Flemingdon Park
Encyclopedia
Flemingdon Park is a multicultural
community in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
, located in the North York district of the city. It is part of federal and provincial electoral district Don Valley West
, and Toronto electoral ward 26: Don Valley West (South). In 2006, it had a population of 21,290.
It is bordered on the north by Eglinton Avenue East
, on the west by the Don River (west branch), and on the east and south by the Don River (east branch). The two branches of the Don join at the neighbourhood’s southwest corner. The south border is technically a parkland access road formerly known as Old Lawrence Avenue. Flemingdon Park is somewhat separated from neighbouring communities by river valleys on 3 sides, and a light industrial area, now mostly used as corporate offices, next to several railway lines on the north side.
The community derives its name from its original owner, Robert John Fleming
, the mayor of Toronto in 1892–1893 and 1896–1897, and the nearby Don River.
.
In 1958, following the trends of many other post-World War II
cities, Toronto began to consider a large planned "apartment city" community for the influx of immigrant
s. Although there was immediate scepticism based on the density of the development, the community was nevertheless built. Occupancy of the new apartments began in 1961, and the community was completed in the early 1970s.
Like many communities with a significant public housing component, Flemingdon Park gained a reputation as a low income community. In 2000, its reputation improved somewhat with the addition of a new section of middle income single and semi-detached housing, and a condominium apartment, converted from an office building that was originally part of the Foresters complex, along the community’s north side.
An older section of low density, middle income housing is found along the community’s east border, in a narrow strip between the Don Valley Parkway
and the Don River (east), overlooking the Don Valley.
and Flemingdon Park, representing over 50 language groups, and provides ESL
/ESD
programs. It offers academic programs in the regular subjects and academic supports via special education
, TIME and LEAP programs. Valley Park Middle School is the biggest middle school in all of Canada. Other school activities include participation in the Terry Fox Run, and food drives. In 2006, the school was awarded the Ontario Human Spirit Award for its efforts in response to Tsunami relief. In 2004, Valley Park added a new wing and has since added an additional 10 portable classrooms.
Flemingdon Park’s major ethnic and cultural
groups (by ancestry) in 2001:
Following the community’s housing expansion of 2000, the percentage of population below
the poverty line dropped from 47% (in 1996) to 36% (in 2001).
grocery store until 2006, reopened as a Shoppers Drug Mart
in 2008. In 2010 Sunny Foodmart built.
The largest grocery store serving the community is the Real Canadian Superstore
, which is actually located outside Flemingdon Park’s boundary, to the north. But with no other adjacent residential communities, Flemingdon Park is the store’s only local clientele.
A large indoor mall, also close to but outside the neighbourhood's boundary to the southwest, is the East York Town Centre on Overlea Boulevard. It includes a Zellers
department store, Food Basics grocery store, and Bowlerama bowling alley.
The largest office tower in the area is the Foresters Insurance building, which was built in 1966. The company (also known as the Independent Order of Foresters
, or IOF) occupies the entire site. Other office buildings with various businesses are located alongside Eglinton Avenue and the Don Valley Parkway.
Nearly all land west of Don Mills Road is occupied by the Ontario Science Centre
, a science museum which opened in 1969, and is a major Toronto attraction
.
.
Cultural mosaic
"Cultural mosaic" is a term used to describe the mix of ethnic groups, languages and cultures that co-exist within Canadian society. The idea of a cultural mosaic is intended to champion an ideal of multiculturalism, differently from other systems like the melting pot, which is often used to...
community in Toronto
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
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, located in the North York district of the city. It is part of federal and provincial electoral district Don Valley West
Don Valley West
Don Valley West is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979. Its population in 2001 was 115,539....
, and Toronto electoral ward 26: Don Valley West (South). In 2006, it had a population of 21,290.
It is bordered on the north by Eglinton Avenue East
Eglinton Avenue
Eglinton Avenue, originally known as the Richview Sideroad within Etobicoke, is an east-west arterial thoroughfare in Toronto and Mississauga, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Within Toronto, Eglinton Avenue is the only road which crosses through all six former boroughs...
, on the west by the Don River (west branch), and on the east and south by the Don River (east branch). The two branches of the Don join at the neighbourhood’s southwest corner. The south border is technically a parkland access road formerly known as Old Lawrence Avenue. Flemingdon Park is somewhat separated from neighbouring communities by river valleys on 3 sides, and a light industrial area, now mostly used as corporate offices, next to several railway lines on the north side.
The community derives its name from its original owner, Robert John Fleming
Robert John Fleming (Canadian politician)
Robert John Fleming was twice Mayor of Toronto Born in Toronto, Robert John Fleming was of Irish ancestry, the son of William and Jane Fleming. Educated in Toronto public schools he first entered the business world in real estate...
, the mayor of Toronto in 1892–1893 and 1896–1897, and the nearby Don River.
History
Flemingdon Park was originally farmland owned by Robert John Fleming. After his death in 1925, it was sold to become public landPublic land
In all modern states, some land is held by central or local governments. This is called public land. The system of tenure of public land, and the terminology used, varies between countries...
.
In 1958, following the trends of many other post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
cities, Toronto began to consider a large planned "apartment city" community for the influx of immigrant
Immigration to Canada
Immigration to Canada is the process by which people migrate to Canada to reside permanently in the country. The majority of these individuals become Canadian citizens. After 1947, domestic immigration law and policy went through major changes, most notably with the Immigration Act, 1976, and the...
s. Although there was immediate scepticism based on the density of the development, the community was nevertheless built. Occupancy of the new apartments began in 1961, and the community was completed in the early 1970s.
Like many communities with a significant public housing component, Flemingdon Park gained a reputation as a low income community. In 2000, its reputation improved somewhat with the addition of a new section of middle income single and semi-detached housing, and a condominium apartment, converted from an office building that was originally part of the Foresters complex, along the community’s north side.
An older section of low density, middle income housing is found along the community’s east border, in a narrow strip between the Don Valley Parkway
Don Valley Parkway
The Don Valley Parkway is a controlled-access six-lane municipal expressway in Toronto connecting the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto with Ontario Highway 401, the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway. North of Highway 401, it continues as Ontario Highway 404. The parkway runs through...
and the Don River (east), overlooking the Don Valley.
Schools
Valley Park Middle School is located at the intersection of Don Mills Road and Overlea Boulevard. It is a large public school with 1,300 students from Thorncliffe ParkThorncliffe Park
Thorncliffe Park is a densely populated, multicultural neighbourhood in central east Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in the former Borough of East York. East York merged with five other municipalities and a regional government in 1998 to form the new "City of Toronto"...
and Flemingdon Park, representing over 50 language groups, and provides ESL
ESL
ESL is a common abbreviation for English as a Second Language, see English language learning and teaching.ESL may also refer to:-Companies:...
/ESD
Education for Sustainable Development
Sustainability education , Education for Sustainability , and Education for Sustainable Development are interchangeable terms describing the practice of teaching for sustainability. ESD is the term most used internationally level and by the United Nations...
programs. It offers academic programs in the regular subjects and academic supports via special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
, TIME and LEAP programs. Valley Park Middle School is the biggest middle school in all of Canada. Other school activities include participation in the Terry Fox Run, and food drives. In 2006, the school was awarded the Ontario Human Spirit Award for its efforts in response to Tsunami relief. In 2004, Valley Park added a new wing and has since added an additional 10 portable classrooms.
Demographics
Culture
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:
- 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...
- 15% - ChineseChinese CanadianChinese Canadians are Canadians of Chinese descent. They constitute the second-largest visible minority group in Canada, after South Asian Canadians...
- 11% - FilipinoFilipino CanadianFilipino Canadians are Canadians of Filipino ancestry. Filipino-Canadians are the fourth-largest subgroup of the Overseas Filipinos.Canada only had a small population of Filipinos until the late 20th century. To date, there are currently around 400,000 Filipino Canadians in Canada, most of them...
- 9% - GreekGreek CanadiansGreek Canadians are Canadian citizens of Greek origin, also known as Hellenic origin. According to the 2006 Canadian census, there were 242,685 Canadians who claimed Greek ethnicity.- Authors :...
- 6% - 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....
- 5% - Sri LankanTamil CanadianTamil Canadian or Canadian Tamils are Canadians of Tamil ethnic origins mostly from India and Sri Lanka. It is estimated that the Tamil diaspora in Canada is around 200,000. From a population of fewer than 150 Tamils in 1983, it has become one of the largest visible minority population groups...
- 4% - Iranian - 4%
- 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...
- 3% - PakistaniPakistani Canadian- History in Canada :People from the region that would become Pakistan were among the pioneers who migrated from British India to British Columbia at the turn of the century. By 1905, as many as 200 participated in the building of that first community from modern-day Pakistan, which for a time had...
- 3% - 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:...
- 2% - Other - 38%
Following the community’s housing expansion of 2000, the percentage of population below
the poverty line dropped from 47% (in 1996) to 36% (in 2001).
Commercial buildings
Flemingdon Park only has one shopping centre, an outdoor mall centrally located on the east side of Don Mills Road. Its largest unit, formerly a Food BasicsFood Basics
Food Basics is a discount Canadian supermarket chain owned by Metro Inc. and with all stores within Ontario. It was created by A&P Canada to compete with the successful No Frills warehouse-style supermarket operated by Loblaw Companies...
grocery store until 2006, reopened as a Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation is Canada's largest pharmacy chain with more than 1,241 stores operating under the names Shoppers Drug Mart in nine provinces and two territories and Pharmaprix in Quebec as well as in Hawkesbury, Ontario....
in 2008. In 2010 Sunny Foodmart built.
The largest grocery store serving the community is the Real Canadian Superstore
Real Canadian Superstore
Real Canadian Superstore is a chain of hypermarkets owned by Canadian food retailing giant Loblaw Companies. Its name is often shortened to RCSS or Superstore....
, which is actually located outside Flemingdon Park’s boundary, to the north. But with no other adjacent residential communities, Flemingdon Park is the store’s only local clientele.
A large indoor mall, also close to but outside the neighbourhood's boundary to the southwest, is the East York Town Centre on Overlea Boulevard. It includes a Zellers
Zellers
Zellers Inc. is Canada's second-largest chain of mass merchandise discount stores, with locations in communities across Canada. A subsidiary of the Hudson's Bay Company , it has 273 locations across the country....
department store, Food Basics grocery store, and Bowlerama bowling alley.
The largest office tower in the area is the Foresters Insurance building, which was built in 1966. The company (also known as the Independent Order of Foresters
Fraternal Forestry
The Independent Order of Foresters is a fraternal organization, now based in Toronto, Canada, and operating under the brand Foresters.-History:Foresters traces its origin to a British Friendly Society, a mutual organization caring for the sick...
, or IOF) occupies the entire site. Other office buildings with various businesses are located alongside Eglinton Avenue and the Don Valley Parkway.
Nearly all land west of Don Mills Road is occupied by the Ontario Science Centre
Ontario Science Centre
Ontario Science Centre is a science museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, near the Don Valley Parkway about northeast of downtown on Don Mills Road just south of Eglinton Avenue East...
, a science museum which opened in 1969, and is a major Toronto attraction
Attractions in Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada is known for its many attractions. Some of these attractions are notable worldwide.-Main attractions:*Canadian National Tower*Sports stadium*City Hall*Yonge-Dundas Square*The Toronto Islands...
.
Parkland
Flemingdon Park has an unusual abundance of parkland. In addition to being surrounded by river valleys (consisting of parkland and a golf course) on 3 sides, it has a large park of sports fields on public space beneath hydro-electric power lines, and a ravine-like park (without waterway) running north/south through the centre, in addition to several smaller parks. A bicycle path along the west Don Valley runs all the way to Downtown TorontoDowntown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don River to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west...
.
Notable residents
- Angela JamesAngela JamesAngela James is a Canadian former ice hockey forward, who played in the Central Ontario Women's Hockey League , and represented Team Canada internationally...
, hockey player and Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
inductee - Kardinal OffishallKardinal OffishallJason D. Harrow , better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall , is a Canadian rapper and record producer. He is often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", and is best known for his distinctive reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.-Life and career:Harrow was born in...
, hip hop musician - Deborah CoxDeborah CoxDeborah Cox is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. Her 1998 song "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" held the record for longest-running number one single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart , a record held for nearly eight years. She has achieved ten number-one hits on...
, R&B singer-songwriter and actress - Jamaal MagloireJamaal MagloireJamaal Dane Magloire is a Canadian professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The , center was selected out of the University of Kentucky by the Charlotte Hornets with the 19th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, after withdrawing...
, professional basketball player