Amesbury, Toronto
Encyclopedia
Amesbury is a neighbourhood in Toronto
, Ontario, Canada, formerly in North York before it was amalgamated
into Toronto in 1998. It is part of federal and provincial electoral district York South—Weston
, and Toronto electoral wards 11: York South—Weston (West) and 12: York South-Weston (East).
Its borders are inexact. It is usually assumed to lie between Lawrence Avenue
on the north, Jane Street and the railway line adjacent to Weston Road
(which includes land west of Jane) on the west, Keele Street on the east, and a hydro
right of way, which also marks the southern border of North York, on the south.
A middle-income neighbourhood, it is popular with immigrants of many countries. The first language in more than a third of the houses is a foreign tongue, including Italian
(the most prevalent), Bengali
, Spanish
, Vietnamese
and Tamil
.
There are five parks within the confines of the neighbourhood, including the Westview greenbelt. Many parks are saved from construction zones
.
The area west of Jane Street is known as Brookhaven. The City of Toronto's demographic page refers to that area as Brookhaven-Amesbury, but omits the area north of Lawrence Avenue, and includes the largely industrial area between Keele Street and the railway. This area had a 2006 population of 17,325.
The majority of the housing available is still high rises
(over 60%), and many are low-income rental units.
groups (by ancestry) in 2001:
The percentage of population below the poverty line dropped from 39% (in 1996) to 33% (in 2001).
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario, Canada, formerly in North York before it was amalgamated
Metropolitan Toronto
The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was a senior level of municipal government in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area from 1954 to 1998. It was created out of York County and was a precursor to the later concept of a regional municipality, being formed of smaller municipalities but having more...
into Toronto in 1998. It is part of federal and provincial electoral district York South—Weston
York South—Weston
York South—Weston is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.-Electoral district:It is in the west-end of Toronto. The riding has a largely working class and immigrant population...
, and Toronto electoral wards 11: York South—Weston (West) and 12: York South-Weston (East).
Its borders are inexact. It is usually assumed to lie between Lawrence Avenue
Lawrence Avenue
Lawrence Avenue is a major east-west thoroughfare in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is divided into east and west portions by Yonge Street, the dividing line of east-west streets in Toronto....
on the north, Jane Street and the railway line adjacent to Weston Road
Weston Road
Weston Road is a north-south street in west end Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The route is named for the former Village of Weston, which was located near Weston Road and Lawrence Avenue West....
(which includes land west of Jane) on the west, Keele Street on the east, and a hydro
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
right of way, which also marks the southern border of North York, on the south.
A middle-income neighbourhood, it is popular with immigrants of many countries. The first language in more than a third of the houses is a foreign tongue, including Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
(the most prevalent), Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
, Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
.
There are five parks within the confines of the neighbourhood, including the Westview greenbelt. Many parks are saved from construction zones
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
.
The area west of Jane Street is known as Brookhaven. The City of Toronto's demographic page refers to that area as Brookhaven-Amesbury, but omits the area north of Lawrence Avenue, and includes the largely industrial area between Keele Street and the railway. This area had a 2006 population of 17,325.
The majority of the housing available is still high rises
Tower block
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, office tower, apartment block, or block of flats, is a tall building or structure used as a residential and/or office building...
(over 60%), and many are low-income rental units.
Demographics
Brookhaven-Amesbury’s major ethnic and culturalCulture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
groups (by ancestry) in 2001:
- Italian - 15%
- JamaicanJamaican CanadianJamaican Canadians are Canadians of Jamaican descent, or Jamaican-born people with Canadian citizenship. The population, according to Canada's 2006 Census, is 231,110. Jamaican Canadians comprise about 30% of the entire black Canadian population.-History:...
- 8% - CanadianCanadian identityCanadian identity refers to the set of characteristics and symbols that many Canadians regard as expressing their unique place and role in the world....
- 8% - East IndianIndo-CanadiansIndo-Canadians are Canadians whose origins trace back to India. The terms East Indian and South Asian are used to distinguish people of ancestral origin from India, from the First Nations peoples of Canada who are often referred to as Indian, and from the people of the Caribbean, who are sometimes...
- 5% - VietnameseVietnamese CanadianMainstream Vietnamese communities began arriving in Canada in the mid 1970s and early 1980s as refugees or boat people following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, though a couple thousand were already living in Quebec before then, most of whom were students...
- 5% - EnglishEnglish CanadianAn English Canadian is a Canadian of English ancestry; it is used primarily in contrast with French Canadian. Canada is an officially bilingual state, with English and French official language communities. Immigrant cultural groups ostensibly integrate into one or both of these communities, but...
- 5% - Spanish - 4%
- ChineseChinese CanadianChinese Canadians are Canadians of Chinese descent. They constitute the second-largest visible minority group in Canada, after South Asian Canadians...
- 4% - PortuguesePortuguese CanadiansPortuguese Canadians are both Canadians born with Portuguese descent or citizenship or Portuguese born with Canadian descent or citizenship . According to StatCan, in 2006, there were 410,850 persons of Portuguese descent living in Canada, or 1.3% of the nation's total population...
- 3% - ScottishScottish CanadianScottish Canadians are people of Scottish descent or heritage living in Canada. As the third-largest ethnic group in Canada and among the first to settle in Canada, Scottish people have made a large impact on Canadian culture since colonial times...
- 2% - Other - 41%
The percentage of population below the poverty line dropped from 39% (in 1996) to 33% (in 2001).