The Kingsway
Encyclopedia
The Kingsway, known also as Kingsway South, is a residential neighbourhood of Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada. It is located in the former City of Etobicoke, an area that became the west end of Toronto upon amalgamation in 1998. It is bounded by Bloor Street
to the south, Dundas Street
to the north, the Mimico Creek
to the west and the Humber River
to the east. While the area was first known as "Kingsway Park", popular usage drifted to "The Kingsway", that being the name of the main road which winds through the heart of the area. "The Kingsway" is also the name of the Business Improvement Association
business district along Bloor Street. The Kingsway is one of the more affluent areas in Toronto, the average housing price as of May 2011 was $1,464,263.
For planning purposes the neighbourhood is known officially by the City of Toronto as "Kingsway South" to differentiate it from a more recent extension of The Kingsway north of Dundas Street. "Kingsway South" does not enjoy popular usage owing to confusion with the South Kingsway, a busy street located east of the Humber River and extending south from Bloor Street.
The Kingsway Garden Subdivision
The neighbourhood was first developed by Etobicoke lawyer Robert Home Smith who purchased the old King's Mill (which was renamed the Old Mill
, reopening as a high-end Inn) and began developing land in the early 1900s. The Kingsway emerged out of Home Smith's vision of the ideal community and was mostly inspired by the Garden City
principles, which were originally conceived in parts of England
and the United States
during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Indeed, Smith was a big fan of everything English, and this inclination instructed his ideas for the neighbourhood. By the 1920s, those ideas culminated into the development, which he named Kingsway Park.
"Tastefully appointed" traditional homes were sited on well-treed and winding streets, to create an air of a wooded retreat. Home Smith also decreed that no owner could build a house without the approval of his staff, and he developed strict regulations against the cutting of trees. Most of the homes were designed in the Arts and crafts
style, which had become popular during that time. Smith insisted on the use of locally-sourced materials for the houses in Kingsway Park, such as sandstone quarried from around the Humber River and Credit River
areas.
Kingsway Park was aimed at affluent home buyers. Street names such as Queen Anne Road and Kingsgarden Road emphasized the appearance of English respectability and affluence that Smith was selling. Smith also created the Old Mill Restaurant
in the community, whose Tudor Revival facade and well-appointed interior inspired much of the English design in the Kingsway.
Despite its well-intentioned approach to traditionalism, the Kingsway was a neighbourhood built for the automobile
, and all houses were built with discreetly placed garages, as per Smith's wishes.
Modern Development
In the 1950s a series of accidents led to the creation of a highway style interchange at Royal York and Dundas, cutting the neighourhood from the much older community of Islington to the west and the street 'The Kingsway' from its extension to the north. Consequently the neighbourhood along the Kingsway north of Dundas developed in a radically different way than that to the south had done. The stretch of Bloor east of Prince Edward Drive near the entrance to the street 'the Kingsway' and the Old Mill saw the construction of many apartment buildings in this period.
The community in the Kingsway has been very successful in preserving the style of housing and atmosphere of the neighbourhood as intended by Robert Home Smith; the area contains many of Etobicoke's most prestigious addresses. Local residents are also very involved in questions of development and maintenance such as the preservation of 'the Kingsway' theatre.
is the southern boundary of the neighbourhood and also a major east-west arterial roadway and commercial district. Prince Edward runs north-south from south of Bloor north to Dundas Street West. It is a two-lane arterial roadway. The Kingsway road is a two-lane road beginning in the south-east corner of the neighbourhood extending northerly in a north-west direction past Dundas Street. Dundas Street West is the northern boundary of the neighbourhood and also a major east-west arterial roadway. There is some commercial and institutional uses along the roadway within the neighbourhood.
and Old Mill
TTC
subway stations. The 73 Royal York and 48 Rathburn buses run north from the Royal York station. The 66 Prince Edward bus line run north and south from the Old Mill station.
Churches
Entertainment
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. It is located in the former City of Etobicoke, an area that became the west end of Toronto upon amalgamation in 1998. It is bounded by 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...
to the south, 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...
to the north, the Mimico Creek
Mimico Creek
Mimico Creek is a 33 km watercourse with its headwaters in Brampton, Ontario, and its mouth in Toronto, Ontario.The watershed lies between the Humber River to the east and Etobicoke Creek to the west....
to the west and 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....
to the east. While the area was first known as "Kingsway Park", popular usage drifted to "The Kingsway", that being the name of the main road which winds through the heart of the area. "The Kingsway" is also the name of the Business Improvement Association
Business improvement district
A business improvement district is a defined area within which businesses pay an additional tax or fee in order to fund improvements within the district's boundaries. Grant funds acquired by the city for special programs and/or incentives such as tax abatements can be made available to assist...
business district along Bloor Street. The Kingsway is one of the more affluent areas in Toronto, the average housing price as of May 2011 was $1,464,263.
For planning purposes the neighbourhood is known officially by the City of Toronto as "Kingsway South" to differentiate it from a more recent extension of The Kingsway north of Dundas Street. "Kingsway South" does not enjoy popular usage owing to confusion with the South Kingsway, a busy street located east of the Humber River and extending south from Bloor Street.
History
The area now known as 'The Kingsway' is a combination of three distinct areas:- the first area to be built on was south of Government Road, east of Prince Edward Drive which formed the government 'King's' Mill Reserve; a large forested area with the 'Old Mill' at the centre, on Bloor beside the Humber River. This part of the modern Kingsway, now centred on the street 'The Kingsway', was the least developed area until the neighbourhood was subdivided; it is now the most exclusive (and leafy) part of the Kingsway as well as its namesake; the street 'the Kingsway' beginning at gates beside the Old King's Mill.
- along Dundas from the Humber River to Royal York was the Etobicoke side of York Township's community of Lambton MillsLambton MillsThe Village of Lambton Mills was a settlement at the crossing of Dundas Street and the Humber River. The settlement was on both sides of the Humber River, in both the former Etobicoke Township and York Township, within today's City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
. With a second mill on the western (Etobicoke) side, this area was the first to develop but is today the least affluent part of the Kingsway. - south of Bloor, west of Prince Edward Drive formed a typical farming community dominated by the Thompson family; sometimes called 'Thompson Estates' by local developers. Today this community is only slightly less affluent than the former Kingsmill, although picturesque along the Mimico Creek which winds through the former Thompson farms. One of the two Thompson homes, Spring Bank Cottage', survives facing Royal York at the top of the hill overlooking Mimico Creek.
The Kingsway Garden Subdivision
The neighbourhood was first developed by Etobicoke lawyer Robert Home Smith who purchased the old King's Mill (which was renamed the Old Mill
Old Mill Inn & Spa
The Old Mill Inn and Spa is an English-style inn and restaurant in The Kingsway neighbourhood of the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke. It is located off Bloor Street, overlooking the Humber River along 2.5 hectares, at 21 Old Mill Road...
, reopening as a high-end Inn) and began developing land in the early 1900s. The Kingsway emerged out of Home Smith's vision of the ideal community and was mostly inspired by the Garden City
Garden city movement
The garden city movement is a method of urban planning that was initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by "greenbelts" , containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and...
principles, which were originally conceived in parts of 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...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Indeed, Smith was a big fan of everything English, and this inclination instructed his ideas for the neighbourhood. By the 1920s, those ideas culminated into the development, which he named Kingsway Park.
"Tastefully appointed" traditional homes were sited on well-treed and winding streets, to create an air of a wooded retreat. Home Smith also decreed that no owner could build a house without the approval of his staff, and he developed strict regulations against the cutting of trees. Most of the homes were designed in the Arts and crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
style, which had become popular during that time. Smith insisted on the use of locally-sourced materials for the houses in Kingsway Park, such as sandstone quarried from around the Humber River and Credit River
Credit River
The Credit River is a river in southern Ontario which flows from headwaters above the Niagara Escarpment to empty into Lake Ontario at Port Credit, Mississauga. It drains an area of approximately 1,000 km²...
areas.
Kingsway Park was aimed at affluent home buyers. Street names such as Queen Anne Road and Kingsgarden Road emphasized the appearance of English respectability and affluence that Smith was selling. Smith also created the Old Mill Restaurant
Old Mill Inn & Spa
The Old Mill Inn and Spa is an English-style inn and restaurant in The Kingsway neighbourhood of the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke. It is located off Bloor Street, overlooking the Humber River along 2.5 hectares, at 21 Old Mill Road...
in the community, whose Tudor Revival facade and well-appointed interior inspired much of the English design in the Kingsway.
Despite its well-intentioned approach to traditionalism, the Kingsway was a neighbourhood built for the automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
, and all houses were built with discreetly placed garages, as per Smith's wishes.
Modern Development
In the 1950s a series of accidents led to the creation of a highway style interchange at Royal York and Dundas, cutting the neighourhood from the much older community of Islington to the west and the street 'The Kingsway' from its extension to the north. Consequently the neighbourhood along the Kingsway north of Dundas developed in a radically different way than that to the south had done. The stretch of Bloor east of Prince Edward Drive near the entrance to the street 'the Kingsway' and the Old Mill saw the construction of many apartment buildings in this period.
The community in the Kingsway has been very successful in preserving the style of housing and atmosphere of the neighbourhood as intended by Robert Home Smith; the area contains many of Etobicoke's most prestigious addresses. Local residents are also very involved in questions of development and maintenance such as the preservation of 'the Kingsway' theatre.
Character
The neighbourhood is predominantly residential with a mixed-use (commercial and residential) area along Bloor and Dundas Streets. The majority of the housing stock is single-family detached homes. There are apartment and condominium buildings near the Old Mill subway station, as well as in mixed-use buildings along Bloor and Dundas Streets. A rail line runs through the north-west quadrant of the neighbourhood. Parkland lines the banks of the Humber River and Mimico Creek.Main streets
Bloor StreetBloor 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...
is the southern boundary of the neighbourhood and also a major east-west arterial roadway and commercial district. Prince Edward runs north-south from south of Bloor north to Dundas Street West. It is a two-lane arterial roadway. The Kingsway road is a two-lane road beginning in the south-east corner of the neighbourhood extending northerly in a north-west direction past Dundas Street. Dundas Street West is the northern boundary of the neighbourhood and also a major east-west arterial roadway. There is some commercial and institutional uses along the roadway within the neighbourhood.
Transportation
The area is served by the Royal YorkRoyal York (TTC)
Royal York is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 3012 Bloor Street West at Royal York Road.-History:The station was opened in 1968 in what was then the Borough of Etobicoke....
and Old Mill
Old Mill (TTC)
Old Mill is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 2672 Bloor Street West at Old Mill Terrace/Humber Boulevard.The station is built into the side of the Humber River valley...
TTC
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:...
subway stations. The 73 Royal York and 48 Rathburn buses run north from the Royal York station. The 66 Prince Edward bus line run north and south from the Old Mill station.
Schools
- Kingsway College School an independent school affiliated with the Anglican Church, located at 4600 Dundas Street West.
- Lambton-Kingsway Junior Middle School is a publicPublicIn public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
elementary schoolElementary schoolAn 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...
on Prince Edward Drive, close to the intersection of Dundas Street WestDundas 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...
and Royal York RoadRoyal York RoadRoyal York Road, historically known as Church Street or New Church Street, is a north-south arterial road in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a concession road, 5 concessions west of Yonge Street, and runs through many residential neighbourhoods, most notably Mimico and the Kingsway...
. The present building opened in January 1993. - Our Lady of Sorrows Elementary School is a CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
school situated on Montgomery Road near the intersection of Bloor StreetBloor StreetBloor 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...
and Royal York Road. Established in 1942 out of Etobicoke's oldest parish, Our Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church, KingswayOur Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church, KingswayOur Lady of Sorrows is a Roman Catholic church in Toronto's western district of Etobicoke, in the exclusive the Kingsway neighbourhood. The parish includes the central section of Etobicoke where two much earlier catholic missions once served as the first Roman Catholic places of worship in...
. Our Lady of Sorrows once served much of the then largely rural, Etobicoke until post war urbanisation led to the creation of many new parishes to the north. Our Lady of Sorrows is now a feeder school for Bishop Allen AcademyBishop Allen AcademyBishop Allen Academy is a high school located in the The Queensway – Humber Bay neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is managed by the Toronto Catholic District School Board.- History :...
. The original school building was demolished from 2001–2002 and in 2003 the new school building was completed.
- Bishop Allen AcademyBishop Allen AcademyBishop Allen Academy is a high school located in the The Queensway – Humber Bay neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is managed by the Toronto Catholic District School Board.- History :...
is a Catholic high school located on Royal York Rd. - Etobicoke Collegiate InstituteEtobicoke Collegiate InstituteEtobicoke Collegiate Institute is a large high school located at the former centre of Etobicoke in the historic Islington neighbourhood in Toronto's west end, and is overseen by the Toronto District School Board...
(ECI) is a large high school, overseen by the Toronto District School Board. It was founded in the fall of 1928 and is one of Toronto's oldest schools, the first and traditionally central school for Etobicoke.
Institutions
- Old Mill Inn & SpaOld Mill Inn & SpaThe Old Mill Inn and Spa is an English-style inn and restaurant in The Kingsway neighbourhood of the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke. It is located off Bloor Street, overlooking the Humber River along 2.5 hectares, at 21 Old Mill Road...
- Brentwood Library
- Kingsway Mills Shopping Plaza
- Park Lawn Cemetery
- Home Smith Park
- Kings Mill Park
Churches
- Kingsway Baptist Church
- Kingsway-Lambton United Church
- Royal York Road United Church
- All Saints Anglican Church
- Our Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic ChurchOur Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church, KingswayOur Lady of Sorrows is a Roman Catholic church in Toronto's western district of Etobicoke, in the exclusive the Kingsway neighbourhood. The parish includes the central section of Etobicoke where two much earlier catholic missions once served as the first Roman Catholic places of worship in...
- St.Georges on the Hill, Anglican Church
Entertainment
- Kingsway Movie Theatre Restored by Rui Pereira - The Kingsway Theatre operates daily with matinees and evening shows - playing recent releases and first run films.