History
- Mission Churches
As the Township of Etobicoke was first settled by British military families, there were few Catholics in the municipality. The area was technically in the early Catholic Parish of St Patrick's, Dixie (near Toronto's present day airport) although early Catholic residents of southern Etobicoke found the early parish of St Helen's in Toronto's western suburb of Brockton more convenient. The Diocese of Toronto established, at different times in the late 19th century, two mission churches of St Patrick's, Dixie, in Etobicoke: St Joseph's and St Rita's. Both these early missions were on Dundas Street West in the centre of Etobicoke, an area now within the boundaries of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish. [1] In the early 20th century, southern Etobicoke began to rapidly urbanise and new municipalities were formed out of Etobicoke which left the rest of the township a rural municipality centred on the Islington postal village at Dundas and Bloor. The first permanent Catholic parishes were founded in the independent Lakeshore municipalities of Mimico (St Leo's) and New Toronto (St Teresa's).
- Founding of the Parish
Central Etobicoke was planned for development as a more exclusive residential neighbourhood than those that had separated from the township to the south, by Robert Home Smith, which eventually led to the creation of the first parish to remain in Etobicoke; Our Lady of Sorrows, in 1940. [2] Founded during the Second World War, the first years of the parish were very active with parishioners organising to aid wartime charities. [3] The construction of Our Lady of Sorrows Elementary School, which opened in 1942 [4] as Etobicoke's first permanent Catholic school was quickly followed just to the west by the first Catholic high schools in the Township: St Joseph's Islington in 1949 (girls school run by the Sisters of St. Joseph) and Michael Power in 1947 (boys school run by the teaching Basilian Order of priests, named after Toronto's first catholic Bishop). For many years the pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows, Msgr, later Bishop Francis Allen [5] worked in the parish, even after his espicopal ordination, concentrating on the need to establish catholic schools in the rapidly developing township.
- Recent Changes
In 1967, the independent 'Lakeshore Municipalities' to the south, rejoined Etobicoke to form the Borough of Etobicoke, leaving St Leo's church as the oldest catholic church in the township. Our Lady of Sorrows Parish originally included much of Etobicoke to the north which only slowly separated into new parishes as Etobicoke urbanised and redevelopment of Dundas Street cut the area off from Our Lady of Sorrows parish. However, the parish continues to serve Catholics in The Kingsway and Islington; the neighbourhoods at the historic commercial and administrative centre of Etobicoke. In 1958 the Etobicoke municipal offices moved to the developing area around the new highway 427, the amalgamated Michael Power/St. Joseph High School following the move west in 1993 while to the south, the former Kingsmill Public Secondary School was reopened by the catholic school board as Bishop Allen Academy. The parish celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1990 by publishing a history which makes clear the central role the parish has played in the history of all Catholic communities in Etobicoke. [1] The 50th anniversary of Our Lady of Sorrows Elementary School followed shortly after although tinged by controversy as the old school was replaced by a modern building which was completed in 2003. Our Lady of Sorrows Parish remains a strong presence in the heart of Etobicoke and has developed a strong musical tradition.
Etobicoke is an administrative district of, and one of six municipalities amalgamated into, the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west-end, Etobicoke was first settled by Europeans in the 1790s, and the municipality grew into city status in the 20th century. Several independent villages and towns developed and became part of Metropolitan Toronto in 1954. In 1998, its city status and government dissolved after it was amalgamated into present-day Toronto. Etobicoke is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the east by the Humber River, on the west by Etobicoke Creek, the city of Mississauga, and the Toronto Pearson International Airport, and on the north by Steeles Avenue West.
The Kingsway is an affluent residential neighbourhood in Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by Bloor Street to the south, Dundas Street to the north, the Mimico Creek to the west and the Humber River to the east. The neighbourhood was officially known as Kingsway Park, which later became replaced by its nickname, The Kingsway. For planning purposes, the neighbourhood is known by the City of Toronto as "Kingsway South" to differentiate it from a more recent extension of The Kingsway north of Dundas Street. "Kingsway South" is not used by residents, due to confusion with the South Kingsway, a street located east of the Humber River and extending south from Bloor Street.
New Toronto is a neighbourhood and former municipality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the south-west area of Toronto, along Lake Ontario. The Town of New Toronto was established in 1890, and was designed and planned as an industrial centre by a group of industrialists from Toronto who had visited Rochester, New York. New Toronto was originally a part of the Township of Etobicoke. It was an independent municipality from 1913 to 1967, being one of the former 'Lakeshore Municipalities' amalgamated into the Borough of Etobicoke, and eventually amalgamated into Toronto. The neighbourhood has retained the name.
Mimico is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, being located in the south-west area of Toronto on Lake Ontario. It is in the south-east corner of the former Township of Etobicoke, and was an independent municipality from 1911 to 1967.
Thistletown is a culturally diverse neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It consists of the area surrounding the intersection of Albion Road and Islington Avenue in the former City of Etobicoke.
The Diocese of Allentown is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church, located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Diocese of Allentown is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Philadelphia in the Eastern United States.
The Archdiocese of Toronto is a Roman Catholic archdiocese that includes part of the Province of Ontario. Its archbishop is also the ecclesiastical provincial for the dioceses of Hamilton, London, Saint Catharines, and Thunder Bay. The Archbishop is Cardinal Thomas Christopher Collins.
Humber Valley Village is a neighbourhood located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is within the former City of Etobicoke and includes some of the most expensive real estate in the metropolitan west end. The boundaries are from Dundas Street on the south to Islington Avenue to the west, Eglinton Avenue to the north, and the Humber River in the east. The neighbourhood is in the political riding of Etobicoke Centre.
Humber Heights-Westmount, also known as Humbervale, is a neighbourhood in Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario. The neighbourhood is bounded by the west bank of the Humber River, west to Royal York Road and south to Eglinton Avenue West. The Humber Creek divides the area into the northern 'Humber Heights' and the southern 'Westmount' centred along Scarlett Road and La Rose Avenue.
Islington-City Centre West is a commercial and residential neighbourhood in Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. One of four central business districts outside Downtown Toronto, it is bounded by Rathburn Road to the north, Islington Avenue to the east, Bloor Street to the south, Mimico Creek to the west.
The Queensway–Humber Bay, known officially as Stonegate–Queensway, is a neighbourhood in the southwest of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the southeast area of the former City of Etobicoke.
The Diocese of Hamilton is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Canada. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese in Toronto.
Bishop Allen Academy; officially known as Bishop Allen Academy Catholic Secondary School, is a high school located in the Queensway – Humber Bay neighbourhood in the Etobicoke area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada managed by the Toronto Catholic District School Board, formerly the Metropolitan Separate School Board which is one of the board's 31 secondary schools and houses about 1643 students as of the 2017-18 year and currently ranked 88 out of 740 schools in the Fraser Institute report card. The school building opened in 1963 as Kingsmill Secondary School (1963-1988) by the Etobicoke Board of Education, which later became the Toronto District School Board, who leased the campus to the MSSB/TCDSB since 1989.
Princess Gardens is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the western area of Toronto that was formerly the City of Etobicoke. Its boundaries are Eglinton Avenue to the north, Martin Grove to the west, Islington to the east, and Rathburn Road to the south. The southeastern part of this area is the separate neighbourhood of Thorncrest Village. The neighbourhood is divided into two areas. The portion east of Kipling Road is known as Princess Anne Manor while the portion west of Kipling is Princess Margaret Gardens. They are named after The Princess Anne and The Princess Margaret, members of the Canadian Royal family. The southwestern part of the neighbourhood is also sometimes known as Glen Agar.
St. Leo's Roman Catholic Church is a Catholic church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Royal York Road at Stanley, in the Mimico neighbourhood, part of Etobicoke. It is the oldest Catholic church in Etobicoke and the only Catholic church in Mimico.
The Basilica of the Holy Redeemer, Tiruchirappalli is one of five Roman Catholic minor basilicas in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India.
Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School and Regional Arts Centre is a Catholic high school located in the New Toronto area of Etobicoke in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada operated by the Toronto Catholic District School Board in a regional art school focus from grades 9-12.
Michael Power • St. Joseph High School is a Catholic secondary school in Etobicoke, a former borough of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The school is an amalgamation of two independent schools in the Six Points neighbourhood, Michael Power High School and St. Joseph Islington High School with the two schools amalgamated in 1982 officially. The school joined the Metropolitan Separate School Board in 1987.
Kingsmill Secondary School, originally known as Kingsmill Vocational School is a Toronto District School Board building that existed as a public and vocational high school existed from 1963 until its closure in June 1988 run by the Etobicoke Board of Education. The school property as of 2022, remains under TDSB possession. This school was the first vocational school built in Etobicoke. Its motto was “ Industry. Integrity.”
The Church of St. Joseph is a Roman Catholic church located in the Village of Bronxville in Westchester County, New York. Officially founded as a parish of the Archdiocese of New York in 1922, the Church of St. Joseph consists of the parish church, adjacent parochial St. Joseph School, rectory, and parish center. It serves residents of Bronxville as well as residents of nearby neighborhoods in Eastchester and Yonkers. St. Joseph's has a permanent chaplain to the nearby Lawrence Hospital.
