Newtonbrook

Newtonbrook
Neighbourhood
Houses in Newtonbrook

Newtonbrook is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In the 19th century, it was a separate municipality. It is located in the area around Yonge Street and Finch Avenue in the district of North York between the east and west branches of the Don River. North York was a city that was merged with five other municipalities to form the amalgamated "new" City of Toronto in 1998.

Character

Chinese is the second-most spoken language in the area after English. Korean is well behind as the third. Together they make up over 40% of the ethnic minorities in the area. The area also has significant Russian and Jewish and Iranian minorities.

The average income in the area is above the average for Toronto and a majority of residents live in single detached or semi-detached houses, which they own.

As of the end of 2006, Newtonbrook is northernmost area of City of Toronto affected by the infill development (mainly along the Finch Ave. and Yonge St. corridors). Older detached and semi-detached houses from the 1950s are demolished (or converted to mixed residential-commercial use) and townhouse complexes are built in their place. There is also an increasing number of new custom built homes in this neighbourhood. A new low-rise condo building had been built on northwest corner of Yonge and Drewry.

History

It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century. Newtonbrook's early industries included saw and grist mills on the east and west branches of the Don River.

The town's Newton Brook Wesleyan Church was named after Reverend Robert Newton.

In 1847, Lieutenant Colonel William S. Durie of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada subdivided part of his Newtonbrook property. The resulting subdivision is now Drewry Avenue.[1]

In the 1950s, Newtonbrook was subdivided for a massive residential development. Most of the town's landmarks were removed, except for the Newtonbrook Schoolhouse and the Newtonbrook General Store. Just one house from the original Drewry Avenue subdivision remains.

Notable persons

It is the birthplace and hometown of Nobel Prize winner and Liberal Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. Pearson was born at a manse in the intersection of Yonge Street and Hendon Avenue, now the site of the North American Centre. His father was the local Methodist minister and Lester was born in the parsonage.

Schools

Notable sites

  • Newtonbrook Plaza
  • Centerpoint Mall (formerly "Towne and Countrye Square")
  • Cummer Park Fitness Centre

Transportation

It is served by the Finch subway station, which is the northern terminus of the Toronto Transit Commission's Yonge–University–Spadina line. Finch Bus Terminal, located across from the subway station, serves GO Transit regional buses, York Region Transit and Viva bus rapid transit.

References

  1. ↑ "Heritage Toronto Mondays: Community of Newtonbrook" UrbanToronto 18 July 2011

Coordinates: 43°47′N 79°25′W / 43.783°N 79.417°W / 43.783; -79.417

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