Rockcliffe-Smythe
Encyclopedia
Rockcliffe-Smythe is a neighbourhood in Toronto
, Canada, north-west of downtown, located in the former City of York
. The boundaries, as defined by the city are Eglinton Avenue
West to the north from the Humber
to Jane Street. It then proceeds south along Jane to Lambton, and follows Lambton past Weston Road
to the north-south railway lines to the east. The boundary follows the railway south to The eastern boundary then veers south and west along neighbourhood streets until it reaches St. Clair Avenue
West, then south along Runnymede Road to the east-west railway line. The boundary then follows the railway line to the Humber River, and follows the Humber River north to Eglinton. It is in Ward 11 (York-South Weston) of the City of Toronto.
As with many neighbourhoods defined by the city, there are often more traditional names for pockets of the city. Directly north-east of Jane Street and St. Clair West is an area called Syme, named after George Syme. Further to the east (beyond Hilldale road) is another pocket called Harwood. Harwood is bordered almost by creek in all directions.
. After World War II, after the gravel pit was used up, the pit and surrounding area was sub-divided and developed. Smythe made homes available to returning servicemen and families, losing money on each. The neighbourhood has retained the Smythe name ever since. Smythe Park exists today on the site of the pit and is the site of the Smythe Park Recreation and Community Centre.
This neighbourhood has large amounts of green space including the centrally located Smythe Park. The entire western boundary is green space including Lambton Park, and Lambton and Scarlett Woods golf courses. Black Creek meets the Humber in the neighbourhood. The Black Creek enters the neighbourhood from the north-east, travelling through a concrete culvert in the center of Humber Boulevard and through concrete through parks and to the Humber.
2001).
It is culturally diverse with an above average number of Latin American descendants.
There are also large groups of Portuguese
ethnicity (mainly in Harwood) and Caribbean
ethnicity (mainly in the Jane-Woolner area) descendants.
At 0.11%, French does not rank in the top 11.
Harwood
58% Immigrants
53% Visible Minority
24% Black
[large percentage around Humber Blvd.]
11% Latin American
8% South Asian
4% Southeast Asia
n
5% Other
Cordella/South Mount Dennis
51% Immigrants
45% Visible Minority
14% Latin American
8% Southeast Asia
n
6% Black
5% Chinese
4% Filipino
4% South Asian
2% West Asian
1% Other
Woolner/Rockcliffe
63% Immigrants
70% Visible Minority
27% Black
[large percentage around Jane-Woolner]
15% Latin American
11% South Asian
7% Southeast Asian
3% Chinese
3% Filipino
4% Other
Lambton
49% Immigrants
23% Visible Minority
8% Black
4% Latin American
3% South Asian
2% Southeast Asia
n
2% Filipino
4% Other
Runnymede
51% Immigrants
51% Visible Minority
14% Latin American
11% Black
7% South Asian
7% Filipino
6% Southeast Asia
n
2% Aboriginal
4% Other
to the north-west corner of the neighbourhood. The central east-west artery from Jane to Weston is Alliance Avenue and Humber Boulevard. To the east, Weston Road
is a major four-lane arterial road in a north-westerly direction.
bus lines
, including the Route 35 Jane along Jane Street from Jane subway station
and the Routes 71 Runnymede and 79 Scarlett Road along Runnymede Road, which originate at Runnymede subway station
. Along the east, the Route 89 Weston bus line runs along Weston Road to Keele subway station
and the 161 Rogers Road loops within the neighbourhood and goes to the east, meeting the subway at Ossington subway station
.
New light rail transit
routes are planned for both Jane and Eglinton.
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...
, Canada, north-west of downtown, located in the former City of York
York, Ontario
York is a dissolved municipality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is located northwest of Old Toronto, southwest of North York and east of Etobicoke, where it is bounded by the Humber River. Formerly a separate city, it was one of six municipalities that amalgamated in 1998 to form...
. The boundaries, as defined by the city are Eglinton Avenue
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...
West to the north from the Humber
Humber River (Ontario)
The Humber River is one of two major rivers on either side of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the other being the Don River to the east. It was designated a Canadian Heritage River on September 24, 1999....
to Jane Street. It then proceeds south along Jane to Lambton, and follows Lambton past 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....
to the north-south railway lines to the east. The boundary follows the railway south to The eastern boundary then veers south and west along neighbourhood streets until it reaches St. Clair Avenue
St. Clair Avenue
St. Clair Avenue is a major east-west street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was laid out in the late 18th century by the British as a concession road , north of Bloor Street and north of Queen Street....
West, then south along Runnymede Road to the east-west railway line. The boundary then follows the railway line to the Humber River, and follows the Humber River north to Eglinton. It is in Ward 11 (York-South Weston) of the City of Toronto.
As with many neighbourhoods defined by the city, there are often more traditional names for pockets of the city. Directly north-east of Jane Street and St. Clair West is an area called Syme, named after George Syme. Further to the east (beyond Hilldale road) is another pocket called Harwood. Harwood is bordered almost by creek in all directions.
Development
The area had been farmed since the 1800s. One of the first large-scale developments in the area was the opening of the Smythe gravel pit in the 1920s, by Conn SmytheConn Smythe
Constantine Falkland Cary Smythe MC was a Canadian businessman, soldier and sportsman in ice hockey and horse racing. He is best known as the principal owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League from 1927 to 1961 and as the builder of Maple Leaf Gardens...
. After World War II, after the gravel pit was used up, the pit and surrounding area was sub-divided and developed. Smythe made homes available to returning servicemen and families, losing money on each. The neighbourhood has retained the Smythe name ever since. Smythe Park exists today on the site of the pit and is the site of the Smythe Park Recreation and Community Centre.
Character
The area is predominately residential in nature, and mostly single-family detached homes. There are apartment buildings in developments along Jane Street, Scarlett Road and Humber Boulevard. There is industry along the rail lines to the east and south and in pockets. There is some retail along St. Clair Avenue and Weston Road.This neighbourhood has large amounts of green space including the centrally located Smythe Park. The entire western boundary is green space including Lambton Park, and Lambton and Scarlett Woods golf courses. Black Creek meets the Humber in the neighbourhood. The Black Creek enters the neighbourhood from the north-east, travelling through a concrete culvert in the center of Humber Boulevard and through concrete through parks and to the Humber.
Schools
- Archbishop Romero Catholic Secondary SchoolArchbishop Romero Catholic Secondary SchoolArchbishop Romero Catholic Secondary School is a Catholic high school located in York, Ontario, a municipality of Toronto. It belongs to the Toronto Catholic District School Board....
- A CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
high schoolHigh schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located on Humber Boulevard. Established in 1989 as the first Catholic high school in the City of YorkYork, OntarioYork is a dissolved municipality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is located northwest of Old Toronto, southwest of North York and east of Etobicoke, where it is bounded by the Humber River. Formerly a separate city, it was one of six municipalities that amalgamated in 1998 to form...
. It was previously called York Humber Secondary School. November 1992 marked the start of a $12-million construction project that transformed the original building into a state-of-the-art facility. At a special ceremony on May 7, 1995 the school was officially opened and blessed. - Cordella Avenue Junior Public School - A publicPublicIn public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
located at 175 Cordella Avenue, at the end of Black Creek DriveBlack Creek DriveBlack Creek Drive is a north-south arterial road in Toronto, Ontario that extends from Highway 400 at Jane Street, near Ontario Highway 401 to Weston Road in the south. Originally intended to be a freeway extension of Ontario Highway 400, it was built instead as an arterial road after public...
on the west side of Weston RoadWeston RoadWeston 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....
. It first opened in 1960 and was expanded in 1970 to include additional classroom space. - George Syme Community School is a large publicPublicIn public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
on Pritchard Avenue, near Jane Street and St. Clair AvenueSt. Clair AvenueSt. Clair Avenue is a major east-west street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was laid out in the late 18th century by the British as a concession road , north of Bloor Street and north of Queen Street....
. The original four-room George Syme School opened in 1909 and was replaced by the current building in 1970. It is a shared use facility, and is also home to adult ESL classes, the Syme-Woolner Neighbourhood and Family Centre, George Syme Daycare, International Language Programs and Escuela Pioneros de la Paz. The school celebrated it's centennial in 2009. - Harwood Public School is a publicPublicIn public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
located on Leigh Street, off McCormack Street, west of Weston Road. It was founded in 1928.
- Rockcliffe Middle School is a middle school is a school for grade 6-8 students, on Rockcliffe Boulevard, close to the intersection of Jane Street and St. Clair.
- Roselands Junior Public School is a publicPublicIn public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
located south of Eglinton AvenueEglinton AvenueEglinton 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 Jane Street. The school celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1997 and has gained a reputation for "Excellence in Education". The school is wheelchair accessible with handicapped parking spaces located close to the building. - Santa Maria Catholic School is a CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
located on Avon Avenue just west of Weston RoadWeston RoadWeston 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....
and south of Humber Boulevard.
Demographics
This neighbourhood is one of the lowest in Toronto in terms of average income and average house price according to the 2001 Census (source:Statistics CanadaStatistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
2001).
It is culturally diverse with an above average number of Latin American descendants.
There are also large groups of Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
ethnicity (mainly in Harwood) and Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
ethnicity (mainly in the Jane-Woolner area) descendants.
Home languages
In 2006, the top 11 languages used at home by residents of Rockcliffe-Smythe were:http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/cns_profiles/2006/pdf2/cpa111.pdf- English: 61.40%
- PortuguesePortuguese languagePortuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
: 7.28% - SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: 6.83% - VietnameseVietnamese languageVietnamese 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...
3.91% - ItalianItalian languageItalian 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...
2.28% - ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
1.45% - PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
1.16% - UkrainianUkrainian languageUkrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
1.03% - TagalogTagalog languageTagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
0.85% - Urdu 0.76%
- SomaliSomali languageThe Somali language is a member of the East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Its nearest relatives are Afar and Oromo. Somali is the best documented of the Cushitic languages, with academic studies beginning before 1900....
0.63%
At 0.11%, French does not rank in the top 11.
Ethnicity
According to the 2006 Canadian Census.Harwood
58% Immigrants
53% Visible Minority
Visible minority
A visible minority is a person who is visibly not one of the majority race in a given population.The term is used as a demographic category by Statistics Canada in connection with that country's Employment Equity policies. The qualifier "visible" is important in the Canadian context where...
24% Black
Black Canadian
'Black Canadians is a designation used for people of Black African descent, who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada. The term specifically refers to Canadians with Sub-Saharan African ancestry. The majority of Black Canadians are of Caribbean origin...
[large percentage around Humber Blvd.]
11% Latin American
8% South Asian
4% Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n
5% Other
Cordella/South Mount Dennis
51% Immigrants
45% Visible Minority
Visible minority
A visible minority is a person who is visibly not one of the majority race in a given population.The term is used as a demographic category by Statistics Canada in connection with that country's Employment Equity policies. The qualifier "visible" is important in the Canadian context where...
14% Latin American
8% Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n
6% Black
Black Canadian
'Black Canadians is a designation used for people of Black African descent, who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada. The term specifically refers to Canadians with Sub-Saharan African ancestry. The majority of Black Canadians are of Caribbean origin...
5% Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
4% Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
4% South Asian
2% West Asian
1% Other
Woolner/Rockcliffe
63% Immigrants
70% Visible Minority
Visible minority
A visible minority is a person who is visibly not one of the majority race in a given population.The term is used as a demographic category by Statistics Canada in connection with that country's Employment Equity policies. The qualifier "visible" is important in the Canadian context where...
27% Black
Black Canadian
'Black Canadians is a designation used for people of Black African descent, who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada. The term specifically refers to Canadians with Sub-Saharan African ancestry. The majority of Black Canadians are of Caribbean origin...
[large percentage around Jane-Woolner]
15% Latin American
11% South Asian
7% Southeast Asian
3% Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
3% Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
4% Other
Lambton
49% Immigrants
23% Visible Minority
Visible minority
A visible minority is a person who is visibly not one of the majority race in a given population.The term is used as a demographic category by Statistics Canada in connection with that country's Employment Equity policies. The qualifier "visible" is important in the Canadian context where...
8% Black
Black Canadian
'Black Canadians is a designation used for people of Black African descent, who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada. The term specifically refers to Canadians with Sub-Saharan African ancestry. The majority of Black Canadians are of Caribbean origin...
4% Latin American
3% South Asian
2% Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n
2% Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
4% Other
Runnymede
51% Immigrants
51% Visible Minority
Visible minority
A visible minority is a person who is visibly not one of the majority race in a given population.The term is used as a demographic category by Statistics Canada in connection with that country's Employment Equity policies. The qualifier "visible" is important in the Canadian context where...
14% Latin American
11% Black
Black Canadian
'Black Canadians is a designation used for people of Black African descent, who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada. The term specifically refers to Canadians with Sub-Saharan African ancestry. The majority of Black Canadians are of Caribbean origin...
7% South Asian
7% Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
6% Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n
2% Aboriginal
Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
4% Other
Main streets
The area is centered by Jane Street a north-south four-lane arterial road, which enters the neighbourhood from the south and continues north out of the neighbourhood. To the west, Scarlett Road is another arterial road running north-westerly from Dundas StreetDundas Street (Toronto)
Dundas Street, also known as Highway 5 west of Toronto, is a major arterial road connecting the centre of that city with its western suburbs and southwestern Ontario beyond...
to the north-west corner of the neighbourhood. The central east-west artery from Jane to Weston is Alliance Avenue and Humber Boulevard. To the east, 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....
is a major four-lane arterial road in a north-westerly direction.
Transportation
The area is served by several Toronto Transit CommissionToronto 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:...
bus lines
Toronto buses and trolley buses
Toronto Transit Commission buses are transit buses used for public transport in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buses are owned and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . With over 140 routes in operation, the TTC attracts over 400 million riders each year. Each route is further divided into branch...
, including the Route 35 Jane along Jane Street from Jane subway station
Jane (TTC)
Jane is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 2440 Bloor Street West at Jane Street. It was opened in 1968.- Entrances :...
and the Routes 71 Runnymede and 79 Scarlett Road along Runnymede Road, which originate at Runnymede subway station
Runnymede (TTC)
Runnymede is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 2218 Bloor Street West at Runnymede Road...
. Along the east, the Route 89 Weston bus line runs along Weston Road to Keele subway station
Keele (TTC)
Keele is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 1733 Bloor Street West at Keele Street/Parkside Drive...
and the 161 Rogers Road loops within the neighbourhood and goes to the east, meeting the subway at Ossington subway station
Ossington (TTC)
Ossington is a station on the Bloor–Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 883 Bloor Street West at Ossington Avenue. It was opened in 1966.-Entrances:...
.
New light rail transit
Light Rail Transit
The name Light Rail Transit is used to refer to several light rail systems, as an official name or otherwise:* Please see List of tram and light-rail transit systems.-See also:* Light Rapid Transit * Light railway* Light rail...
routes are planned for both Jane and Eglinton.