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== History ==
== History ==
[[Image:L'arrivée_du_prince_Arthur_à_la_cérémonie_d'ouverture_des_travaux_de_construction_du_chemin_de_fer_Toronto,_Grey_&_Bruce,_à_Weston.jpg|thumb|right|250px|1869, Prince Arthur Arriving for the Ceremony of Turning the First Sod of the Toronto Grey and Bruce Railway, Weston.]]
[[Image:L'arrivée_du_prince_Arthur_à_la_cérémonie_d'ouverture_des_travaux_de_construction_du_chemin_de_fer_Toronto,_Grey_&_Bruce,_à_Weston.jpg|thumb|right|250px|1869, Prince Arthur Arriving for the Ceremony of Turning the First Sod of the Toronto Grey and Bruce Railway, Weston.]]
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]]. As [http://www.westonplace.ca/aboutweston.html this page on Weston] notes, "Weston grew along both sides of the river until 1850 when a disastrous flood destroyed the west bank settlement. Improvements to Weston Road (then known as Main Street) and the arrival of the [[Grand Trunk Railway]] in 1856 stimulated substantial growth on the east side." On October 5th 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.
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]]. As [http://www.westonplace.ca/aboutweston.html this page on Weston] notes, "Weston grew along both sides of the river until 1850 when a disastrous flood destroyed the west bank settlement (whose lands lay on the property of the Weston Golf and Country Club)<ref>[http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/hazel/en/hr.html#west/ disastrous floods in the 1800’s]</ref>. Improvements to Weston Road (then known as Main Street) and the arrival of the [[Grand Trunk Railway]] in 1856 stimulated substantial growth on the east side." On October 5th 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.


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 (cycle)|CCM]] bicycle factory on Lawrence Avenue just east of Weston Road. Models of bicycles now hang from the streetlights along Weston Road.
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 (cycle)|CCM]] bicycle factory on Lawrence Avenue just east of Weston Road. Models of bicycles now hang from the streetlights along Weston Road.

Revision as of 07:09, 21 August 2008

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
1998 into City of Toronto
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.[3]

History

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

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. As this page on Weston notes, "Weston grew along both sides of the river until 1850 when a disastrous flood destroyed the west bank settlement (whose lands lay on the property of the Weston Golf and Country Club)[4]. Improvements to Weston Road (then known as Main Street) and the arrival of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1856 stimulated substantial growth on the east side." On October 5th 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.

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.

Weston was incorporated as a village in 1881, and then as a town in 1914; but 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.

So in a sense, the Town of Weston has not existed as a legal reality for almost forty years, but the strength of identity of the area is such that it continues to be informally known as "The Town of Weston" to this day. In fact, many of the areas businesses and residents still use "Weston, Ontario" on the sender address for mail, without any reference being made to Toronto.

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 shoppes in this stretch consist of your Main Street Ontario type architecture, old 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[5]. 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 & commercial lands bringing some new housing stock in the area. The art community is beginning to call Weston home with art shoppes around Weston Road and John Street.

There is a Weston Farmers' Market every Saturday at 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. from mid-May to the end of October opposite the GO station on John Street. The Weston BIA also hosts a "Weston Santa Claus Parade" each November[6].

Public transportation

File:Downtown weston.jpg
Google satellite image of downtown Weston.

Weston falls within the service area of the Toronto Transit Commission. Transit is provided entirely by buses linking to the subway system. The 32 Eglinton East, 35 Jane, 52 Lawrence, 58 Malton, 59 Maple Leaf, 73 Royal York, 79 Scarlett, and 89 Weston all pass through the boundaries of Weston.

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[7], 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.[2].

Weston GO Station is accessible.[8]

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 notably is Cruickshank Park in the humber river valley with many mature trees and paved bicycle paths[9] lined with large weeping willow. The path continues south to Lake Ontario. The park is also home to some wildlife. Sometimes salmon can be seen swimming upstream. The park has a population of beavers and you can see 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 & Garter snakes hidden away in the more secluded areas. Canadian geese, loons, mallards and seagulls are a common sight. The entrance to park across from church street can be bustling with rock doves in the summer months. In some areas of the park, you can see exposed Sedimentary rock in the walls of the valley.

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.[10]

Current issues

Of late, the issue of the proposed Blue22 high-speed rail link between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Union Station downtown has become a hot political issue in Weston. So called for its planned 22 minute travel time from end to end, it had originally been proposed for completion by 2009. Under the current proposal, there is no plan for the line to stop in Weston where the route would pass. Weston is currently a station stop on the Georgetown line operated by GO Transit. 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.


People from Weston

See also

References

  1. ^ weston(113).ai
  2. ^ a b http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/images/weston.jpg
  3. ^ weston(113).eps
  4. ^ disastrous floods in the 1800’s
  5. ^ City of Toronto: Heritage Conservation Districts - Weston
  6. ^ Weston B.I.A
  7. ^ http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/pdf/accessmap0802.pdf
  8. ^ Stations and Stops
  9. ^ Toronto Parks & Trails Map 2001
  10. ^ 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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