This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject , potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral.(February 2013) |
The Kingsway | |
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Neighbourhood | |
Coordinates: 43°38′51″N79°30′41″W / 43.64750°N 79.51139°W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Ontario |
City | Toronto |
Established | 1850 Etobicoke Township |
Subdivided | 1912 (Subdivision) |
Changed municipality | 1998 Toronto from City of Etobicoke |
Government | |
• MP | James Maloney (Etobicoke—Lakeshore) |
• MPP | Christine Hogarth (Etobicoke—Lakeshore) |
• Councillor | Mark Grimes (Ward 5 Etobicoke—Lakeshore) |
The Kingsway is a residential neighbourhood in 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. In this neighbourhood, the Kingsway specifically refers to a two-lane road beginning in the south-east corner of the neighbourhood extending northerly in a north-west direction past Dundas Street.
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 road 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. Originally the Kingsway road and South Kingsway were supposed to be one continuous route, however the intended connection (including a crossing of the Humber River) was instead occupied by the westward extension of Bloor Street. South Kingsway consequently acts as a southern continuation of Jane Street, and continues south where it interchanges with The Queensway before ending at the Gardiner Expressway.
The neighbourhood is predominantly residential with a mixed-use (commercial and residential) area along Bloor and Dundas Streets. The majority of the housing stock is single-family detached homes. There are apartment and condominium buildings near the Old Mill, Royal York and Islington subway stations, with a further mix of buildings along Bloor and Dundas Streets. A rail line runs through the north-west quadrant of the neighbourhood. Parkland lines the banks of the Humber River and Mimico Creek.
The area now known as the Kingsway is a combination of three distinct areas:
The neighbourhood was first developed by Etobicoke lawyer Robert Home Smith who purchased the old King's Mill (which was renamed the Old Mill, reopening as a high-end Inn) and began developing land in the early 1900s. The Kingsway emerged from Home Smith's vision of the ideal community and was mostly inspired by the Garden City principles, which were originally conceived in parts of England and the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Indeed, Smith was a big fan of everything English, and this inclination instructed his ideas for the neighbourhood. By the 1920s, those ideas culminated into the development, which he named Kingsway Park.
"Tastefully appointed" traditional homes were sited on well-treed and winding streets, to create an air of a wooded retreat. Home Smith also decreed that no owner could build a house without the approval of his staff, and he developed strict regulations against the cutting of trees. Most of the homes were designed in the Arts and crafts style, which had become popular during that time. Smith insisted on the use of locally sourced materials for the houses in Kingsway Park, such as sandstone quarried from around the Humber River and Credit River areas. [4]
Kingsway Park was aimed at affluent home buyers. Street names such as Queen Anne Road and Kingsgarden Road emphasized the appearance of English respectability and affluence that Smith was selling. Smith also created the Old Mill Restaurant in the community, whose Tudor Revival facade and well-appointed interior inspired much of the English design in the Kingsway.
Despite its well-intentioned approach to traditionalism, the Kingsway was a neighbourhood built for the automobile, and all houses were built with discreetly placed garages, as per Smith's wishes.
In the 1950s a series of accidents led to the creation of a highway style interchange at Royal York and Dundas, cutting the neighbourhood from the much older community of Islington to the west and the street the Kingsway from its extension to the north. Consequently, the neighbourhood along the Kingsway north of Dundas developed in a radically different way than that to the south had done. The stretch of Bloor east of Prince Edward Drive near the entrance to the street the Kingsway and the Old Mill saw the construction of many apartment buildings in this period.
The community in the Kingsway has been very successful in preserving the style of housing and atmosphere of the neighbourhood as intended by Robert Home Smith; the area contains many of Etobicoke's most prestigious addresses.[ citation needed ]
The area is served by the Royal York and Old Mill TTC subway stations. The 73 Royal York and 48 Rathburn buses run north from the Royal York station. The 66 Prince Edward bus line run north and south from the Old Mill station. [5]
"The Kingsway" road is a two-lane road beginning in the south-east corner of the neighbourhood from Bloor Street and extending northerly in a north-west direction past Dundas Street. Originally the Kingsway road and South Kingsway were supposed to be one continuous route, however the intended connection (including a crossing of the Humber River) was instead occupied by the westward extension of Bloor Street. South Kingsway consequently acts as a southern continuation of Jane Street, and continues south where it interchanges with The Queensway before ending at the Gardiner Expressway.
Bloor Street is the southern boundary of the neighbourhood and also a major east–west arterial roadway and commercial district. Prince Edward, a two-lane arterial roadway, runs north–south from Berry Road to Dundas Street West. Dundas Street West is the northern boundary of the neighbourhood and also a major east–west arterial roadway. There is some commercial and institutional uses along the roadway within the neighbourhood.
Two public school boards operate schools in the Kingsway, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), and the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB). The TDSB operates one secondary school in the neighbourhood, Etobicoke Collegiate Institute. The secondary school was established in the fall of 1928 and is the first and traditionally central school for Etobicoke.
Lambton-Kingsway Junior Middle School is a public elementary school on Prince Edward Drive, close to the intersection of Dundas Street West and Royal York Road. The present building opened in January 1993.
Schools located in the Kingsway that are operated by TCDSB include:
In addition to public schools, the Kingsway is also home to Kingsway College School, a private school affiliated with the Anglican Church, located at 4600 Dundas Street West. [7]
Etobicoke is an administrative district and former city within Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west end, Etobicoke is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the east by the Humber River, on the west by Etobicoke Creek, the cities of Brampton, and Mississauga, the Toronto Pearson International Airport, and on the north by the city of Vaughan at Steeles Avenue West.
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.
Humber River—Black Creek is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1904 and since 1917. Prior to the 2015 election, the riding was known as York West. The former name reflects the riding is in the former Township of York which is within the City of Toronto.
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.
Royal York is a subway station on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth of the Toronto subway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located just north of Bloor Street West on the east side of Royal York Road.
Kipling Avenue is a street in the cities of Toronto and Vaughan in Ontario, Canada. It is a concession road, 6 concessions (12 km) west from Yonge Street, and is a major north–south arterial road. It consists of three separate sections, with total combined length of 26.4 km. (16.4 mi.).
Humber Valley Village is a neighbourhood located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is within the former suburb 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 Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 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.
Old Mill is a neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the banks of the Humber River. It is located north and west of the intersection of Bloor Street and Jane Street. The area takes its name from the old grist mill ruins on the west bank of the river, now converted into a hotel. The City of Toronto includes this neighbourhood in the official "Lambton Baby Point" neighbourhood which includes the Baby Point enclave and former Lambton village areas to the north.
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.
Lambton is a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is situated on the east bank of the Humber River north and south of Dundas Street West. It is bounded on the north by Black Creek, on the east by Jane Street and on the south by St. Mark's Road. The area west of Gooch Avenue and south of Dundas Street West is also known as "Warren Park", the name of the housing sub-division built in the 1950s. The portion south of Dundas Street West is within the 'Lambton Baby Point' neighbourhood as defined by the City of Toronto.
Royal York Road, historically known as Church Street or New Church Street, is a north-south arterial road in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a concession road, 5 concessions (10 km) west of Yonge Street, and runs through many residential neighbourhoods, most notably Mimico and the Kingsway. It is classified as a "minor arterial" road by the city of Toronto.
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.
Wesley Mimico United Church is a church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the neighbourhood of Mimico in the former city of Etobicoke. The church was created by the union of the former Wesley Methodist Church, Mimico and St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in 1927, of which the Methodist church was the larger partner.
The Village of Lambton Mills was a settlement at the crossing of Dundas Street and the Humber River. The settlement was on both sides of the Humber River, in both the former Etobicoke Township and York Township, within today's City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It extended as far west as Royal York Road at Dundas, as far north as the still-existing CPR rail line north of Dundas, as far east as Scarlett Road and as far south as today's Queen Anne Road. The area on the east side of the river is still known as Lambton, although the current neighbourhood encompasses very little of the original Lambton Mills village.
Our Lady of Sorrows is a Roman Catholic church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is located in the neighbourhood of The Kingsway in the former city of Etobicoke. The parish includes the central section of Etobicoke where two much earlier Catholic missions once served as the first Roman Catholic places of worship in Etobicoke.
Dundas Street is a major historic arterial road in Ontario, Canada. The road connects the city of Toronto with its western suburbs and several cities in southwestern Ontario. Three provincial highways—2, 5, and 99—followed long sections of its course, although these highway segments have since been downloaded to the municipalities they passed through. Originally intended as a military route to connect the shipping port of York to the envisioned future capital of London, Ontario, the street today connects Toronto landmarks such as Yonge–Dundas Square and the city's principal Chinatown to rural villages and the regional centres of Hamilton and London.