Crescent Town, Toronto
Encyclopedia
Crescent Town is a neighbourhood in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
, in the former borough
of East York
. It is located near Victoria Park Avenue
and Danforth Avenue
. It mainly consists of high-rise apartment complexes, built originally to take advantage of the opening of the adjacent Victoria Park subway station
, which connects to the central quadrangle via a partially covered walkway.
, Canada's first major industrialist, purchased a 240 acre (1 km²) country property centered around Dawes Road and Victoria Park Avenue. The Massey farm was named Dentonia after Mrs. Massey's family whose surname was Denton. The Massey farm sold fresh eggs and poultry as well as fresh trout which was caught in the many streams and rivulets that criss-crossed the farm. The Massey farm was also the home of the City Dairy Company which produced the first pasteurized milk in Canada.
In 1933, Susan Massey generously gave 40 acres (160,000 m²) of the Dentonia farm to Crescent School
where her grandsons were educated. Crescent School operated at Dentonia until 1969 when this property was sold to the developers who built the present day Crescent Town neighbourhood.
Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland
of the television series 24
was a Crescent Town resident. He spent part of his childhood in Crescent Town and attended the Crescent Town Elementary School, where he first met former Mayor of Toronto
, David Miller
.
, Jamaica
n, Pakistan
i, and Tamil Canadians. This part of the city is well-known as "Bangla Town" due to the Bangladeshi population majority. There are lots of Bangladeshi-owned business near the neighbourhood (Victoria Park-Danforth).
Some of the buildings are condominiums (Massey Square), while others are rental apartments (Crescent Place).
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...
, in the former borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of East York
East York
East York can refer to:*East York, Pennsylvania, United States*East York, Ontario, Canada...
. It is located near 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...
and Danforth Avenue
Danforth Avenue
Danforth Avenue is an east-west arterial road in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its western end begins in Old Toronto from the Prince Edward Viaduct as a continuation of Bloor Street and continues through East York until intersecting with Kingston Road in Scarborough...
. It mainly consists of high-rise apartment complexes, built originally to take advantage of the opening of the adjacent Victoria Park subway station
Victoria Park (TTC)
Victoria Park is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 777 Victoria Park Avenue, one block north of Danforth Avenue. The station itself can be accessed by pedestrians via Victoria Park Avenue, or via Albion Avenue, or via a walkway that leads...
, which connects to the central quadrangle via a partially covered walkway.
History
Crescent Town was founded in 1887 when Walter Massey, the son of Hart MasseyHart Massey
Hart Almerrin Massey was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist born in Haldimand Township in what was then known as Upper Canada. His parents were Daniel Massey and Lucina Bradley...
, Canada's first major industrialist, purchased a 240 acre (1 km²) country property centered around Dawes Road and Victoria Park Avenue. The Massey farm was named Dentonia after Mrs. Massey's family whose surname was Denton. The Massey farm sold fresh eggs and poultry as well as fresh trout which was caught in the many streams and rivulets that criss-crossed the farm. The Massey farm was also the home of the City Dairy Company which produced the first pasteurized milk in Canada.
In 1933, Susan Massey generously gave 40 acres (160,000 m²) of the Dentonia farm to Crescent School
Crescent School
Crescent School is an independent elementary and secondary boys school in Toronto, Canada. Established in 1913 by John William James, the school was situated in several locations in its early years. In 1933, Susan Denton Massey, the aunt of Governor General Vincent Massey, gifted land to the...
where her grandsons were educated. Crescent School operated at Dentonia until 1969 when this property was sold to the developers who built the present day Crescent Town neighbourhood.
Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland is an English-born Canadian actor, producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24 for which he has won an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite...
of the television series 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
was a Crescent Town resident. He spent part of his childhood in Crescent Town and attended the Crescent Town Elementary School, where he first met former Mayor 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...
, David Miller
David Miller (Canadian politician)
David Raymond Miller is a Canadian politician. He was the 63rd Mayor of Toronto and the second since the 1998 amalgamation. He was elected to the position in 2003 for a three-year term and re-elected in 2006 for a four-year term...
.
Current status
It is a multicultural neighborhood, whose population includes extensive numbers of BengaliBengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
, Jamaica
Jamaican Canadian
Jamaican Canadians are Canadians of Jamaican descent, or Jamaican-born people with Canadian citizenship. The population, according to Canada's 2006 Census, is 231,110. Jamaican Canadians comprise about 30% of the entire black Canadian population.-History:...
n, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i, and Tamil Canadians. This part of the city is well-known as "Bangla Town" due to the Bangladeshi population majority. There are lots of Bangladeshi-owned business near the neighbourhood (Victoria Park-Danforth).
Some of the buildings are condominiums (Massey Square), while others are rental apartments (Crescent Place).