Mount Pleasant Road
Encyclopedia
Mount Pleasant Road is a major arterial thoroughfare
in the Canadian
city of Toronto
, Ontario
that travels from Jarvis Street
south of Bloor Street
north to Glen Echo Drive. The road is unique as one of the few arterial roads in Toronto to be created after the development of the suburbs which it passes through. These include the wealthy Rosedale
, Moore Park
and Lawrence Park
neighbourhoods. The road also passes through the centre of Mount Pleasant Cemetery
, after which it takes its name.
Mount Pleasant Road was first established in 1915 when the city of Toronto, having recently annexed Moore Park, purchased the right-of-way for a new road through the cemetery. This road opened to traffic in 1919, from St. Clair Avenue
to the Blythwood Ravine, south of Lawrence Avenue
. Several streets were absorbed into the length of Mount Pleasant Road in 1919, 1920 and 1935; the latest as part of a northward extension through Lawrence Park. In the late 1940s, what originally began as the Clifton Road Extension opened a new right-of-way between St. Clair Avenue and Jarvis Street, despite opposition from the Toronto Transit Commission
(TTC), bringing the road to its current length of 7.6 km (4.7 mi). This extension is considered Toronto's first expressway.
Between Bloor Street and York Mills Road
, Mount Pleasant Road is the first major thoroughfare east of Yonge Street
, the centreline of Toronto. It is classified by the city as a "major arterial",
with a speed limit of 50 km/h (31.1 mph) in most places. The road is 7.6 km (4.7 mi) in length.
Mount Pleasant begins as an extension of Jarvis Street, in downtown Toronto
. Until late 2009, Jarvis extended north to Bloor; however, this section was renamed Ted Rogers
Way on October 27, 2009, truncating Jarvis at Mount Pleasant.
The road forks to the northeast between large buildings and passes beneath Bloor Street, then crosses the Rosedale Ravine
. It passes through residential South Rosedale, entering a trench and passing beneath Crescent Drive. The road descends into the Yellow Creek ravine (crossing David A. Balfour
Park) along the former route of Roxborough Drive, then climbs to pass beneath the Canadian Pacific Railway
tracks. It continues to climb along the eastern bank of the ravine, entering Moore Park and turning north at St. Clair Avenue East. The road passes through the centre of Mount Pleasant Cemetery, after which it takes its name. It crosses the old Belt Line Railway trail, and winds northeast into Davisville Village.
Continuing north and resuming its straight northward course, Mount Pleasant passes through a historic commercial strip, then meets Eglinton Avenue East
.
It passes into a primarily residential area, though several auto service shops exist along this stretch, as well as Northern Secondary School
. The road heads slightly west south of Blythwood Road, then crosses Blythwood Ravine, which contains the small Burke's Brook. After climbing into Lawrence Park, the road meets Lawrence Avenue East
. This intersection, featuring a multi-stage traffic light
, directs driver to the east before continuing north. From here to the northern terminus, it is classified as a collector road
and is a wide residential street with several stop signs. The road ends near the edge of the West Don Valley at an intersection with Glen Echo Drive, adjacent to the Doncliffe Bus Loop.
, the village pressured the province to move the interred to a new burial ground; the trust purchased The Necropolis
.
As Toronto continued to grow, the need for a new cemetery grew. As a result, the trust purchased a 0.81 sqkm farm north of Deer Park. The new grounds, named Mount Pleasant Cemetery, opened to the public on November 4, 1876.
Thereafter, the "outer suburbs" of Rosedale, Deer Park, North Toronto and Moore Park grew, being annexed by the City of Toronto in 1905, 1908 and the latter two in 1912, respectively.
Mount Pleasant Road was constructed over the course of several years by interconnecting several existing streets as well as building a new road in other places; at that time, a road existed to the north and south of the cemetery. The road to the south, running between Clarence Street (renamed Heath Street on April 7, 1913) and Moore Avenue, was known as Lyle Street and Kinsman Avenue. The road to the north, running between Balliol Street and Merton Street, was known as Alberta Avenue.
In an attempt to improve the flow of traffic coming from within the city, the operators of Mount Pleasant Cemetery were approached beginning in 1912 with the goal of opening a new right-of-way through the property. The operators initially refused, prompting the city to pass By-law 7311 in March 1915, which allowed for the expropriation of the cemetery property. Over the next several months, the city and the Toronto General Burying Grounds Trustees bargained over the price of the land, settling for the extraordinary sum of $98,921.88 ($2,090,000, adjusted for inflation) by July; construction began the following spring. The route through Moore Park incorporated a small street known as Kinsman Avenue (known as Lyle Street until April 7, 1913),
while north of the cemetery, the short Alberta Avenue between Merton Street And Balliol Street was absorbed.
The muddy road was opened to traffic in 1919, featuring a paved bridge with streetcar tracks over the abandoned Belt Line Railway.
By the end of 1919, Mount Pleasant Road existed between St. Clair Avenue and Blythwood Road, ending at the rim of the Blythwood Ravine. Despite this, the road on the opposite rim was renamed from Sidmouth Avenue in 1920. Following the construction of the Vale of Avoca
in the first half of the 1920s, the newly formed Toronto Transit Commission
extended the St. Clair streetcar line east to Mount Pleasant Road December 1, 1924 and then north to Eglinton Avenue on November 4, 1925.
Between 1934 and 1936, after gaining approval from Lawrence Park developers, a bridge was constructed over the ravine and Mount Pleasant extended north to Lawrence Avenue. In 1935, Hilda Avenue was renamed, extending Mount Pleasant Road north to Forest Glen Crescent.
Prior to the opening of this route, a road travelled southwest from the intersection of Inglewood Drive and Clifton Road into the ravine, crossed Yellow Creek, and climbed up the opposite slope north to the corner of Avoca Avenue and Rosehill Drive; most of this route exists as a recreational path today. Roxborough Drive also crossed the ravine along the same route as Mount Pleasant today. A third route followed MacLennan Avenue north across the CPR tracks, ascending the steep MacLennan Hill. A decades-old contract signed with CPR required the closing of the MacLennan Avenue crossing if a road should ever pass beneath the tracks.
The Maclennan Hill was a dangerous and steep bottleneck for traffic leaving the inner city. The first recommendations involved creating an underpass beneath the CPR tracks. A vote was held on January 1, 1946, with an overwhelming majority of voters approving the project.
After several months of negotiation with residents of South Rosedale, bylaw 16622 formally approved the extension of Clifton Road to Jarvis Street on June 24, 1946.
Residents of Moore Park, opposed to the notion of widening their small residential street, approached city council in September 1948 to request the new extension connect to Mount Pleasant Road instead. A petition of residents followed, and city council accepted the recommendations. Bylaw 17489, passed February 7, 1949, formally approved the project. Despite the loss of ten houses, this plan was carried out.
Construction included a new bridge excavated at the intersection of Huntley and Jarvis Streets, requiring the TTC to divert its streetcar tracks to the south. The closing of the MacLennan Avenue CPR crossing resulted in the construction of a pedestrian overpass. Traffic descending the MacLennan Hill was directed west along a new road to Mount Pleasant.
On January 23, 1950, the Clifton Road Extension was renamed Mount Pleasant Road.
It opened to traffic on May 17, and is considered the first expressway in Toronto.
Arterial road
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
in the Canadian
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...
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....
that travels from Jarvis Street
Jarvis Street
Jarvis Street is a north-south thoroughfare in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, passing through some of the oldest developed areas in the city. Its alignment extends from Bloor Street in the north to Queens Quay East in the south. South of Front Street, it continues as Lower Jarvis Street...
south of Bloor Street
Bloor Street
Bloor Street is a major east–west residential and commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct westward into Mississauga, where it ends at Central Parkway. East of the viaduct, Danforth Avenue continues along the same...
north to Glen Echo Drive. The road is unique as one of the few arterial roads in Toronto to be created after the development of the suburbs which it passes through. These include the wealthy Rosedale
Rosedale, Toronto
Rosedale is an affluent neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which was formerly the estate of William Botsford Jarvis, and so named by his wife, granddaughter of William Dummer Powell, for the wild roses that grew there in abundance....
, Moore Park
Moore Park, Toronto
Moore Park is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It lies along both sides of St. Clair Avenue East between the Vale of Avoca section of Rosedale ravine and Moore Park ravine . The northern boundary is Mount Pleasant Cemetery and the southern the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks.The...
and Lawrence Park
Lawrence Park, Toronto
Lawrence Park is one of Toronto, Canada's most affluent residential neighbourhoods, along with Rosedale, the Bridle Path, and Forest Hill. It is also one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in Canada....
neighbourhoods. The road also passes through the centre of Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto
Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a cemetery located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.In the early 19th century, the only authorized cemeteries within the city of Toronto were limited to the members of either the Roman Catholic Church or the Church of England...
, after which it takes its name.
Mount Pleasant Road was first established in 1915 when the city of Toronto, having recently annexed Moore Park, purchased the right-of-way for a new road through the cemetery. This road opened to traffic in 1919, from St. Clair Avenue
St. Clair Avenue
St. Clair Avenue is a major east-west street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was laid out in the late 18th century by the British as a concession road , north of Bloor Street and north of Queen Street....
to the Blythwood Ravine, south of 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....
. Several streets were absorbed into the length of Mount Pleasant Road in 1919, 1920 and 1935; the latest as part of a northward extension through Lawrence Park. In the late 1940s, what originally began as the Clifton Road Extension opened a new right-of-way between St. Clair Avenue and Jarvis Street, despite opposition from 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:...
(TTC), bringing the road to its current length of 7.6 km (4.7 mi). This extension is considered Toronto's first expressway.
Route description
York Mills Road
York Mills Road is an east-west route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada named for the community of York Mills or Hoggs Hollow. "York" refers to York Township and "Mills" refers to the gristmill and sawmills in the Don River valley during 1804–1926. It is the former 10th concession road.York Mills runs...
, Mount Pleasant Road is the first major thoroughfare east 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...
, the centreline of Toronto. It is classified by the city as a "major arterial",
with a speed limit of 50 km/h (31.1 mph) in most places. The road is 7.6 km (4.7 mi) in length.
Mount Pleasant begins as an extension of Jarvis Street, in downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don River to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west...
. Until late 2009, Jarvis extended north to Bloor; however, this section was renamed Ted Rogers
Edward Samuel Rogers
Edward Samuel "Ted" Rogers, Jr., OC was the President and CEO of Rogers Communications Inc., and the fifth richest person in Canada in terms of net worth. His father Edward S. Rogers, Sr...
Way on October 27, 2009, truncating Jarvis at Mount Pleasant.
The road forks to the northeast between large buildings and passes beneath Bloor Street, then crosses the Rosedale Ravine
Castle Frank Brook
Castle Frank Brook is a buried creek and south-west flowing tributary of the Don River in central and north-western Toronto, Ontario, originating near the intersection of Lawrence Avenue and Dufferin Street....
. It passes through residential South Rosedale, entering a trench and passing beneath Crescent Drive. The road descends into the Yellow Creek ravine (crossing David A. Balfour
David A. Balfour
David A. Balfour was a municipal politician in Toronto, Canada. He was active in civic politics from 1939 until 1955. This included twelve years on the Board of Control, a longer service than anyone prior....
Park) along the former route of Roxborough Drive, then climbs to pass beneath the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
tracks. It continues to climb along the eastern bank of the ravine, entering Moore Park and turning north at St. Clair Avenue East. The road passes through the centre of Mount Pleasant Cemetery, after which it takes its name. It crosses the old Belt Line Railway trail, and winds northeast into Davisville Village.
Continuing north and resuming its straight northward course, Mount Pleasant passes through a historic commercial strip, then meets Eglinton Avenue East
Eglinton Avenue
Eglinton Avenue, originally known as the Richview Sideroad within Etobicoke, is an east-west arterial thoroughfare in Toronto and Mississauga, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Within Toronto, Eglinton Avenue is the only road which crosses through all six former boroughs...
.
It passes into a primarily residential area, though several auto service shops exist along this stretch, as well as Northern Secondary School
Northern Secondary School
Northern Secondary School is a public high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It teaches grades 9 through 12.Northern's football team, the Red Knights, have won numerous titles in Toronto's high school league...
. The road heads slightly west south of Blythwood Road, then crosses Blythwood Ravine, which contains the small Burke's Brook. After climbing into Lawrence Park, the road meets Lawrence Avenue East
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....
. This intersection, featuring a multi-stage traffic light
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
, directs driver to the east before continuing north. From here to the northern terminus, it is classified as a collector road
Collector road
A collector road or distributor road is a low to moderate-capacity road which serve to move traffic from local streets to arterial roads. Unlike arterials, collectors are also designed to provide access to residential properties...
and is a wide residential street with several stop signs. The road ends near the edge of the West Don Valley at an intersection with Glen Echo Drive, adjacent to the Doncliffe Bus Loop.
History
The outward growth of Toronto presented an ever increasing need for a dedicated burial ground. The Toronto General Burying Grounds Trust was formed by the owners of the Potter's Field cemetery, which lay at the northwest corner of Yonge and Bloor. As the cemetery blocked the growth of YorkvilleYorkville, Toronto
Yorkville is a district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, well known for its shopping. It is a former village, annexed by the City of Toronto. It is roughly bounded by Bloor Street to the south, Davenport Road to the north, Yonge Street to the east and Avenue Road to the west, and is considered part of...
, the village pressured the province to move the interred to a new burial ground; the trust purchased The Necropolis
Toronto Necropolis
Necropolis Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Toronto, located on the west side of the Don Valley near Riverdale Farm. Opened in 1850 to replace "Strangers' Burying Ground" , the cemetery is the resting place for many dead Torontonians including:* Joseph Bloor* William Lyon Mackenzie - Toronto's...
.
As Toronto continued to grow, the need for a new cemetery grew. As a result, the trust purchased a 0.81 sqkm farm north of Deer Park. The new grounds, named Mount Pleasant Cemetery, opened to the public on November 4, 1876.
Thereafter, the "outer suburbs" of Rosedale, Deer Park, North Toronto and Moore Park grew, being annexed by the City of Toronto in 1905, 1908 and the latter two in 1912, respectively.
Mount Pleasant Road was constructed over the course of several years by interconnecting several existing streets as well as building a new road in other places; at that time, a road existed to the north and south of the cemetery. The road to the south, running between Clarence Street (renamed Heath Street on April 7, 1913) and Moore Avenue, was known as Lyle Street and Kinsman Avenue. The road to the north, running between Balliol Street and Merton Street, was known as Alberta Avenue.
In an attempt to improve the flow of traffic coming from within the city, the operators of Mount Pleasant Cemetery were approached beginning in 1912 with the goal of opening a new right-of-way through the property. The operators initially refused, prompting the city to pass By-law 7311 in March 1915, which allowed for the expropriation of the cemetery property. Over the next several months, the city and the Toronto General Burying Grounds Trustees bargained over the price of the land, settling for the extraordinary sum of $98,921.88 ($2,090,000, adjusted for inflation) by July; construction began the following spring. The route through Moore Park incorporated a small street known as Kinsman Avenue (known as Lyle Street until April 7, 1913),
while north of the cemetery, the short Alberta Avenue between Merton Street And Balliol Street was absorbed.
The muddy road was opened to traffic in 1919, featuring a paved bridge with streetcar tracks over the abandoned Belt Line Railway.
By the end of 1919, Mount Pleasant Road existed between St. Clair Avenue and Blythwood Road, ending at the rim of the Blythwood Ravine. Despite this, the road on the opposite rim was renamed from Sidmouth Avenue in 1920. Following the construction of the Vale of Avoca
Vale of Avoca
The Vale of Avoca is the name of a deep ravine and of a large viaduct which carries St. Clair Avenue over the ravine, both within the city of Toronto. When built in the early 1920s, the triple arch bridge served to connect the well-established community of Deer Park with the developing community of...
in the first half of the 1920s, the newly formed 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:...
extended the St. Clair streetcar line east to Mount Pleasant Road December 1, 1924 and then north to Eglinton Avenue on November 4, 1925.
Between 1934 and 1936, after gaining approval from Lawrence Park developers, a bridge was constructed over the ravine and Mount Pleasant extended north to Lawrence Avenue. In 1935, Hilda Avenue was renamed, extending Mount Pleasant Road north to Forest Glen Crescent.
Clifton Road Extension
In November 1945, at the recommendation of the planning board, in an effort to improve traffic flow outward from the downtown core, city council initiated what would come to be known as the Clifton Road Extension.Prior to the opening of this route, a road travelled southwest from the intersection of Inglewood Drive and Clifton Road into the ravine, crossed Yellow Creek, and climbed up the opposite slope north to the corner of Avoca Avenue and Rosehill Drive; most of this route exists as a recreational path today. Roxborough Drive also crossed the ravine along the same route as Mount Pleasant today. A third route followed MacLennan Avenue north across the CPR tracks, ascending the steep MacLennan Hill. A decades-old contract signed with CPR required the closing of the MacLennan Avenue crossing if a road should ever pass beneath the tracks.
The Maclennan Hill was a dangerous and steep bottleneck for traffic leaving the inner city. The first recommendations involved creating an underpass beneath the CPR tracks. A vote was held on January 1, 1946, with an overwhelming majority of voters approving the project.
After several months of negotiation with residents of South Rosedale, bylaw 16622 formally approved the extension of Clifton Road to Jarvis Street on June 24, 1946.
Residents of Moore Park, opposed to the notion of widening their small residential street, approached city council in September 1948 to request the new extension connect to Mount Pleasant Road instead. A petition of residents followed, and city council accepted the recommendations. Bylaw 17489, passed February 7, 1949, formally approved the project. Despite the loss of ten houses, this plan was carried out.
Construction included a new bridge excavated at the intersection of Huntley and Jarvis Streets, requiring the TTC to divert its streetcar tracks to the south. The closing of the MacLennan Avenue CPR crossing resulted in the construction of a pedestrian overpass. Traffic descending the MacLennan Hill was directed west along a new road to Mount Pleasant.
On January 23, 1950, the Clifton Road Extension was renamed Mount Pleasant Road.
It opened to traffic on May 17, and is considered the first expressway in Toronto.
Major intersections
The following table lists the notable crossroads encountered along Mount Pleasant Road. The entirety of the road lies within the city of Toronto.| Location | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabbagetown Cabbagetown, Toronto Cabbagetown is a neighbourhood located on the east side of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It comprises "the largest continuous area of preserved Victorian housing in all of North America", according to the Cabbagetown Preservation Association.... |
0.0 | Jarvis Street Jarvis Street Jarvis Street is a north-south thoroughfare in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, passing through some of the oldest developed areas in the city. Its alignment extends from Bloor Street in the north to Queens Quay East in the south. South of Front Street, it continues as Lower Jarvis Street... |
Mount Pleasant becomes Jarvis Street |
| Moore Park Moore Park, Toronto Moore Park is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It lies along both sides of St. Clair Avenue East between the Vale of Avoca section of Rosedale ravine and Moore Park ravine . The northern boundary is Mount Pleasant Cemetery and the southern the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks.The... |
2.4 | St. Clair Avenue East St. Clair Avenue St. Clair Avenue is a major east-west street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was laid out in the late 18th century by the British as a concession road , north of Bloor Street and north of Queen Street.... |
St. Clair Avenue becomes a local street east of Mount Pleasant Road |
| Davisville Village | 3.5 | Davisville Avenue | |
| North Toronto North Toronto North Toronto was a town located in the northern part of the Old Toronto district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It occupies a geographically central location within the current boundaries of the city of Toronto. It is a relatively narrow strip, centred around Yonge Street; it extends from the CP... |
4.5 | Eglinton Avenue East Eglinton Avenue Eglinton Avenue, originally known as the Richview Sideroad within Etobicoke, is an east-west arterial thoroughfare in Toronto and Mississauga, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Within Toronto, Eglinton Avenue is the only road which crosses through all six former boroughs... |
|
| Lawrence Park Lawrence Park, Toronto Lawrence Park is one of Toronto, Canada's most affluent residential neighbourhoods, along with Rosedale, the Bridle Path, and Forest Hill. It is also one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in Canada.... |
5.6 | Blythwood Road | |
| 6.5 | Lawrence Avenue East 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.... |
Mount Pleasant Road becomes a collector road Collector road A collector road or distributor road is a low to moderate-capacity road which serve to move traffic from local streets to arterial roads. Unlike arterials, collectors are also designed to provide access to residential properties... north of Lawrence |
|
| 7.6 | Glen Echo Drive |