North York, Ontario
Encyclopedia
North York is a dissolved municipality within the current city of 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...
. Geographically, it comprises the central part of the northern section of Toronto. As of the 2006 Census, it has a population of 635,370. The official 2001 census
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
count was 608,288. Until 1998, it was the second-largest of six municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
that comprised another larger municipal structure called Metropolitan Toronto
Metropolitan Toronto
The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was a senior level of municipal government in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area from 1954 to 1998. It was created out of York County and was a precursor to the later concept of a regional municipality, being formed of smaller municipalities but having more...
. The previous year, the provincial Government of Ontario
Politics of Ontario
The Province of Ontario is governed by a unicameral legislature, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, which operates in the Westminster system of government...
passed legislation to merge these municipalities into a single, new amalgamated City of Toronto. North York is one of the most diverse areas of Toronto, as it contains some of the most affluent areas of the city (The Bridle Path, Hogg's Hollow, York Mills
York Mills
York Mills is the name of an affluent neighbourhood around Yonge Street and York Mills Road located in the district of North York in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
, Willowdale
Willowdale, Toronto
Willowdale is an established, affluent community in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located in the district of North York. It was originally called Lansing, which is now the name of a nearby neighbourhood....
, Bayview Village
Bayview Village
Bayview Village is an affluent neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, formerly in North York before it was amalgamated into Toronto in 1998. It is part of the federal and provincial electoral district Willowdale, and Toronto electoral wards 24: Willowdale and 33: Don Valley North...
) and some of the poorest (Jane and Finch
Jane and Finch
Jane and Finch is a neighbourhood located in northwestern North York, a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The area is roughly bounded by Highway 400 to the west, Driftwood Avenue to the east, Grandravine Drive to the south, and Shoreham Drive to the north...
, Flemingdon Park
Flemingdon Park
Flemingdon Park is a multicultural community in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located in the North York district of the city. It is part of federal and provincial electoral district Don Valley West, and Toronto electoral ward 26: Don Valley West...
and Lawrence Heights
Lawrence Heights
Lawrence Heights is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located north-west of central Toronto, in the district of North York. The neighbourhood is bounded by Lawrence Avenue to the south, Highway 401 to the north, Allen Road to the east and Dufferin Street to the west...
).
History
The Township of North York was formed on June 13, 1922 out of the rural part of the Township of YorkYork, Ontario
York is a dissolved municipality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is located northwest of Old Toronto, southwest of North York and east of Etobicoke, where it is bounded by the Humber River. Formerly a separate city, it was one of six municipalities that amalgamated in 1998 to form...
. The rapidly-urbanizing parts of the Township remained in that township. As North York itself became more urbanized, it became the Borough of North York in 1967, and then on February 14, 1979, the City of North York. To commemorate receiving its city charter on St. Valentine's Day, the city's corporate slogan was "The City with Heart". It now forms the largest part of the area served by the "North York Community Council", a committee of Toronto City Council
Toronto City Council
The Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors....
.
Originally, North York was known as a regional agricultural hub composed of scattered villages. The area boomed following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and by the 1950s and 1960s, it resembled many other sprawling North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n suburbs. Of note is the community of Don Mills.
On August 10, 2008, a massive explosion occurred at the Sunrise Propane Industrial Gases propane
Propane
Propane is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula , normally a gas, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used as a fuel for engines, oxy-gas torches, barbecues, portable stoves, and residential central...
facility just southwest of the Toronto-Downsview Airport
Toronto/Downsview Airport
Downsview Airport or Toronto/Downsview Airport, , is located in Toronto, Ontario and has been exclusively owned and used as a testing facility by Bombardier Aerospace since 1994....
. This destroyed the depot and damaged several homes nearby. About 13,000 residents were evacuated for several days before being allowed back home. One employee at the company was killed in the blast and one firefighter died while attending to the scene of the accident. A followup investigation to the incident made several recommendations concerning propane supply depots. It asked for a review of setback distances between depots and nearby residential areas but didn't call for restrictions on where they can be located.
Demographics
North York residents are highly multicultural. In 2006, 57% of North York's residents were not born in Canada, and 52% were classified as belonging to a visible minorityVisible minority
A visible minority is a person who is visibly not one of the majority race in a given population.The term is used as a demographic category by Statistics Canada in connection with that country's Employment Equity policies. The qualifier "visible" is important in the Canadian context where...
:
- ChineseChinese peopleThe term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
- 14% - South Asian - 10%
- BlackBlackBlack is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
- 9% - ArabArabArab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
/West Asian - 5% - FilipinoFilipino CanadianFilipino Canadians are Canadians of Filipino ancestry. Filipino-Canadians are the fourth-largest subgroup of the Overseas Filipinos.Canada only had a small population of Filipinos until the late 20th century. To date, there are currently around 400,000 Filipino Canadians in Canada, most of them...
- 4% - Latin AmericaLatin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n - 4% - KoreanKorean peopleThe Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:...
- 3% - Southeast Asian - 2%
- Other - 2%
North York has diverse neighbourhoods that represent many different cultures. The western half of North York is culturally different than the eastern half. The neighbourhood with the largest percentage of visible minorities in North York is the Grandravine-Yorkwoods area in Jane and Finch
Jane and Finch
Jane and Finch is a neighbourhood located in northwestern North York, a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The area is roughly bounded by Highway 400 to the west, Driftwood Avenue to the east, Grandravine Drive to the south, and Shoreham Drive to the north...
with 93%.
Chinese cultural groups dominate the eastern half of North York making up 22% of the population from Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
to Victoria Park Avenue
Victoria Park Avenue
Victoria Park Avenue is a major north-south route in eastern Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It marks the border between the Old City of Toronto and Scarborough.-History:Victoria Park Avenue was originally a pioneer road for settlement of Scarborough...
. The neighbourhood with the largest percentage of Chinese people in North York is the Aspenwood area in Hillcrest Village
Hillcrest Village
Hillcrest Village is a neighbourhood located in the district of North York at the northernmost tip of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Hillcrest Village is considered by some to be part of the Don Valley Village, the neighbourhood directly to the south, however it is quite distinct...
with 57%.
South Asians are mainly spread out evenly in North York. There are large South Asian communities in Emery
Emery
Emery may refer to:* Emery ** Emery paper** Emery board, nail filers* Emery , a post-hardcore band from Rock Hill, South Carolina* Emery Theatre, a historic multi-purpose theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio* Emery Worldwide, a cargo airline...
and Flemingdon Park
Flemingdon Park
Flemingdon Park is a multicultural community in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located in the North York district of the city. It is part of federal and provincial electoral district Don Valley West, and Toronto electoral ward 26: Don Valley West...
. The neighbourhood with the largest percentage of South Asians in North York Gateway-Glenway area is Flemingdon Park
Flemingdon Park
Flemingdon Park is a multicultural community in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located in the North York district of the city. It is part of federal and provincial electoral district Don Valley West, and Toronto electoral ward 26: Don Valley West...
with 46%.
Black Canadians dominate the western half of North York making up 19% of the population past Allen Road
Allen Road
William R. Allen Road, known more commonly as Allen Road, The Allen Expressway or simply The Allen and formerly as the Spadina Expressway, is a short expressway/freeway in Toronto, Ontario, which runs from Kennard Avenue in the north, to Eglinton Avenue West in the south...
. Most of North York's Black community is along Jane Street and areas around it. Smaller areas such as Jane and Finch
Jane and Finch
Jane and Finch is a neighbourhood located in northwestern North York, a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The area is roughly bounded by Highway 400 to the west, Driftwood Avenue to the east, Grandravine Drive to the south, and Shoreham Drive to the north...
, Lawrence Heights
Lawrence Heights
Lawrence Heights is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located north-west of central Toronto, in the district of North York. The neighbourhood is bounded by Lawrence Avenue to the south, Highway 401 to the north, Allen Road to the east and Dufferin Street to the west...
, and Trethewey had more than 40% of its population identified as Black
Black Canadian
'Black Canadians is a designation used for people of Black African descent, who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada. The term specifically refers to Canadians with Sub-Saharan African ancestry. The majority of Black Canadians are of Caribbean origin...
. Most are West Indians but there is also a large Black African
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
population. The Jane & Wilson neighbourhood has the largest Ghanaian community in Toronto. The neighbourhood with the largest percentage of Black people in North York is the Black Creek area in Amesbury
Amesbury, Toronto
Amesbury is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, formerly in North York before it was amalgamated into Toronto in 1998. It is part of federal and provincial electoral district York South—Weston, and Toronto electoral wards 11: York South—Weston and 12: York South-Weston .Its borders are...
with 45%.
West Asians and Arabs concentrate in the eastern half of North York. Additionally, Iranians have a distinctive presence on the north end of Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
. There is also a large percentage of Middle Easterns along Don Mills Road. The neighbourhoods with the largest percentage of Middle Easterns in North York are Graydon Hall and the Shaughnessy area in Don Valley Village
Don Valley Village
Don Valley Village is a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located north of Highway 401, and is bounded by Sheppard Avenue to the south, Leslie Street to the west, Finch Avenue to the north and Highway 404 to the east...
with 17%.
Filipino
Filipino Canadian
Filipino Canadians are Canadians of Filipino ancestry. Filipino-Canadians are the fourth-largest subgroup of the Overseas Filipinos.Canada only had a small population of Filipinos until the late 20th century. To date, there are currently around 400,000 Filipino Canadians in Canada, most of them...
s are centred around Bathurst Street making up 10% of the population of the neighbourhoods along Bathurst in North York. The Bathurst & Wilson area will soon officially be the first Little Philippines
Little Manila
Little Manila is term that refers to a community with a large Filipino immigrant and descendant population.- California :...
in Canada. Flemingdon Park also has a sizable Filipino community. The neighbourhood with the largest percentage of Filipino people in North York is the Neptune area in Lawrence Manor
Lawrence Manor
Lawrence Manor is a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The neighbourhood is bounded by Bathurst Street on the east, Highway 401 to the north, the Allen to the west, and Lawrence Avenue to the south...
with 24%.
Latin Americans in North York are predominantly in the western half of North York along Jane Street, Weston Road
Weston Road
Weston Road is a north-south street in west end Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The route is named for the former Village of Weston, which was located near Weston Road and Lawrence Avenue West....
, and Keele Street
Keele Street
Keele Street is a north-south road in Toronto and York Region in Ontario, Canada. It stretches 47km, running from Bloor Street in Toronto to the Holland Marsh. South of Bloor Street, the roadway is today known as Parkside Drive, but was originally part of Keele Street...
. They make up 10% of North York's population past Dufferin Street
Dufferin Street
Dufferin Street is a major north-south street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a concession road, two concessions west of Yonge Street. The street starts at the foot of Lake Ontario, continues north to Toronto's northern boundary with some discontinuities and continues into York Region where it...
. They are from different countries in Latin America with not one country being a dominant one, but many are from Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. The neighbourhood with the largest percentage of Latin Americans in North York is the Oakdale-Stanley Park area in Elia
Elia
Elia may refer to:* European League of Institutes of the Arts , an organization of art schools* Elia , a prominent public artwork in Denmark* Elia, a historical and alternative name for the Jane and Finch neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada...
with 22%.
Korean
Korean people
The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:...
s are mostly in the eastern half of North York, especially in the Willowdale
Willowdale, Toronto
Willowdale is an established, affluent community in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located in the district of North York. It was originally called Lansing, which is now the name of a nearby neighbourhood....
neighbourhood (10% of Willowdale was Korean, making it the largest Korean community in Toronto). The neighbourhood with the largest percentage of Koreans in North York is the Mitchell Field area in Willowdale
Willowdale
Willowdale can mean:*The neighbourhood of Willowdale, Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada*The Canadian federal electoral district Willowdale in Toronto*The Rural municipality of Willowdale No...
with 14%.
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
ns are predominant in the western half of North York. Vietnamese cultural groups can be found all over North York. There is also a growing Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
n population concentrated in the Jane and Finch
Jane and Finch
Jane and Finch is a neighbourhood located in northwestern North York, a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The area is roughly bounded by Highway 400 to the west, Driftwood Avenue to the east, Grandravine Drive to the south, and Shoreham Drive to the north...
community. The neighbourhood with the largest percentage of Southeast Asians in North York is the Grassways-Eddystone area in Jane and Finch
Jane and Finch
Jane and Finch is a neighbourhood located in northwestern North York, a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The area is roughly bounded by Highway 400 to the west, Driftwood Avenue to the east, Grandravine Drive to the south, and Shoreham Drive to the north...
with 18%.
Although non-visible minorities are slowly declining over the years moving into the suburbs, Europeans still show a significant presence. The largest European community in North York are Italians, most of whom are elderly. Most live in the houses in the western half of North York from Bathurst Street to Weston Road. Jewish Canadians are centred around Bathurst Street which has the largest Jewish community in Toronto. Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
make up a large percentage of the population along the northern end of Bathurst Street between Sheppard Avenue
Sheppard Avenue
Sheppard Avenue is an east-west principal arterial road in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A small portion of a continuation of the road in Pickering, Ontario is also called Sheppard Avenue.-History:...
and Steeles Avenue
Steeles Avenue
Steeles Avenue is an east-west street that forms the northern city limit of Toronto and the southern limit of York Region, Ontario, Canada. It stretches across the western Greater Toronto Area from Milborough Townline in Halton Region east to the Scarborough-Pickering limit. It runs for within...
. The area is also the largest Russian community in Toronto, and is sometimes referred to as "Little Moscow". Old generation Canadians dominate the southern end of North York from Bathurst Street to the west, Leslie Street to the east, Highway 401 to the north and Lawrence Avenue
Lawrence Avenue
Lawrence Avenue is a major east-west thoroughfare in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is divided into east and west portions by Yonge Street, the dividing line of east-west streets in Toronto....
to the south. The largest percentage of non-visible minorities in North York is Old Orchard in Ledbury Park with 92%.
Mayors and reeves
The following is a list of reeves and mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
s of North York.
- 1922-1929 R.F. Hicks, Reeve
- 1929-1930 James Muirhead, Reeve
- 1931-1933 George B. Elliott, Reeve
- 1934-1940 R. Earl Bales, Reeve
- 1941-1949 George H. Mitchell, Reeve
- 1950-1952 N.A. Boylen, Reeve
- 1953-1956 Fred J. McMahon, Reeve
- 1957-1958 Vernon M. SingerVernon SingerVernon Milton Singer was a politician in Ontario, Canada.Singer was the son of Toronto lawyer and politician Joseph Singer who was the first Jewish-Canadian to be elected to the Toronto Board of Control....
, Reeve - 1959-1964 Norman C. GoodheadNorman GoodheadNorman C. Goodhead was reeve of North York, Ontario from 1959 to 1964 and also a businessman.Goodhead was born in the poor neighbourhood of Cabbagetown in Toronto...
, Reeve - 1965-1966 James D. Service, Reeve
- 1967-1969 James D. Service, Mayor
- 1970-1972 Basil H. Hall, Mayor
- 1973-1997 Mel LastmanMel LastmanMelvin Douglas "Mel" Lastman , nicknamed "Mayor Mel", is a former businessman and politician. He is the founder of the Bad Boy Furniture chain. He served as the mayor of the former city of North York, Ontario, Canada from 1972 until 1997. At the end of 1997, North York, along with five other...
, Mayor
Central business district
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an nature, efforts led by former Mayor of North York and Toronto Mel Lastman
Mel Lastman
Melvin Douglas "Mel" Lastman , nicknamed "Mayor Mel", is a former businessman and politician. He is the founder of the Bad Boy Furniture chain. He served as the mayor of the former city of North York, Ontario, Canada from 1972 until 1997. At the end of 1997, North York, along with five other...
were made to intensify development in the North York Centre
North York Centre
North York Centre is a town centre in North York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Prior to the Amalgamation of Toronto in 1998, it was considered the central business district of the former city of North York...
area along Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
between Finch
Finch Avenue
Finch Avenue is an arterial thoroughfare and concession road which travels east–west through the city of Toronto. The road also has short extensions into Peel and Durham Regions as Peel Regional Road 2 and Durham Regional Road 37.-History:...
and Sheppard
Sheppard Avenue
Sheppard Avenue is an east-west principal arterial road in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A small portion of a continuation of the road in Pickering, Ontario is also called Sheppard Avenue.-History:...
Avenues, coinciding with the path of the Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
's Yonge subway
Toronto subway and RT
The Toronto subway and RT is a rapid transit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of both underground and elevated railway lines, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . It was Canada's first completed subway system, with the first line being built under Yonge Street, which opened in...
line.
There are many stores and high-rise office and condominium apartment
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
buildings along this central North York corridor, particularly centred around the old North York City Hall. Directly beside the old City Hall is the Toronto Centre for the Arts
Toronto Centre for the Arts
The Toronto Centre for the Arts, previously known as the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts, opened in 1993 as the North York Performing Arts Centre and was designed by Canadian architect Eberhard Zeidler for musicals, theatre productions and other performing arts...
. Thanks to a new subway line along Sheppard Avenue, more high-rise condominiums are being built along the Sheppard East corridor.
The central area is gradually ceasing to be suburban, resembling a smaller version of the city's downtown. Major corporations have built their own office towers along Yonge Street in central North York, including the Canadian head offices of Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
, Nestlé
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...
, Cadbury Adams, Lindt & Sprüngli
Lindt & Sprüngli
Lindt & Sprüngli AG, more commonly known as Lindt, is a luxury Swiss chocolate and confectionery company.- History :The origins of the company date back to 1845...
, Equifax
Equifax
Equifax Inc. is a consumer credit reporting agency in the United States, considered one of the three largest American credit agencies along with Experian and TransUnion. Founded in 1899, Equifax is the oldest of the three agencies and gathers and maintains information on over 400 million credit...
, and Xerox
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
, while the Government of Canada maintains offices
Government of Canada Buildings (North York)
The Government of Canada Building, also known as the Joseph Sheppard Federal Building, is a Government of Canada office complex at 4900 Yonge Street in North York...
north of Sheppard Avenue. McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
of Canada is also located in North York, although not along this corridor. This particular area is the region in the foreground of this photograph. Many more office and condo towers have sprouted in the area of this photo since it was taken.
The section of Highway 401 which traverses North York is the busiest section of freeway in North America, exceeding 400,000 vehicles per day.
In the 1980s, the administration of Mel Lastman
Mel Lastman
Melvin Douglas "Mel" Lastman , nicknamed "Mayor Mel", is a former businessman and politician. He is the founder of the Bad Boy Furniture chain. He served as the mayor of the former city of North York, Ontario, Canada from 1972 until 1997. At the end of 1997, North York, along with five other...
transformed North York. The former North York City Hall looks out upon a reflecting pool. Directly south of the city hall in the same complex is the former North York Board of Education
North York Board of Education
The North York Board of Education was the public school board for the former city of North York in Ontario, Canada.In 1998, the provincial Government of Ontario passed legislation which amalgamated North York into the City of Toronto. As part of the amalgamation process, the NYBE ceased to exist...
building (now home to the Toronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board, also known by the acronym TDSB, is the English-language public school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
. To the north and east of the complex are two large malls connected by an underground passage with subway
Toronto subway and RT
The Toronto subway and RT is a rapid transit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of both underground and elevated railway lines, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . It was Canada's first completed subway system, with the first line being built under Yonge Street, which opened in...
access. The northern mall is connected to the North York Central Library
North York Central Library
North York Central Library is located in northern Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at the intersection of Yonge Street and Park Home Avenue, north of Sheppard Avenue. The library is located on the west side of Yonge Street beside Mel Lastman Square in the mall of the North York Civic Centre, which until...
, the largest full-service Toronto Public Library
Toronto Public Library
Toronto Public Library is a public library system based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest public library system in Canada and in 2008, had averaged a higher...
building in Toronto (second to Metro Reference in square footage). The library is a part of a much larger facility including a school board work station, swimming pool, snack bar, veterans centre and large hotel, the rooms of which look onto the inside of the mall. The more recently-built eastern mall (called "Empress Walk
Empress Walk
Empress Walk is a large condominum and retail complex at the intersection of Yonge Street and Empress Avenue in the North York Centre area of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Developed by Menkes Development, Phase 1 was completed in 1997 and Phase 2 by 2000...
") is built around a large multi-storey cathedral-like hall and contains an Empire Theatres
Empire Theatres
Empire Theatres Limited is the second-largest movie theatre chain in Canada, and the only major circuit operating in Atlantic Canada. A subsidiary of Empire Company Ltd., the family-owned parent of the Sobeys supermarket chain presently owns and operates 51 locations in 8 of 10 provinces, from...
movie theatre and a Loblaws
Loblaws
Loblaws is a supermarket chain with over 70 stores in Canada, headquartered in Brampton, with stores across Ontario and Quebec. Loblaws is a division of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor...
supermarket.
North York is the northern extent of the Carolinian forest
Carolinian forest
The Carolinian forest is a life zone in eastern North America characterized primarily by a predominance of deciduous, or broad-leaf trees. The term "Carolinian forest" is used primarily in Canada...
zone.
Amenities
Major shopping malls in North York include the Yorkdale Shopping CentreYorkdale Shopping Centre
Yorkdale Shopping Centre is a large shopping mall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It contains over 250 stores and is located in the community of Downsview, in North York. It is the fifth largest shopping mall in Canada and also enjoys the highest sales per square foot of any mall in Canada, with...
and Fairview Mall
Fairview Mall
Fairview Mall is a major shopping centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada of about 80,000 m² , located at the northeast corner of Don Mills Road and Sheppard Avenue in the former borough of North York...
. Smaller locations include Centerpoint Mall, Bayview Village
Bayview Village
Bayview Village is an affluent neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, formerly in North York before it was amalgamated into Toronto in 1998. It is part of the federal and provincial electoral district Willowdale, and Toronto electoral wards 24: Willowdale and 33: Don Valley North...
, Yorkgate Mall, Shops at Don Mills
Shops at Don Mills
The Shops at Don Mills is a lifestyle centre - type shopping centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located at Don Mills Road and Lawrence Avenue East.There are 72 retail stores with a total floor space of 47,550 square metres ....
, Steeles West Market Mall, Jane Finch Mall and Sheppard Centre. It is also home to campuses of York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, Seneca College
Seneca College
Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology is a Canadian public college in the greater Toronto area. Seneca College is currently Canada's largest college with approximately 108,000 students.-History:...
, Osgoode Hall Law School
Osgoode Hall Law School
Osgoode Hall Law School is a Canadian law school, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and affiliated with York University. Named after the first Chief Justice of Ontario, William Osgoode, the law school was established by The Law Society of Upper Canada in 1889 and was the only accredited law...
, and Tyndale University College and Seminary
Tyndale University College and Seminary
Tyndale University College and Seminary is an accredited Christian institution of higher education in the Protestant Evangelical tradition located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Tyndale students come from over 40 different Christian denominations and more than 30 different ethnic groups. Tyndale...
.
Major health-care facilities, such as North York General Hospital, Humber River Regional Hospital (Finch Avenue Site previously called York-Finch Hospital) and the massive Sunnybrook Hospital complex which includes a veterans' residence, a regional cancer centre and regional trauma
Physical trauma
Trauma refers to "a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident." It can also be described as "a physical wound or injury, such as a fracture or blow." Major trauma can result in secondary complications such as circulatory shock, respiratory failure and death...
centre are located in North York.
An aircraft manufacturing facility and a former military base are located at Downsview. With the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, much of the land was transformed into a large park now called Parc Downsview Park
Downsview Park
Downsview Park is a former Canadian Forces Base in the community of Downsview in Toronto, Canada. It contains about 231.5 hectares of land, of which more than 130 hectares are earmarked for traditional parkland, recreational and cultural amenities...
. Also located in the former airfield is Toronto Aerospace Museum.
Black Creek Pioneer Village
Black Creek Pioneer Village
Black Creek Pioneer Village is a historic site in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, just west of York University and southeast of the Jane and Steeles intersection. It overlooks Black Creek, a tributary of the Humber River. The village is a recreation of life in 19th-century Ontario and gives an idea how...
, an authentic nineteenth-century village, and the Ontario Science Centre
Ontario Science Centre
Ontario Science Centre is a science museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, near the Don Valley Parkway about northeast of downtown on Don Mills Road just south of Eglinton Avenue East...
, which boasts over 800 science-oriented exhibits, are North York's primary attractions. Not far from Black Creek Pioneer Village
Black Creek Pioneer Village
Black Creek Pioneer Village is a historic site in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, just west of York University and southeast of the Jane and Steeles intersection. It overlooks Black Creek, a tributary of the Humber River. The village is a recreation of life in 19th-century Ontario and gives an idea how...
is York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
's main campus, and the infamous Jane and Finch
Jane and Finch
Jane and Finch is a neighbourhood located in northwestern North York, a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The area is roughly bounded by Highway 400 to the west, Driftwood Avenue to the east, Grandravine Drive to the south, and Shoreham Drive to the north...
neighbourhood.
Along North York's Bathurst Street is one of the world's largest urban Jewish communities, with a significant population of Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
survivors.
A small plaza containing Chinese restaurants and supermarkets is located at the intersection of Finch Avenue
Finch Avenue
Finch Avenue is an arterial thoroughfare and concession road which travels east–west through the city of Toronto. The road also has short extensions into Peel and Durham Regions as Peel Regional Road 2 and Durham Regional Road 37.-History:...
and Leslie Street. It first developed in the 1980s to serve the ethnic Chinese community, though its patronage has now diversified.
There are a multitude of North York sports clubs including the North York Storm, a girls' hockey league, Gwendolen Tennis Club in the heart of North York near Yonge and Sheppard, and the venerable North York Aquatic Club, which was founded in 1958 as the North York Lions Swim Club and has produced many Olympian swimmers.
Education
Toronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board, also known by the acronym TDSB, is the English-language public school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
, the Conseil scolaire Viamonde, the Toronto Catholic District School Board
Toronto Catholic District School Board
The Toronto Catholic District School Board is the publicly-funded Catholic school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada, headquartered in North York. It is one of the two English boards of education in the City of Toronto, serving the former municipalities of Scarborough, North York, York, East York,...
, and the Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud
Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud
Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud is the Roman Catholic separate, French language school board for the South-Central region of Ontario. It is headquartered in North York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
all have their administrative headquarters in North York.
Before the formation of the TDSB, the North York Board of Education
North York Board of Education
The North York Board of Education was the public school board for the former city of North York in Ontario, Canada.In 1998, the provincial Government of Ontario passed legislation which amalgamated North York into the City of Toronto. As part of the amalgamation process, the NYBE ceased to exist...
served North York.
Media
- Salam TorontoSalam TorontoSalam Toronto is the first Persian-English bilingual weekly publication in North America freely distributed and provided to community members living in southern Ontario....
Bilingual Persian-English weekly paper expressing the voice/distributed of/to the Iranian Community of Thornhill, Richmond Hill, North York, Toronto and GTA. - North York MirrorNorth York MirrorThe North York Mirror is a twice a week tabloid format newspaper that publishes each Thursday and Friday. The newspaper is published by Toronto Community News, a division of Metroland Media Group, a Torstar company, which also publishes The Scarborough Mirror, The East York Mirror, The...
A twice-weekly community newspaper covering North York. Part of TorstarTorstarTorstar Corporation is an independently-owned Canadian broadly based media company that is named after its principal holding, the Toronto Star daily newspaper....
's Metroland chain of community newspapers.
Sports
- North York RangersNorth York RangersThe North York Rangers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from North York, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of Central Division Hockey, but they were also a part of the Metro Junior A Hockey League.-Richmond Hill:...
- member of the Central Division of the Ontario Junior Hockey League - North York RocketsNorth York RocketsThe North York Rockets were a professional soccer team that competed in the original Canadian Soccer League during its existence from 1987 to 1992...
- Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992) - North York Storm
- Gwendolen Tennis Club
- North York Aquatic Club
- North York AstrosNorth York Astros-Current squad:as of November 1, 2011 CAPTAIN-Staff:General Manager*Bruno IerulloAwards:Director of Soccer*Jorge Collazo-Reserve squad:...
- member of Canadian Soccer LeagueCanadian Soccer LeagueThe Canadian Soccer League is the top soccer league in Canada and is controlled by the Canadian Soccer Association. It was formerly known as the Canadian Professional Soccer League , and was officially re-branded on May 17, 2006... - North York Fire Basketball
- North York Hockey League
- North York Hearts Azzurri Soccer Club
- North York Baseball Association North York Baseball Association
Notable residents
- Gary Roberts, former professional ice hockey player
- Sean AverySean AverySean Christopher Avery is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He formerly played for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars and New York Rangers. Prior to the NHL, Avery played for the Owen Sound Platers and the...
, professional ice hockey player - Paul GodfreyPaul GodfreyPaul Victor Godfrey, CM, OOnt is a businessman and former Canadian politician. During his career, Godfrey was a North York alderman, Chairman of Metro Toronto, President of the Toronto Sun and head of the Toronto Blue Jays. He was instrumental in bringing the Toronto Blue Jays to Toronto and has...
, former president of the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue JaysThe Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
and former chairman of Metropolitan Toronto - John A. ToryJohn A. ToryJohn Arnold Tory, QC was a Canadian lawyer and corporate executive. Born in Toronto, he was one of two sons of John Stewart Donald Tory...
, businessman and lawyer - Tie DomiTie DomiTahir "Tie" Domi is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. During a sixteen-year NHL career when he was known for his role as an enforcer, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets....
, former professional ice hockey player - Snow (musician)Snow (musician)Darrin O'Brien , better known by his stage name Snow, is a Juno Award-winning Canadian rap and reggae musician. He is best known for his 1992 single "Informer", which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.-Life and work:...
, reggae musician - Geddy LeeGeddy LeeGary Lee Weinrib, OC, better known as Geddy Lee , is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush...
, rock musician - Jim CarreyJim CarreyJames Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
, actor, comedian, singer, writer