Eatonville

Who would have thought a department store could birth a neighbourhood? Here in Eatonville, the legacy of Timothy Eaton, the Canadian retail magnate, is woven into the very fabric of the streets. Eatonville isn’t just a name; it’s a whisper of the past, a testament to a time when this bustling community was a sprawling 400-acre farm. Timothy Eaton purchased the land in the late 19th century, not for houses, but for cows. He envisioned a steady supply of fresh milk for his downtown Toronto department store’s lunch counter and drugstore. This farm, alongside another in Georgetown, Ontario, became the agricultural heart of the Eaton empire. The Eaton Farm wasn’t just about milk; it supplied poultry and fresh vegetables to the store until the 1950s. Eaton’s generosity extended beyond his business. He donated a portion of his farm to establish a local elementary school. This act of philanthropy led to the school being named “Eatonville School,” a name that eventually encompassed the entire area. The original school, affectionately dubbed the “Swamp School” due to the marshy land and plentiful frogs, stood at the corner of Bloor Street and Highway 27. It was built on land donated by one of the area’s earliest settlers, Peter Shaver. The legacy of the Shaver family is also preserved in Eatonville. Their homestead, “Applewood House,” built in the 1850s, has been relocated to The West Mall and now serves as a local museum. While the farm is gone, replaced by the homes and businesses of Eatonville, the spirit of community and generosity remains. Eatonville is now home to the Etobicoke Civic Centre. This building once served as the city hall of the former City of Etobicoke. You’ll also find the Eatonville branch of the Toronto Public Library here, a modern structure rebuilt in 2003. So, as you stroll through the streets of Eatonville, remember the cows, the fresh milk, and the vision of a businessman who inadvertently shaped a community.