Interactive Neighbourhood Map
Use the interactive map above to explore all the different neighbourhoods covered by South Etobicoke Neighbourhood Watch.
For a larger view, click the fullscreen icon in the top right corner.
About South Etobicoke
Etobicoke is generally divided into three large areas that roughly correspond to the three political ridings — South Etobicoke (Etobicoke Lakeshore), Central Etobicoke (Etobicoke Centre) and North Etobicoke (Etobicoke North). Each consists of neighbourhoods, mostly developments of 19th-century “postal villages” (or rural neighbourhoods), that were built at important points along the early roads and railways — especially the three former “Lakeshore Municipalities” that separated from Etobicoke in the early 20th century and Etobicoke’s central Islington community.
The Lakeshore, along the north shore of Lake Ontario and the “Lake Shore Road” (now Lake Shore Blvd. West), comprises three former municipalities that were the first in Etobicoke to urbanize and become separate municipalities during the first half of the 20th century — Mimico, New Toronto and Long Branch, as well as related communities that were never separate from the township of Etobicoke — namely Alderwood (originally a suburb of New Toronto), and Humber Bay (a historic gateway community connecting to Toronto). Humber Bay was subsequently split by the construction of Ontario’s first “freeway” in 1938 which cut across the top of South Etobicoke (the Queen Elizabeth Way). Today, the original (northern) residential section of Humber Bay is north of The Queensway, east of Mimico Creek to the Humber River, while the (southern) commercial section of Humber Bay has mostly been replaced with hi-rise condominiums and clustered row housing.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etobicoke
Alderwood
Alderwood was originally part of a government land grant to Colonel Samuel Smith (a Loyalist British Army officer and politician) in the late 18th century. In 1850, Archibald Cameron purchased four farm lots of this land comprising most of the area that is now Alderwood, but facing bankruptcy, sold the land to Daniel Horner (a prominent member of Etobicoke’s township council) in 1874. Today, Alderwood is characterized by single family homes, many of which were constructed at the end of the Second World War. The southeast quadrant of the neighbourhood is zoned industrial and is home to manufacturing and warehousing businesses of various sizes.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alderwood,_Toronto
Islington - City Centre West
Islington centres on a commercial strip along Dundas St. West (originally The Governor’s Road, the first highway connecting Toronto to London, Ontario) which runs along an escarpment (the Lake Iroquois Shoreline, the ancient shore of Lake Iroquois) across the width of Etobicoke. To the west where Kipling Ave. crosses Dundas St. West (and Bloor St. West) is the Six Points intersection, the central point in Etobicoke’s grid. To the east, Dundas St. West crosses the Mimico Creek. The original community called Mimico grew west of Montgomery’s Inn, which was built in 1832 at Dundas St. West and Islington Ave. (beside the Mimico Creek) to serve travellers coming or going from Toronto to western Ontario along Dundas St. West. Unlike the better-known Montgomery’s Tavern in Toronto, Montgomery’s Inn was used by soldiers remaining loyal to the government during the 1837 rebellion. Etobicoke was officially incorporated as a township in 1850, first using Montgomery’s Inn for its meetings until the nearby original Methodist Church was purchased.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islington-City_Centre_West
Long Branch
Long Branch was originally part of a government land grant to Colonel Samuel Smith (a Loyalist British Army officer and politician) in the late 18th century. After Smith’s death, a small portion of it was developed as a summer resort in the early 1800s. The village of Long Branch was a partially independent municipality from 1930 to 1967 before it was amalgamated into the borough of Etobicoke and eventually into the city of Toronto. Today, Long Branch is primarily a residential district, composed mostly of single-family, detached homes. Along Lake Shore Blvd. West, numerous businesses are located in a low-rise commercial strip. South of Lake Shore Blvd. West, the area of single-family houses extends down to the lake. The area’s lakeshore is primarily privately owned. except for Long Branch Park and Marie Curtis Park.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Branch,_Toronto
Mimico
Mimco is the oldest of the former “Lakeshore Municipalities”. The town of Mimico was established by a plan of sub-division in 1856, but was not sub-divided from the former township of Etobicoke until 1911. The land area of Mimico originated mainly from three family farms — Stock Estate (north of Portland St.), Hendry Estate (between Royal York Rd. and Queens Ave.) and Vand Every Estate (between Royal York Rd. and Dwight Ave.) Mimico was an independent municipality from 1911 to 1967 before it was amalgamated into borough of Etobicoke and eventually into the city of Toronto. Today, Mimico is primarily a residential area with two commercial strips — one along Royal York Rd. and the other along Lake Shore Blvd. West, parallel to the shoreline (from Louisa Ave. to Allen Ave.) There is also a former commercial strip along Mimico Ave. connecting Royal York Rd. and Lake Shore Blvd. West. Some areas of indutrial use exist along the railway corridor.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimico
New Toronto
The town of New Toronto was establish in 1890 and was designed and planned as an industrial centre by a group of industrialists from Toronto who had visited Rochester, New York. Once one of the former “Lakeshore Municipalites”, New Toronto was an idependent municipality from 1913 to 1967 before it was amalgamated into the borough of Etobicoke and eventually into the city of Toronto. Today, New Toronto is a neighbourhood in transition, as the industrial corridor located at the north end of the community is being re-developed after having been vacant for amny years. Industry that gradually moved out of New Toronto over the years is now being re-established, in addition to institutional uses.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Toronto
Stonegate - Queensway
Known officially as Stonegate - Queensway, this neighbourhood is sometimes also referred to as The Queensway, Humber Bay or Sunnylea. Stonegate - Queensway is mainly made up of 1950s era low-rise apartment buildings and an old turn-of-the century market garden community that was absorbed by the city as it grew. The neighbourhood originally centred on the intersection of Lake Shore Blvd. West and The Queensway (near the mouth of the Humber River), but that intersection disappeared with the builing of the Queen Elizabeth Way in 1938. Most streets south of The Queensway and east of Mimico Creek were lost when the Queen Elizabeth Way was built. Along the waterfront however, a new street was built on a largely artificial shoreline named Marine Parade Dr. after a similar 1890s street planned to run along Mimco’s shoreline. Some streets which were laid out in developments for returning soldiers carry names commemorating military heroes while other streets laid out in the following years celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Queensway_–_Humber_Bay
