Clanton Park

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Clanton Park, sometimes referred to as Dublin Heights or Wilson Heights, is a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by Highway 401 to the south, Bathurst St. to the east, Sheppard Ave. W. to the north, and Dufferin St. and Wilson Heights Blvd. to the west. It is contained in two electoral districts, York Centre East and West.

The neighbourhood is one of the largest Jewish areas of the city, but also contains a large number of residents of Italian, Filipino, and, to a lesser extent, Russian origin. The housing ranges from 1950s bungalow style homes to new medium rise condominiums. There is some low income high rise housing.

Clanton Park is sandwiched between Downsview Park, formerly CFB Downsview, and Earl Bales Park, named after a former reeve of North York. It also contains several smaller parks.

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[edit] History

William Duncan, a linen merchant from Ireland, settled a farm near the crossroads of Sheppard Avenue and Dufferin Street in 1827.[1] A crossroads village was named Dublin after this farm. A general store was constructed in the late 1830's. Duncan built the one-room Dublin schoolhouse in 1872.

The neighbourhood became part of the Township of North York which later became a borough and then a city, and was then incorporated into the city of Toronto.

A large tract of land between Wilson Heights Boulevard and Faywood Boulevard that formerly belonged to the Downsview airport was developed into housing around 1990.

[edit] Schools

There are two Toronto District School Board public schools, Dublin Heights Elementary and Middle School and Faywood Arts-Based Curriculum School, and one Toronto Catholic District School Board school, St Robert Catholic School. (The former Wilson Heights Junior High school was merged with Dublin Elementary School to form Dublin Heights in 1980.) A private school, The Toronto Heschel School, is also located in the neighbourhood, occupying a building that formerly housed Dublin Elementary (until 1980) and then St Robert Catholic School and Hudson College.

[edit] Notable Buildings

The Beth David Synagogue, designed by Irving Grossman (1959), is an example where concrete construction is used to great decorative effect. The Neil Family Cottage, built circa 1900 and moved to its current location circa 1910 appears on Toronto's inventory of heritage properties.[2] The neighbourhood is also home to the Anglican parish church of the Apostles.

[edit] Transportation

The neighbourhood is served by two subway stations, Downsview and Wilson, as well as several TTC bus routes. The Allen Expressway and Highway 401 (Ontario) are adjacent to the neighbourhood.

[edit] References

  1. ^ David Duncan House web site [1], retrieved May 20, 2008
  2. ^ City of Toronto's Inventory of Heritage Properties [2]

[edit] Further reading


Bathurst Manor
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Yorkdale-Glen Park, Englemount-Lawrence