The history of “The Junction” dates back to the 1880s when the Grand Trunk, Toronto Grey and Bruce and Northern railway lines began service to this area. The railways attracted industry to West Toronto Junction which in turn attracted the labourers who were the first residents of this neighbourhood.
Now West Toronto Junction is being revitalized as abandoned warehouses and factory buildings are being converted to urban lofts, or simply torn down and replaced with new townhomes. Once again this neighbourhood seems poised to become an integral part of the west Toronto landscape.
This neighbourhood has attracted the attention of developers, due to its close proximity to High Park and the revitalized Junction Gardens shopping district on Dundas Street West, as well as its easy access to the Bloor subway line.
West Toronto Junction is currently undergoing a major revitalization that has seen much of its former industrial core replaced by residential lofts and townhomes.
Real Estate
West Toronto Junction’s narrow tree-lined streets are framed by two- and three-storey Victorian-style houses, built mostly in the 1910s and 1920s. The brick exterior on many of these houses has been colourfully painted, giving these older homes a bit of a facelift. West Toronto Junction is currently undergoing a building boom of new townhome and condominium loft developments. As far as new homes go, this is one of Toronto’s most affordable neighbourhoods.
Recreation
Residents of this neighbourhood are less than one mile from High Park, which contains a myriad of recreational opportunities. There are also four local parks located within this neighbourhood. Their facilities include playgrounds, wading pools and artificial ice rinks. The local YMCA, at Perth and Annette, offers a wide variety of programs for children and seniors. The Perth Dupont Public Library has programs for preschoolers and children.
Schools
(Public) Indian Rd. Crescent Jr., 285 Indian Rd. Cres., (416) 393-9025
(Public) Perth Ave. Jr., 14 Ruskin Ave., (416) 393-1410
(Public) Brockton High School, 90 Croatia St., (416) 393-0430
(Public) The City School, 315 Osler St., (416) 393-1470
(Catholic) St. Josephat, 160 Franklin Ave., (416) 393-5291
(Catholic) St. Luig, 2 Ruskin Ave., (416) 393-5370
(Catholic) St. Rita, 178 Edwin Ave., (416) 393-5216
Shopping
The Galleria Shopping Centre, at the corner of Dupont and Dufferin streets, and the Crossways, at the corner of Dundas and Bloor, provide convenient, indoor shopping combined with professional services. Across the tracks on historic Dundas Street West is the “Junction Gardens” shopping district, which contains a huge variety of shops and restaurants.
Local street shopping is also available on Dupont Street, Bloor Street, and the north part of Symington Avenue. Big-box retailers are situated at the St. Clair Avenue and Keele Street intersection.
Transportation
The West Toronto Junction has bus service on Dupont, Dundas and Keele streets as well as on Symington and Lansdowne avenues. The Dupont and Dundas buses connect passengers to the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line, while the Keele, Lansdowne, and Symington buses connect with stations on the Bloor-Danforth subway line.
The City of Toronto has also shown an interest in jump-starting this vital west-end neighbourhood; it purchased land alongside an old CN rail right-of-way to create a bicycle path, which suits the preferred mode of transportation for many residents in this neighbourhood.
