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Weston, Toronto

Coordinates: 43°42′04″N 79°31′11″W / 43.70099°N 79.519700°W / 43.70099; -79.519700
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Weston
Location of Weston within Toronto
Location of Weston within Toronto
CityToronto
ProvinceOntario
CountryCanada
Settledca 1790s
Incorporated1881 Village
1914 Town
Annexed1967 into Borough of York
Population
 (2006)[1]
 • Total
16,470
Websitewelcometoweston.ca

Weston is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the northwest end of the city, within the former boundaries of the old City of York. The neighbourhood generally lies south of Highway 401, east of the Humber River, north of Eglinton Avenue, and west of Jane Street.[2] Weston Road just north of Lawrence Avenue is the "downtown" core of Weston, with many small businesses and services.

In addition to its traditional Anglo-Canadian roots, Weston is currently home to people of various cultures and ethnicities from around the world, many of them of Jamaican heritage.[3]

History

The first European settlement in the Weston area took place in the 1790s, when a saw mill was built on an old native trading path along the west side of the Humber River, named after the well-known Humber estuary in Yorkshire, England. In 1815 James Farr, a prominent local mill owner, named the growing settlement "Weston" after his birthplace, Weston, Hertfordshire. Weston initially developed along both sides of the river until a disastrous flood in 1850 destroyed the west bank settlement.[4] The former west bank settlement is now the site of the Weston Golf and Country Club.[5] Improvements to the Main Street, now Weston Road, and the 1856 arrival of the Grand Trunk Railway brought growth on the east side.[4] On October 5, 1869, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn attended the sod turning ceremony for the construction of the Toronto Grey and Bruce Railway. The spade which he used for the event is kept in the public library.

1869, Prince Arthur Arriving for the Ceremony of Turning the First Sod of the Toronto Grey and Bruce Railway, Weston.

The town of Weston grew, and over the 19th century became an important industrial centre for the Toronto area. The symbol adopted for the town, an outline of an old-fashioned bicycle, was based on this history of manufacturing and especially the old CCM bicycle factory on Lawrence Avenue just east of Weston Road. Models of bicycles now hang from the streetlights along Weston Road.

In October 1954, Hurricane Hazel flooded the Humber River valley, causing death and destruction of property.[5] In response, low-lying areas in the Humber River valley were converted to parkland and property zoning standards were changed across Ontario to avoid building encroachment on floodplains. There is a memorial in the south end of Lions Park near a pedestrian bridge which incorporates the original footing of a bridge that once crossed the Humber. The other footing of the bridge is the square chunk of concrete that is in the middle of the river nearby.

Weston was incorporated as a village in 1881, and then as a town in 1914. In 1967 it became part of the Borough (later City) of York. In 1998, York was in turn amalgamated with the five other members of Metropolitan Toronto, (Toronto, Etobicoke, North York, East York, and Scarborough) in the new "megacity" of Toronto.

Some street signs in the area pay tribute to the historical Town of Weston.

Although the Town of Weston has not existed as a legal reality for almost forty years, the area continues to be known as "Weston" and Weston is still a valid mailing address.[6]

Today

Weston's building stock consists mostly of Victorian homes east of the railway with apartment and condominium towers on Weston Road overlooking the Humber River valley. Weston's main shopping district is located on Weston Road between Church Street in the north and Wilby Crescent (just south of Lawrence Avenue) in the south. Most buildings in this area reflect early-mid 1900's Ontario town architecture, brick buildings with decorative masonry. The town has a historic library (previously a Mechanics' Institute and Carnegie library). The community is also dotted with grand old churches with historical architectural significance. There has been a recent move in Weston to designate certain areas as a historical district.[7] Most streets in Weston are lined with huge mature trees, some well over 100 years old. This is more common east of the railway tracks. Recently there has been some infill development on former industrial and commercial lands bringing some new housing stock to the area. An art community is beginning to develop around Weston Road and John Street.

The Weston Farmers' Market opens weekly from mid-May to the end of October near the centre of Weston.[8] The Weston BIA also hosts the Weston Santa Claus Parade each November.[9]

Public transportation

Southbound 89 Weston bus just north of Lawrence Avenue on Weston Road.

Weston falls within the service area of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). Transit is provided entirely by buses linking to the subway system. The 32 Eglinton West,[10] 35 Jane,[11] 52 Lawrence,[12] 58 Malton,[13] 59 Maple Leaf,[14] 73 Royal York,[15] 79 Scarlett,[16] and 89 Weston[17] all pass through the boundaries of Weston.

Weston GO station, Looking south from John street.

Weston is also served by GO Transit's Weston GO Station which is a station on the Georgetown line, providing heavy interurban transit throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

Public transit accessibility for the disabled

As of February 2008,[18] the 79 Scarlett, which travels on Lawrence Avenue, and the 35 Jane on the eastern border of Weston, are the only accessible TTC bus routes that serve areas within Weston's recognized borders.

The Weston GO Transit railway station is also wheelchair accessible.

Parkland and recreation

Weston (taken from an airplane north of St. Phillips Road bridge looking south at Weston Road and Humber River valley).

Weston has many small parks throughout but most notable is Cruickshank Park in the Humber River valley with many mature trees and paved bicycle paths[19] lined with large weeping willow trees. The bicycle path continues south to Lake Ontario. Sometimes salmon can be seen swimming upstream in the river. The park has a population of beaver as can be seen the from the tell-tale marks left behind on trees. In order to protect some trees, park staff have wrapped the tree trunks with wire screen in some areas. There are also some frogs closer to the waters edge and Garter snakes hidden away in the more secluded areas. Canada geese, loons, mallards and seagulls are a common sight. In some areas of the park, you can see exposed Sedimentary rock in the walls of the valley, made visible by the action of glaciers that carved out the valley during the last glacial period about 20000 years ago. The same rock was used to build many stone retaining walls throughout the town; an example of this use can be seen on the south end of the Lawrence Avenue bridge in the north end of Lions Park.

Weston Lions Park, located south of Lawrence Avenue, fills 22.13 acres (89,600 m2) and contains facilities for playing football, rugby union, soccer, tennis, and baseball, as well as an ice rink and swimming pool.[20]

Current issues

Of late, the issue of the proposed high-speed rail link between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Union Station downtown has become a hot political issue in Weston. It had originally been proposed for completion by 2009. Weston is currently a station stop on the Georgetown line operated by GO Transit and airport trains would also stop there. If approved, the link would see the construction of three additional tracks through the neighbourhood and would increase rail traffic more than fourfold. Community activists are worried about the link severing the community (vehicle traffic on one street will be permanently blocked from crossing the tracks, replaced by a pedestrian bridge) and the possibility of lower future property values due to increased noise and diesel fumes. It was an issue during the Canadian federal election held on January 23, 2006 where incumbent Liberal Member of Parliament, Alan Tonks, supported the link, while the other candidates opposed it. It is also an issue in the February 2007 provincial by-election, where all local candidates came out against the link, but which was still supported by the governing Liberals. Current plans for the link are still on the table and the project is expected to go ahead in its original form despite the various alternatives presented by the Weston Community Coalition (WCC). The WCC has proposed a subway line as an alternative to run through the Weston rail corridor to the airport that would have stops along the way which would serve many communities throughout Toronto and be operated by the TTC rather than a private company. Various other alternatives were presented by community activists such as an Eglinton subway to the airport or a route down Highway 427.

CN Rail line in the Weston corridor looking north from King Street. In addition to the track pictured, two more tracks would be built to accommodate the Union-Pearson Rail Link and GO transit double tracking of the Georgetown sub. The corridor gets significantly more narrow further up the track out of frame.


People from Weston

See also

References

  1. ^ "Weston 2006 Social Profile #1" (PDF). City of Toronto. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
  2. ^ "Weston neighbourhood profile". Toronto Neighbourhood Maps. City of Toronto. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  3. ^ "Weston 2006 Social Profile #2" (PDF). City of Toronto. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
  4. ^ a b "About Weston". WestonPlace.ca. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  5. ^ a b Remembering Hurricane Hazel. Environment Canada website. Accessed 2008-08-21.
  6. ^ Summary for Weston. Canada Post. Accessed 2008-08-21.
  7. ^ Heritage Conservation Districts – Weston. City of Toronto. Accessed 2008-08-21.
  8. ^ Weston Farmers' Market. Accessed 2008-08-21.
  9. ^ Weston Village BIA. Accessed 2008-08-21.
  10. ^ "32 Eglinton West". Bus Routes. Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  11. ^ "35 Jane". Bus Routes. Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  12. ^ "52 Lawrence". Bus Routes. Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  13. ^ "58 Malton". Bus Routes. Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  14. ^ "59 Maple Leaf". Bus Routes. Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  15. ^ "73 Royal York". Bus Routes. Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  16. ^ "79 Scarlett". Bus Routes. Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  17. ^ "89 Weston". Bus Routes. Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved 2008-08-27.
  18. ^ "Accessible Transit Network map" (PDF). TTC website. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
  19. ^ Toronto Parks & Trails Map 2001. Accessed 2008-08-27.
  20. ^ City of Toronto: Parks and Recreation - Weston Lions Park

43°42′04″N 79°31′11″W / 43.70099°N 79.519700°W / 43.70099; -79.519700

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