Junction Triangle
Encyclopedia
Junction Triangle is a neighbourhood in Toronto
, Canada
. It is located in the city's west end, just west of Lansdowne Avenue. The area is a triangle surrounded on all three sides by railway lines. The CNR/CPR mainline to the west, the CNR railway lines to the east, and the CPR east-west railway lines to the north. Bloor Street
cuts across the middle of the neighbourhood, Dupont Street runs close to the northern edge, and Dundas Street
close to the southern boundary. By some accounts, former factory lands north of CP Rail line, west of Lansdowne, south of Davenport and east of GO Transit
Bradford/Newmarket/Barrie line, with their recent residential developments of Davenport Village and Foundry Lofts, also belong in this neighbourhood.
, and leads to frequent confusion. The area was also never part of the historic town of West Toronto Junction.
The Fuzzy Boundaries project was created to try and find a new name. A vote was held in March 2010. Some 230 options were submitted originally, and after a narrowing process the vote was between ten options. The final vote was:
Beginning in the 1970s, local residents became concerned by pollution in the area. The proximity of homes and schools to heavy industry led to a long battle between residents and factory owners. The fumes from the plants were clearly detectable, and studies found elevated levels of a number of organic chemicals in the areas air. In July of 1988 an explosion at a glue factory showered the neighbourhood with a yellow chemical rain. Residents blamed a series of ailments on the pollution, though studies found that cancer rates were normal.
In response the city and other levels of government began fining firms that violated environmental regulations, and zoning restrictions were put in place to prevent factories from expanding. Beginning in the 1990s these policies, combined with the general deindustrialization
of North America, saw many of the factories in the area close, especially the most polluting ones. Former plants have been converted to lofts, and others have been demolished leaving large brownfields. Some major factories do remain, notably the Nestle
factory on Sterling that some days gives a strong chocolate smell to the area. The character of the neighbourhood has also changed, as increasingly downtown professionals are replacing the factory workers of previous years, however, Portuguese community influence remains strong, and to a lesser extent Italian.
0098.00 of the 2006 Canadian census overlaps exactly with the residential portion of Junction Triangle. According to that census, the neighbourhood has 6,666 residents. Average income is 28,067, a good deal below the Toronto average. The ten most common language spoken at home are:
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 in the city's west end, just west of Lansdowne Avenue. The area is a triangle surrounded on all three sides by railway lines. The CNR/CPR mainline to the west, the CNR railway lines to the east, and the CPR east-west railway lines to the north. Bloor Street
Bloor Street
Bloor Street is a major east–west residential and commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct westward into Mississauga, where it ends at Central Parkway. East of the viaduct, Danforth Avenue continues along the same...
cuts across the middle of the neighbourhood, Dupont Street runs close to the northern edge, and Dundas Street
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...
close to the southern boundary. By some accounts, former factory lands north of CP Rail line, west of Lansdowne, south of Davenport and east of GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
Bradford/Newmarket/Barrie line, with their recent residential developments of Davenport Village and Foundry Lofts, also belong in this neighbourhood.
Name
For a long time there was no agreed upon name for the area. In 2009, an effort was launched by locals in the community to find a name. Junction Triangle had been used by the city for the area since the 1970s. For demographics purposes the area is part of the Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction district. A local residents association was called the South Junction Triangle Residents Association. One issue is that it is based on the nearby and much better known neighbourhood The JunctionThe 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...
, and leads to frequent confusion. The area was also never part of the historic town of West Toronto Junction.
The Fuzzy Boundaries project was created to try and find a new name. A vote was held in March 2010. Some 230 options were submitted originally, and after a narrowing process the vote was between ten options. The final vote was:
- Junction Triangle - 46.6%
- Perth Park (after the park at the centre of the area) - 27.6%
- Black Oak Triangle (after the Eastern Black oaks that covered the area before settlers arrived) - 26.0%
- East Junction - 25.8%
- The Wedge - 25.5%
- The Triangle - 25.2%
- Railtown - 23.7%
- Railpath (after the West Toronto RailPathWest Toronto RailPathThe West Toronto RailPath is a multi-use asphalt trail running from Toronto, Canada's The Junction neighbourhood toward downtown Toronto. The RailPath has been developed and funded by the City of Toronto for bicycle and pedestrian use by local area residents and is an example of an urban...
) - 23.4% - Rail District - 23.0%
- South Junction Triangle - 22.7%
Character
Historically the area was a centre for industry. The thin wedge of the triangle south of Bloor Street was almost entirely industrial lands and industrial areas also lined the railway tracks that surround the neighbourhood. Factories made paint, ceramics, and chemicals in the area. The Ontario Stock Yards were also nearby. The area became home to the workers in the factories, by the 1950s this was a multicultural group of mainly Italian, Polish, and Macedonian immigrants. Later, the area became predominantly Portuguese with mass immigration from the Azores and the exodus of better-off Italian families to the northern suburbs of Woodbridge and Vaughan.Beginning in the 1970s, local residents became concerned by pollution in the area. The proximity of homes and schools to heavy industry led to a long battle between residents and factory owners. The fumes from the plants were clearly detectable, and studies found elevated levels of a number of organic chemicals in the areas air. In July of 1988 an explosion at a glue factory showered the neighbourhood with a yellow chemical rain. Residents blamed a series of ailments on the pollution, though studies found that cancer rates were normal.
In response the city and other levels of government began fining firms that violated environmental regulations, and zoning restrictions were put in place to prevent factories from expanding. Beginning in the 1990s these policies, combined with the general deindustrialization
Deindustrialization
Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially heavy industry or manufacturing industry. It is an opposite of industrialization.- Multiple interpretations :There are multiple...
of North America, saw many of the factories in the area close, especially the most polluting ones. Former plants have been converted to lofts, and others have been demolished leaving large brownfields. Some major factories do remain, notably the Nestle
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
factory on Sterling that some days gives a strong chocolate smell to the area. The character of the neighbourhood has also changed, as increasingly downtown professionals are replacing the factory workers of previous years, however, Portuguese community influence remains strong, and to a lesser extent Italian.
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...
0098.00 of the 2006 Canadian census overlaps exactly with the residential portion of Junction Triangle. According to that census, the neighbourhood has 6,666 residents. Average income is 28,067, a good deal below the Toronto average. The ten most common language spoken at home are:
- English - 65.0%
- Portuguese - 13.0%
- Spanish - 4.8%
- Vietnamese - 3.5%
- Cantonese - 2.5%
- Italian - 2.1%
- Greek - 0.9%
- French - 0.7%
- Gujarati - 0.7%
- Polish - 0.5%