Finch Avenue
Encyclopedia
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.
hotel at the northeast corner of Finch Avenue and Yonge Street
in Toronto. The road allowance was a concession road
, and at one time, there were a number of older churches, schoolhouses, and cemeteries on each side of the road. In the 1950s, Ontario Hydro
constructed a series of transmission lines around Toronto, and paralleled Finch from Highway 400 eastward into Pickering
. This routing is also a compressed natural gas
pipeline
.
As suburban development in North York progressed northward in the 1960s, Finch was rapidly reconstructed from a gravel road into a four-laned traffic artery. This began with the realignment of several sections, such as at Bayview where Newtonbrook Creek flows diagonally beneath the crossroads. A rail overpass west of Leslie was built by 1968.
West of Islington Avenue, Finch ended at the Humber River
. Traffic proceeding west had to travel on Islington, northwards towards Steeles Avenue
, or south across the Humber to Albion Road. As urban development came to the Toronto area, a Finch Avenue alignment was developed in this area, and was completed in the 1980s within Toronto (at Islington), and then briefly into Mississauga with the construction of Highway 427, and Brampton
, turning northwestward onto the Gorewood Road concession (formerly Toronto Gore Township Concession 3). The road now ends at Steeles Avenue
, where Gorewood Road is cut off by Highway 407. The concession is then called MacVean Drive in northeastern Brampton, north of Queen Street, the former Highway 7
. It then continues into Caledon as Centerville Creek Road.
between Keele
and Jane Streets) to collapse, leaving a deep pit that prevented any pedestrian or vehicular traffic from passing through. The crater left where a 4 lane roadway once was is approximately 20–25 feet (7 metres) deep. Two lanes reopened in late 2005, and the remaining lanes opened in April 2006.
On July 24, 2009 two sink holes appeared on Finch Avenue West between Dufferin Street
and Bathurst Street
.
, located at the intersection of Finch Avenue and Yonge Street
, is the northernmost station of the Toronto subway
network and is a major regional transit hub. The station features a large TTC bus terminal, and the adjoining Finch Bus Terminal is a hub for GO Transit
, Viva
and York Region Transit
buses. Finch Avenue is served by TTC buses 24 hours a day, with the 36 Finch West (309 Blue Night), and 39 Finch East (308 Blue Night). There are also two express routes serving Finch Avenue. Route 139 Finch-Don Mills Express is a peak-hour bus that serves the Don Mills Station
on the Sheppard Subway line and the 199 Finch Rocket is an all day route serving Scarborough Centre Station
on the Scarborough RT.
As a part of the canceled Transit City
light rail plan, Finch Avenue would have been served by the Etobicoke-Finch West LRT, which would have run in the median of Finch Avenue West.
), few major landmarks are located on Finch; it runs primarily through business and residential areas. When it intersects Yonge in Uptown
, there are located office high-rises and condominiums.
Most of Finch Avenue west of Morningside Avenue is a four to six-lane principal arterial, with a speed limit of 60 km/h (35–40 mph) in most sections. East of Morningside, Finch is a discontinuous collector or minor arterial road (as Old Finch Avenue to Meadowvale) and detours via Meadowvale Road, Plug Hat Road and Beare Road. The road was broken up by residential development and Rouge Park. The street continues briefly east of Beare Road, and enters into the City of Pickering
in Durham Region after Scarborough-Pickering Townline.
In Pickering, Finch Avenue is also known as Durham Road # 37 and continues east to Brock Road (Durham Regional Road 1). It ends at a cul-de-sac at Kingston Road
(Durham Regional Road # 2 and formerly Highway 2
), and the highway follows this concession line to the eastern boundary of Oshawa
.
In Mississauga and Brampton, Finch Avenue is also known as Peel Regional Road 2, and is the shortest road corridor under the jurisdiction of the Region of Peel.
, and the northern edge of the Toronto Zoo
.
Concession road
In Upper and Lower Canada, concession roads were laid out by the colonial government through undeveloped land to define lots to be developed; the name comes from a Lower Canadian French term for a row of lots. Concession roads are straight, and follow an approximately square grid, usually oriented...
which travels east–west through the 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...
. The road also has short extensions into Peel and Durham Regions as Peel Regional Road 2 and Durham Regional Road 37.
History
The street is named after hotel owner John Finch, who operated John Finch's HotelJohn Finch's Hotel
Finch Hotel opened in 1848 by John Finch on Lot # 2, Concession # 1 , Toronto owned by Thomas Johnson since the late 1790s. Finch Hotel was operated by a series of innkeepers:* Thomas Palmer 1848-1860* John Likens 1860-1864* John Fenley 1869-1871...
hotel at the northeast corner of Finch Avenue and 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...
in Toronto. The road allowance was a concession road
Concession road
In Upper and Lower Canada, concession roads were laid out by the colonial government through undeveloped land to define lots to be developed; the name comes from a Lower Canadian French term for a row of lots. Concession roads are straight, and follow an approximately square grid, usually oriented...
, and at one time, there were a number of older churches, schoolhouses, and cemeteries on each side of the road. In the 1950s, Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro
Ontario 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...
constructed a series of transmission lines around Toronto, and paralleled Finch from Highway 400 eastward into Pickering
Pickering, Ontario
Pickering is a city located in Southern Ontario, Canada immediately east of Toronto in Durham Region. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, the largest metropolitan area in Canada.- Early Period :...
. This routing is also a compressed natural gas
Compressed natural gas
Compressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...
pipeline
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
.
As suburban development in North York progressed northward in the 1960s, Finch was rapidly reconstructed from a gravel road into a four-laned traffic artery. This began with the realignment of several sections, such as at Bayview where Newtonbrook Creek flows diagonally beneath the crossroads. A rail overpass west of Leslie was built by 1968.
West of Islington Avenue, Finch ended at the Humber River
Humber River (Ontario)
The Humber River is one of two major rivers on either side of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the other being the Don River to the east. It was designated a Canadian Heritage River on September 24, 1999....
. Traffic proceeding west had to travel on Islington, northwards towards 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...
, or south across the Humber to Albion Road. As urban development came to the Toronto area, a Finch Avenue alignment was developed in this area, and was completed in the 1980s within Toronto (at Islington), and then briefly into Mississauga with the construction of Highway 427, and Brampton
Brampton
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada.Brampton may also refer to:- Canada :* Brampton, a city in Ontario** Brampton GO Station, a station in the GO Transit network located in the city- United Kingdom :...
, turning northwestward onto the Gorewood Road concession (formerly Toronto Gore Township Concession 3). The road now ends at 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...
, where Gorewood Road is cut off by Highway 407. The concession is then called MacVean Drive in northeastern Brampton, north of Queen Street, the former Highway 7
Highway 7 (Ontario)
King's Highway 7, commonly referred to as Highway 7 and historically as the Northern Highway, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
. It then continues into Caledon as Centerville Creek Road.
Sink holes
On August 19, 2005 a freak rainstorm in Toronto caused the Black Creek water level to rise, which caused a section of Finch Avenue West near Sentinel Road (due south of York UniversityYork 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....
between Keele
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...
and Jane Streets) to collapse, leaving a deep pit that prevented any pedestrian or vehicular traffic from passing through. The crater left where a 4 lane roadway once was is approximately 20–25 feet (7 metres) deep. Two lanes reopened in late 2005, and the remaining lanes opened in April 2006.
On July 24, 2009 two sink holes appeared on Finch Avenue West between 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...
and Bathurst Street
Bathurst Street (Toronto)
Bathurst Street is a main north-south thoroughfare in Toronto. It begins at the Lake Ontario shoreline and continues north to the Toronto boundary of Steeles Avenue...
.
Transit hub
Finch StationFinch (TTC)
Finch is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 5714 Yonge Street between Finch Avenue East and West...
, located at the intersection of Finch Avenue and 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...
, is the northernmost station of the Toronto 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...
network and is a major regional transit hub. The station features a large TTC bus terminal, and the adjoining Finch Bus Terminal is a hub for 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...
, Viva
Viva (bus rapid transit)
Viva is a bus rapid transit service operating in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Viva service is integrated with York Region Transit's local bus service to operate as one regional transit system providing seamless transit service across York Region and connections to northern Toronto.Viva was...
and York Region Transit
York Region Transit
York Region Transit is the public transit operator in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are in Richmond Hill, at 50 High Tech Road....
buses. Finch Avenue is served by TTC buses 24 hours a day, with the 36 Finch West (309 Blue Night), and 39 Finch East (308 Blue Night). There are also two express routes serving Finch Avenue. Route 139 Finch-Don Mills Express is a peak-hour bus that serves the Don Mills Station
Don Mills (TTC)
Don Mills is the eastern terminus station of the Sheppard line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is also a "Vivastation" on the Viva Green line of York Region's Viva bus rapid transit system...
on the Sheppard Subway line and the 199 Finch Rocket is an all day route serving Scarborough Centre Station
Scarborough Centre (TTC)
Scarborough Centre is a station on the Scarborough RT line of the Toronto subway and RT. It is located north of Ellesmere Road between Brimley and McCowan Roads, just south of Highway 401...
on the Scarborough RT.
As a part of the canceled Transit City
Transit City
Transit City was a plan for developing public transport in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was first proposed and announced by then-Toronto Mayor David Miller and Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission Adam Giambrone on March 16, 2007...
light rail plan, Finch Avenue would have been served by the Etobicoke-Finch West LRT, which would have run in the median of Finch Avenue West.
Neighbourhoods
Other sites and neighbourhoods along Finch:- Wild Water KingdomWild Water KingdomWild Water Kingdom is located in Brampton, Ontario, and was Canada's largest water-based fun park until Calypso Park was built in 2010. Opened in 1986, the park is located next to the Clairville Reservoir, Clairville Conservation Area and the Humber River...
— at Steeles Avenue East (Brampton)Steeles AvenueSteeles 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...
, located within BramptonBramptonBrampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada.Brampton may also refer to:- Canada :* Brampton, a city in Ontario** Brampton GO Station, a station in the GO Transit network located in the city- United Kingdom :...
, OntarioOntarioOntario 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....
. - Humber CollegeHumber CollegeHumber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning is a polytechnic college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Humber offers more than 150 programs including: bachelor’s degree, diploma, certificate, post-graduate certificate and apprenticeship programs, across 40 fields of study. Humber serves...
Main Campus, near Highway 27Highway 27 (Ontario)Highway 27, formerly known as King's Highway 27, was a provincially maintained highway in southern Ontario that is now cared for by the city of Toronto, York Region and Simcoe County. It is considered an undivided expressway in Toronto's municipal expressway network... - Etobicoke General Hospital
- Albion Mall — at Albion and Kipling AvenueKipling AvenueKipling Avenue, originally named Mimico Avenue, is a street in the Etobicoke district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a concession road, 6 concessions from Yonge Street, and is a major north–south arterial road that also extends beyond Toronto, into the Regional Municipality of York.The...
- Thistletown Regional Centre for Children and Adolescents
- ThistletownThistletownThistletown is a culturally diverse neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Thistletown is also a part of the Rexdale community in the northern part of Etobicoke. It consists of the area surrounding the intersection of Albion Road and Islington Avenue in the former City of Etobicoke...
- RexdaleRexdaleRexdale is a neighbourhood located in the north-west corner of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It covers the northern section of Etobicoke, which was an independent city until it merged with five other municipalities and a regional government to form the new City of Toronto in 1998. Rexdale was named...
- Emery — at Weston RoadWeston RoadWeston 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....
- York-Finch Hospital — Humber River Regional
- Yorkgate Mall — near Jane Street
- Norfinch Mall — near Jane Street
- Jane Finch Mall — near Jane Street
- York UniversityYork UniversityYork 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....
, north on Keele StreetKeele StreetKeele 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...
and Sentinel Road - G. Ross Lord Dam and Reservoir, on the Don RiverDon River (Toronto)The Don River is one of two rivers bounding the original settled area of Toronto, Ontario along the shore of Lake Ontario, the other being the Humber River to the west. The Don is formed from two rivers, the East and West Branches, that meet about north of Lake Ontario while flowing southward into...
(Western Branch), near Dufferin StreetDufferin StreetDufferin 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...
/Allen RoadAllen RoadWilliam 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... - North York Branson Hospital, near Bathurst Street
- Herb Carnegie North York Centennial Recreation Complex (opposite Branson)
- Esther Shiner Stadium, behind Northview Heights SS at Bathurst
- Finch Transit TerminalFinch (TTC)Finch is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 5714 Yonge Street between Finch Avenue East and West...
at Yonge StreetYonge StreetYonge 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...
. - Finch Parkette — site of John Finch's HotelJohn Finch's HotelFinch Hotel opened in 1848 by John Finch on Lot # 2, Concession # 1 , Toronto owned by Thomas Johnson since the late 1790s. Finch Hotel was operated by a series of innkeepers:* Thomas Palmer 1848-1860* John Likens 1860-1864* John Fenley 1869-1871...
and tavern in 1848; demolished in 1873 - Historic Zion Schoolhouse near Leslie Street
- Old Cummer GO Station at Leslie Street
- Seneca CollegeSeneca CollegeSeneca 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:...
Newnham Campus at Highway 404 - Bridlewood Mall at Warden Avenue
- Scarborough Grace Hospital at Birchmount Road
- Woodside Mall at McCowan Road
- MalvernMalvern, TorontoMalvern is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with a population of 44,315. It is located in the northeast corner of the city, in the district of Scarborough. Scarborough was merged with five other municipalities and a regional government to form the new City of Toronto in 1998...
- Rouge Park at the Rouge RiverRouge River (Ontario)The Rouge River is a two river system. Little Rouge and Rouge River are in the east and the northeast parts of Toronto and begin in the Oak Ridges Moraine in Richmond Hill and Whitchurch-Stouffville...
- Toronto ZooToronto ZooThe Toronto Zoo is a zoo located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened August 15, 1974 as the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo and is owned by the City of Toronto; the word "Metropolitan" was dropped from its name when the cities of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto were amalgamated to form the...
Street details
Despite its length (one of the longest streets in the Greater Toronto AreaGreater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
), few major landmarks are located on Finch; it runs primarily through business and residential areas. When it intersects Yonge in Uptown
Uptown Toronto
Uptown Toronto has traditionally been a name given to the area north of Downtown Toronto. As the portion of the city that could be considered to be downtown or midtown has grown, the region has pushed further north....
, there are located office high-rises and condominiums.
Most of Finch Avenue west of Morningside Avenue is a four to six-lane principal arterial, with a speed limit of 60 km/h (35–40 mph) in most sections. East of Morningside, Finch is a discontinuous collector or minor arterial road (as Old Finch Avenue to Meadowvale) and detours via Meadowvale Road, Plug Hat Road and Beare Road. The road was broken up by residential development and Rouge Park. The street continues briefly east of Beare Road, and enters into the City of Pickering
Pickering, Ontario
Pickering is a city located in Southern Ontario, Canada immediately east of Toronto in Durham Region. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, the largest metropolitan area in Canada.- Early Period :...
in Durham Region after Scarborough-Pickering Townline.
In Pickering, Finch Avenue is also known as Durham Road # 37 and continues east to Brock Road (Durham Regional Road 1). It ends at a cul-de-sac at Kingston Road
Kingston Road (Toronto)
Kingston Road is the southernmost major road along the eastern portion of Toronto, specifically in the districts of East York and Scarborough. Until 1998, it formed a significant portion of Highway 2...
(Durham Regional Road # 2 and formerly Highway 2
Highway 2 (Ontario)
King's Highway 2, usually referred to simply as Highway 2 is a provincially maintained highway in Ontario. Once the primary east–west route across the southern end of the province, Highway 2 became mostly redundant in the 1960s following the completion of Highway 401, which more or less...
), and the highway follows this concession line to the eastern boundary of Oshawa
Oshawa
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
.
In Mississauga and Brampton, Finch Avenue is also known as Peel Regional Road 2, and is the shortest road corridor under the jurisdiction of the Region of Peel.
Side streets
Pawnee Avenue and Old Finch Avenue are both former alignments of Finch Avenue. Pawnee Avenue runs along the former North York Township road alignment between Highway 404 and Victoria Park Avenue. Old Finch Avenue runs in northeastern Scarborough, and includes a section of the original road alignment east of Morningside Avenue to Meadowvale Avenue, including the routing through the Rouge ParkRouge Park
Rouge Park will become an urban national park located along the border of Toronto and Pickering, Ontario, Canada. It will be Canada's first national park within a municipality....
, and the northern edge of the Toronto Zoo
Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo is a zoo located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened August 15, 1974 as the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo and is owned by the City of Toronto; the word "Metropolitan" was dropped from its name when the cities of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto were amalgamated to form the...
.