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Flemingdon Park

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Coordinates: 43°42′47″N 79°20′02″W / 43.713°N 79.334°W / 43.713; -79.334
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Flemingdon Park
Neighbourhood
Country Canada
Province Ontario
CityToronto Toronto
CommunityNorth York
Changed Municipality1922 North York from York
1998 Toronto from North York
Government
 • MPYasmin Ratansi (Don Valley East)
 • MPPKathleen Wynne (Don Valley West)
 • CouncillorJon Burnside (Ward 26 Don Valley West)

Flemingdon Park is a multicultural community in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located in the city's North York district. It is part of the Don Valley West federal and provincial electoral districts, and Ward 26: Don Valley West (South) municipally. In 2011, its population was 22,205.[1] The average income was $35,192.[2]

It is bordered on the north by Eglinton Avenue East, on the west by the Don River (west branch), and on the east and south by the Don River (east branch). The two branches of the river join at the neighbourhood’s southwest corner. The south border is a parkland access road that used to be known as Old Lawrence Avenue. Flemingdon Park is separated from neighbouring communities by river valleys on three sides, and a light industrial area, now mostly used as corporate offices, next to several railway lines on the north side.

The community is named after its original owner, Robert John Fleming, the mayor of Toronto in 1892–1893 and 1896–1897, and the nearby Don River.

History

Flemingdon Park was built on farmland owned by Robert John Fleming. After his death in 1925, it was sold to become public land.

In 1958, following the trends of many other post-World War II cities, Toronto began to consider a large planned "apartment city" community for the influx of immigrants. Although there was immediate scepticism about the density of the development, the community was nevertheless built.[3] Occupancy of the new apartments began in 1961,[4] and the community was completed in the early 1970s. The community's developer was Olympia and York.

Traditionally, the neighbourhood served as affordable housing for new immigrants to Canada. Today, the neighbourhood's population is mainly immigrants, who accounting for approximately two-thirds of residents (Census 2011). Though quite diverse in composition, the majority of immigrants originate from South Asian and South East Asian countries including India, Afghanistan, and the Philippines (Census 2006, Census 2011).

On September 26, 1969, the Ontario Science Centre opened to the public. It is a major tourist attraction in Toronto.

Like many communities with a significant public housing component, Flemingdon Park gained a reputation as a working class community. In 2000, its reputation improved with the addition of a new section of upper middle income single and semi-detached housing, and a luxury condominium apartment called "Tribeca", converted from an office building that was originally part of the Foresters complex, along the community’s north side.[5]

An upper middle income housing is found along the community’s east border, in a narrow strip between the Don Valley Parkway and the Don River (east), overlooking the Don Valley. The town homes are called "Windy Golfway Executive Townhomes".[6] located next to Flemingdon Park Golf Club.[7]

Three luxury high rise towers are also located next to the golf course called "The Palisades" by Tridel built in 1990.[8]

"The Palisades" by Tridel

New development and construction

The Eglinton Crosstown line, a light rapid transit line, is expected to open in 2020 with three stops in Flemingdon Park. It will connect the neighbourhood to the Yonge subway line and to Scarborough Town Centre.

Sonic is a new luxury condo development by Lindvest. It consists of two high-rise buildings of 28 and 30 storeys in height and also includes four-storey townhomes.

With the developments to the area, plans are being made for a 24-hectare site at Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue to house thousands of people in eight luxury condo towers, and open new offices and shops.[9]

Population diversity

The population of Flemingdon Park is very diverse. Statistics Canada 2011 census has reported that the population of Flemingdon Park consists of residents born in various places around the world, including Germans, Romanians, Kenyans and Sri Lankans.[10]

Schools

Grenoble Public School

Grenoble Public School is an elementary school for children from Kindergarten to grade 6. When it opened, it served students up to grade 6. It has portable classrooms that had been used at Valley Park Middle School. It is located next to the Flemingdon Park Pentecostal Church to the west, Flemingdon Playground to the east and Dennis R. Timbrell Recreation Centre/Flemingdon Park Toronto Public Library to the north.

Gateway Public School

Gateway Public School is a public school that serves from Junior Kindergarten to grade 6.[11] It has an additional five portables to accommodate extra students. Gateway Public School has participated in the Terry Fox Run, "playday" and "Freerice Competition" which occurs once every school year. It also provides a snack program for the whole school.

Valley Park Middle School

Valley Park Middle School is located at the intersection of Don Mills Road and Overlea Boulevard (130 Overlea Boulevard). It serves grades 6 to 8. It is the largest middle school in Canada with 1200 students from public schools in Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park. Representing over 50 language groups, It provides English as a Second Language (ESL) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) programs. In 2004, Valley Park added a new wing to the school. Valley Park offers Friday prayers for Muslim students,[12] and provides a snack program and a breakfast club to boost students' learning habits. It also offers a variety of after-school programs and extra-curricular activities.

Valley Park has been working to make a cricket/multi-sports field outside of the building.[13] Phase one of the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of December 2013. Phase One includes a multi-sport irrigated field accommodating cricket, soccer, baseball and basketball, cricket sight screens, cricket & baseball practice cages, a baseball backstop, a red clay running track, our bioswale, wetland, urban forest and butterfly meadow. The field has been ready to play on as of June 2015.

The number of students at the school has decreased from 1300 to 1200 in the 2012-2013 year because Gateway and Grenoble public schools have added grade 6 at their schools. Gateway Public School took five portable classrooms from Valley Park, and Grenoble Public School took one, leaving four portable classrooms at Valley Park.[14] When students graduate in Grade 8, they automatically transfer to Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute or they can apply for "Optional Attendance" so they can attend any high school in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB).

Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute (Overlea High School)

Main article: Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute

Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute is a high school named after Marc Garneau, a Canadian politician, retired military officer, former astronaut, and engineer. The school was used to be called "Overlea High School". The school is located at 130 Overlea Boulevard, across from Valley Park Middle School. Students transferring into the school are from Valley Park Middle School or any middle school in the TDSB due to "Optional Attendance". The high school offers a "Talented Offerings for Programs in the Sciences" or TOPS program for students in the school that pass a test. The school has more than 1500 students in Grades 9-12. It has three floors, a greenhouse and about 12 portable classrooms.

Saint John XXIII Catholic School

Saint John XXIII is a Catholic school located across from Gateway Public School. It serves students from Kindergarten to grade 8.

Commercial buildings

There are several commercial high rise buildings in Flemingdon Park including Foresters Tower a 23-story high-rise, two 14-storey high-rises ICICI Bank Tower & De Beers Tower. Flemingdon Park Shopping Centre, an outdoor outlet mini mall, features Shoppers Drug Mart, Sunny Food Mart, Yvonne Bakery, Dollar store, Scrubby's Laundry Express, Gerry's Convenience store, Mulan Chinese Cuisine, Pioneer Deli, McDonalds, Shaheen Tika & Kabab House, Itamae Sushi and Razzak computers. In 2011, Dongate Plaza was built. Dongate Plaza includes a Tim Hortons, Subway, Pita Land, a convenience store and a nail salon (now a pharmacy). The Toronto Don Valley Hotel & Suites, a four-star hotel with a 6000-square-foot ballroom for meetings, is located in the area.

Parkland

Flemingdon Park has an abundance of parkland. In addition to being surrounded by river valleys (consisting of parkland and a golf course) on three sides, it has a large park of sports fields on public space beneath hydro-electric power lines, and a ravine-like park (without waterway) running north/south through the centre, in addition to several smaller parks. A bicycle path along the west Don Valley runs all the way to Downtown Toronto.[citation needed]A city executive 9-hole course "Flemingdon Park Golf Club" established in the early 1960s. http://www.flemingdonparkgolfclub.com/

Crime

In July 2006, 17-year-old Omar Wellington was beaten and murdered by a couple of young men.[15] Crime has been decreasing in the area due to a big increase in middle-class families moving into the area.[16]

Notable residents

References

  1. ^ "Social Profile #1 Age & Gender". 2011 City of Toronto Neighbourhood Profiles Flemington Park (44). Toronto: City of Toronto. p. 2. Archived from the original on 2013-10-26. Retrieved 2013-10-26. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Statistics Canada". Statistics Canada 2011. This information is only for part of this neighbourhood, since for census purpose areas are subdivided into census tracts. The number of the census tract is 5350260.03. Retrieved Apr 7, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ^ Toronto Neighbourhoods, Flemingdon Park
  4. ^ NFB documentary, Flemingdon Park: The Global Village, 2002
  5. ^ http://condos.ca/toronto/tribeca-797-don-mills-rd. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ http://windygolfway.webpaper.co/. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  7. ^ "Flemingdon Park Golf Club". http://www.flemingdonparkgolfclub.com/. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  8. ^ http://condos.ca/toronto/the-palisades-i-215-wynford-dr. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ^ http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/08/06/celestica-faces-resistance-over-plan-to-build-condos-shops-at-its-don-mills-head-office-property/
  10. ^ Statistics Canada, 2011 Census, Data for Census Tract 5350260.03
  11. ^ http://www.tdsb.on.ca/FindYour/Schools.aspx?schno=3129
  12. ^ http://life.nationalpost.com/tag/valley-park-middle-school/
  13. ^ https://www.facebook.com/vpmsgogreen/info
  14. ^ [1]
  15. ^ [2]
  16. ^ http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/statistics/crime_indicators.php. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)

43°42′47″N 79°20′02″W / 43.713°N 79.334°W / 43.713; -79.334

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