Alderwood, Toronto
Encyclopedia
Alderwood is a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. It is in the western section of Toronto, formerly the city of Etobicoke. It is bounded by the Etobicoke Creek
to the west, the Gardiner Expressway
to the north, the CPR railway to the east and the CNR railway to the south.
Alderwood is named after Etobicoke, the municipality of which it originally was a part, which is a native word meaning 'place where the alder trees grow'.
, Alderwood was originally part of Col Sam Smith's land. In 1850, Archibald Cameron purchased four farm lots of this land comprising most of the area that is now Alderwood; he built his home 'Ashfield' on what is now Beta Street. In 1874 Archibald Cameron was facing bankruptcy and sold his farm lots to Daniel Horner, who later served as a prominent member of Etobicoke Township's Council; Horner Avenue is named after him. The naming of Alderwood's main street was a hotly debated issue in the early community between the Brown and O'Connor families; today it is called Brown's Line.
Alderwood Subdivided
About 1920 what is now Alderwood was first planned as an extension of the newly incorporated Town of New Toronto
and was originally called 'New Toronto Heights' or 'New Toronto Park ' with the first streets planned in a simple grid pattern with names from the Greek alphabet (Beta, Gamma, Delta). Alderwood was still part of the original Etobicoke township. In 1933 Alderwood became a postal village remaining in Etobicoke Township although closely connected to the independent municipalities Long Branch and New Toronto to the south, but separated by the railway. Although Alderwood did not undergo significant growth until after the second world war, many industries moved into the area along Brown's Line during the war years. Alderwood was further disconnected from the rest of Etobicoke Township to the north by the construction of the Queen Elizabeth Way in the 1930s and the industrialisation of much of Etobicoke immediately to the north which cemented Alderwood's closer attachment to the independent municipalities of Long Branch and New Toronto to the south. After the war, increased immigration, particularly from eastern Europe, led to the rapid urbanisation of the area which continued until the end of the 1960s.
Modern Alderwood
In 1967 the independent municipalities formed out of Etobicoke Township were re-amalgamated with Etobicoke to create the Borough of Etobicoke which became a city in 1983. In 1998 the City of Etobicoke was merged with six other cities and the Metropolitan Toronto
government to form an amalgamated City of Toronto. With Alderwood remaining an area with only little commercial space and low-rise single homes, the neighbourhood experienced population stagnation and decline as the children of older residents moved out, forcing the Public School Board to close Franklin Horner Middle School and Alderwood Collegiate. Alderwood Collegiate became a Separate (Catholic) High School, 'Fr John Redmond' which has recently moved from the dilapidated site to a new home in New Toronto. The area has most recently been at the centre of a debate over historic preservation as the Horner's 'Ashfield' home at the centre of the community was demolished.
The Alderwood Centre is a public complex that houses Sir Adam Beck Junior School, the Alderwood branch of the Toronto Public Library
system, the Alderwood Action After School child care centre and the Alderwood Pool, a 25-yard public pool.
The south west quadrant of the neighbourhood is zoned industrial and is home to manufacturing and warehousing businesses of various sizes. Among these is a Daimler-Chrysler casting plant.
Churches
Sports
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...
. It is in the western section of Toronto, formerly the city of Etobicoke. It is bounded by the Etobicoke Creek
Etobicoke Creek
Etobicoke Creek is one of the many creeks running through Toronto, Ontario and the Toronto Area into Lake Ontario, often characterized by their winding paths through deep ravines and distinctive shale banks....
to the west, the Gardiner Expressway
Gardiner Expressway
The Frederick G. Gardiner Expressway, colloquially referred to as "the Gardiner", is a municipal expressway in the Canadian province of Ontario, connecting downtown Toronto with its western suburbs...
to the north, the CPR railway to the east and the CNR railway to the south.
Alderwood is named after Etobicoke, the municipality of which it originally was a part, which is a native word meaning 'place where the alder trees grow'.
History
With Long BranchLong Branch, Toronto
The former Village of Long Branch is a neighbourhood in the south-west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the south-west corner of the former Township of Etobicoke and was a partially-independent municipality from 1930-1967...
, Alderwood was originally part of Col Sam Smith's land. In 1850, Archibald Cameron purchased four farm lots of this land comprising most of the area that is now Alderwood; he built his home 'Ashfield' on what is now Beta Street. In 1874 Archibald Cameron was facing bankruptcy and sold his farm lots to Daniel Horner, who later served as a prominent member of Etobicoke Township's Council; Horner Avenue is named after him. The naming of Alderwood's main street was a hotly debated issue in the early community between the Brown and O'Connor families; today it is called Brown's Line.
Alderwood Subdivided
About 1920 what is now Alderwood was first planned as an extension of the newly incorporated Town of New Toronto
New Toronto
The historic Town of New Toronto is a neighbourhood in the south-west end of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the south-centre of the former Township of Etobicoke and was an independent municipality from 1913 to 1967, one of the former 'Lakeshore Municipalities'...
and was originally called 'New Toronto Heights' or 'New Toronto Park ' with the first streets planned in a simple grid pattern with names from the Greek alphabet (Beta, Gamma, Delta). Alderwood was still part of the original Etobicoke township. In 1933 Alderwood became a postal village remaining in Etobicoke Township although closely connected to the independent municipalities Long Branch and New Toronto to the south, but separated by the railway. Although Alderwood did not undergo significant growth until after the second world war, many industries moved into the area along Brown's Line during the war years. Alderwood was further disconnected from the rest of Etobicoke Township to the north by the construction of the Queen Elizabeth Way in the 1930s and the industrialisation of much of Etobicoke immediately to the north which cemented Alderwood's closer attachment to the independent municipalities of Long Branch and New Toronto to the south. After the war, increased immigration, particularly from eastern Europe, led to the rapid urbanisation of the area which continued until the end of the 1960s.
Modern Alderwood
In 1967 the independent municipalities formed out of Etobicoke Township were re-amalgamated with Etobicoke to create the Borough of Etobicoke which became a city in 1983. In 1998 the City of Etobicoke was merged with six other cities and the 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...
government to form an amalgamated City of Toronto. With Alderwood remaining an area with only little commercial space and low-rise single homes, the neighbourhood experienced population stagnation and decline as the children of older residents moved out, forcing the Public School Board to close Franklin Horner Middle School and Alderwood Collegiate. Alderwood Collegiate became a Separate (Catholic) High School, 'Fr John Redmond' which has recently moved from the dilapidated site to a new home in New Toronto. The area has most recently been at the centre of a debate over historic preservation as the Horner's 'Ashfield' home at the centre of the community was demolished.
Character
Alderwood is characterized by single family homes, many of which were constructed at the end of the second world war. Schools in the neighbourhood include École Sir Adam Beck Junior School and Lanor Junior Middle School. The neighbourhood was formerly served by a high school (Alderwood Collegiate Institute, later Father John Redmond Secondary School), but the school is vacant today. Another closed school, Franklin Horner Junior Middle School, is home to the Franklin Horner Community Centre.The Alderwood Centre is a public complex that houses Sir Adam Beck Junior School, the Alderwood branch of the 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...
system, the Alderwood Action After School child care centre and the Alderwood Pool, a 25-yard public pool.
The south west quadrant of the neighbourhood is zoned industrial and is home to manufacturing and warehousing businesses of various sizes. Among these is a Daimler-Chrysler casting plant.
Schools
- Lanor Junior Middle School is a publicPublicIn public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
located at the west end Lanor Avenue. It was built in 1952. The school was originally a junior school and became a junior middle school in 1984 when Franklin Horner Middle School was closed. Lanor is known for its great sports teams who have won few competitions, however, have always been good sports. It is also famous for its drama program which puts on 3 performances a year and its music program with guitars for every student. Many students from Sir Adam Beck Junior School come to Lanor in Grade 6, since Sir Adam Beck only goes up to Grade 5. Lanor's home high school is Lakeshore CI.
- Sir Adam Beck Junior School is a publicPublicIn public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
on Horner Avenue south of the Gardiner ExpresswayGardiner ExpresswayThe Frederick G. Gardiner Expressway, colloquially referred to as "the Gardiner", is a municipal expressway in the Canadian province of Ontario, connecting downtown Toronto with its western suburbs...
and west of Browns Line. It was first opened in 1921 in the honour of the founder of Ontario HydroOntario HydroOntario Hydro was the official name from 1974 of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario which was established in 1906 by the provincial Power Commission Act to build transmission lines to supply municipal utilities with electricity generated by private companies already operating at Niagara...
. The new school was built on the same property in 1999. This School only goes up to grade 5.
- Douglas Park Public School was a publicPublicIn public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
located at the east end of Lanor Ave on the north east corner of the 14 acre property shared with Alderwood Collegiate Institute. It opened in the mid-1950 and taught classes from Junior Kindergarten to grade 6. Today, the building is occupied by the New Haven Learning Centre. New Haven, founded in 1998, is a charitable, non-profit organization committed to being a Centre of Excellence in the treatment and education of children with autismAutismAutism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
. Their mission is to contribute to the development of Canadian expertise in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) intervention by raising awareness and providing training and education to parents, professionals and the community.
- St Ambrose Catholic Elementary School is a catholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
on Coules Court and has served as an elementary school since the 1950s. Most of its students went on to the local high school Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary SchoolFather John Redmond Catholic Secondary SchoolFather John Redmond is a high school located in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada operated by the Toronto Catholic District School Board.-History:During a period of reorganization by public school boards across Ontario following a decision by the Ontario Government to extend funding of Catholic schools to...
after completing grade 8. - Franklin Horner Community Centre which opened in the early 1990s was originally Franklin Horner Public School, a publicPublicIn public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
. It was built on Horner Avenue in 1910 between Gamma Street and Beta Street; the date plaque faces Gamma Street. It became Franklin Horner Junior High School for grades seven and eight when Lanor Public School opened in 1952. Lanor Public School was built for kindergarten to grade six. Franklin Horner Public School was built on land donated by the Horner family for children. Later called Franklin Horner Middle School, it closed in 1984 due to a decline in student enrolment.
- The first publicPublicIn public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
high schoolHigh schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in the Alderwood area, built on Valermo Drive was Alderwood Collegiate Institute. It opened September 6, 1955 with the official opening ceremony November 1955. The school closed in June 1983, and was later occupied by Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary SchoolFather John Redmond Catholic Secondary SchoolFather John Redmond is a high school located in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada operated by the Toronto Catholic District School Board.-History:During a period of reorganization by public school boards across Ontario following a decision by the Ontario Government to extend funding of Catholic schools to...
, which has since moved to the former 'Lakeshore Asylum' grounds in New TorontoNew TorontoThe historic Town of New Toronto is a neighbourhood in the south-west end of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the south-centre of the former Township of Etobicoke and was an independent municipality from 1913 to 1967, one of the former 'Lakeshore Municipalities'...
. Alderwood Collegiate Institute has had a third life in the entertainment industry as the set the mid-1980's CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
children's series The Edison TwinsThe Edison TwinsThe Edison Twins is a Canadian children's television program which aired on CBC Television from 1983 to 1986. The Disney Channel also picked up the rights in the mid-1980s...
and again in 2010 as the set for the Steven SpielbergSteven SpielbergSteven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
television series Falling SkiesFalling SkiesFalling Skies is an American science fiction dramatic television series created by Robert Rodat and produced by Steven Spielberg. The series picks up six months into a world devastated by an alien invasion...
.
Institutions
- Alderwood Public Library
- Alderwood Public Pool
- Alderwood Plaza
- Alderwood Memorial Park
- Connorvale Park (named after O'Connor family home)
- Ashfield Historic Home (demolished)
- Franklin Horner Community Centre (formerly Franklin Horner Middle School)
Churches
- St Ambrose Roman Catholic Church
- Alderwood United Church
- Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Slovenian Catholic Church
- Holy Family Coptic Catholic Church
Sports
- Alderwood Softball Association
- Alderwood Softball History