Newtonbrook
Encyclopedia
Newtonbrook is a neighbourhood 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...

. In the 19th century, it was a separate municipality. It is located in the area around Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...

 and Finch Avenue
Finch Avenue
Finch Avenue is an arterial thoroughfare and concession road which travels east–west through the city of Toronto. The road also has short extensions into Peel and Durham Regions as Peel Regional Road 2 and Durham Regional Road 37.-History:...

 in the district of North York between the east and west branches of the Don River
Don River (Toronto)
The Don River is one of two rivers bounding the original settled area of Toronto, Ontario along the shore of Lake Ontario, the other being the Humber River to the west. The Don is formed from two rivers, the East and West Branches, that meet about north of Lake Ontario while flowing southward into...

. North York was a former city that along with five other municipalities was merged to form the new "City of Toronto" in 1998.

Character

Chinese is the top (non-English) language spoken in the area and is by far the dominant ethnicity in the area with Korean well behind as the second. Together they make up over 40% of the visible 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 NW corner of Yonge and Drewry.

History

First settled 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 Queens Own Rifles subdivided part of his Newtonbrook property. The resulting subdivision is now Drewry Avenue.

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
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...

 winner and Liberal Prime Minister Lester Pearson. Pearson was born at a manse
Manse
A manse is a house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist or United Church...

 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

  • Saint Agnes Catholic School is a Catholic day on Otonabee Avenue. It hosts approximately 258 students, in 4 portables, as well as a main building complex.
  • Newtonbrook Secondary School
    Newtonbrook Secondary School
    Newtonbrook Secondary School is a high school for students in Grades 9 to 12 in the Newtonbrook neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was part of the North York Board of Education until the Toronto school boards were amalgamated in the late 1990s....

    . Known for hosting the biggest number of sports teams in the TDSB.

Notable sites

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

Transportation

It is served by the Finch subway station, which is the northern terminus of the Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...

's Yonge–University–Spadina line.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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