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.

Newtonbrook
Neighbourhood of Toronto
View of Newtonbrook from Drewry Avenue and Yonge Street
The Finch Hydro Corridor in the south of Newtonbrook

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]

Residences in Newtonbrook. Residential developments in Newtonbrook began during the 1950s.

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.

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.

Demographics

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.

Education
Newtonbrook Secondary School is one of three public secondary schools situated in Newtonbrook.

Three public school boards operate schools that offer primary and secondary education.

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is a secular public school board that operates two secondary schools in the neighbourhood, Newtonbrook Secondary School and Drewry Secondary School (formerly Lewis S. Beattie Secondary School). Both schools were part of the North York Board of Education.

The Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) is a separate public school board that also operates one an all-boy secondary school in Newtonbrook, Brebeuf College School. In addition to English-based public school boards, the Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (CSCM) also operates a secondary school in Newtonbrook, École secondaire catholique Monseigneur-de-Charbonnel. CSCM is a French-based separate public school board. The school and headquarters are leased from the TDSB. However before 1998, Brebeuf and Charbonnel were part of the Metropolitan Separate School Board when it was an English and French board at the time.

TCDSB and TDSB operate several schools in Newtonbrook that provide primary education. They include:

  • Cummer Valley Middle School (TDSB), opened in 1960 as Northmount Junior High School
  • Fisherville Senior Public School (TDSB)
  • Pleasant Public School (TDSB)
  • R. J. Lang Elementary and Middle School (TDSB)
  • St. Agnes Catholic School (TCDSB)
  • St. Paschal Baylon Separate School (TCDSB)

Recreation
Centerpoint Mall is a shopping mall located in the north of the neighbourhood.

There are several shopping malls and plazas located within the neighbourhood, including Centerpoint Mall, on Steeles Avenue and Yonge Street, and Newtonbrook Plaza.

Newtonbrook is also home to several municipal parks, as well as the Finch Hydro Corridor. Parks in the neighbourhood are managed by the Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division.

Transportation

Public transportation in the neighbourhood is also serviced by the Toronto Transit Commission's (TTC) bus service. Newtonbrook is served by Finch subway station, which is the northern terminus of the Toronto Transit Commission's (TTC) Line 1 Yonge–University, located just south of the neighbourhood. In addition to TTC services, public transit services may also be accessed at Finch Bus Terminal, which provides access to GO Transit's commuter and regional buses. York Region Transit and Viva Rapid Transit may also be accessed from the terminal.

Notable people

It is the birthplace and hometown of Nobel Prize winner and Canadian 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.

See also

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

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