Etobicoke Centre is located on the western side of Metropolitan Toronto. It has a rich history consisting of colourful neighborhoods and interesting residents, parks and historical landmarks. Of note are:
- Eatonville Neighbourhood
- Centennial Park
- James Gardens
- Applewood Shaver House
Eatonville Neighbourhood
This community is named after Timothy Eaton of Eaton’s department store fame who, along with his descendants, bought 369 acres of land on both sides of Highway 427 between Bloor and Burnhamthorpe. From 1891 to 1944, they produced milk, beef, pork and vegetables for their downtown Toronto store. The name is remembered today in Eatonville Public Library and Eatonville Junior School.
Centennial Park
Centennial Park is a large regional park with many sports facilities, maintained by the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
History
The park was opened in 1967 for Canada's 100 birthday by the then Borough of Etobicoke and was part of the Hirons' dairy farm (the remaining part of the farm was sold for residential development in 1968.
In 1976, the park was one of two venue sites for the 1976 Summer Paralympics.
In 1998, when the six municipalities comprising Metropolitan Toronto were amalgamated, the park was integrated into Toronto Parks and Recreation from the former City of Etobicoke Parks Department
In 2015, the park hosted the BMX cycling at the 2015 Pan American Games. After the Games, the BMX track became a legacy site for public use
Features
The park has a variety of features including:
- Centennial Park Conservatory
- Etobicoke Olympium, a large athletic centre that was built in 1975.
- Centennial Park Ski & Snowboard Centre
An alpine skiing hill is the focal point of the Centre. It features one T-bar and a conveyor lift, serving one intermediate slope, one beginner slope, and a snowboard slope. It is one of two ski hills located within the boundaries of Toronto, the other being the North York Ski Centre.
- Centennial Hill was the site of a municipal dump and the south end was used as a transfer station.
- Centennial Park Stadium, a 3,500 seat capacity stadium that is primarily used for athletics, soccer and occasionally for kabaddi.
- Centennial Park Arena 2 pads
- In the mid to late 1970s there was a Motocross track at Centennial park, open for riding and also held Motocross races on Sundays. Mike Austin's MRAC Motorcycle Racing Association of Canada ran the races.
- 8 lane polytan track and field facility
- go-cart track
- 120 acre golf course
- picnic areas
- 7 soccer fields
- one baseball diamond
- five softball diamonds
- Designated Toboggan Hill
- Splash Pad
- Playground Equipment
- Flying Circles
- 2 Cricket Pitches
- Disc Golf Course
- Exercise Course (Kiwanis)
- 7 acres marshland/wetlands
- 11 acre man made pond
- Centennial Park Pan Am BMX Centre
James Gardens
James Gardens is a public botanical garden in Etobicoke area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada along the Humber River. It was a former private estate sold to the City of Toronto and now managed by the Toronto Parks Department.
James Gardens consists of broad lawns, numerous flower beds, specimen plantings, rock gardens, nature trails, three large and four small ponds fed by a spring and connected by a stream, a carp pool, and a lawn bowling court. It is connected to the Humber River pedestrian and cycling trail.
Each year thousands of flowers and over 75,000 tulips are planted in the beds, whose designs and materials are changed annually in the rock gardens and under the well-pruned trees and shrubs. Each year, there are tens of thousands of visitors, and many weddings and receptions are held on the grounds of James Gardens.
Applewood Shaver House - A part of Canadian History
Applewood Shaver House is a 1850's farmhouse where James Shaver Woodsworth was born. He was a Member of Parliament and social reformer. This house was saved to preserve his legacy and a fine example of early Canadian architecture.
Applewood is located at 450 The West Mall and is not only a living and active museum of Etobicoke’s bygone era, but it also helps identify those who helped shape this great part of Etobicoke Centre in Toronto. Applewood was built in 1852 by Peter Shaver and was the birthplace of his grandson James. James Shaver Woodsworth was a social reformer and pioneer in the Canadian democratic movement as he became the first leader of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) Party. The Applewood Shaver House almost met its demise in 1980 if not for the effort of a group of Etobicoke citizens who saved the house from demolition. The home is now taken care of by The James Shaver Woodsworth Homestead Foundation.
The Applewood Shaver House is not just a museum. It hosts marriage ceremonies in an 1860s settings which adds an nostalgic feel to any wedding ceremony. Business meetings and receptions are also held here. In addition, many special events take place throughout the year such as the very popular outdoor Twilight Concerts In The Park, plant sales, Harvest Tea, Christmas craft sale, and Christmas caroling.
Etobicoke Centre Boundaries
Consisting of that part of the City of Toronto described as follows: commencing at the intersection of the westerly limit of said city with Highway No. 401; thence easterly along said highway to Highway No. 427; thence easterly along said highway and Eglinton Avenue West to Martin Grove Road; thence northerly along said road to Dixon Road; thence easterly along said road and its easterly production to the Humber River; thence enerally southeasterly along said river to Dundas Street West; thence southwesterly along said street to the Canadian Pacific Railway; thence southerly along said railway to Mimico Creek; thence generally northwesterly along said creek to Kipling Avenue; thence southerly along said avenue to Bloor Street West; thence westerly along said street to Highway No. 427; thence southerly along said highway to Dundas Street West; thence westerly along said street to the westerly limit of said city; thence generally northwesterly along said limit to the point of commencement.
