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Scarborough, Ontario

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This article is about the Toronto district and former Canadian municipality. For other places, see Scarborough.
City of Scarborough (Dissolved)
Dissolved city
Flag of City of Scarborough (Dissolved)
Flag
Coat of arms of City of Scarborough (Dissolved)
Coat of arms
Location of City of Scarborough (Dissolved)
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
Established1 January 1850 (township)
Incorporated
Amalgamation		June 1983 (city)
1 January 1998
Government
 • MayorDavid Miller (Toronto Mayor)
 • Governing BodyToronto City Council
 • MPsJohn Cannis, Jim Karygiannis, Derek Lee, John McKay, Dan McTeague, Tom Wappel
 • MPPsBas Balkissoon, Lorenzo Berardinetti, Mary Anne Chambers, Brad Duguid, Gerry Phillips
Area
[1]
 • Total187.70 km2 (72.47 sq mi)
Population
 (2006)[1]
 • Total607,876
 • Density3,160.9/km2 (8,187/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code span
M1(B-X)
Area code(s)416, 647

Scarborough (pronounced /skɑrbroʊ/) is the area that forms the eastern part of the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was a separate city for over 200 years, but has been part of the East District of Toronto since 1998. The Scarborough name is still used by local residents, and is recognised by Canada Post as a municipality name.

Scarborough has characteristics of a suburb of old Toronto, but retains much of its own character and flavour. Certain neighbourhoods in Scarborough are popular destinations for new immigrants to Canada, who bring part of their own culture to that of Scarborough. Because of the topography of the Bluffs, the Rouge Valley and the other creeks and minor tributaries, Scarborough is said to be the greenest and leafiest part of Toronto.[2]

History

A survey map of Scarborough from the 1880s.

Settlement

The first known evidence of people in Scarborough comes from an archaeological site in Fenwood Heights, which has been dated to 8000 BCE.[3] The site contains the remains of a camp of nomadic hunters and foragers, and there is no evidence of permanent settlers.[3]

In the 1600s the area was inhabited by the Seneca at the village of Ganatsekwyagon,[4] who were later displaced by the Mississaugas, who were themselves displaced by the British settlers who began to arrive in the late 1700s. After surveying the land in 1793, it was opened to settlement by British subjects with the first issue of land patents in 1796, although squatters had already been present for a few years. The first post office opened in 1832 in Scarborough Village.[5]

The expansion of Toronto in the west in the 19th century lead to the development of housing stock along the Kingston Road and Danforth Road corridors in Scarborough. As the urban area continued to expand, much of rural Scarborough was converted to suburban housing developments in the last third of the 20th century. At the start of the 21st century, growth has occurred along the Highway 401 corridor at the northern end of the Scarborough RT; highrise condominium projects have increased the residential density around Scarborough City Centre.[5]

The Bluffs from which Scarborough's name is inspired

Naming

The area was named after Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England by Elizabeth Simcoe, the wife of John Graves Simcoe, the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada. The bluffs along Scarborough's Lake Ontario shores reminded her of the limestone cliffs in Scarborough, England. On August 4, 1793, she wrote in her diary, "The shore is extremely bold, and has the appearance of chalk cliffs, but I believe they are only white sand. They appeared so well that we talked of building a summer residence there and calling it Scarborough."[6] Before then, the area was named Glasgow, after the Scottish community.[7]

Scarborough has acquired nicknames. The most popular is Scarberia, a portmanteau of Scarborough and Siberia, a reference to its seemingly distant eastern location to downtown Toronto residents.[8] Scarborough has also acquired nicknames related to the diversity of the area. Such nicknames are typically a combination using the prefix 'Scar' and a suffix derived from the name of a region, nation, or ethnicity. One such nickname is Scarlem, which alludes to Harlem.[9]

Incorporation

Scarborough was first settled in 1796,[7] and incorporated as a township on 1 January, 1850.[10] On 15 April, 1953, Scarborough was included within Metropolitan Toronto, a new upper level of municipal government with jurisdiction over regional services such as arterial roads and transit. Scarborough was incorporated as a borough on 1 January 1967, and later incorporated as a city in 1983, while remaining within Metropolitan Toronto. It was amalgamated into the new City of Toronto on 1 January 1998, losing its separate legal identity. Scarborough's population as of the 2006 census is 607,876.[11]

Geography

See also: Neighbourhoods in Scarborough

Scarborough's borders are Victoria Park Ave. to the west, the Rouge River, the Little Rouge Creek and the Scarborough-Pickering Townline to the east, Steeles Ave. E. to the north, and Lake Ontario to the south.[12]

Scarborough is home to an earthen cliff formation known as the Scarborough Bluffs. The Bluffs can be found along the shore of Lake Ontario, stretching about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi), and reaching heights of more than 60 m (196 ft 10 in) in places. They are part of a much larger formation known as the Iroquois Shoreline, most of which is located somewhat further inland. The Iroquois Shoreline marks the extent of a prehistoric lake, Glacial Lake Iroquois, whose level was quite a bit higher than present-day Lake Ontario's. It shrank in size at the close of the last ice age.[13]

The Rouge River

Erosion has been a problem along the Scarborough Bluffs. Properties located near the brink have been abandoned, and houses condemned, as the brink wears back away from the lake. The erosion process was accelerated by the 19th century ship-based removal of aggregates (stone-hooking) from the beaches at the base of the Bluffs for construction in Toronto. The removal of this material allowed wave action to directly scour the base of the Bluffs in many sections. Since the 1980s, large areas of beach at the base of the Bluffs have been reinforced with limestone breakwaters and construction rubble infilling.[14]

Scarborough is also notable for the Rouge River Valley, parts of which are still in a natural, wooded state. The valley is home to a great variety of wildlife including deer, foxes, and the occasional coyote. In the mid-1990s, there were unconfirmed sightings of a cougar in the Rouge Valley. One witness even produced a videotape purportedly showing it.[15]

An aerial view of western Scarborough and North York, near Highway 404. The skyline of Toronto is visible in the background, to the left.

Demographics

Visible minorities of Scarborough[1]
Religion in Scarborough

In 2001, Scarborough's population was 593,297, with a density of 3,161 square kilometres (1,220 sq mi). A study based on census data between 1996 and 2001 shows that Scarborough's growth rate was more than 6%, the highest growth in Toronto. Its population is second to North York, but if this trend continues it should be the most populated district in Toronto by 2010.[16]

A significant portion of Scarborough's population is composed of immigrants and descendants of immigrants who have arrived in the last four decades. Fifty-four percent of residents are foreign born.[1] Chinese residents make up 17.73% of the population, South Asian Residents account for 17.76% of the population, Black Canadian residents make up 10.09% of the population, while Filipino Canadian residents account for 5%.[1] The remaining visible minority groups each represent less than 2% of the population. The immigrant population has created vibrant multicultural locales in various areas of Scarborough. One of the more notable among these is the heavy concentration of Chinese businesses and restaurants in the Agincourt neighbourhood. Many of Scarborough's main arteries, including segments of Kingston Road, Eglinton Avenue East and Lawrence Avenue East, feature Caribbean, Chinese and Halal restaurants and shops, as well as businesses representing the other ethnic groups in the area.[1]

Scarborough has the lowest crime rate per capita in the city. According to Police Chief Bill Blair, based on police crime statistics, "[42 Division is] the safest division in the city"; this division includes north Scarborough.[17] The safest part of Toronto is North Scarborough from Victoria Park to the Pickering border, north of the 401.[17]

Economy

Scarborough is a former borough of Toronto, and as such its economy is an integral component of the economy of Toronto. Scarborough lacks the same level of urban density and business infrastructure development as downtown Toronto. A few farms are still present in the northeast corner of Scarborough, reflective of the area's rural past.[18]

Compared to the City of Toronto as a whole, industry in Scarborough is similar in all labour force categories, save for manufacturing which is higher in Scarborough, and professional, scientific and technical services which are lower.[19] Notable companies that have their headquarters in Scarborough include Toyota Canada Inc., Eli Lilly Canada Inc., Thomson Carswell, CTVglobemedia, Novopharm, Cinram, Honda Canada Inc., Royal Doulton, SKF, Alfa Laval, President's Choice Financial, Aviva, Yellow Pages, and Telus.[20]

Several points of attraction exist between the McCowan transit station and the Midland transit station, including the Town Centre Mall, a public square, government buildings, offices, and new condominiums in recent years. This area has become one of Toronto's new downtowns in the outer boroughs.[21]

Arts and culture

See also: People from Scarborough, Ontario
The Main Entrance to the Toronto Zoo

Scarborough residents have developed their own unique sense of humour, as evidenced by Mike Myers, whose Wayne's World character was inspired by growing up in the area. Other Scarborough natives include Eric McCormack (Will & Grace), John Candy (Second City, SCTV), and the musical group Barenaked Ladies. Jim Carrey (Ace Ventura, Dumb and Dumber, Bruce Almighty) also lived in Scarborough during his teen years. Scarborough has also proved to be the home of prominent hip-hop artists, including Maestro Fresh Wes, Choclair, Kardinal Offishall, Saukrates, Bishop Brigante, and the group BrassMunk.[22]

The Scarborough Town Centre is the largest commercial and entertainment hub east of Yonge Street in Toronto. It is located next to the Scarborough Civic Centre, Albert Campbell Square, and Consilium Place. This area was developed as a city centre under the old City of Scarborough government. The Scarborough Walk of Fame is also located in the Town Centre, consisting of plaques embedded in the floor to honour notable residents, past and current. The inaugural inductees included National Basketball Association player Jamaal Magloire, Olympic gold medalist Vicky Sunohara, and eight prominent residents who contributed to advances in medicine, arts, and the community.[23]

In 1974, the Toronto Zoo was moved from its original downtown location to its current location in the Rouge River valley. The new location enabled the zoo to increase its overall area from 3 hectares (7.4 acres) to over 300 hectares (740 acres). The zoo was transformed at this time from a 19th century zoo with a few animals cramped behind iron bars into a zoo where space was provided to animals and the setting attempted to duplicate the animals' natural environments.[24]

The topography of Scarborough has provided the area with an abundance of golf courses. The private Toronto Hunt Club was established in 1895 alongside Lake Ontario,[25] and the private Scarborough Golf and Country Club was established in 1912. The private Cedarbrae Golf and Country Club was established in 1922 and moved to its current Rouge River Valley location at Steeles Ave East in 1957. Dentonia Park is a public executive course established in 1967 and is nestled in a park beside the Victoria Park subway station. The private Tam O'Shanter Golf Course was established in 1973 and is nestled alongside Highland Creek.

On May 17, 2006, the Nike Malvern Sports Complex was opened in the Malvern neighbourhood. Nike Canada donated $500,000 to build the complex, which includes a basketball court, a practice soccer pitch, and a running track. The track was constructed from 50,000 used running shoes. The complex was built on the grounds of the Blessed Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School and is open to the public. Olympic hurdler Perdita Felicien was on hand at the opening to encourage youth to participate in sports.[26]

Scarborough is home to Tamils who fled Sri Lanka because of war waged by Militants for a separate homeland within the island. Efforts in the city are being made to make Sri Lankan culture better understood by non-Tamil people, to establish cross-cultural and cross-national alliances. Sri Lankans have been introducing their culture by building Catholic Churches, Hindu Temples and Buddhist Temples across Scarborough.[27]

Infrastructure

See also: Educational institutions in Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough RT leaving Kennedy Station

Scarborough is the home of Ontario's first elevated rapid transit line, the Scarborough RT. The RT was built in 1985. It runs from Kennedy subway station to McCowan Avenue, a distance of 6 kilometres (3.7 mi), just east of the Scarborough Town Centre. There are six stations along the RT route. The city is reviewing replacement options, including turning it into a streetcar route or an extension of the City's subway system. The RT forms part of the public transit run by the Toronto Transit Commission, which also operates extensive bus routes, and three subway stations within Scarborough.[28]

The GO Transit authority has two major commuter train lines running through Scarborough. The Lakeshore East line runs across the south end of the city, while the Stouffville line runs in a more north-south fashion in the centre of Scarborough. GO Transit also has a few bus stations and stops in Scarborough which provide connections out of Scarborough. Greyhound Bus runs services in Scarborough, although most Greyhound destinations are only served through the Toronto Bus Terminal located downtown.[29]

The only major freeway in Scarborough is Highway 401, which connects Windsor, Ontario to Montreal, Quebec and spans 825 kilometres (513 mi). The highway runs east-west across the middle of Scarborough, with six to eight lanes in each direction. The short, minor freeway Highway 2A runs parallel to Lake Ontario in the eastern part of Scarborough. In the late 1960s, a plan was formed to link Highway 2A with an eastern extension of the Gardiner Expressway. The planned route known as the Scarborough Expressway would have travelled next to the Canadian National Railway railway lines parallel to Kingston Road. The plan failed to materialize but land acquisitions for the expressway route beside the tracks remain vacant. Currently there are plans to turn it into a mix of housing and parkland.[30]

The arterial roads of Scarborough are generally aligned either north-south or east-west. Kingston Road and Danforth Road are two significant exceptions to this grid, both running diagonally in a southwest-northeast direction across the south end of Scarborough. From north to south, the major east-west arterial roads are Steeles Avenue, Finch Avenue, Sheppard Avenue, Ellesmere Road, Lawrence Avenue, Eglinton Avenue and St. Clair Avenue. From west to east, the major north-south arterial roads are Victoria Park Avenue, Warden Avenue, Birchmount Road, Kennedy Road, Midland Avenue, Brimley Road, McCowan Road, Markham Road, Neilson Road, Morningside Avenue, Meadowvale Road and Port Union Road.[31]

Sister cities

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "2001 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  2. ^ Kuitenbrouwer, Peter (2006-07-08). "How green is my city?". National Post. Retrieved 2006-07-19.
  3. ^ a b McCowan, Bruce (1995-03-23). "Scarborough Fair: The first settlers foraged 10,000 years ago". Toronto Star. p. SC. 2.
  4. ^ "Native and Newcomers, 1600–1793". Municipal government of Toronto. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  5. ^ a b "Scarborough History". Stand Up Scarborough. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  6. ^ "Travels with Elizabeth Simcoe". Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (Ontario). Retrieved 2006-08-05.
  7. ^ a b "Scarborough Historical Society". Scarborough Historical Society. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
  8. ^ DiManno, Rosie (2007-01-15). "A cheeky look at the rump of Toronto: Shhh on the S-word, coupled with crime, councillors say". Toronto Star.
  9. ^ Brown, Maureen (2003-03-31). "Growing up black in Oakville" (PDF). Community Development Halton. Retrieved 2006-06-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ "City of Toronto Website". Municipal government of Toronto. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
  11. ^ "Population and dwelling counts". Statistics Canada. 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  12. ^ "Map of Slo-Pitch Parks& Slo-Pitch Diamonds". Slopitch 1. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  13. ^ "Hello from Toronto – Summer in T.O. Positively Rocks". Travel & Transitions. 2006-07-31. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  14. ^ "Lakeshores Old and New". Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  15. ^ "For Buyers". Toronto Real Estate. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  16. ^ "When you want to know Scarborough, Ontario". Scarborough Direct. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  17. ^ a b Milley, Danielle (2008-04-16). "Police bring message of safety to 42 Division meeting". The Mirror. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  18. ^ "Scarborough". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  19. ^ "City of Toronto's community economic profile for Scarborough" (PDF). Municipal government of Toronto. Retrieved 2006-08-05.
  20. ^ "Innovation Performance—The Greater Toronto Area Region". Government of Canada. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  21. ^ "Subway schedules". Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  22. ^ "Mike Myers". IMDB. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  23. ^ Ferenc, Leslie (2006-05-18). "Scarborough stars shine on Walk of Fame". Toronto Star. p. A20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ Rusk, James (2004-08-16). "Zoo celebrates 30th anniversary". The Globe and Mail. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ "Toronto Hunt Club AGM". International Wine & Food Society of Toronto. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  26. ^ Christie, James (2006-05-18). "Malvern complex aimed at youth". The Globe and Mail. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ Durak, Sean (2003-03-30). "Newcomers find a home in Scarborough". Tamil Canadian. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  28. ^ "Regeneration" (PDF). Waterfront Regeneration Trust. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  29. ^ ""Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Times Two"". Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  30. ^ "Transportation: Highways". Found Locally. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  31. ^ "Kingston Road" (PDF). Municipal government of Toronto. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
  32. ^ "Indianapolis Buildings". Emporis. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
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