record was previ- ously held by the Metropolitan Sepa- Community involvement History rate School Board with over 100,000 The TDSB’s Parent and Commu- The TDSB was created in 1998 students until 1998 what is now the To- nity Involvement Policy describes ways following the merger of the Board of ronto Catholic District School Board. in which “parents, the community, stu- Education for the City of York, the East dents, staff and the Board” are working York Board of Education, the North There are more than 250,000 stu- together. One option is the Parent In- York Board of Education, the Scarbor- dents in nearly 600 schools within the volvement Advisory Committee. ough Board of Education, the Etobi- TDSB. Of these schools, 451 offer ele- coke Board of Education, the Toronto mentary education, 102 offer secondary Proposing and starting a school Board of Education and the Metropoli- level education, and there are five adult Parents can design and propose tan Toronto School Board. day schools. The TDSB has 16 alterna- a new school in the TDSB. There is a tive elementary schools as well as 20 al- 2-year process for review, approval and Originally the headquarters was lo- ternative secondary schools. TDSB has opening the school. cated at 155 College Street, the former approximately 31,000 permanent and offices of the Toronto Board of Educa- 8,000 temporary staff, which includes Controversies tion. The head office moved from 155 10,000 elementary school teachers and Financial issues College Street to 5050 Yonge Street, 5,800 at the secondary level. which was previously occupied by the In 2002, the Government of On- North York Board of Education. There has also been an effort to in- tario stripped all power and authority clude more student involvement in the from the school board trustees because Organization Toronto District School Board. The “Su- they failed to balance the board’s budg- The school board’s organiza- per Council” is an organization which et. Paul Christie was appointed by the

45 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014 province to serve as supervisor of the fix.”The reported that in “nothing to do with politics.” Toronto District School Board, with recent investigation showed little has authority for all financial and admin- changed since that review. A high school Terms of the contract includes: istrative functions of the Board. This principal “raised questions about the “The TDSB will not be allowed to allowed Christie to supersede the au- $143 cost of installing a pencil sharp- hire outside workers for some jobs. The thority of elected school trustees. The ener and the $19,000 cost of installing a school board won’t be allowed to hire provincial government argued that sign on the school’s front lawn.” outside workers even if it would cost the appointment was necessary, as the taxpayers less. TDSB had not submitted a budget to In 2007, again due to alleged mis- the Ontario Minister of Education as management by the trustees, the board “The trades council is still allowed legally required. Representatives of the will try to submit a budget with a deficit to choose all new workers for the pub- TDSB claimed that they could not find of $84 million. licly funded school board.” The Toronto the necessary operating expenses for District School Board, who pays the work- The school board wants $3.6 mil- the year, given provincial regulations ers, doesn’t have a say on who is hired. lion from the Toronto Star before it re- which prohibited deficit spending. leases a database. The database shows A structured shift system will be Christie balanced the TDSB’s budget “work orders showing what taxpayers preserved where the morning and after- through a dramatic spending reduction have been charged for maintenance and noon shifts overlaps. This requires the of $90 million. Under his watch, the construction projects at local schools. school board to maintain extra trucks TDSB eliminated many secretarial po- In June 2012, the Toronto Star asked for and vehicles. The school board has esti- sitions, phased out school-community “an electronic copy showing three years mated “it could have sold off up to 300 advisors, child and youth counsellors, of work at the TDSB.” trucks and other vehicles that would not and attendance counsellors and re- be needed if the afternoon shift started duced the number of vice-principals, The Ontario Ministry of Education when the morning shift ended. cut outdoor education and adult edu- Froze funding for the school board’s cation, and re-evaluated the position buildings project. The ministry cited the Immigration Act charges of social workers in the system. Christie’s possibility of a $10 million to $11 mil- In 2001, Toronto School Board staff reports were not made public, and lion cost overrun for the retrofit of Nel- Trustee Sam Basra was convicted of Im- some critics argued that there were no ad- son Mandela Park Public School. The migration Act charges and was forced equate checks or balances on his authority. project was originally priced at $21.7 under the Education Act to resign his million. Some of the school board’s seat. He pleaded guilty in August 2001 Blackstone Partners carried out a trustees are “outraged”. Laurel Broten, to selling fake offers of employment to review in 2006. They submitted a 113- Ontario’s Minster of Education, stated, potential immigrants for US$1,500.00 page report in January 2007.Blackstone “We are not happy they don’t know each. This came to light after being Partners were “asked to determine if why” when talking about the overrun. tipped by a former employee, police the facilities division had “effective She also stated that a supervisor may be raided Basra’s paralegal firm and found governance.””The report showed “high sent in. 250 false letters of employment. In costs of repairs, lots of workers and March 2001 Arjan Singh launched a $15 spotty results, and managerial “silos” Contract with Trade Council million lawsuit against Basra alleging that made it hard for principals to fig- A top official from the Toronto Dis- that while doing paralegal work, Basra ure out whom to approach to get a job trict School Board stated that he has forged documents to make him think done.”Blackstone Partners gave 43 rec- concerns about a “controversial con- his rights case was active more than a ommendations in the report.The school tract” between the Trades Council and year after it was closed. After much in- board claims a few have been carried the Ontario Government and claims fighting among the trustees and inaction out and others are in the works.When that the contract with the trades coun- from then Chair of the Board Donna surveyed about a wide range of topics, cil is “politically motivated. Chris Bol- Cansfield to make an appointment to fill the worst result was the school board’s ton, the Chairman of the school board, the vacant trustee seat left by Basra, a by- maintenance and construction divi- stated that the Trade Council is a “major election was called for April 2002 costing sion. Eighty percent of principals didn’t contributors to the Liberals” and even the board $160,000.00. Stan Nemiroff de- believe the maintenance and construc- campaigned for the Liberals. A govern- feated former Mayor of Etobicoke Bruce tion division delivered good value for ment spokesperson stated that Educa- Sinclair in the by-election to become the the money TDSB director Chris Spence tion Minister Laurel Broten decision new Ward 1 trustee representing Etobi- “To use a football analogy, we are trying to retain the Trade Council’s services coke North. to move the yardstick. There is no quick

North York Festival 2014 www.facebook.com/northyorkfestival 46 Victoria Park Avenue

Victoria Park Avenue is a major line northward. station and Route 24 (Victoria Park) north-south route in eastern Toronto, and Route 12 (Kingston Road) buses. Ontario, Canada. It is the western bor- It is still a two-lane residential street Historically the first bus to service the der of Scarborough, separating it from from Bracken Avenue north to were private routes that oper- Old Toronto, East York, and North Street, albeit one with a heavy traffic ated along Dawes Road, and then north York. load; at Gerrard Street it becomes a along Victoria Park. This route was tak- four-lane major arterial road. It reduces en over by the TTC in 1954, and offered History to two lanes again from a point north of service as far north as Victoria Park and Victoria Park Avenue was origi- to Dawes Road, then Lawrence. The opening of Victoria Park nally a pioneer road for settlement of resumes its role as a four-lane arterial subway station in 1968 led to the crea- Scarborough. Except for its very south- road for the rest of its length. North of tion of the 24 Victoria Park, replacing ernmost section (south of Bracken Ave- Dawes it shifts from being a residential the Dawes Road bus on Victoria Park. It nue), the road once formed the bound- street to being a suburban arterial, with first ran to Victoria Park and Old Sehp- ary for the former township, borough, mostly stores and low rise apartment pard Road, but has steadily been ex- and city of Scarborough with the for- buildings along the rest of its length. tended northwards. Today it runs into mer municipalities of East York, North York Region, along Victoria Park Avenue ends a short York, and the former city of Toronto. at the request of the city of Markham. distance north of Steeles Avenue at Alsi beginngin in 1968, the portion of Route description Denison Street in Markham, Ontario. Victoria Park south of the subway sta- tion began to be served by the 12 King- Victoria Park Avenue begins as a Transportation two-lane residential street near Lake ston Road bus. This bus travels south Victoria Park remains one of the Ontario at Queen Street at the east end until Kingston Road and then turns busiest north-south streets on Toronto’s of The Beaches community. It takes a east into Scarborough. It stops at the east side, along with Markham Road sharp jog west just before Bracken Av- Bingham Loop to meet up with the ter- and Kennedy Road. It is served by the enue, and then continues in a straight mini of the 502 Downtowner and 503 Toronto subway and RT at Victoria Park Kingston Rd.

47 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014 Willowdale

Willowdale is an established, afflu- Ave. at the east. (East of Bayview Ave. Ave.) where a number of small business ent community in the city of Toronto, would have been the postal village of and commercial buildings still remain. Ontario, Canada, located in the district Oriole.) The north-south centreline of The boundaries of the current neigh- of North York. It was originally made Lansing & Willowdale was Yonge St. bourhood extend as far east as Victoria up from three postal villages, namely The postal Village of Lansing remained Park Avenue, west to Bathurst Street, Newtonbrook, Willowdale and Lan- in existence until the Post Office at Lan- south to the 401 freeway, and north to sing. sing corner (northwest corner of Yonge Steeles Avenue. The neighbourhood St. & Sheppard Ave.) was closed. When abuts Bayview Village to the east and Willowdale was originally a postal a new Post office was built in Wil- is considered to overlap Newtonbrook village (orig. Willow Dale) which cov- lowdale, the whole area of the former to the north. North York Centre is cen- ered the area from Finch Ave. at the postal villages of Lansing & Willowdale tred at the intersection of Yonge Street north to Elmwood Ave at the south then became Willowdale, but still only and Empress Avenue and is common- and Bathurst St. at the west to Bayview a postal village, all within the Township ly thought to be a part of Willowdale, Ave. at the east. The postal Village of of North York at that time. (Newton- though its high-rise residential and Lansing was from Elmwood Ave. at the brook, originally Newton Brook, was commercial development in recent north to approx. Hwy. 401 at the south also a postal village, located on Yonge years sets it apart from much of the rest and Bathurst St. at the west to Bayview St., north from Finch Ave. to Steeles of Willowdale.

North York Festival 2014 www.facebook.com/northyorkfestival 48 The Willowdale neighbourhood of the Gibson family were still living in log building in 1856. It was called the consists of single-family homes, con- in the 1920s when the Methodist Episcopal Church, and be- dominium townhouses and high-rise residential subdivision of Willowdale came part of the new United Church condominium towers. High density began to take place. of Canada in 1925. Between 1931 and development is restricted along Yonge 1932, Yonge Street was widened and Street. The single-family homes range The Gibson House, circa 1851, is the front end of the church, facing west, in age from the original 1910 to 1950s still standing in its original location at was removed. The front door was relo- construction (one- and two-storey 5172 Yonge Street and is now a historic cated to the south side of the building. pre-war houses and modest one-and- museum. a-half-storey postwar houses). After Following World War II, many the 1990s, very large replacement two- Demographics veterans and their families began to storey luxury homes were constructed Population settle in Willowdale. In 1946, the Rev. Welburn Jones became the minister of by tearing down the original houses. It Home to 79,440 people, Wil- Willowdale United Church (WUC) and is in this neighbourhood that the term lowdale is an ethnically diverse com- initiated a building program. In 1954 a “monster homes” was first applied by munity, with 59% of all Willowdale substantial building was built on nearby Torontonians. residents being immigrants as of 2006. Kenneth Avenue. In 1966, his succes- Major ethnic groups in Willowdale in- sor, the Rev. Lindsay G. King, replaced History clude: Chinese: 23.7%, Korean: 9.6%, him and completed the program. Willowdale was first settled by and Jewish: 5.8%. While English is the Jacob Cummer, who immigrated to mother tongue for 43.7% of the popula- The Rev. King spent the rest of his Canada from the United States in 1797. tion, other languages with large num- ministry, twenty seven years, at WUC. Cummer was a mill owner on the near- bers of speakers include: Chinese: 16%, After just over forty years of service, he by Don River, a proprietor of a tinsmith Korean: 5.4%, and Russian: 5.1%. retired—he prefers to say that he re-di- shop on Yonge Street and a self-trained rected—to live in Thornhill to which he doctor and veterinarian. Cummer was Willowdale United Church and his wife Jean (Turner) had moved held in such high esteem by his neigh- The first “church” in Willowdale in 1988. bours that this area was originally was called the Cummer Chapel, located known as Kummer’s Settlement. at the northwest corner of what is now While he was the minister of WUC, Yonge and Churchill. This log meeting the Rev. King wrote a regular column David Gibson, a distinguished land house was built in 1816 by Jacob Cum- for the community paper and he was surveyor, was another leader in this mer on part of his farm. He and other frequently heard on radio and televi- community. Like most of his neigh- early members of the church are bur- sion, including the CTV and the CBC. bours, Gibson participated in the ill- ied in the cemetery which remains on Because of his lifelong interest in bring- fated Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837. the site, now on the east side of Yonge ing psychology, religion and health to- He was thus charged with high treason Street. gether, in 1973 he initiated the found- and escaped to the United States, where ing of the Family Life Foundation (FLF) he found employment as the First As- The Cummers, who were the first of Willowdale. It is a registered federal sistant Engineer on the building of the German loyalists and farmers from charity encouraging the development Erie Canal. Pennsylvania, had Lutheran roots. of healthy community and family life— However, they readily mixed in with Gibson returned to his Yonge Street including body, mind and spirit—re- and married people with Methodist farm in 1851, after being pardoned for gardless of race, creed or religion. Be- and other roots. Thus the chapel was his role in the Rebellion. He then helped lieving in re-directment and skilled in designated as non-denominational. to establish the “’Willow Dale”’ post of- personal and family counseling, the Rev. King said that he would continue fice, named after the many willow trees A large, yellow, brick and stucco that once graced this district. Members to volunteer his services to the FLF and church with a tall spire replaced the the community for the rest of his life.

North York Festival 2014 twitter.com/northyorkfestival 49 Yonge Street

Yonge Street (pronounced “young of Canada’s first subway line. to suburban commuter systems such as street”) is a major arterial route con- the Viva Blue BRT. necting the shores of in The street was named by On- Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to tario’s first colonial administrator, Route description the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly John Graves Simcoe, for his friend Sir Yonge Street originates on the listed in the Guinness Book of Records George Yonge, an expert on ancient northern shore of Toronto Bay at as the longest street in the world at Roman roads. Yonge Street is a com- Queen’s Quay, a four-lane arterial road 1,896 km (1,178 mi). The construction mercial main thoroughfare rather than (speed limit 50 km/h) proceeding of Yonge Street is designated an Event a ceremonial one, with landmarks such north by north-west. Toronto’s Har- of National Historic Significance in as the Eaton Centre, Yonge-Dundas bourfront is built on landfill extended Canada. Yonge Street was fundamen- Square and the Hockey Hall of Fame into the bay, with the former industrial tal in the original planning and settle- located along its length—and lends its area now converted from port, rail and ment of western Upper Canada in the name to the eponymous Downtown industrial uses to a dense residential 1790s, informing the basis of the con- Yonge shopping and entertainment dis- high-rise community. The street passes cession today. Long trict. under the elevated Gardiner Express- the southernmost leg of Highway 11, way and the congested rail lines of the In Toronto and York Region, Yonge linking the capital with northern On- Toronto viaduct on their approach to Street is the north-south baseline from tario, Yonge Street has been referred to Union Station. The road rises slightly which street numbering is reckoned as “Main Street Ontario”. A large part of near , marking the pre- east and west. The eastern branch of the the route follows an ancient well-estab- landfill shoreline. Here, at the southern Yonge-University-Spadina subway line lished Aboriginal trail that linked the edge of the central business district, serves nearly the entire length of the Lake Ontario waterfront to northern is the Dominion Public Building, the street in Toronto and acts as the spine parts of the region. It was also the site Sony Centre for the Performing Arts of the Toronto subway and RT, linking

North York Festival 2014 www.facebook.com/northyorkfestival 50 and the Hockey Hall of Fame, the latter commercial complex after the building is central to the former suburb of North housed in an imposing former Bank of of the Eaton Centre. Toronto and features mixed low-scale Montreal office, once the largest bank residential, retail and commercial branch in Canada. Beyond Front Street From College Street north to Bloor buildings. Major intersections in Mid- the road passes through the east side Street, Yonge Street serves smaller town, served by some of the city’s busi- of the Financial District, within sight street-level retail, mostly in two- to est TTC stations, dot the skyline with of many of Canada’s tallest buildings, three-storey buildings of a hundred dense clusters of high-rises in an other- fronting an entrance to the Allen Lam- years’ vintage. The businesses here, un- wise leafy residential setting. The inter- bert Galleria. like the large chains which dominate section at Eglinton Avenue has become south of Gerrard Street, are mostly a focal point, serving as a high-density Between Front Street and Queen small independent shops and serve a residential, commercial and transit Street, Yonge Street is bounded by his- dense residential community on either hub. The site of Montgomery’s Tavern toric and commercial buildings, many side of Yonge Street with amenities is nearby, scene of a significant clash in serving the large weekday workforce such as convenience stores. the Upper Canada Rebellion and a Na- concentrated here. Yonge Street’s entire tional Historic Site. west side, from Queen Street to Dundas The intersection of Yonge and Street, is occupied by the Eaton Centre, Bloor Streets is a major crossroads of North of Yonge Boulevard, Yonge an indoor mall featuring shops along Toronto, informally considered the Street traverses the deep forested ravine its Yonge Street frontage and a Sears northern edge of the downtown core. of the West Don Valley at Hoggs Hol- anchor store at the corner of Dundas The Bloor–Danforth line subway line low, a formidable obstacle in pioneer Street (currently under renovation be- intersects the Yonge line here, with the days and the site of one of the last of cause of Sears’ recent downscaling). resulting transfers between lines mak- the former toll gates. The lower-density The east side has two historic perfor- ing Bloor-Yonge Station the busiest in residential community and park-like mance venues, the Canon Theatre and the city. The Hudson’s Bay Centre and setting here represent an interlude be- the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres. Two Bloor West office towers dominate tween North Toronto and the newer In addition, Massey Hall is located just the corner, visible both from downtown high-rise district beyond, towering to the east on Shuter Street. and beyond, with the south-east corner over the valley. Canada’s busiest sec- earmarked for a major condominium tion of highway (Highway 401) spans Opposite the Eaton Centre lies development. The intersection of Yonge the valley via the Hogg’s Hollow Bridge Yonge-Dundas Square. The area now and Bloor Streets is itself a “scramble”- (exit 369). Leaving the valley, densities, comprising the square was cleared of type intersection allowing pedestrians traffic and the speed limit all increase several small commercial buildings and to cross from any corner to any other (the latter to 60 km/h) on entering the redeveloped in the late 1990s and early corner. downtown core of the former suburban 2000s, with large video screens, retail city of North York. The street widens to shopping arcades, fountains and seat- Immediately north of Bloor, the a six-lane urban arterial road through ing in a bid to become “Toronto’s Times street is part of the old town of Yor- North York, passing inner-suburb tran- Square”. It is used for numerous public kville, today a major shopping district sit hubs at Sheppard and Finch Av- events. extending west of Yonge Street along enues. Cumberland and Bloor Streets. North Another stretch of busy retail lines of Yorkville, Yonge Street forms the From Finch Avenue to the bound- both sides of Yonge Street north of main street of Summerhill, which to- ary of Toronto and Highway 407 (exit , including the Sam the gether with Rosedale to the east is not- 77) in York Region, Yonge Street is a Record Man flagship store until its clo- ed for its opulent residences. The area is suburban commercial strip, signed as sure on June 30 2007. The density of marked by the historic North Toronto York Regional Road 1. This 39 km (24 businesses diminishes north of Gerrard railway station, formerly served by the mi) segment is a busy suburban arte- Street; residential towers flank this sec- Canadian Pacific Railway. The CPR rial, interrupted by the original town tion. The Art Deco College Park build- route parallels the foot of the Iroquois centres of exurban communities such ing, a former shopping complex of the shoreline escarpment, which Yonge as Thornhill, where the route crosses T. Eaton Company, occupies most of Street ascends here toward Midtown. the East Don Valley in the upper part the west side of Yonge Street from Ger- of its watershed. At increasingly higher rard Street north to College Street. It From approximately St. Clair Av- elevations, the road traverses Rich- was converted into a residential and enue to Yonge Boulevard, Yonge Street mond Hill, where the dome of the Da-

51 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014 vid Dunlap Observatory was a visible location of Newark (now Niagara-on- this one starting on the eastern branch landmark on the route, and the town the-Lake), the first and former capital of the Holland River and thereby avoid- of Aurora. Between Richmond Hill of Upper Canada, was in danger of be- ing the marshes of the western branch and Aurora, Yonge Street is in a near- ing attacked by the Americans from the (today’s Holland Marsh). They left Pine rural setting, passing a number of ket- nearby border. Additionally, US forces Fort on October 11 and reached York tle lakes and traversing the crest of the could easily sever British access to the on the 15th. Simcoe selected this east- Oak Ridges Moraine, thence leaving upper lakes at Lake St. Clair or the De- ern route for his new road, moving the the Lake Ontario basin. Toward the re- troit River, cutting the colony off from southern end from the Rouge River to gional seat of Newmarket, Yonge Street the important trading post at Michili- the western outskirts of the settled area again serves as a main suburban artery, mackinac. in York, and the northern end to a pro- passing through low-density residential posed new town on the Holland River, and still-undeveloped areas. Simcoe planned to move the capi- St. Albans. tal to a better-protected location and Regional Road 1 deviates from the build overland routes to the upper lakes The road was actually called ‘Con- original baseline 56 km (35 mi) north as soon as possible. Simcoe established cession 1’at first with Concessions 2 etc. of Lake Ontario, bypassing the centre York, as Toronto was originally called, on either side. For instance Concession of Holland Landing with a north-west with its naturally enclosed harbour, as 1 Whitchurch Township faces Yonge St. heading and thereby circumnavigat- a defensible site for a new capital. To and goes east to Concession 2 which ing Cook’s Bay and the lower Holland provide communications between the starts at Bayview Ave. Concession 1 Marsh. The was constructed in site and the upper lakes, he planned King Township faces Yonge St. and goes 1959. Regional Road 51, also named two connected roads, the first running west to Concession 2which starts at Ba- Yonge Street, branches off Regional north from York to Lake aux Claies, thurst St. There are 10 concessions in Road 1 at the foot of the bypass to con- the second joining Lake aux Claies York County going east and west from tinue north through Holland Landing. with Georgian Bay. This would allow Concession 1,Yonge St. The east side This short section, known locally as the overland transport to the upper lakes, ending at then Ontario County, now Yonge Street Extension, is co-routed bypassing U.S. strongholds. The route Durham Ragion, and the west side end- with Regional Road 13. To the west of from Lake Ontario to Lake aux Claies ing at Peel County (now Peel Region). Holland Landing the main route cross- is still known as Yonge Street, and the es the Holland River and its polders second leg to Georgian Bay was long near the town of Bradford. Resuming known as the Penetanguishene Road. its original north by north-west head- ing with a 90-degree turn in the cen- Before the construction of Yonge tre of Bradford, Yonge Street roughly Street, a portage route, the Toronto - parallels Lake Simcoe’s western shore, rying-Place Trail, had already linked traversing the rolling hills of southeast Lake Ontario with Lake aux Claies. On Simcoe County, and is signed Simcoe 25 September 1793, Simcoe and a small Road 4. The route ends in , less party of soldiers and native guides than a kilometre from Kempenfelt Bay, started northward along the trail, es- at a T-intersection with Essa Road. tablishing the Pine Fort on the western branch of the Holland River, near the History modern location of Bradford. Stopping Establishment of the route only to rename Lake aux Claies “Sim- coe” in memory of his father, the party With the outbreak of hostilities be- continued north to Lake Couchiching, tween France and Great Britain in 1793, and then down the Severn River to part of the War of the First Coalition, Georgian Bay. Here he selected the site the Lieutenant-Governor of Upper of Penetanguishene as the location for a Canada (now Ontario), John Graves new naval base and port. Simcoe, was concerned about the pos- sibility of the United States entering On his return he met with an Ojib- British North America in support of way named ‘Old Sail’ and was shown a their French allies. In particular, the new route along another arm of the trail,

North York Festival 2014 twitter.com/northyorkfestival 52 York Mills

York Mills is the name of an af- later became a fluent neighbourhood around Yonge Street and located in borough, and then a city, and was The directional the district of North York in the city of merged with five other municipalities slope and other natural features Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, it and a regional government to form the serve as identifiable landmarks, edges, encompassed new "City of Toronto" in 1998. and paths, making this area highly leg- ible in terms of a Lynchian analysis. The area was the site of a tragic ac- the 4th and 7th most affluent postal The area has more community-orient- cident on March 17, 1960, when five codes in Canada. It is recognized as ed characteristics that make it distinct Italian construction workers on a water Millionaires' Row, alongside the other from the rest of York Mills. Most no- main project were killed in a tunnel fire. Toronto neighbourhoods of The Bri- tably, residents manage a community dlepath, Forest Hill, Lawrence Park, board located in the centre of this sub- and Rosedale. As well, the area once linked by radial railways and Highway 11, now neighbourhood. can be reached via Highway 401, GO Part of the area is also known as As York Mills is a mainly residen- Transit, and Toronto Transit Commis- Hoggs Hollow, named for James Hogg, tial neighbourhood, commercial ac- sion buses and York Mills station on the a Scottish settler who settled in the area tivity occurs strictly at intersections Yonge-University Spadina subway line. in 1824 and operated the mill on Yonge of major arterials. At Yonge Street and Street at the Don River north of the York Mills Road, the tallest commercial Town of York Today, the area is home to luxury condos and high end homes. building in the neighbourhood, York Mills Centre, holds large office and re- (now Toronto), by his sons John tail spaces, occupied most notably by and William in 1856. Another portion Topography the human resources services supplier, is named St. Andrew-Windfields. St. Natural EnvironmentFrom Yonge Randstad Interim. The York Mills Shop- Andrew-Windfields most famous resi- Street eastward, the roads slope upward ping Centre at the intersection of York dent was the popular Canadian Philan- but plateau as they reach Bayview Av- Mills Road and Bayview Avenue, pro- thropist E. P. Taylor who left Canada enue. The natural environment is also vides local groceries through the Metro towards the latter years of his life and highly integrated into the neighbour- supermarket, Shoppers Drug Mart, and donated Parkland (now Windfields hood, with development seeming to local meat shop. It is set back from the Park) and his mansion build around it. The presence of green- roads by a large parking lot, consistent ery is a protected and distinguishable with the neighbourhoods dependency (now the Canadian Film Centre). feature of York Mills. on automobiles. History Man-Made Environment Along York Mills Road in between The area name is linked to saw and South of York Mills Road and Yonge major intersections, there are only sin- grist mills that dotted the Don River, Street sits the sub-neighbourhood of gle detached houses. The pedestrian which flows through York Mills. The Hoggs Hollow. Houses in this residen- paths are very close to roads. Residen- Town of York Mills became part of the tial area are embedded into the natural tial area here leaves no space for any Township of North York. North York landscape, which ascends southward. commercial

53 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014 opportunities, thus commercial this lack of appeal, poor frastructural gregate displacement of lower income nodes are only available at the intersec- maintenance, and extended distance in residents due to the renovation and tion of major arterial roads. between points of interests justify the revitalization of existing properties that populations’ avoidance of walking, with drive up overall property values. The There is very little public space. a mere three percent of the population ends of revitalization remain the same Properly maintained parks are often claim walking as their primary mode of in York Mills, but the means to achiev- playgrounds for children. Actual parks commute. York Mills is an example of a ing this differ in that newcomers are do not properly serve the public as well neighbourhood stuck within the cycle taking a “demolish-and-rebuild” with its lack of seating and walkways, of auto-dependency. which discourages overall usage. Free approach to their newly purchased parking compared to the high hourly Demographics lots. In addition to the convenience of rates of the rest of Toronto points to York Mills is generally inhabited its location beside the highway (given space in by families. The two age groups with the ownership of an automobile), this the highest frequencies are 15-19 year revitalization has driven up property York Mills as being an inexpensive olds (8.3%) and 45-49 year olds (8.7%). values by 47.5% in between 2001 and commodity, yet there is very little space There is a dip in between these two age 2006. actually available for development. The groups in 30-34 year olds (4.8%), indi- current Official Plan does not provide cating a lack in young professionals. Landmarks for the anticipation of future develop- Points of interest in York Mills: ment. The neighbourhood is also known for its high levels of income. The me- Jolly Miller Tavern (now Miller Transportation dian income is C$267,929, with the av- Tavern) 1857, site of James Hogg Tav- As a result of the man-made en- erage income at C$657,613. ern 1853 George S. Pratt House 1866 vironment, large lots, and sprawled out nodes of commercial activity, the Housing St. Andrew's Park - site of St. An- drew's Junior High School Auberge neighbourhood is highly reliant on the Houses in York Mills are highly dis- du Pommier Restaurant - former mill automobile for everyday activities, with tinguishable and contribute greatly to workers cottage St.John's Anglican approximately two thirds of the York the proclaimed affluence of the neigh- Church 1816 http://www.sjym.ca York Mills population using it as a primary bourhood. 50% of occupied dwellings Mills Plaza (now York Mills Shopping mode of transportation . Having High- are single detached houses. Many have Centre) 1952 York Mills Centre - a tran- way 401 in such close proximity adds been rebuilt and customized to taste, sit hub, office building, and commercial to the benefits of owning a car, as the with heavily renovated front yards. In centre. 4111 Yonge Street - home to Ca- degree of mobility to the rest of To- between 2001 to 2006, property values ronto greatly increases. Public transit is nadian artist C.W. Jeffrey William and reported to be less than a quarter of the have increased by 47.6%. The sec- Elizabeth Harrison House Don Valley populations’ primary method of com- ond type of most occupied dwelling is Golf Course Loretto Abbey Catholic mute. apartments reaching five or more sto- Secondary School York Mills Collegiate reys, inhabited by 28% of the popula- Institute (local high school - built in Pedestrian paths are not a prior- tion. 1957) http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/york- ity and poorly maintained by the city. millsci/École secondaire Étienne-Brûlé Deeper in the residential areas, pedes- The average price for condomini- (French Immersion high school that trian walkways are often only found on ums in the area ranges from C$350,000 serves the Greater Toronto Area) Path one side of the road. As much of the to C$1,000,000, while the average of Glory - Access can be gained across land surrounding the major arterials price of a detached home is just above from York Mills Collegiate Windfields are claimed by private residences, there C$2,000,000. Park - host to tennis courts, a com- is no room to develop along pedestrian munity centre and green space. At one paths Gentrification time, the town of Bancroft, Ontario, on York Mills exhibits a new pattern of the York River, was also known as York and make walking a more appeal- gentrification. The conventional under- Mills. ing option. The combined effect of standing of this phenomenon is the ag-

North York Festival 2014 www.facebook.com/northyorkfestival 54

King’s Highway 401, also known was given a second designation, the underway to widen the remaining four by its official name as the Macdonald– Macdonald–Cartier Freeway, in hon- lane sections between Windsor and Cartier Freeway (French: Autoroute our of the . London to six lanes and to widen the Macdonald-Cartier) and colloquially At the end of 1968, the – route between Cambridge and Milton as the four-oh-one, is a 400-series high- section was bypassed and as well as through Oshawa. The ex- way in the Canadian province of Ontar- the final intersection grade-separated pansive twelve-plus lane collector–ex- io. It stretches 817.9 kilometres (508.2 near Kingston, making Highway 401 a press system will also be extended west mi) from Windsor to the bor- freeway for its entire 817.9-km length. through Mississauga to Milton and east der. The part of Highway 401 that pass- On August 24, 2007, the portion of the through Ajax and Whitby. es through Toronto is the busiest high- highway between Glen Miller Road in way in the world,and one of the widest. Trenton and the / Route description Together with Quebec Autoroute Highway 404 Junction in Toronto was Highway 401 extends across South- 20, it forms the road transportation designated the Highway of Heroes, as western, Central and . backbone of the –Wind- the road is travelled by funeral convoys In anticipation of the future expansion sor Corridor, along which over half of for fallen Canadian Forces personnel of the highway, the transportation min- Canada’s population resides. The entire from CFB Trenton to the coroner’s of- istry purchased a 91.4-metre-wide (300 route is maintained by the Ministry of fice in Toronto. On September 27, 2013, ft) right-of-way along the entire length. Transportation of Ontario (MTO) and the Highway of Heroes designation Generally the highway occupies only a patrolled by the Ontario Provincial Po- was extended west to Keele Street in portion of this allotment. It is one of the lice. The posted speed limit is 100 km/h Toronto, to coincide with the move of world’s busiest highways; a 2008 analy- (62 mph) throughout its length. the coroner’s office to the new Forensic sis stated that the annual average daily Services and Coroner’s Complex at the traffic (AADT) count between Weston By the end of 1952, three individu- . Road and Highway 400 in Toronto was al highways were numbered “Highway approximately 450,000, while a second 401”: the partially completed Toronto In 2011 construction began on a study estimates that over 500,000 vehi- Bypass between Weston Road and westward extension of Highway 401 cles travel that section on some days. Highway 11 (Yonge Street); Highway that will be known as the Right Hon- This makes it the busiest roadway in 2A between West Hill and Newcastle; ourable Parkway. This new North America, surpassing the Santa and the Scenic Highway between Ga- route will generally follow, but not re- Monica Freeway in Los Angeles and nanoque and Brockville, now known as place, former Highway 3 between the I-75 in Atlanta. The just-in-time auto the Parkway. These current end of the freeway and the E. parts delivery systems of the highly in- three sections of highway were 11.8, C. Row Expressway, at which point it tegrated automotive industry of Michi- 54.7 and 41.2 km, (7.3, 34.0 and 25.6 will turn and follow that route to a new gan and Ontario have contributed to mi), respectively. In 1964, Highway 401 international bridge, the River the highway’s status as the busiest truck reached provincial highway status. It International Crossing. route in the world, carrying 60 percent was then fully navigable from Wind- of vehicular trade between Canada and Elsewhere in Ontario, plans are sor to the Quebec border. In 1965 it the US.

North York Festival 2014 twitter.com/northyorkfestival 55 Highway 401 also features the busi- Over the next decade, vehicle us- “dual-lane divided highways”—modi- est multi-structure bridge in North age increased substantially, and by 1920 fied the design for Ontario roads, and America, located at Hogg’s Hollow in was again congested, McQuesten ordered that the Middle Toronto. The four bridges, two for each particularly during weekends. In re- Road be converted into this new form direction with the collector and express sponse, the Department of Highways of highway. A 40 m (130 ft) right-of- lanes, carried an average of 373,700 ve- examined improving another road be- way was purchased along the Middle hicles daily in 2006. The highway is one tween Toronto and Hamilton. The road Road and construction began to con- of the major backbones of a network in was to be more than twice the width vert the existing sections to a divided the , connecting the of Lakeshore Road at 12 m (39 ft) and highway. Work also began on Canada’s populous Quebec City–Windsor corri- would carry two lanes of traffic in either first interchange at Highway 10. dor with , and cen- direction. Construction on what was tral Ontario’s . It is the then known as the Queen Street Ex- Beginning in 1935, McQuesten ap- principal connection between Toronto tension west of Toronto began in early plied the concept of a dual-highway to and Montreal, becoming Autoroute 20 1931. several projects along Highway 2, in- at the Quebec border. cluding along Kingston Road in Scar- Before the highway could be com- borough Township. When widening History pleted, Thomas McQuesten was ap- in Scarborough reached the Highland Predecessors pointed the new minister of the Depart- Creek ravine in 1936, the Department ment of Highways, with Robert Melville of Highways began construction on Main articles: Lakeshore Road, The Smith as deputy minister, following the a new bridge over the large valley, by- Middle Road, Highway 2 and High- 1934 provincial elections. Smith, in- passing the former alignment around way 2A spired by the German —new West Hill. From here the highway was Highway 401’s history predates its constructed on a new alignment to designation by over two decades. As au- Oshawa, avoiding construction on the tomobile use in grew congested Highway 2. As grading and in the early 20th century, road design bridge construction neared completion and construction advanced signifi- on the new highway between West Hill cantly. Following frequent erosion of and Oshawa in September 1939, World Lake Shore Road, then macadamized, War II broke out and gradually tax rev- a cement road known as the Toronto– enues were re-allocated from highway Hamilton Highway was proposed in construction to the war effort. January 1914. Construction began on November 8 of that year, following the At the same time, between Septem- onset of . The highway was ber 6 and 8, 1939, the Ontario Good designed to run along the lake shore, Roads Association Conference was held instead of Dundas Street to the north, at Bigwin Inn, near Huntsville, drawing because the numerous hills encoun- highway engineers from across North tered along Dundas would have in- America to discuss the new concept of creased costs without improving acces- “Dual Highways”. On the first day of the sibility. Middle Road, a dirt lane named convention, McQuesten announced his because of its position between the two, vision of the freeway: an uninterrupted was not considered since Lake Shore drive through the scenic regions of On- and Dundas were both overcrowded tario, discouraging local business and and in need of serious repairs. The road local traffic from accessing the highway was formally opened on November 24, except at infrequent controlled-access 1917, 5.5 m (18 ft) wide and nearly 64 points. It was announced in the days km (40 mi) long. It was the first con- thereafter that this concept would be crete road in Ontario, as well as one of applied to a new “trans-provincial ex- the longest stretches of concrete road pressway”, running from Windsor to between two cities in the world. the Quebec border. Highway engineers evaluated fac-

North York Festival 2014 www.facebook.com/northyorkfestival 56 tors such as grading, curve radius and 1941 or early 1942,the road followed Work on the most important link, the the narrow median used along the the shore of the Saint Lawrence River Toronto Bypass, began in 1951, but it Middle Road (which was inaugurat- and connected with the western end of would not open with that name. ed on August 23, 1940, as the Queen the twinned Highway 2 near Brockville. Elizabeth Way), and began to plan the In addition, the highway between High- Since 2008 course of a new dual highway mostly land Creek and Oshawa was opened as On August 10, 2008, following a se- parallel to Highway 2, with precedence a gravel-surfaced road in May 1942. ries of explosions at a propane facility given to areas most hampered by con- in Toronto, Highway 401 was closed be- gestion. Unlike the Queen Elizabeth Following the war, construction tween Highway 400 and Highway 404 Way (QEW), this highway would not be resumed on roadways throughout On- as a precautionary measure, the largest built along an existing road, but rather tario. The expressway between High- closure of the highway in its history. on a new right-of-way, avoiding the land Creek and Oshawa was completed The highway remained closed until 8 need to provide access to properties. in December 1947, while other sections p.m., though several exits near the blast languished. The Toronto–Barrie High- remained closed thereafter. Between Along with immense improve- way was the primary focus of the De- 2006 and 2008, Highway 401 was wid- ments to machinery and construction partment of Highways at the time, and ened from four to six lanes between techniques over its six-year course, the the onset of the Korean War in 1950 Highway 402 and Wellington Road in war provided planners an opportunity stalled construction again. Despite the London. This included replacing the to conduct a survey of 375,000 drivers, delays, highway minister George Douc- original Wellington Road overpass. In asking them about their preferred route ett officially announced the plans for Oshawa, Exit 416 (Park Road) was re- to travel to their destination. Using construction of the new trans-provin- placed by a new interchange at Exit 415 this information, a course was plotted cial expressway that year, with the To- (Stevenson Road). The contract, which from Windsor to Quebec, bypassing all ronto to Oshawa expressway serving began September 7, 2005, included towns along the way. as a model for the design. the interchange and the resurfacing of 23.4 km (14.5 mi) of the highway be- Highway 2S (S for Scenic), was tween Oshawa and Highway 35 / High- the first completed section of new way 115. The westbound ramps were roadway. Built to connect with the opened in mid-September 2007 and at Ivy Lea the eastbound ramps in mid-2009. The and opened as a gravel road in late resurfacing was completed mid-2010.

57 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014 Ontario Highway 404

King’s Highway 404 (pronounced for 2014. This 13.5 km (8.4 mi) route is Officially, the Ministry of Transpor- “four-oh-four”), also known as High- the first part of a proposed extension to tation of Ontario (MTO) jurisdiction way 404 and colloquially as the 404, is southeast of Beaverton. over the freeway begins as the oppos- a 400-series highway in the Canadian ing directions of travel diverge south of province of Ontario connecting High- Highway 404 is one of several the Highway 401 interchange. North- way 401 and the Don Valley Parkway freeways in the Greater Toronto Area bound, two lanes from the DVP are (DVP) in Toronto with Newmarket. The (GTA) with High-Occupancy Vehi- joined by a third from the eastbound controlled-access highway also con- cle (HOV) lanes; the southbound lane collectors of Highway 401. These nar- nects with Highway 407 in Markham. was one of the initial projects in the row to two lanes before merging with province and opened on December 13, a single lane from westbound Highway Construction on the freeway be- 2005. The northbound lane opened on 401 immediately south of Sheppard gan soon after the completion of the July 23, 2007. Avenue. An additional two lanes from Don Valley Parkway, with the first sec- westbound Highway 401 converge and tion south of Steeles Avenue opening in Route description form a separate with no 1977. Over the next twelve years, the Running parallel to Highway 400 access to Sheppard. Southbound, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) freeway is divided into two carriage- (MTO) undertook a continuous con- to the east, Highway 404 extends 36 ways, both of which provide access to struction program to build the freeway km (22 mi) on a north–south orienta- the DVP. The outer carriageway also to Davis Drive in Newmarket. This was tion between Highway 401 and Green provides access from Sheppard and to completed on October 24, 1989. Since Lane. There are 14 interchanges along Highway 401, including the westbound then, the route has been expanded in its length, mostly of the Parclo A4 con- express lanes, while the inner carriage- width and extended by 2 km (1.2 mi) figuration. Exit numbers on the freeway way is intended for DVP-bound traffic. to Green Lane, an east-west road in the start at 17, suggesting that the length of The HOV lane also provides access to town of East Gwillimbury. A northward the Don Valley Parkway was consid- westbound Highway 401 via a dedi- extension to Ravenshoe Road near Kes- ered in distance calculations; there are cated tunnel, which passes beneath the wick is currently under construction, no exit numbers posted on the parkway. other southbound lanes. To the east of with completion tentatively scheduled

North York Festival 2014 twitter.com/northyorkfestival 58 Highway 404 is the Consumers Road way crosses through a green space area. Sheppard and Steeles Avenues. Shortly office park. To the west and north of Two small lakes are present to either thereafter, on April 20, Ernest Avenue Sheppard Avenue is Fairview Mall, side. The larger, to the east, is Simeon and Van Horne Avenue were closed which has its own connection with the Lake. North of Aurora Road, the high- to traffic at Woodbine. The first sec- southbound lanes. way reduces in width to four lanes, tion of Highway 404 between Highway which is its configuration north to East 401 and Steeles Avenue opened in late The highway continues directly Gwillimbury, where the highway ter- 1977, including the flyover ramp from north along the old Woodbine Avenue minates at Green Lane (York Regional southbound Woodbine Avenue. The right-of-way to just south of Steeles Av- Road 19). freeway was separated by a grass medi- enue, where it diverges to the west be- an with a steel beam acting as a barrier fore continuing north. From just north History between the lanes. Construction north of Sheppard, a northbound HOV lane Initial construction of Toronto proceeded quickly, with the is present alongside the central median. contract for the section from Steeles to A freeway east of Highway 11 was Southbound, the HOV lane continues Highway 7 being awarded in 1976 and in the works as early as 1954, when the as far as Highway 401. Alongside the the section opening on November 10, province extended Highway 48 south 404 to the east is an industrial ware- 1978. The next extension, to Stouffville from Port Bolster. A large cloverleaf house and commercial office area, while Road (then known as the Gormley Side interchange was constructed with the on the west is a suburban subdivision of Road), was opened ceremoniously on Toronto Bypass, and plans formulated North York. Northbound, the freeway December 9, 1980 by minister James for a dual highway around the east side is six lanes wide from Sheppard Avenue Snow; the segment north of Highway of Lake Simcoe, connecting with High- to Finch Avenue, where one diverges 7 was four lanes wide. onto an off-ramp, re-emerging north of way 11 near Orillia or Gravenhurst. Finch. Southbound, it is six lanes wide This route was dropped when Metro- The section of Highway 404 north from Steeles south to Sheppard. politan Toronto began planning for of Stouffville Road was the subject of the northern extension of the DVP in considerable controversy when work At Steeles Avenue, the freeway en- 1957, as subdivisions encroached upon began to clear the route on May 15, ters the Regional Municipality of York. Woodbine Avenue north of Highway 1981 before the completion of an envi- To the east are industrial units, while 401. The six-lane expressway was to fol- ronmental assessment. The Ministry of on the west are residential suburbs. low the alignment of Woodbine from Transportation and Communications This land-use persists north to the its southern terminus at Lawrence Av- was charged with violating the newly Highway 407 ETR interchange, a multi- enue to north of Steeles Avenue, where enacted Environmental Assessment level with two flyo- the Department of Highways (DOH) Act, which it contested came into effect vers. North of Highway 407, the free- would continue the road as a “new after construction of the Highway 404 way crosses Highway 7, where the HOV King’s Highway”. extension had begun. Minister James lanes transition to standard through Snow was charged with violating the In 1959, the DOH announced that lanes. The freeway passes west of But- act, and called upon to resign. The Min- they would construct and maintain tonville Airport and interchanges with ister did not resign, but paid a $3,500 the new route once the DVP was com- 16th Avenue. It narrows and the central fine. Despite the issues surrounding it, pleted to Highway 401 and designate it barrier ends; a grass median taking its the extension between Stouffville Road Highway 404. The proposed route of place between the opposing lanes. The and Bloomington Road was opened the freeway was presented at a special land-use density continues to drop, ceremoniously on the morning of Au- delegation on December 13, 1960 by with the appearance of some open gust 10, 1982. spaces and farms interspersed with in- Harold Barry, a representative of the dustrial and commercial buildings. By department. Design work started in Construction on the segment north 19th Avenue, just north of the Honda 1973, the first contract was awarded of Bloomington to Aurora Sideroad Canada headquarters in Markham, the in early 1976, and construction began was already in progress by this point. It land-use is agricultural on both sides in March 1976 with the awarding of a was opened to traffic in late September of Highway 404. Immediately south of C$6.9 million contract. This contract 1985. Construction on the 6.5 km (4.0 Stouffville Road, the freeway curves to included construction of the Finch Av- mi) section from Aurora Road to Da- the east before proceeding north. enue interchange, at McNi- vis Drive began in early 1986, and the coll and Van Horne Avenues and 4.5 section opened to traffic on October North of Bethesda Road, the free- km (2.8 mi) of six-lane freeway between 24, 1989 at 8:30 am. This final segment

59 wwww.NorthYorkFestival.com North York Festival 2014 cost $22.1 million, ending the continu- for two contracts to widen Highway 404 next year, Highway 404 was widened to ous construction program undertaken south of Highway 7. The first contract six lanes between Highway 7 and Major since 1973 at a cost of $83.3 million. converted the grass median into an Mackenzie Drive. additional lane in each direction with Expansion a central barrier between them. High- On June 23, 1998 the Minister of Studies and environmental into mast lighting was also installed, replac- Transportation, , made various extensions began almost im- ing the unique luminaires used on the a formal agreement with the Region of mediately, while Highway 404 ended at freeway. The second contract resulted York to expand the route through the Davis Drive; it would take over a dec- in an additional lane in each direction region. The MTO formally announced ade for any northward progression to on the outside of the existing freeway this on August 28, 2000: a three con- take place. In the interim period, work south of Steeles Avenue, making it ten tract project to widen and extend High- went into expanding the six lane free- lanes wide. The proposal to eventually way 404. The first contract added an way through Toronto and Markham. In convert the inner lanes into HOV lanes additional lane in each direction in the early 1998, the MTO announced plans was announced at the same time. The grass median from Major Mackenzie Drive to Bloomington Road. A second contract then extended those two lanes north to Aurora Sideroad. These two projects both began in the summer of 2001 and were completed in December. The third contract called for a four lane extension from Davis Drive to Green Lane and the reconstruction of Green Lane into a four-laned arterial road be- tween Leslie Street and Woodbine Av- enue. This contract began shortly after the announcement in September 2000. The extension was opened to traffic on February 8, 2002 at a ceremony attend- ed by York North MPP Julia Munro and York Regional Chair Bill Fisch.

On June 19, 2003, Transportation Minister and Oak Ridges MPP Frank Klees opened a new interchange at Re- gional Road 73 (16th Avenue). Traffic was permitted onto the ramp following the ceremony, also attended by Thorn- hill MPP Tina Molinari.

One of the three original HOV lanes in Ontario opened on Highway 404 in late 2005; the other two were the lanes on Highway 403. In early 2004, construction began on a new ramp to westbound Highway 401, curving be- neath the southbound lanes of High- way 404. On December 13, 2005, the southbound HOV lane was opened to traffic. Work on the northbound HOV lane began shortly thereafter, opening at 8:30 am on Monday, July 23, 2007.

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