Willowdale, Toronto

Willowdale is an established community in the former City of North York, now part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was originally called Lansing, which is now the name of a nearby neighbourhood. North York was merged with five other municipalities and a regional government to form the new City of Toronto in 1998.

Willowdale was originally a village centred at the intersection of Willowdale Avenue and Sheppard Avenue East 43°45′50″N 79°23′59″W, where a number of small business and commercial buildings still remain. The boundaries of the current neighbourhood extend as far east as Bayview Avenue, west to Bathurst Street, south to the 401 freeway, and north to Steeles Avenue. The neighbourhood abuts Bayview Village to the east and is considered to overlap Newtonbrook to the north. North York Centre is centred at the intersection of Yonge Street and Empress Avenue and is commonly thought to be a part of Willowdale, though its high-rise residential and commercial development in recent years sets it apart from much of the rest of Willowdale. / 43.76389°N 79.39972°W / 43.76389; -79.39972 (Old Willowdale)

The Willowdale neighbourhood consists of single family homes, condominium townhouses and high-rise condominium towers. High density development is restricted along Yonge Street. The single family homes range in age from the original 1910 to 1950s construction (one and two-storey pre-war houses and modest one-and-half storey postwar houses). After the 1990s, very large replacement two-storey luxury homes were constructed by tearing down the original houses. It is in this neighbourhood that the term "monster homes" was first applied by Torontonians.

History

Willowdale was originally settled by Jacob Cummer, who immigrated to Canada from the United States in 1797. Cummer was a mill owner on the nearby Don River, a proprietor of a tinsmith shop on Yonge Street and a self trained doctor and veterinarian. Cummer was held in such high esteem by his neighbours that this area was originally known as Kummer's Settlement.

David Gibson, a distinguished land surveyor, was another leader in this community. Like most of his neighbours, Gibson participated in the ill-fated Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837. He was thus charged with high treason and escaped to the United States were he found employment as the First Assistant Engineer on the building of the Erie Canal.

Gibson returned to his Yonge Street farm in 1851, after being pardoned for his role in the Rebellion. He then helped to establish the "'Willow Dale"' post office, named after the many willow trees that once graced this district. Members of the Gibson family were still living in Gibson House in the 1920s when the residential subdivision of Willowdale began to take place. The Gibson House, circa 1851, is still standing in its original location at 5172 Yonge Street and is now a historic museum.

Amenities

• Newtonbrook Secondary School
• Elkhorn Public School
• Pineway Public School
• Empress Walk
• Claude Watson School for the Arts
• Earl Haig Secondary School
• A. Y. Jackson Secondary School
• St. John's Rehabilitation Hospital
• St. Joseph's Morrow Park High School
• Brebeuf College School
• Tyndale University College and Seminary
• Highland Junior High School
• Zion Heights Junior High School
• Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College

Transport

Willowdale is served by two Toronto Transit Commission subway lines and twelve bus routes.

 Subway stations

Sheppard Line

• Sheppard-Yonge
• Bayview

Yonge-University-Spadina Line

• Finch
• North York Centre
• Sheppard-Yonge

Buses

• 7 Bathurst
• 11 Bayview
• 36 Finch West
• 39 Finch East
• 42 Cummer
• 53 Steeles East
• 60 Steeles West
• 84 Sheppard West
• 85 Sheppard East
• 97 Yonge
• 98 Willowdale-Senlac
• 125 Drewry
• 160 Bathurst North
• 196 York University Rocket

		Newtonbrook
	Branson Bathurst Heights		Bayview Village
		Willowdale
		Lansing, York Mills