Scarboro Beach Amusement Park

Last updated

Scarboro Beach Park was a lakeside amusement park in the Beaches, Toronto from 1907 until 1925. The park was originally in East Toronto until its annexation by the City of Toronto in 1908.

Map of East Toronto in 1908, just prior to being annexed to Toronto. showing Scarboro Beach Park on the shore of Lake Ontario. East Toronto map.PNG
Map of East Toronto in 1908, just prior to being annexed to Toronto. showing Scarboro Beach Park on the shore of Lake Ontario.

The park operated on a 40 acre-site south of Queen Street East to Lake Ontario between Leuty and MacLean avenues [1] It succeeded two east end trolley parks, Victoria Park (1878–1906) and Munro Park (1896–1906), which had closed the previous year. [2] [3] [4]

The park was founded by Harry and Mabel Dorsey who purchased the site from the Sisters of St. Joseph for $165,000 in 1906. It has been the site of the Order's House of Providence farm since the 1890s. [5] The Toronto Railway Company purchased it in 1913 and invested and expanded it as well as extending the TRC's streetcar network to reach the grounds, making it a trolley park. [6] Previously, Toronto residents had reached the park using a steamship service from the Toronto Harbour at the foot of Yonge Street. [5] [6]

The amusement park was built at a cost of $600,000 and opened June 1, 1907. It was modelled on Coney Island's Luna Park and offered over a hundred attractions including various rides such as a Shoot the Chutes water ride, a Tunnel of Love, a roller coaster billed as a scenic train, fun houses, aerial swings, an athletic field that hosted sporting events and was the home field for a lacrosse team, and other attractions such as a freak show, daredevil acts, bathing and dance pavilions, band concerts and other features. [7] [5] In 1909, the park was the site of the first public flight in Canada when Charles F. Willard took off from Scarboro Beach Park on September 7, 1909. [8]

The park closed for the last time on Septebmber 12, 1925 after 19 seasons. The Toronto Railway Company's streetcar franchise with the city had ended in 1921 with the creation of the Toronto Transportation Commission. TRC sold its assets to the city in 1924 but the city refused to include the amusement park in the deal so it was purchased instead by the Provident Investment Company which demolished the park and replaced it with a residential subdivision. Scarboro Beach Boulevard in that subdivision is named after the park. [6] [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beaches, Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The Beaches is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is so named because of its four beaches situated on Lake Ontario. It is located east of downtown within the "Old" City of Toronto. The approximate boundaries of the neighbourhood are from Victoria Park Avenue on the east to Kingston Road on the north, along Dundas Street to Coxwell Avenue on the west, south to Lake Ontario. The Beaches is part of the east-central district of Toronto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolley park</span> Amusement park prototype

In the United States, trolley parks, which started in the 19th century, were picnic and recreation areas along or at the ends of streetcar lines in most of the larger cities. These were precursors to amusement parks. Trolley parks were often created by the streetcar companies to give people a reason to use their services on weekends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oaks Amusement Park</span> Amusement park in Portland, Oregon

Oaks Park is a small amusement park located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Opened in May 1905, it is one of the oldest continually operating amusement parks in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant</span> Building in Ontario, Canada

The R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is both a crucial piece of infrastructure and an architecturally acclaimed historic building named after the longtime commissioner of Toronto's public works Roland Caldwell Harris. The plant's architect was Thomas C. Pomphrey with engineers H.G. Acres and William Gore. It is located in the east of the city at the eastern end of Queen Street and at the foot of Victoria Park Avenue along the shore of Lake Ontario in the Beaches neighbourhood in the former city of Scarborough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Public Library</span> Public library system in Toronto, Canada

Toronto Public Library (TPL) is a public library system in Toronto, Ontario. It is the largest public library system in Canada, and in 2023 had averaged a higher circulation per capita than any other public library system internationally, making it the largest neighbourhood-based library system in the world. Within North America, it also had the highest circulation and visitors when compared to other large urban systems. Established as the library of the Mechanics' Institute in 1830, the Toronto Public Library now consists of 100 branch libraries and has over 26 million items in its collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Transportation Commission</span> Former public transit operator in Toronto, Canada

Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC) was the public transit operator in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, beginning in 1921. It operated buses, streetcars and the island ferries. The system was renamed the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) in 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingston Road (Toronto)</span> Road in Toronto and Durham, Ontario, Canada

Kingston Road is a major historic arterial road in Toronto and Durham Region, Ontario. It is the southernmost major (mainly) east-west road in the eastern portion of Toronto, specifically in the district of Scarborough, and runs east to Ajax in Durham. Due to its diagonal course near the shore of Lake Ontario, the street is the terminus of many arterial roads in eastern Toronto, both east–west and north-south, with a few continuing for a short distance after as minor residential streets. However Lawrence Avenue continues as a major arterial for a considerable distance beyond it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto streetcar system</span> Streetcar network in Ontario, Canada

The Toronto streetcar system is a network of eleven streetcar routes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It is the third busiest light-rail system in North America. The network is concentrated primarily in Downtown Toronto and in proximity to the city's waterfront. Much of the streetcar route network dates from the 19th century. Three streetcar routes operate in their own right-of-way, one in a partial right-of-way, and six operate on street trackage shared with vehicular traffic with streetcars stopping on demand at frequent stops like buses. Since 2019, the network has used low-floor streetcars, making it fully accessible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Toronto Transit Commission</span>

The history of public transportation in Toronto in Canada dates back to the middle 19th century under many different private companies, organizations and owners, which were all later unified as a single government-run entity during the 1920s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarborough Bluffs</span> Escarpment in Toronto, Canada

The Scarborough Bluffs, also known as The Bluffs, is an escarpment in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There are nine parks along the bluffs, with Bluffers Park being the only one with a beach. Forming much of the eastern portion of Toronto's waterfront, the Scarborough Bluffs stands above the shoreline of Lake Ontario. At its highest point, the escarpment rises 90 metres (300 ft) above the coastline and spans a length of 15 kilometres (9.3 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Monro (politician)</span> Businessman and political figure in Canada West

George Monro was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada/Canada West. He was also a member of the Orange Order in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto and Scarboro' Electric Railway, Light and Power Company</span> Former railcar company in Toronto

Toronto and Scarboro' Electric Railway, Light and Power Company was established in August 1892 to provide street railway service to the Upper Beaches district within the City of Toronto, Ontario and to the neighbouring Township of Scarborough. Except for two branches, the line ran as a radial along Kingston Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kew Gardens (Toronto)</span> Public park in Toronto, Canada

Kew Gardens is a large park in The Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The park stretches from Queen Street East to Lake Ontario at Kew Beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunnyside Amusement Park</span> Former amusement park in Toronto, Canada

Sunnyside Amusement Park was a popular amusement park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that ran from 1922 to 1955, demolished in 1955 to facilitate the building of the Metro Toronto Gardiner Expressway project. It was located on the Lake Ontario waterfront at the foot of Roncesvalles Avenue, west of downtown Toronto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birch Cliff</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Birch Cliff is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the eastern part of the city, part of the district of Scarborough running along the shore of Lake Ontario atop the western part of the Scarborough Bluffs. Birch Cliff has a large Irish population. About one-third of Birch Cliff residents are of Irish origin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell Carhouse</span> Rail yard of the Toronto Transit Commission

The Russell Carhouse, located at Queen Street East and Connaught Avenue just east of Greenwood Avenue in Toronto, is the Toronto Transit Commission's second oldest carhouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto-gauge railways</span> Railway track gauge (1495 mm)

Toronto-gauge railways are tram and rapid transit lines built to Toronto gauge, a broad gauge of 4 ft 10+78 in. This is 2+38 in (60 mm) wider than standard gauge of 4 ft 8+12 in which is by far the most common track gauge in Canada. The gauge is unique to the Greater Toronto Area and is currently used on the Toronto streetcar system and the Toronto subway, both operated by the Toronto Transit Commission. Several now-defunct interurban rail systems also once used this gauge. The Halton County Radial Railway, a transport museum, located on one of these former interurban line, uses the Toronto gauge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanlan's Point Amusement Park</span>

Hanlan's Point Amusement Park was an attraction on Hanlan's Point on the Toronto Islands that operated from the 1880s until the 1930s and was regarded as "Canada's answer to Coney Island".

References

  1. Myrvold, Barbara. "Building Beaches Branch, Toronto Public Library, 1910-1916" (PDF). Toronto Public Library. Toronto Public Library. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  2. "Victoria Park (1878 - 1906)". Closed Canadian Parks. Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  3. "Munro Park (1896 - 1906)". Closed Canadian Parks. Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  4. "Amusement parks, geology and settlers: Ashbridges Bay and the Beach". Beach Metro Community News. Beach Metro Community News. May 4, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Campbell, Mary; Myrvold, Barbara (1988). The Beach in pictures, 1793-1932. Toronto Public Library. pp. 27–29.
  6. 1 2 3 Barc, Agatha (September 21, 2020). "This History of the Scarboro Beach Amusement Park in Toronto". blogTO. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  7. "History of Beach Metro News: 1993". Beach Metro Community News. Beach Metro Community News. March 7, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  8. "Early Airfields in Toronto". Scarborough Historical Society. Scarborough Historical Society. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  9. "The Price Brothers and Building the Beach to be topic of upcoming online talk". Beach Metro Community News. Beach Metro Community News. May 21, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2024.