Davenport, Toronto
Encyclopedia
Davenport is a neighbourhood northwest of downtown in Toronto
, Canada
. It is located north of the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks and Dupont Avenue and south of Davenport Road and the ridge that is the former Lake Iroquois
coastline. Its eastern boundary is Bathurst Street and it stretches west to Lansdowne Avenue.
Davenport Road follows a centuries old carrying trail used by the First Nations peoples to travel the route south of the ridge. It was also used as an important route by the early European settlers to the region and the area that is today Davenport became home to small farms in the early nineteenth century. One of the first settlers was Ensign John McGill, who built a home he named Davenport in 1797. This was named after Major Davenport, another local officer, and is the origin of the area's name (the name Davenport is of Norman French origin: Dauen-port meaning "the town on the trickling stream").
In 1861 the Northern Railway
ran a rail line to the south of Davenport Rd and built a station in the area which they named Davenport. A small village, also named Davenport, grew up around the station. In 1889 the village merged with the nearby villages of Carleton and West Toronto Junction to form the town of Toronto Junction
. In 1909 this was annexed to the city of Toronto itself. Like the rest of the area known as The Junction in the early twentieth century the presence of the railway lead to the industrialization of the area and many small plants and factories were set up in the area along the tracks. The residential areas to the north became home to the working class population the worked there, especially Italian Canadians, who dominated the neighbourhood and the nearby Corso Italia by the 1950s. It today remains home to many Italian and Portuguese residents, but since the departure of most of the factories in the 1970s and 1980s the area has been somewhat gentrified taking on some of the characteristics of nearby areas like the Annex
. New townhouse developments have been built in the area replacing former factories and warehouses.
The neighbourhood gives its name to the Davenport
, a federal and provincial electoral district that covers it and a number of neighbouring areas.
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...
, 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...
. It is located north of the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks and Dupont Avenue and south of Davenport Road and the ridge that is the former Lake Iroquois
Glacial Lake Iroquois
Glacial Lake Iroquois was a prehistoric proglacial lake that existed at the end of the last ice age approximately 13,000 years ago.The lake was essentially an enlargement of the present Lake Ontario that formed because the St. Lawrence River downstream from the lake was blocked by the ice sheet...
coastline. Its eastern boundary is Bathurst Street and it stretches west to Lansdowne Avenue.
Davenport Road follows a centuries old carrying trail used by the First Nations peoples to travel the route south of the ridge. It was also used as an important route by the early European settlers to the region and the area that is today Davenport became home to small farms in the early nineteenth century. One of the first settlers was Ensign John McGill, who built a home he named Davenport in 1797. This was named after Major Davenport, another local officer, and is the origin of the area's name (the name Davenport is of Norman French origin: Dauen-port meaning "the town on the trickling stream").
In 1861 the Northern Railway
Northern Railway of Canada
The Northern Railway of Canada was a historical Canadian railway located in the province of Ontario. It was eventually acquired by the Grand Trunk Railway, and is therefore a predecessor to the modern Canadian National Railway.- Early history :...
ran a rail line to the south of Davenport Rd and built a station in the area which they named Davenport. A small village, also named Davenport, grew up around the station. In 1889 the village merged with the nearby villages of Carleton and West Toronto Junction to form the town of Toronto Junction
The Junction
The Junction is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that is near the junction of four railway lines in the area known as the West Toronto Diamond. The neighbourhood was previously an independent city called West Toronto, that was also its own federal electoral district until amalgamating...
. In 1909 this was annexed to the city of Toronto itself. Like the rest of the area known as The Junction in the early twentieth century the presence of the railway lead to the industrialization of the area and many small plants and factories were set up in the area along the tracks. The residential areas to the north became home to the working class population the worked there, especially Italian Canadians, who dominated the neighbourhood and the nearby Corso Italia by the 1950s. It today remains home to many Italian and Portuguese residents, but since the departure of most of the factories in the 1970s and 1980s the area has been somewhat gentrified taking on some of the characteristics of nearby areas like the Annex
The Annex
The Annex is a neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The traditional boundaries of the neighbourhood are north to Dupont Street, south to Bloor Street, west to Bathurst Street and east to Avenue Road...
. New townhouse developments have been built in the area replacing former factories and warehouses.
The neighbourhood gives its name to the Davenport
Davenport (electoral district)
Davenport is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1935. Its population in 2001 was 111,705.-Geography:...
, a federal and provincial electoral district that covers it and a number of neighbouring areas.
Landmarks
- Tollkeeper's Cottage (built c.1830)
- Hillcrest TTC Yard