Toronto—Danforth

Toronto—Danforth. A name echoing with a curious blend of American ambition and Canadian grit. It all began with Asa Danforth, an American contractor commissioned in 1799 to carve a path that would eventually bear his name. Ironically, he didn’t actually build it. The Don and Danforth Plank Road Company took on that task in 1851, linking it to Broadview Avenue. This created a crucial route to the bustling communities near Queen Street East and Kingston Road. Initially, Toronto—Danforth was a secluded, almost forgotten area. Imagine a dusty country road meandering through open fields. Picture market gardens, brickyards, and scattered houses dotting the landscape. The occasional church and a few roadhouses offered respite for Torontonians seeking weekend escapes. The Don Valley and Don River, natural barriers, contributed to its isolation. However, industry began to sprout north of Toronto—Danforth in the early 1790s. Factories and mills lined the east bank of the Don Valley, drawn by the water power and the rich clay deposits perfect for brick-making. As Toronto’s population swelled with immigrants in the late 1800s, the city expanded. In 1884, the city annexed the undeveloped lands south of Toronto—Danforth. This area stretched north of Queen Street East, east of the Don River, all the way to Greenwood. Later, in 1909, the lands north of Toronto—Danforth and east of Donlands Avenue, including Chester Village, became part of Toronto. The arrival of better transportation was key to Toronto—Danforth’s growth. In 1888, the Toronto Street Railway introduced a streetcar line along Broadview Avenue. This ran from Queen Street East to the corner of Danforth Avenue. The municipally-owned Toronto Civic Railways launched its Danforth line east of Broadview Avenue in 1913. The completion of the Bloor Viaduct in 1919 was a pivotal moment. This bridge finally connected Toronto—Danforth to the city via Bloor Street. Initially known as the Bloor Street Viaduct, it was renamed the Prince Edward Viaduct. This honored Prince Edward, later King Edward VIII, after his enthusiastically received visit to Toronto. Immigrants from England, Ireland, and Scotland were the first to settle in this new suburb. Italians arrived in the 1950s. Greeks and other immigrant groups followed in the 1960s. By the mid-1970s, many second-generation Greeks and Italians had migrated to the outer suburbs. Anglo-Saxon suburbanites’ children returned, drawn to the affordable housing and the convenient access to downtown Toronto. The opening of the Bloor-Danforth subway line in 1966 accelerated this trend. This sparked a wave of home renovations and restoration, shaping the Toronto—Danforth we see today.