The Queensway
While there never was a village or post office in Etobicoke called “The Queensway”, it is a name that most of us will recognize as an area of Etobicoke when we hear it. It describes a place centred around the road called The Queensway which runs from the Humber River to the Mississauga border and beyond. Its southern border is the Gardiner Expressway/Queen Elizabeth Way, and its northern border is, more or less, North Queen Street/Jutland Street/Berry Road. It is definitely a place, albeit a hodge podge, patchwork quilt of a place!
The Queensway was originally called Queen Street West as it was considered an extension of Queen Street in Toronto where it passed Roncesvalles Avenue and continued west, originally as far as Kipling Avenue. By 1934 it had been extended to Highway 27 (now 427.) The road was discontinuous between Parkside Drive and Ellis Avenue because of a large swampy area at the south end of Grenadier Pond. In 1941, Etobicoke Township changed the name Queen Street to The Queensway within their borders at the suggestion of Councillor Horace H. Smith who owned a hardware store in Humber Bay.
The Queensway area got its start because its rich soil made it a prime location for market gardeners… farmers who specialized in small-scale production of vegetables, fruit and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers. They typically planted on lots ranging from one to twenty hectares. They would plough their fields with one or two horses, and then use the horses to deliver their produce to markets in downtown Toronto. These farms ran along both sides of The Queensway, much of the way from the Humber River to west of Kipling Avenue. Most were family-centred operations which lasted through multiple generations. Some well-known market gardeners were Herod Noble, Francis Daniels, John Harris, Frank Reeves, Rupert Steel, and Charles Tizzard, to name just a few.
The Queensway was originally called Queen Street West as it was considered an extension of Queen Street in Toronto where it passed Roncesvalles Avenue and continued west, originally as far as Kipling Avenue. By 1934 it had been extended to Highway 27 (now 427.) The road was discontinuous between Parkside Drive and Ellis Avenue because of a large swampy area at the south end of Grenadier Pond. In 1941, Etobicoke Township changed the name Queen Street to The Queensway within their borders at the suggestion of Councillor Horace H. Smith who owned a hardware store in Humber Bay.
The Queensway area got its start because its rich soil made it a prime location for market gardeners… farmers who specialized in small-scale production of vegetables, fruit and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers. They typically planted on lots ranging from one to twenty hectares. They would plough their fields with one or two horses, and then use the horses to deliver their produce to markets in downtown Toronto. These farms ran along both sides of The Queensway, much of the way from the Humber River to west of Kipling Avenue. Most were family-centred operations which lasted through multiple generations. Some well-known market gardeners were Herod Noble, Francis Daniels, John Harris, Frank Reeves, Rupert Steel, and Charles Tizzard, to name just a few.
Looking south at Harvest time at Steel’s market garden on the North Queen in 1955 (Montgomery’s Inn Museum)
In 1915, an informal farmers’ market was established at the intersection of Park Lawn Road and The Queensway where farmers came from as far away as Burlington to sell their wares and were met by eager buyers arriving from downtown Toronto. Coincidently on July 21, 1954, the current 56-acre Ontario Food Terminal opened in the same place this early farmers’ market had been located. The terminal had previously been downtown in a 5-acre area around the St. Lawrence Market, and it took time for the growers, merchants, CN and the Department of Agriculture to agree on this new site in Etobicoke. It is now the largest wholesale fruit and produce distribution centre in Canada, and ranks number five by volume in North America. It has 450 tenant farmers and 6000 registered wholesale buyers that do business from 6:30 am to 2:30 pm, Monday to Friday, all year round, as well as on Saturdays in the summer.
Aerial view of the Ontario Food Terminal looking east in 1992.
In 1912, Queen Street Public School was built on the south side of The Queensway, a short distance west of Taymall Avenue. In 1915, a kindergarden room was built and in 1923 four more rooms were added. When the street name changed, so did the school name change to Queensway Public School. Six more rooms were added in 1948 when a major housing project was built at The Queensway and Royal York Road (see below), and another six rooms were added in 1950. It became a senior public school in 1959, and then closed in 1969 because of low enrolment. Humber College rented the building from 1970 until it was demolished in 1997, except for the years 1980 to 1983 when it was used as the first location of the Etobicoke School of the Arts. St. Louis Catholic School opened at 11 Morgan Avenue in 1947, and Holy Angels Catholic School opened at 65 Jutland Avenue in 1966.
Queensway Public School ca. 1950 (Facebook).
By the 1940s, there were ten major gambling houses beyond the limits of the City of Toronto and despite police efforts to shut them down, business was flourishing in Etobicoke. The Combine Club was opened by Manny Feder in 1939 on the north side of The Queensway, east of Highway 27. It looked like a two-storey colonial mansion, but its shuttered windows, handsome doorway and garage door were all dummies attached to a solid brick wall. Behind the building was a 500-spot parking lot, concealed by an earthen embankment. On November 16, 1940, 30 police from Toronto and the Province broke through the back door. Sixteen employees and 300 patrons were charged and paid $25 fines in the York County Police Court the next morning. In early 1944, real windows were installed in the building’s walls and the building was converted into a factory for the war effort. In 1945, it became a film studio and later a TV production facility. Today this site at 1640 The Queensway is home to a shopping centre anchored by Canadian Tire.
The former Combine Club building in 1938.
Dr. Frederic J.A. Davidson came from a wealthy family, was a linguistics professor at the University of Toronto and authored several books. In 1911, he and his wife, Helen Mason, bought a 10 hectare lot on the east side of Royal York Road. It’s east boundary was Mimico Creek, and its north and south boundaries were opposite Norseman Street and Coney Road, respectively. They built a showcase home called “Brookwood”, modelled on a Swiss chalet with stone walls and a cedar roof. Surrounded by tall trees and large formal gardens, it quickly became a local landmark. During World War II it was difficult to find domestic help, and the Davidsons leased out their home to Samuel Mandel who advertised it as an elegant new restaurant called the “Brookwood Club.” On January 25, 1941 at 1:00 am, provincial police raided the premises, describing Brookwood as the most luxurious gambling den they had ever seen. The immaculately dressed guests protested that they were simply there for dinner, although one man was found hiding under a bed with $1,800 in his pockets. Mandel was charged with operating a gaming house and fined $300. Nine patrons were convicted of being “found-ins.” Wartime rules made it difficult to remove even the worst tenants, so Brookwood remained a clandestine gambling hall for several years. Frederic passed away in 1946 and the house was torn down in 1961 to build a school.
Brookwood, Frederic Davidson's house on the east side of Royal York Road in 1955 (TPL).
Tucked away northwest of the intersection of The Queensway and Royal York Road is a pleasant family neighbourhood called Queensway Park, with interesting circular streets and cul-de-sacs, and homes surrounding a large park. Although many of the homes have been altered over the years, there is still an obvious connection among them for they were all originally small residences built in 1945-46 from federal government-provided floor plans.
Over all, 46,000 similar homes were built across Canada, during and after World War II, by the Wartime Housing Corporation. Initially these homes were built to house people working in war-related industry. However, as World War II was ending, larger neighbourhoods like Queensway Park were built to fill a growing need to house returning veterans and their families. These Veteran’s Homes are all 1 ½ storeys with steeply-pitched roofs, clapboard walls, small sash windows, basements, and small metal chimney stacks. Inside, the main floor typically had a living room, kitchen with dining area, bathroom and one bedroom, while the upstairs had two more bedrooms.
Today, most of the houses in Queensway Park still display their original cozy feel. These residences are well-maintained and much loved by the families which inhabit them. Some owners have planted Victory Rose Gardens in remembrance of the circumstances that created their neighbourhood. The importance these modest houses hold within the context of Canadian history was acknowledged by Canada Post in 1998 when they featured a*9 humble “Veteran’s House” on a stamp.
Over all, 46,000 similar homes were built across Canada, during and after World War II, by the Wartime Housing Corporation. Initially these homes were built to house people working in war-related industry. However, as World War II was ending, larger neighbourhoods like Queensway Park were built to fill a growing need to house returning veterans and their families. These Veteran’s Homes are all 1 ½ storeys with steeply-pitched roofs, clapboard walls, small sash windows, basements, and small metal chimney stacks. Inside, the main floor typically had a living room, kitchen with dining area, bathroom and one bedroom, while the upstairs had two more bedrooms.
Today, most of the houses in Queensway Park still display their original cozy feel. These residences are well-maintained and much loved by the families which inhabit them. Some owners have planted Victory Rose Gardens in remembrance of the circumstances that created their neighbourhood. The importance these modest houses hold within the context of Canadian history was acknowledged by Canada Post in 1998 when they featured a*9 humble “Veteran’s House” on a stamp.
Examples of Veterans’ Housing in Queensway Park in 2017. (Denise Harris)
Queensway Cathedral was founded as the Lakeshore Gospel Temple on High Street in 1955. In 1962, they moved into a new, larger church shaped like a geodesic dome at 1536 The Queensway. By 1984 they had outgrown this church and demolished it to make way for their current building on the same site. When this new church opened in 1985, it was the largest church auditorium in Canada, with seating for 4,000, two acres of carpeting covering the floors, one mile of pews, and television production capability. In 2013, the church was renamed “Church on the Queensway.”
Church on the Queensway Christmas Play in 2015. (www.thechurch.to)
Shortly after World War II, proposals were made by members of the community to build a hospital to serve the area between Toronto and Oakville. Crawford Gordon Jr., President of A.V. Roe Aircraft of Canada Limited, took on the formidable task of raising 2.25 million dollars. A 26-acre site was purchased in 1954 on the east bank of Etobicoke Creek, south of The Queensway. The cornerstone was laid in 1955 and the hospital opened on July 21, 1956 with 131 beds. A contest for children was held to name the hospital and nine-year-old Joan Smith won for suggesting “Queensway General Hospital.” Smith would later become a nurse and work in the hospital she had named. The first patient arrived on August 23, 1956: Walter Tumilvitch with a gashed arm. By March 1957, the hospital was at 106% capacity and beds were being placed in corridors. Responding to the dramatic population increase in the area, the hospital increased the beds to 309. The hospital had been built with a unique design where extra wings could be added to a central hub more quickly than in the past.
The 500-member Queensway Hospital Women’s Auxiliary performed many valuable services to the hospital. They acted a leaders and canvassers during fundraising campaigns and provided all linens the hospital required. Their members performed many duties normally done by hospital employees, and in doing so brought a touch of home to the patients. For over 30 years, these women operated a second-hand shop to raise money in a small hall on the north side of The Queensway, just east of Kipling Avenue. Called “The Pink Aux”, it was indeed painted pink and was a local landmark. In 1998, Queensway General Hospital joined Mississauga General Hospital to become the Trillium Health Centre. Queensway Health Centre is now an urgent care facility handling day surgery, outpatient services, and clinics.
In 1963, the Rouse Company applied to Etobicoke Council to rezone a 100-acre site on the south side of The Queensway, east of the West Mall, from industrial to commercial so they could build the Sherway Gardens Shopping Plaza. Etobicoke was concerned about many aspects of the application, including the ability of the local roads to hand the traffic. The application ended up at the OMB where it became their longest running case up to that time, ending up in the Ontario Cabinet before approval was finally given. The mall opened in 1971. It was originally an S-shaped structure covering 850,000 square feet with 127 stores. It was expanded in 1975, 1987, 1989 and 2015. After the latest expansion, it has 1,182,000 square feet, 215 stores, and is the 8th largest mall in Greater Toronto.
The 500-member Queensway Hospital Women’s Auxiliary performed many valuable services to the hospital. They acted a leaders and canvassers during fundraising campaigns and provided all linens the hospital required. Their members performed many duties normally done by hospital employees, and in doing so brought a touch of home to the patients. For over 30 years, these women operated a second-hand shop to raise money in a small hall on the north side of The Queensway, just east of Kipling Avenue. Called “The Pink Aux”, it was indeed painted pink and was a local landmark. In 1998, Queensway General Hospital joined Mississauga General Hospital to become the Trillium Health Centre. Queensway Health Centre is now an urgent care facility handling day surgery, outpatient services, and clinics.
In 1963, the Rouse Company applied to Etobicoke Council to rezone a 100-acre site on the south side of The Queensway, east of the West Mall, from industrial to commercial so they could build the Sherway Gardens Shopping Plaza. Etobicoke was concerned about many aspects of the application, including the ability of the local roads to hand the traffic. The application ended up at the OMB where it became their longest running case up to that time, ending up in the Ontario Cabinet before approval was finally given. The mall opened in 1971. It was originally an S-shaped structure covering 850,000 square feet with 127 stores. It was expanded in 1975, 1987, 1989 and 2015. After the latest expansion, it has 1,182,000 square feet, 215 stores, and is the 8th largest mall in Greater Toronto.
Opening day at Sherway Gardens, February 1972 (Toronto Archives)
The Queensway is also known for the retail stores and restaurants that line both sides of the street for much of its length, serving the local community, as the following photos illustrate:
The Queensway looking east from Islington Avenue in 1950. The white building on the right is Robert Bell’s Auto Service, which he operated for 30 years. Today (2017) it is a dental clinic. The dark building further east was a grocery store. (Carolyn Hruska)
Molle & Veri Food Market on the northwest corner of The Queensway and
Berl Avenue in 1957. It became Pennyworth's (a five and dime) in the 1960s. It is now (2017) the location of the Izba Restaurant. (Toronto Archives)
“The Stores” on north side of The Queensway at Smithfield Drive, built in the 1930s. L to R: Smith’s Hardware, Potter’s Grocery, Lightfoot’s Barber Shop, Williamson’s Drug Store. Photo taken in 1950s. Now (2017) it is the location of Rocco’s Plum Tomato Restaurant. (Toronto Archives)
Today, many believe that The Queensway has become an up and coming area with loads of potential. Its new condominiums and increasingly more upscale stores and restaurants all seem to be pointing in that direction.
Researched and Written by Denise Harris
Researched and Written by Denise Harris