Riverdale, Toronto - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Riverdale is a large neighbourhood in 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....

, 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 bounded by 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...

and Greektown to the north, Jones Avenue, the CN/GO

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...

tracks, and Leslieville

Leslieville

Leslieville is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada east of the Don River bounded by the Canadian National railway line and Gerrard Street to the north, Empire Avenue to the west, Eastern Avenue to south, and Coxwell Avenue to the east.-History:...

to the east, and Lake Shore Boulevard to the south.

The popular teen drama

Teen drama

A teen drama is a dramatic television series with a major focus on teenage characters. The genre was relatively non-existent for the first 45 years of television; it came into prominence in the early 1990s...

shows The Kids of Degrassi Street

The Kids of Degrassi Street

The Kids of Degrassi Street is a Canadian children's TV show which aired from 1979 to 1986, and is the first in the Degrassi series, aboutthe lives of a group of children living on Degrassi Street in Toronto, Canada...

, Degrassi Junior High

Degrassi Junior High

Degrassi Junior High is a Canadian CBC Television teen drama series that was produced from 1987-1989 as part of the Degrassi series. The show followed the lives of a group of students attending the titular fictional school...

, Degrassi High

Degrassi High

Degrassi High is the third television show in the Degrassi series of teen dramas about the lives of a group of kids living on or near De Grassi Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It first aired from 1989 to 1991 and followed the kids from Kids of Degrassi Street and Degrassi Junior High through...

, and Degrassi: The Next Generation

Degrassi: The Next Generation

Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...

are named after the South Riverdale street of the same name

De Grassi Street

De Grassi Street is a sidestreet located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was named after Captain Filippo "Philip" De Grassi, an Italian-born soldier who emigrated to Canada with his family in 1831 and settled in York, Upper Canada. He later became a member of the Family Compact.De Grassi Street is...

Character

Known by many Torontonians as a thriving residential neighbourhood, from the strong arts community that caters to independent galleries on Queen St, to the large corporate film studios along the waterfront. Riverdale was formerly a town before it was annexed by the City of Toronto in 1884. Its tree-lined side-streets are complemented by the various styles of Victorian

Victorian architecture

The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...

and Edwardian

Edwardian architecture

Edwardian architecture is the style popular when King Edward VII of the United Kingdom was in power; he reigned from 1901 to 1910, but the architecture style is generally considered to be indicative of the years 1901 to 1914....

residential architecture, primarily built between the 1880s and the Great Depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

. The neighbourhood has seen the rise and fall of prosperity over the past century. The grand homes built on some streets are a testimony to prosperous times. Despite this rich housing stock, the area was considered to be down-and-out in the 1970s. Since then, the area has rebounded dramatically and is now a trendy and expensive residential district, attracting many young professionals and families.

The main commercial streets in the neighborhood are: Danforth Avenue

Danforth Avenue

which has a high concentration of Greek restaurants in addition to a variety of boutique and mainstream shops; Gerrard Street East, home to Asian shops and restaurants of East Chinatown and the Gerrard Square Mall; and Queen Street East featuring a variety of restaurants, cafes, and small shops.

The neighbourhood features three large recreational parks; Riverdale Park, adjacent to the Don River

Don 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...

, Withrow Park

Withrow Park

Withrow Park is a park in the Riverdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Laid out and constructed in the 1910s, at the same time that the surrounding community was built, Withrow Park is among Toronto's large multi-purpose parks...

, in the north east of Riverdale, and Jimmie Simpson Park, in the southeast.

Schools

Riverdale Collegiate Institute
Riverdale Collegiate Institute
Riverdale Collegiate Institute is a high school located at Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1907 and was at that time on the outskirts of the city. It was extensively renovated in the 1990s but the original facade was maintained. It is the academic school for lower east end Toronto.On...

is the neighbourhood's local high-school.
Earl Grey Senior Public School is the area's local middle school, grade 7-8.
Quest Alternative School is the area's original alternative middle school, and one of the first in Toronto. Consisting of 68 students and 4 staff, Quest celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2008. The school's motto is: "Structure to learn and freedom to grow", and its focus is on student-centered learning and diverse curriculum.
East Alternative School of Toronto is another local alternative middle school, specializing in social justice and visual arts. It also has 68 students and accepts students from all over Toronto.
Withrow Avenue Junior Public School, Jackman Avenue Junior Public School , Frankland Community School, are the three local junior public schools in North Riverdale.
Holy Name Catholic School is overseen by the Toronto Catholic District School Board and teaches grades K - 8.
'Montcrest School is located on Montcrest Boulevard and several houses on Broadview Avenue just north of Riverdale Park. The school is relatively small with just over 300 students, which leads to a much more personal environment. Montcrest School has classes from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8, Montcrest school is also a private school who has been in operation since 1961, previously operating under the name The January School. Montcrest is a non-denominational school, and has offered an enhanced education program for children with learning special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...

needs.

Institutions

Riverdale is also home to Bridgepoint Health

Bridgepoint Health

Bridgepoint Health is a rehabilitation hospital in Toronto and affiliated with the University of Toronto. Its mission includes rehabilitation, treatment of complex chronic disease and management of disability.-Location:...

(formerly Riverdale Hospital), and the Don Jail

Don Jail

The Toronto Jail is a provincial jail for remanded offenders in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Riverdale neighbourhood on Gerrard Street East near its intersection with Broadview Avenue. It gets its nickname from the nearby Don River...

, both at the corner of Broadview Avenue and Gerrard Street East.

The Riverdale Zoo was Toronto's zoological park before the opening 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...

in the early 1970s. Now called Riverdale Farm

Riverdale Farm

Riverdale Farm is a municipally operated farm in the heart of Cabbagetown, an urban neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is maintained by Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division....

, it continues as an educational farm for school children and the general public. Oddly, Riverdale Farm is not actually in the Riverdale neighbourhood, but is located west of the Don River in 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....

. The two neighbourhoods are closely linked even though they are separated by the Don River

Don River (Toronto)

. Also home to the former of location of the Ralph Day

Ralph Day

Ralph C. Day was Mayor of Toronto, Ontario from 1938 to 1940. He was also an accomplished funeral director, owning his own funeral home. He also served as chairman of the Toronto Transit Commission in the 1960s and 1970s....

Funeral Home which has since been relocated from its location on Danforth Avenue

Danforth Avenue

east of Broadview Avenue

Parks and recreation

There are three medium to large sized parks in Riverdale. At the west edge between Broadview Avenue and the Don Valley Parkway just north of Bridgepoint Health is Riverdale Park East

Riverdale Park (Toronto)

Riverdale Park is a large park spanning the Lower Don River, Toronto, Ontario, Canada between Cabbagetown to the west and Broadview Avenue in Riverdale to the east. Recreational fields for soccer, baseball, and Ultimate are available on both sides of the river with a swimming pool, tennis courts...

. This park features a running track, three baseball diamonds, a skating rink, a public swimming pool and tennis courts. At the south end, a community centre is under construction which was the former St. Matthew's Lawn Bowling Clubhouse which was relocated there in 2009. To the east is Withrow Park

Withrow Park

which has a large off-leash dog area, an ice rink, two baseball diamonds, play structures, and a soccer field. In the south is Jimmy Simpson Park which contains tennis courts and a community centre. In the southwest corner just north of Queen St. East on Broadview Avenue is the Royal Canadian Curling Club

Royal Canadian Curling Club

The Royal Canadian Curling Club, also known as the Royals is a curling club located in the Riverdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The clubhouse on Broadview Avenue was originally built in 1906 by the Royal Canadian Bicycle Club. In addition to cycling activities, the club has featured...

. The curling club features 6 sheets and hosts leagues for about 500 members.

Neighbourhoods within Riverdale

Riverdale is often said to refer to the stretch of Toronto east of the Don Valley Parkway and west of Jones, between Danforth Avenue (north) and Gerrard Street (south). However, this area is usually referred to as North Riverdale, and Riverdale itself covers a much wider area and includes many smaller communities, usually centred around a 'high street' or commercial area.

South Riverdale

South Riverdale, as its name suggests, is the southern half of the Riverdale neighbourhood. Its approximate boundaries are: the Don Valley Parkway

Don Valley Parkway

The Don Valley Parkway is a controlled-access six-lane municipal expressway in Toronto connecting the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto with Ontario Highway 401, the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway. North of Highway 401, it continues as Ontario Highway 404. The parkway runs through...

to the west, Jones Ave. to the east, Gerrard Street East to the north, and Lake Shore Boulevard to the south.

South Riverdale comprises many smaller neighbourhoods:

Riverside

Riverside, formerly known as the Queen Broadview Village is a small neighbourhood located within the larger neighbourhood of South Riverdale. Definite boundaries have never been drawn for Riverside, but according to the Riverside Business Improvement Area Plan's definitions it can be assumed that the borders are the Don River

Don River (Toronto)

to the west, Gerrard St. East to the north, Logan Avenue to the east and Eastern Ave. to the south.

Riverside is a mixed income and largely multicultural neighbourhood currently experiencing a trend of gentrification along Queen St. East and Broadview Ave. While it is a small neighbourhood it's home to several places of note such as the former Don Destructor, Toronto's only garbage incinerator, and Don Mount Court, a social housing project that is under redevelopment and will be rebuilt as part of a mixed social housing and market value community. The market value portion is being sold under the name Rivertowne. Unquestionably, the biggest landmark in the neighbourhood is the New Broadview House Hotel

New Broadview House Hotel

The New Broadview House Hotel is a four story hotel at Broadview Avenue and Queen Street East in Toronto, Ontario.Built in 1893, the Romanesque style hotel was built for Archibald Dingham and located in the historic neighbourhood of Riverdale....

, a romanesque hotel constructed in 1893 that was the tallest structure in South Riverdale for several decades. Other major landmarks include the Ralph Thornton Community Centre

Ralph Thornton Community Centre

The Ralph Thornton Community Centre is a community centre that forms the centre of the Leslieville/South Riverdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada. The neoclassical heritage structure was originally built by the federal government to house Postal Station G. Designed by one of Toronto's most noted...

, Broadview Lofts

Broadview Lofts

Broadview Lofts is a former warehouse that has been converted into condominiums in Toronto, Canada. It is located on Broadview Avenue just south of Queen Street East. This is a formerly industrial area, that has in recent years seen a number of condominium projects.The building was originally...

, and The Opera House

The Opera House (Toronto)

The Opera House is a music venue in Toronto, Canada. It is one of the city's most historic performing venues, opening in 1909. It has also been a cinema and a live theatre venue. It is located at 735 Queen Street East, east of downtown in the Riverdale neighbourhood.-History:It opened in 1909 as a...

.

The area was once home to a large young population which is evident in the cluster of schools just east of Broadview Ave. Dundas Jr. Public School is the resident school for children in kindergarten through to fifth grade, after which they are transferred over to Queen Alexandra Sr. Public School which sees students through to eighth grade. It is also home First Nations School of Toronto, a cultural survival school that places heavy emphasis on aboriginal values and culture, and the current location of SEED Alternative Secondary School, Canada's first public alternative school.

East Chinatown

Toronto's second largest 'china town', also known as East Chinatown is found at Broadview & Gerrard.

Studio District

The southern part of South Riverdale, just north of the Port Lands

Port Lands

The Port Lands of Toronto, Ontario, Canada are an industrial and recreational neighbourhood located about 5 kilometres south-east of downtown, located on the former Don River delta and most of Ashbridge's Bay....

, is what's called the Studio District. Industrial warehouses along Lakeshore Avenue house production studios and many people working in film and television live in the old Victorians found along the area's side streets. Carlaw and Queen has become an arts hub, with many artists choosing to run their studios from the various work-live lofts.

Jones Pocket

The Pocket, referred to by the city as Blake-Jones is a pocket of tree-lined streets with residences built from the 1870s to 1930s. The neighbourhood extends along Jones Avenue commencing at the cemetery south of Strathcona and extending down to Hunter. It is bordered by Danforth Avenue

Danforth Avenue

to the north, Pape Avenue to the west, Greenwood Avenue to the east and the CN Railway tracks just south of Riverdale/Boultbee Avenue to the south. The area which is east of Jones is also referred to as "The Pocket" by its residents.

Houses along Blake st are more affordable in this neighbourhood than in many areas of the city, and most homes are semi-detached

Semi-detached

Semi-detached housing consists of pairs of houses built side by side as units sharing a party wall and usually in such a way that each house's layout is a mirror image of its twin...

. There are also a lot of people living in public housing

Public housing

Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...

apartment and townhouse complexes.

While not a religious centre, by comparison, there is an above average number of people from the Muslim

Muslim

A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

and Greek Orthodox communities living in the area. The largest visible minority group is Chinese

Chinese people

The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....

.

There are three local elementary school

Elementary school

An 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...

s zoned to the area; Blake Street (which also houses East end Alternative), Earl Grey, and Pape Avenue. The high school

High school

High 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....

that is zoned to the area is Riverdale Collegiate Institute

Riverdale Collegiate Institute

Riverdale Collegiate Institute is a high school located at Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1907 and was at that time on the outskirts of the city. It was extensively renovated in the 1990s but the original facade was maintained. It is the academic school for lower east end Toronto.On...

. There is also an alternative high school, Eastern Commerce, in the Donlands/Danforth area.

The neighbourhood is served by the Pape

Pape (TTC)

Pape is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 650 Danforth Avenue at Pape Avenue. It was opened in 1966...

, Donlands

Donlands (TTC)

Donlands is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 990 Danforth Avenue at Donlands Avenue.-History:...

, and Greenwood

Greenwood (TTC)

Greenwood is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the Toronto subway system. It is located on the corner of Linnsmore Crescent and Strathmore Boulevard near 1177 Danforth Avenue, one block east of Greenwood Avenue...

subway stations and the 83 Jones bus route, and is also home to what is perhaps its best known landmark, the Greenwood Subway Yard

Greenwood Subway Yard

Greenwood Yard is a rail yard and support buildings that service subway vehicles on the Bloor–Danforth line of the Toronto subway system. It is located at 400 Greenwood Avenue, on the west side of Greenwood south of Danforth Avenue...

Other

Some Riverdale residents differentiate between "upper" and "lower" Riverdale. "Upper Riverdale" is characterized as the part of the neighbourhood north of Riverdale Ave., and "Lower Riverdale" is the area south of Riverdale Ave. In terms of the quality of the housing supply, homes built in "upper Riverdale" are more likely to be renovated, but "Lower Riverdale" contains more original and classic designs of the late 19th century. There are a number of remarkable century-old homes built on Simpson and Langley Avenues, the latter street named after Toronto's well-known early 20th century architect, and the former featuring the oldest Victorian houses in Riverdale. Of note, Simpson Avenue is home to the original six houses of Riverdale; located at the west end of the street and locally known as the 'Six Sisters.'
The area bounded by Dundas St. East in the south, Jones Ave. to the east, the railway tracks to the north, and Carlaw Ave. to the west is also referred to by local residents as "Badgerow," after a residential street that runs through the centre of that area. This pocket includes the legendary Maple Leaf Tavern, as well as a Sikh temple, Turkish cultural centre and Jewish cemetery, in addition to the Gerrard Square shopping mall.

Politics

Riverdale is in the political riding of Toronto-Danforth, and is currently represented in the Ontario provincial parliament by Peter Tabuns

Peter Tabuns

Peter Charles Tabuns is a Canadian politician. He is serving as a member of the Ontario Legislative Assembly where he represents the riding of Toronto-Danforth as a member of the New Democratic Party. He launched a bid to lead the party after the previous leader, Howard Hampton, resigned. A...

, deputy leader of the New Democratic Party of Ontario. Municipally, Riverdale is in Toronto Ward 30, represented by Toronto city councillor Paula Fletcher

Paula Fletcher

Paula Fletcher is a Canadian politician. In 2003, she was elected to the Toronto City Council for Ward 30 Toronto-Danforth.-Background:...

. Federally it was represented by Jack Layton

Jack Layton

John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...

, the late leader of the federal New Democrats

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...

, but the seat became vacant upon his death.

Federally the riding, known for many years as Broadview

Broadview (electoral district)

Broadview was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1979. This riding was created in 1933 from parts of Toronto East and Toronto—Scarborough ridings....

and then Broadview—Greenwood, has been represented by New Democrats from 1962 (the first federal election after the party was formed) until 1988, when Liberal

Liberal Party of Canada

The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...

Dennis Mills

Dennis Joseph Mills is a Canadian businessman and former politician. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Toronto-Danforth in the east-end of downtown Toronto. He now sits on the board of directors of Magna International....

won the seat. Mills held the riding until 2004, when the New Democratic Party regained the seat in the 2004 Canadian federal election.

Provincially, the riding was known as Riverdale from the 1914 Ontario provincial election

Ontario general election, 1914

The Ontario general election, 1914 was the 14th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 29, 1914, to elect the 111 Members of the 14th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....

until the 1999 Ontario provincial election

Ontario general election, 1999

An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....

when the number of provincial ridings were reduced and given the same borders and names as federal ridings, in this case Broadview—Greenwood and, more recently, Toronto—Danforth. In all its guises it has elected a New Democrat in every election since 1963.

1964 By-Election

The 1964 Riverdale by-election

By-election

A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....

set the model for NDP campaigns. Under the campaign management of Gerald Caplan

Gerald Caplan

Gerald Lewis Caplan, PhD is a Canadian academic, public policy analyst, commentator and political activist. He has had a varied career in academia, as a political organizer for the New Democratic Party, in advocacy around education, broadcasting and African affairs and as a commentator in various...

, and Stephen Lewis

Stephen Lewis

Stephen Henry Lewis, is a Canadian politician, broadcaster and diplomat. He was the leader of the social democratic Ontario New Democratic Party for most of the 1970s. During many of the those years as leader, his father David Lewis was simultaneously the leader of the Federal New Democratic Party...

, and Marjorie Pinney the NDP canvassed every household three times, identified all their supporters, and then they got out the vote

Get out the vote

"Get out the vote" are terms used to describe two categories of political activity, both aimed at increasing the number of votes cast in one or more elections.- Non-partisan contexts :...

. This strategy is also known as PIG

PIG (elections)

PIG is an electoral technique commonly employed in the United Kingdom, consisting of three steps:*Persuade — in which the organisation concerned convinces the public to support them—usually a political party attempting to solicit votes....

, Persuade, Identify, Get out the vote. Lawyer James Renwick

James Alexander Renwick

James Alexander Renwick was a Canadian politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1964 until his death....

won with 7,287 votes compared to 5,774 votes for the Conservatives and 5,771 votes for the Liberals.

Members of Provincial Parliament for Riverdale

Joseph Russell
Joseph Russell (Canadian politician)
Joseph Russell was a Toronto businessman and politician.The eldest son of John Russell, who was a brick maker and stone cutter, Joseph Russell was a brick manufacturer owning the brickworks at 1308 Queen Street East at Alton Avenue...

, Conservative, 1914–1919
Joseph McNamara
Joseph McNamara
Joseph McNamara was an Ontario political figure. He represented Riverdale in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1919 to 1923 as the only member of the Soldier Party and supported the United Farmers of Ontario-Independent Labour Party government of E.C. Drury that took office following the...

, Soldier
Soldier (party)
During and following the First World War, several people ran in Canadian elections as soldiers. They had themselves listed on the ballot as Soldier Party, "Soldier-Farmer Party", "Soldier-Labour Party", or “Independent Soldier”....

, 1919–1923
George Oakley
George Oakley
George Oakley was a building contractor, sports team president and political figure in Ontario. He represented Riverdale in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1923 to 1934 as a Conservative member....

, Conservative, 1923–1934
Robert Aloysius Allen, Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...

, 1934–1936
William Summerville
William Summerville
William Arthur Summerville was a municipal and provincial politician in Toronto, Canada.Summerville was born in Bruce County and moved with his family to Toronto at age three. His first career was as a musician. He played cornet for the 48th Highlanders and toured North America with different...

, Conservative, 1937–1943
Leslie Wismer
Leslie Wismer
Leslie E. Wismer was a trade union official and a member of the Ontario legislature representing Riverdale, Toronto for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1943 to 1945 and again from 1948 until 1951....

, Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...

, 1943–1945
Gordon Millen
Gordon Millen
Gordon Millen was a politician from Toronto, Canada. He served several years on city council before being elected as a Member of Provincial Parliament....

, Progressive Conservative, 1945–1948
Leslie Wismer, Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, 1948–1951
Robert Macaulay
Robert Macaulay
Robert William Macaulay was a Canadian politician.Robert William Macaulay was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as the Progressive Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament for the Toronto riding of Riverdale in the 1951 Ontario election...

, Progressive Conservative, 1951–1964
James Renwick, New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...

, 1964–1984
David Reville
David Reville
David Reville is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1985 to 1990, and was later an advisor to the government of Bob Rae. Reville is a member of the New Democratic Party....

, New Democratic Party, 1985–1990
Marilyn Churley, New Democratic Party, 1990–2005
Peter Tabuns
Peter Tabuns
Peter Charles Tabuns is a Canadian politician. He is serving as a member of the Ontario Legislative Assembly where he represents the riding of Toronto-Danforth as a member of the New Democratic Party. He launched a bid to lead the party after the previous leader, Howard Hampton, resigned. A...

, New Democratic Party, 2006–present

Notable roads

Don Valley Parkway
Don Valley Parkway
The Don Valley Parkway is a controlled-access six-lane municipal expressway in Toronto connecting the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto with Ontario Highway 401, the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway. North of Highway 401, it continues as Ontario Highway 404. The parkway runs through...
Broadview Avenue
De Grassi Street
De Grassi Street
De Grassi Street is a sidestreet located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was named after Captain Filippo "Philip" De Grassi, an Italian-born soldier who emigrated to Canada with his family in 1831 and settled in York, Upper Canada. He later became a member of the Family Compact.De Grassi Street is...
Eastern Avenue
Eastern Avenue (Toronto)
Eastern Avenue is an east-west street in Toronto, Canada. It runs from just east of Parliament Street in the downtown to just west of Coxwell Avenue, near the Beaches neighbourhood. Originally Eastern crossed the Don River at the Old Eastern Avenue Bridge, but that bridge was disconnected in 1964...

Dundas Street
Dundas Street (Toronto)
Dundas Street, also known as Highway 5 west of Toronto, is a major arterial road connecting the centre of that city with its western suburbs and southwestern Ontario beyond...

East
Gerrard Street East
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...

Notable people

Bashir Makhtal
Bashir Makhtal
Bashir Ahmed Makhtal , is a Canadian citizen held in an Ethiopian prison where he is accused of terrorism and faces the death penalty. It is alleged that he is being held against international law, but he has been frequently visited by Canadian embassy officials in Ethiopia and received lawyer...
Steven Page
Steven Page
Steven Jay Page , is a Canadian musician. Along with Ed Robertson, he was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies ; he left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career....
William Allen
William Allen (Canadian politician)
William Randall Allen, QC was a Toronto politician who served as the Chairman of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto from 1962 to 1969 and is the namesake of the W.R. Allen Expressway . Metropolitan Toronto was created by the Province of Ontario in 1952 and comprised Toronto, North York,...
John Sewell
John Sewell
John Sewell, CM is a Canadian political activist and writer on municipal affairs; he was the mayor of Toronto, Ontario from 1978 to 1980.-Background:...
Tom Clifford
Tom Clifford
Tom Clifford is a former municipal politician in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.He served twenty-seven years as an elected official as School Trustee for the Toronto Board of Education and as a City of Toronto Councillor representing the East Toronto and Riverdale area.In a 1978 federal...
Paul Christie
Paul Christie
Paul Christie is a municipal politician and administrator in Ontario, Canada. He served as a Toronto and Metro Councillor for the Metro ward of East Toronto from 1985–1997 and as supervisor of the Toronto District School Board for the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 school years.Christie was born in...
Derwyn Shea
Derwyn Shea
Derwyn Shea is an Anglican Church of Canada clergyman and a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a municipal politician in the city of Toronto for 12 years, and sat as a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 1999, representing the riding of...
Steve Stavro
Steve Stavro
Steve Atanas Stavro, CM , born Manoli Stavroff Sholdas, was a Macedonian Canadian businessman, grocery store magnate, Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder, sports team owner, and a noted philanthropist....
Ying Hope
Ying Hope
Ying L.K. Hope , P. Eng., was a Chinese Canadian politician, Toronto Public School Board trustee and Metro Toronto Councillor and Toronto Alderman....
Charles A. Walton
Charles A. Walton
Charles A. Walton was born in Toronto and attended Park and Earl Grey Public Schools, Riverdale Collegiate and Shaw's Business School. He pursued a career in real estate and was involved with Billy Summerville in the construction and operation of the Eastwood and Prince of Wales Theatres in...
Donald Dean Summerville
Donald Dean Summerville
Donald Dean Summerville was an east-end municipal politician in Toronto, Canada, and served as Mayor of Toronto, briefly, until his death.Summerville was born in Toronto to William Summerville and Alberta White...
Morley Callaghan
Morley Callaghan
Morley Callaghan, was a Canadian novelist, short story writer, playwright, TV and radio personality.-Biography:...
Desmond Morton
Desmond Morton (historian)
Desmond Dillon Paul Morton, OC, FRSC, CD is a Canadian historian who specializes in the history of the Canadian military, as well as the history of Canadian political and industrial relations....
Punch Imlach
Punch Imlach
George "Punch" Imlach , was an NHL coach and general manager. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Early career:...
Michael Hollett
Michael Hollett
Michael Hollett is co-founder and co-owner of Toronto's longest-running free alternative newsweekly, Now Magazine and Now Communications Inc. He was also that magazine's first music editor.Hollett was born in Oakville, Ontario to journalist parents...
Dennis Drainville
Dennis Drainville
Dennis Paul Drainville is a Canadian bishop an educator and politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1993; later taught Humanities and History for 12 years at the Cegep College de la Gaspésie et des Îles, and is now Anglican Bishop of Quebec.-Ontario...
Raphael Marcus
Raphael Marcus
Rabbi Raphael Marcus was a scholar of Halakha, a leader in the Toronto Jewish Community and a student of Mussar. He was well known within circles of Orthodox Judaism.-Biography:...
Michael Ironside
Michael Ironside
Michael Ironside is a Canadian-born actor. He has also worked as a voice actor, producer, film director, and screenwriter in movie and television series in various Canadian and American productions. He is best known for playing villains and "tough guy" heroes, though he has also portrayed...
Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva is the largest religious Zionist youth movement in the world, with over 125,000 members in 37 countries. It was established in Mandate Palestine in 1929.-History:...
David Reville
David Reville
David Reville is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1985 to 1990, and was later an advisor to the government of Bob Rae. Reville is a member of the New Democratic Party....
Melissa DiMarco
Melissa DiMarco
Melissa DiMarco is an actor, producer, and television personality. She is currently the star, creator, and a writer on Out There with Melissa DiMarco , an award-winning television comedy which airs on Citytv's national network, OMNI.1, and in syndication on OUTtv...
Robert S. Kenny
Robert S. Kenny
Robert S. Kenny was a member of the Communist Party of Canada, and a collector of books, documents, and other materials pertaining to the radical and labour movements, particularly in Canada....
Lynne Griffin
Lynne Griffin
Lynne Griffin is a Canadian actress. She is known for her work in film, television and stage.Griffin was born in Toronto, Ontario, the daughter of Kay, an actress, and James Joseph Griffin, a fashion photographer and soccer player. Currently, she is married to fellow actor Sean Gregory Sullivan.-...
Paul Soles
Paul Soles
Paul Robert Soles is a Canadian actor and television personality.-Acting roles:He is best known as the voice of Hermie the misfit elf in Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1964....
Gordon Massie
Gordon Massie
Gordon F. Massie was a Canadian politician and political activist.Born in Glasgow, Scotland and raised in the Gorbals district there, he was a machinist by trade. Massie become active with the trade union movement at age seventeen, becoming a member of the Amalgamated Engineering Union...
Christian Lander
William Peyton Hubbard
William Peyton Hubbard
William Peyton Hubbard , City of Toronto Alderman from 1894 to 1914, was a popular and influential politician, of particular historical note as the city's first politician of African descent.-Early years:...
KO
KO (musician)
Ko Kapches , better known by the stage name KO , is a Canadian musician whose music is a mix of folk, hip hop, reggae, rock and R&B —a sound which KO refers to as "urban-funk and urban-folk".-Early life and musical career:...

Character

Schools

Institutions

Parks and recreation

Neighbourhoods within Riverdale

South Riverdale

Riverside

East Chinatown

Studio District

Jones Pocket

Other

Politics

1964 By-Election

Members of Provincial Parliament for Riverdale

Notable roads

Notable people

See also