Playter Estates
Encyclopedia
Playter Estates is an area in the east end of Toronto
, Canada
bounded by Jackman Avenue to the east, the Don River Valley to the west, Danforth Avenue
in the south, and Fulton Avenue in the north. The neighbourhood
is built on land once owned by the Playter family for whom two streets in the area are named. The old farmhouse of the Playter household at 28 Playter Crescent is now the Playter Mansion, which is often used for various films, television shows, and commercials.
The neighbourhood is historically Greek
, but is increasingly popular among artists and business professionals. The advent of Taste of the Danforth
, a weekend long celebration of Danforth Avenue cuisine and culture, has made the area far more popular in recent years.
Although the increasing home prices in the community cater to the upper-middle class, the neighbourhood still tends to lean to the left
of the political spectrum
, mainly supporting New Democratic Party
candidates in provincial and federal elections. The area is also home to comedian and CBC series host Rick Mercer
.
and died around 1820-1822 in what is now Toronto
.
He emigrated from England
to Pennsylvania
, where he married Elizabeth Welding. During the American Revolution
,
he seized military documents for the British and was granted a commission as a Loyalist
captain. He moved with his family first to Nova Scotia
, then Kingston
in 1783, then finally to Toronto
in 1793, where Lieutenant Governor Simcoe
, to whom he may have been related by marriage, granted him 2000 acres (8 km²) of land in York Township. He built a house, Drumsnab, on what is now Drumsnab Road near about Castle Frank
.
According to his son Ely's diary, George was captured at Drumsnab in 1813 by American troops looking for munitions, provincial archives and militia officers, but was quickly released. George had at least three daughters (Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary) and five sons (John, James, Ely, Watson and George), and is remembered today mainly as the progenitor of the family that gave its name to the Playter Estates neighbourhood.
Ely was an MPP. His son John married Sarah Ellerbeck, for whom Ellerbeck Street is named. John's grandson John Lea Playter built the farmhouse at 28 Playter Crescent, the lands surrounding which were subdivided by 1912 to form the Playter Estates. Jackman Avenue is named for John Lea Playter's wife Mary Jackman. George Playter Jr. ran the first stage coach line between Newmarket and York along Yonge Street.
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...
, 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...
bounded by Jackman Avenue to the east, the Don River Valley to the west, 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...
in the south, and Fulton Avenue in the north. The neighbourhood
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
is built on land once owned by the Playter family for whom two streets in the area are named. The old farmhouse of the Playter household at 28 Playter Crescent is now the Playter Mansion, which is often used for various films, television shows, and commercials.
The neighbourhood is historically Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, but is increasingly popular among artists and business professionals. The advent of Taste of the Danforth
Taste of the Danforth
Taste of the Danforth is a yearly festival held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in the Greektown area along Danforth Avenue for a period of three days in August, spawned from the Taste of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Started in 1994, it celebrates Greek food and culture every second...
, a weekend long celebration of Danforth Avenue cuisine and culture, has made the area far more popular in recent years.
Although the increasing home prices in the community cater to the upper-middle class, the neighbourhood still tends to lean to the left
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
of the political spectrum
Political spectrum
A political spectrum is a way of modeling different political positions by placing them upon one or more geometric axes symbolizing independent political dimensions....
, mainly supporting New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
candidates in provincial and federal elections. The area is also home to comedian and CBC series host Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer
Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger.Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in...
.
Playter family
George Henry Playter was born around 1736 in SurreySurrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and died around 1820-1822 in what is now 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...
.
He emigrated from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, where he married Elizabeth Welding. During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
,
he seized military documents for the British and was granted a commission as a Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
captain. He moved with his family first to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, then Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
in 1783, then finally to 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...
in 1793, where Lieutenant Governor Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe was a British army officer and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1791–1796. Then frontier, this was modern-day southern Ontario and the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior...
, to whom he may have been related by marriage, granted him 2000 acres (8 km²) of land in York Township. He built a house, Drumsnab, on what is now Drumsnab Road near about Castle Frank
Castle Frank (TTC)
Castle Frank is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 600 Bloor Street East at Castle Frank Road, near the former location of Viaduct streetcar loop, which was the longtime terminus of the Parliament streetcar.-Entrances:*The main entrance to...
.
According to his son Ely's diary, George was captured at Drumsnab in 1813 by American troops looking for munitions, provincial archives and militia officers, but was quickly released. George had at least three daughters (Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary) and five sons (John, James, Ely, Watson and George), and is remembered today mainly as the progenitor of the family that gave its name to the Playter Estates neighbourhood.
Ely was an MPP. His son John married Sarah Ellerbeck, for whom Ellerbeck Street is named. John's grandson John Lea Playter built the farmhouse at 28 Playter Crescent, the lands surrounding which were subdivided by 1912 to form the Playter Estates. Jackman Avenue is named for John Lea Playter's wife Mary Jackman. George Playter Jr. ran the first stage coach line between Newmarket and York along Yonge Street.