Alexandra Park, Toronto
Encyclopedia
Alexandra Park is a neighbourhood
located in downtown Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. Alexandra Park is bounded by Dundas Street West
on the north, Spadina Avenue
on the east, Queen Street West
on the south, and Bathurst Street on the west. Alexandra Park consists of private and public housing
, with at grade retail along Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue, some institutional, and several commercial buildings scattered through the neighborhood. The area is named for Alexandra Park, a municipal park at the south-east corner of Dundas Street West and Bathurst Street, which contains the local public library on the site of Sir Casimir Gzowski
's estate 'The Hall'. The area is named after Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII, who were the first future monarchs to visit Toronto.
The recorded history of the area begins with the original survey of the northern shore of Lake Ontario conducted by Augustus Jones in 1791. The survey established a baseline soon to be called Lot Street (later renamed Queen Street West
). The area now known as Alexandra Park was then the southern portions of lots 16, 17 and 18 of Concession 1 of the Township of York. When the City of Toronto was incorporated in 1834, it included the area 400 yards to the north of Queen Street, roughly the location of present day Grange Street. The remainder of the area was annexed by the city in 1859.
The area was purchased from the Denison family in 1841 by Sir Casimir Gzowski
, a Polish
engineer
who built his grand home, which he called 'The Hall', at what is now the south-east corner of Dundas and Bathurst. A neighbourhood sprang up around Gzowski's home that was inhabited largely by Polish and Ukrainian
immigrants in the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1960s, 'The Hall' and many of the surrounding homes where demolished to make way for a public housing project. The public housing projects brought in many immigrants from the Caribbean
, East Africa
, China
and Vietnam
. Alexandra Park is known for having one of the largest African Canadian communities in Toronto, and people of African American
ancestry are still evident in this neighbourhood. In the 1970s and '80s, there were racial tensions between the established Polish and Ukrainian immigrants and the new immigrants. An infamous African Canadian gang called the Project Originals emerged. Drugs and violence were a huge problem, and during this time, a crack
epidemic swept the area. In the early '90s, a group of Alexandra Park residents sought to convert the government housing complex to self-governing co-operative housing, in order to attempt to make a difference in the struggling community in an effort to stop the oppression and drug wars the project had been facing for many decades previous. Today Alexandra Park is recovering from its harsh battles in the past, and making an effort to turn a new leaf.
is located in the neighbourhood. The City of Toronto operates Alexandra Park swimming pool while the Scadding Court Community Centre and the Sanderson
branch of the Toronto public library share a building on the grounds of Alexandra Park, part of Toronto's municipal park system. Alexandra Park also offers an outdoor skating rink in the winter, that is converted to a skateboard park in the summer. The skateboard park is nicknamed Dunbat Skate Park, referencing its location at the corner of Dundas Street West and Bathurst Street.
0039.00 of the 2006 Canadian census covers Alexandra Park. According to that census, the neighbourhood has 4,355 residents. Average income is $19,687, the second lowest average income in Toronto after Regent Park
. The ten most common language spoken at home, after English, are:
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
located in downtown Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Alexandra Park is bounded by Dundas Street West
Dundas Street (Toronto)
Dundas Street, also known as Highway 5 west of Toronto, is a major arterial road connecting the centre of that city with its western suburbs and southwestern Ontario beyond...
on the north, Spadina Avenue
Spadina Avenue
Spadina Avenue is one of the most prominent streets in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Running through the western section of downtown, the road has a very different character in different neighbourhoods....
on the east, Queen Street West
Queen Street West
Queen Street West describes both the western branch of Queen Street, a major east-west thoroughfare, and a series of neighbourhoods or commercial districts, situated west of Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Queen Street begins in the west at the intersection of King Street, The...
on the south, and Bathurst Street on the west. Alexandra Park consists of private and public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
, with at grade retail along Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue, some institutional, and several commercial buildings scattered through the neighborhood. The area is named for Alexandra Park, a municipal park at the south-east corner of Dundas Street West and Bathurst Street, which contains the local public library on the site of Sir Casimir Gzowski
Casimir Gzowski
Sir Kazimierz Stanislaus Gzowski, KCMG , was an engineer who served as acting Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1896 to 1897....
's estate 'The Hall'. The area is named after Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII, who were the first future monarchs to visit Toronto.
History
Queen Street
Queen Street is a popular street name in English-speaking countries . Examples include:-Asia:* Queen Street, Hong Kong in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong* Queen Street, Singapore in Singapore...
). The area now known as Alexandra Park was then the southern portions of lots 16, 17 and 18 of Concession 1 of the Township of York. When the City of Toronto was incorporated in 1834, it included the area 400 yards to the north of Queen Street, roughly the location of present day Grange Street. The remainder of the area was annexed by the city in 1859.
The area was purchased from the Denison family in 1841 by Sir Casimir Gzowski
Casimir Gzowski
Sir Kazimierz Stanislaus Gzowski, KCMG , was an engineer who served as acting Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1896 to 1897....
, a Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
who built his grand home, which he called 'The Hall', at what is now the south-east corner of Dundas and Bathurst. A neighbourhood sprang up around Gzowski's home that was inhabited largely by Polish and Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
immigrants in the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1960s, 'The Hall' and many of the surrounding homes where demolished to make way for a public housing project. The public housing projects brought in many immigrants from the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Alexandra Park is known for having one of the largest African Canadian communities in Toronto, and people of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
ancestry are still evident in this neighbourhood. In the 1970s and '80s, there were racial tensions between the established Polish and Ukrainian immigrants and the new immigrants. An infamous African Canadian gang called the Project Originals emerged. Drugs and violence were a huge problem, and during this time, a crack
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
epidemic swept the area. In the early '90s, a group of Alexandra Park residents sought to convert the government housing complex to self-governing co-operative housing, in order to attempt to make a difference in the struggling community in an effort to stop the oppression and drug wars the project had been facing for many decades previous. Today Alexandra Park is recovering from its harsh battles in the past, and making an effort to turn a new leaf.
Future
After a long period of community consultation, The Toronto Community Housing Corporation has completed plans for a major revitalization of Atkinson Co-op and surrounding areas of Alexandra Park. TCHC submitted Official Plan Amendment and Rezoning applications on March 11, 2011 and held a community meeting on June 27, 2011 to present the plan to local residents. The plan envisages major changes to the neighborhood, phased in over a 15 year period. Several streets that were closed off when the complex was first constructed will be reopened. 333 townhouses and apartments will be demolished and replaced, while 473 units in the towers at 20 Vanauley Street, 91 Augusta Street and 71 Augusta Square will be renovated. 1540 units of market condominiums and townhouses will be added, with retail units on the south side of Dundas Street West. New public parks and private amenity spaces will also be added.Culture and recreation
Theatre Passe MurailleTheatre Passe Muraille
Theatre Passe Muraille is a theatre company in Toronto, Canada.-Brief history:One of Canada's most influential alternative theatres, Theatre Passe Muraille was founded in 1968 by director and playwright Jim Garrard, who started the company out of Rochdale College.Its radical intention was create a...
is located in the neighbourhood. The City of Toronto operates Alexandra Park swimming pool while the Scadding Court Community Centre and the Sanderson
Charles Sanderson
Charles R. Sanderson was a Canadian librarian. He was chief librarian of the Toronto Public Library from 1937 to 1956, following George Locke. The Charles R. Sanderson Memorial Branch of the Toronto Public Library, which opened in 1968 in Alexandra Park, is named after him.-References:...
branch of the Toronto public library share a building on the grounds of Alexandra Park, part of Toronto's municipal park system. Alexandra Park also offers an outdoor skating rink in the winter, that is converted to a skateboard park in the summer. The skateboard park is nicknamed Dunbat Skate Park, referencing its location at the corner of Dundas Street West and Bathurst Street.
Demographics
Census tractCensus tract
A census tract, census area, or census district is a geographic region defined for the purpose of taking a census. Usually these coincide with the limits of cities, towns or other administrative areas and several tracts commonly exist within a county...
0039.00 of the 2006 Canadian census covers Alexandra Park. According to that census, the neighbourhood has 4,355 residents. Average income is $19,687, the second lowest average income in Toronto after Regent Park
Regent Park
Regent Park is a neighbourhood located in Old Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Regent Park is Canada's oldest and largest social housing project; built in the late 1940s. Formerly the centre of the Cabbagetown neighbourhood, it is bounded by Gerrard Street East to the north, River Street to the east,...
. The ten most common language spoken at home, after English, are:
- Cantonese - 17.9%
- Unspecified Chinese - 15.8%
- Mandarin - 5.9%
- Vietnamese - 4.1%
- Bengali - 1.5%
- French - 1.3%
- Somali - 1.1%
- Portuguese - 0.9%
- Tagalog - 0.7%
- Punjabi - 0.3%