History:
The Birch Cliff area began to be developed in 1895, when the Toronto Hunt Club relocated here. Fox Hunts were held at this club up until the 1930’s, when golf became the memberships preferred activity. In the late 1890’s and early 1900’s many Toronto residents built summer cottages on the property adjacent to the Toronto Hunt Club. These cottagers were attracted to the area by the magnificent Scarborough Bluffs. The crest of the Scarborough Bluffs was lined with birch trees which prompted a cottager by the name of John Stark to name his cottage “Birch Cliff”. The Birch Cliff name was adopted by the local post office, which opened in 1907 in Arthur Mitchell’s grocery store. This store formerly stood at the corner of Kingston Road and Birchmount Avenue. Birch Cliff emerged as a year round residential community beginning in the 1910’s and 1920’s. From 1922 to 1947, it held the distinction of being the meeting place of the Scarborough Municipal Council. Birch Cliff’s residential development was completed shortly after World War II.
Overview:
Birch Cliff is an established, family oriented neighbourhood set amidst the idyllic backdrop of the Scarborough Bluffs and Lake Ontario. Drawing attention away from the lake is Kingston Road, a major thoroughfare that arches it’s way through the centre of this neighbourhood. The annual Birch Cliff community parade held in May, takes place along Kingston Road. Two distinct residential pockets within the greater Birch Cliff area include the exclusive “Fallingbrook” community, located west of the Toronto Hunt Club to the south of Kingston Road, and the “Birch Cliff Heights” community, situated on the north side of Kingston Road, between Birchmount and Kennedy Roads.
Homes:
Birch Cliff contains an excellent selection of bungalows, storey-and-a-half houses and detached, two-storey homes that feature Tudor, Edwardian and Cape Cod designs. This neighbourhood’s original housing stock dates from the 1910’s all the way up to the 1950’s. Birch Cliff also contains a fairly large number of modern homes that have been built in the 1980’s and 1990’s. The highly sought after “Fallingbrook” district is known for its lush ravine topography and splendid manor houses that overlook Lake Ontario. Fallingbrook also contains a large number of houses that back onto the picturesque grounds of the Toronto Hunt Club.
Lifestyle:
The retail corridor along Kingston Road contains a mix of convenience-type stores, neighbourhood bars and restaurants, and professional and medical offices. Kingston Road west of the Toronto Hunt Club, is more gentrified and includes an art gallery, a doggie daycare and apparel store, a party and play centre for children, and upscale restaurants and cafes. The artsy tone of this shopping district continues west past Victoria Park Avenue and into the Upper Beach neighbourhood.
Recreation & Culture
The Birchmount Community Centre is located across from the arena. This centre offers a full range of adult, seniors’ and children’s programming. This modern community centre also features a large indoor pool that is used for recreational swims and lessons. The Taylor Memorial Branch Toronto Public Library located at 1440 Kingston Road offers children’s programming. The R.C. Harris Filtration Plant situated at the foot of Victoria Park Avenue is Toronto’s largest water filtration plant. This art deco edifice has been declared a National Historic Civil Engineering Site. Free guided tours of this Toronto landmark are available to the public. The Robbie International Soccer Tournament began in 1967 when a remarkable group of volunteers at the Scarborough Minor Soccer Association held a meeting to discuss staging an annual soccer tournament for charity. Now in its 43rd year the “The Robbie” is the world’s largest annual charitable soccer tournament. To date this celebrated event has raised over 1.5 Million dollars for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Muscular Dystrophy. Boys and girls from a myriad of age groups will compete in this competition on the weekend of July 3-5. Games will be held at soccer fields across Scarborough. The main event will be preceded by the Robbie Mini Soccer festival Under 8 & 9s on June 27 and 28.
Transportation
The Danforth Road bus connects passengers to stations on the Bloor-Danforth subway line. The Danforth Go Train station situated on Main Street shuttles commuters to Toronto’s Union Station in approximately ten minutes.
Motorists can access downtown Toronto in fifteen minutes via Kingston Road which links up with the Gardiner Expressway, Lakeshore Boulevard, and the Don Valley Parkway.
Parks
- Harrison Properties
- The Toronto Hunt Club
- Balmy Beach Park
- Blantyre Park
- Cliffside Ravine
- Crescentwood Park
- Highview Park
- Rosetta McClain Gardens
- Sandown Park
- Natal Park
- Lynndale Parkette
- Birchmount Park
- Golf Club Parkette
- Scarborough Heights Park
- Birchmount Community Centre
- Woodrow Park
School
Birch Cliff has 12 Public schools, and 8 Catholic schools, in this neighborhood, your kids can get a great education.
PUBLIC SCHOOL
R. H. King Academy
Address: 3800 St Clair Ave E, Scarborough, ON M1M 1V3, Canada | Telephone: (416) 396-5550 | Fax: (416) 396-5591 | Email: RHKing@tdsb.on.ca
“We are R. H. King Academy, a school with a distinctive timetable, leadership pathways, and dynamic extra-curricular and athletics programs that will engage and inspire you. Our school’s motto is “We care. We strive. We serve”. We demonstrate a sense of caring through community involvement. We strive for academic excellence. We serve to meet the individual needs of each student. This three-fold mission is reflected in such areas as self-directed learning, a challenging curriculum, volunteerism, professionalism, the development of personal leadership skills, and the acquisition of technological and computer skills. R.H. King Academy’s unique program has been recognized by the National Quality Institute’s Canadian Hall of Excellence.” As originally published by R. H. King Academy
Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute
Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute
Address: 3663 Danforth Ave, Scarborough, ON M1N 3J7, Canada | Telephone: (416) 396-6704 | Fax: (416) 396-6759 | Email: Birchmount@tdsb.on.ca
“Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute is truly a community school, benefiting from the superb sports facilities that surround it and our partnership with Variety Village. We offer a full range of courses at the LDCC, applied, academic, gifted, open, college, university, and workplace levels that support all post-secondary pathways. We are proud of the diversity of courses we offer our students. The whole school is Wi-Fi accessible and we continue to expand the use of technology across all subject areas. We support and encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning, to strive for excellence, to take pride in their accomplishments, and to develop their leadership skills in the broader school community.” As originally published by Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute
É Élém La Mosaïque
Address: 80 Queensdale Ave, East York, ON M4J 1Y3, Canada | Telephone: 416 465-5757
”Nous sommes heureux d’accueillir environ 400 élèves de la maternelle à la 6e année dans un milieu sécuritaire où il fait bon apprendre. À l’école élémentaire La Mosaïque, nous préconisons le développement global de l’enfant en mettant l’accent sur la pensée critique, la curiosité intellectuelle et l’imagination. Nous désirons outiller les enfants pour qu’ils prennent leur place dans un monde en évolution afin de devenir des citoyens engagés.” As originally published by É Élém La Mosaïque
Collège français secondaire
Address: 100 Carlton St, Toronto, ON M5B 1M3, Canada | Telephone: 416 393-0175
”Le Collège français sera un milieu de vie stimulant pour tes amis et toi. Toute une équipe est là, chaque jour, pour t’aider à découvrir de nouveaux horizons et à mieux comprendre le monde qui t’entoure.” As originally published by Collège français secondaire
É Élém Jeanne-Lajoie
Address: 150 Carnforth Rd, North York, ON M4A 2H6, Canada | Telephone: 416 397-2080
“L’éducation des enfants se fait grâce à une alliance école, famille et communauté. Le travail en équipe et la création de partenariats solides sont essentiels pour s’assurer que les élèves réalisent leur plein potentiel. Ensemble, nous pouvons les accompagner à devenir des citoyens engagés et responsables contribuant à l’essor de notre société. Soyez assurés que l’équipe de Jeanne-Lajoie s’engage à offrir un milieu éducatif enrichissant, inclusif et bienveillant à vos enfants.” As originally published by É Élém Jeanne-Lajoie
Birch Cliff Public School
Addres(416) 396-6061s: 1650 Kingston Rd, Scarborough, ON M1M 1R9, Canada | Telephone: (416) 396-6060 | Fax: (416) 396-6061 | Email: BirchCliff.PS@tdsb.on.ca
“Birch Cliff P.S. is a school steeped in the history of Scarborough. Mrs. Reece, the first principal at Birch Cliff, left a journal dating back to 1916. Entries provide a glimpse of life at the school; successes at the Agincourt and New Market School Fairs, watching children perform in concerts, spelling bees, plays, and contributing to the war effort in WWII. Our school focus on academics, athletics, and the arts parallels the school’s vision of almost a century ago! We recognize the part our school played in the history of the community and know that the tradition of high expectations has remained steadfast at Birch Cliff. As a partnership of staff, parents, and students, we will continue a great heritage.” As originally published by Birch Cliff Public School
Blantyre Public School
Address: 290 Blantyre Ave, Scarborough, ON M1N 1W3, Canada | Telephone: (416) 396-6070 | Fax: (416) 396-5725 | Email: Blantyre@tdsb.on.ca
“Blantyre Public School first opened in 1928. Sixty-five years later, the original building was replaced in 1993 by our state-of-the-art facility serving Kindergarten to Gr. 8 students. The size of the school has stabilized at approximately 250 students. Open houses, student recognition assemblies, community barbecues, special events, co-curricular programs, and school volunteers are important traditions at our school. Our school is committed to educating every student in our care by providing a learning environment that promotes the development of academic skills and knowledge, the growth of self-esteem, personal responsibility, and the demonstration of respect and co-operation.” As originally published by Blantyre Public School
Courcelette Public School
Address: 100 Fallingbrook Rd, Scarborough, ON M1N 2T6, Canada | Telephone: (416) 396-6185 | Fax: (416) 396-3351 | Email: Courcelette@tdsb.on.ca
“Established in 1911, Courcelette Public School has a long history of providing excellent programs to a well-established community. The school is located on Fallingbrook Road south of Kingston Road and east of Victoria Park Avenue in the Beach. Courcelette serves 330 students and is a small Kindergarten to Grade 8 community school. Our school aspires to provide a strong academic foundation in a rich learning environment. We endeavor to support each child striving for excellence. We are committed to enhancing each child’s sense of self-worth, appreciation, and understanding of our diverse Canadian culture. Courcelette encourages parent and community participation in the educational process.” As originally published by Courcelette Public School
Cliffside Public School
Address: 27 E Haven Dr, Scarborough, ON M1N 1M1, Canada | Telephone: (416) 396-6170 | Fax: (416) 396-6172 | Email: Cliffside@tdsb.on.ca
“Opened in 1952 on the site of the old Cliffside Golf Course, Cliffside has throughout the years welcomed children from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 and currently serves 120 students and their families. As a staff, we are committed to providing a safe and caring learning environment that promotes the development of academic skills while enhancing each child’s sense of self worth and appreciation and understanding of our diverse Canadian culture. At Cliffside we value our partnership with our parents and encourage their active involvement.” As originally published by Cliffside Public School
Malvern Collegiate Institute
Address: 55 Malvern Ave, Toronto, ON M4E 3E4, Canada | Telephone: (416) 393-1480 | Fax: (416) 393-1493 | Email: Malvern.CI@tdsb.on.ca
“Welcome to Malvern, one of Toronto’s oldest high schools, serving the Beach community for over 110 years. We offer a wide range of programs in a non-semester format. Malvern also offers extensive extra-curricular programs in visual arts, drama, music, equity & social justice, and athletics. We are well known for our athletic and academic achievements, with numerous championship teams and prestigious scholarship winners. Educational tours and exchanges foster community relationships, both local and abroad. Enroll in Malvern and enjoy a wealth of opportunities to participate in our dynamic learning community.” As originally published by Malvern Collegiate Institute
John A. Leslie Public School
Address: 459 Midland Ave, Scarborough, ON M1N 4A7, Canada | Telephone: (416) 396-6380 | Fax: (416) 396-3480 | Email: JohnALeslie@tdsb.on.ca
“John A. Leslie Public School, which opened in 1923, is located at Midland Avenue and Kingston Road. During its history, the school has had 5 additions. Our school is named in honor of John A. Leslie, a local resident who served as a trustee and M.P.P. Our school serves 525 Junior Kindergarten to grade 8 pupils. Our students represent a variety of cultures. We are proud of our diversity. John A. Leslie Public School offers regular English programs in all grades, English as a Second Language instruction, Junior and Intermediate special education programs and Extended French starting in grade 4. An independent non-profit daycare center is housed in the building.” As originally published by John A. Leslie Public School
CATHOLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOL
Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School
Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School
Address: 101 Birchmount Rd, Scarborough, ON M1N 3J7, Canada | Telephone: 416-393-5272 | Fax: 416-393-5567
“Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School was opened by the Metropolitan Separate School Board (now Toronto Catholic District School Board) in April, 1959. This new school relieved the overcrowding which had occurred at St. Dunstan and St. Theresa Shrine Catholic Schools during a period of rapid growth. Being adjacent to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, it was given the same title. The Vincentian Fathers, who are responsible for the parish, honor the blessed Virgin in a special way under the title of Immaculate Heart of Mary.” As originally published by Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School
ÉÉC Georges-Étienne-Cartier
Address: 250 Gainsborough Rd, Toronto, ON M4L 3C6, Canada
“L’école élémentaire catholique Georges-Étienne-Cartier accueille plus de 400 élèves du jardin à la 6e année. Elle est une école dynamique caractérisée par une panoplie d’activités culturelles, pédagogiques, pastorales et communautaires où le français rayonne. Dotée d’une mission et d’une vision avant-gardistes, l’école est une communauté apprenante qui a à cœur l’éducation et l’amélioration du rendement de tous les élèves. À cet effet, plusieurs initiatives sont mises en place pour assurer le succès et l’épanouissement de tous. Le personnel œuvre dans un esprit de collaboration afin de s’outiller d’une pédagogie branchée et engageante.” As originally published by ÉÉC Georges-Étienne-Cartier
ÉÉC du Bon-Berger
Address: 343 Jones Ave, Toronto, ON M4J 1A7, Canada
“À l’école élémentaire catholique du Bon-Berger, nous nous soucions de créer un environnement où chaque élève se sent bien dans sa peau et peut donc apprendre à son plein potentiel. Nous nous assurons d’offrir aux élèves un milieu scolaire sécuritaire où la francophonie et les valeurs catholiques occupent une place importante. Nous encourageons les élèves à développer leur estime de soi, à être à l’écoute des autres, à faire preuve d’entraide et à s’engager pleinement dans toutes les facettes de leur éducation. C’est ainsi qu’ils deviennent autonomes et responsables dans leur apprentissage.” As originally published by ÉÉC du Bon-Berger
ÉSC Père-Philippe-Lamarche
Address: 2850 Eglinton Ave E, Scarborough, ON M1J, Canada | Telephone: 416-986-6414
“Notre établissement se veut un milieu d’apprentissage et de vie, où la francophonie et les valeurs humaines et religieuses prennent tout leur sens au sein de la communauté franco-ontarienne.” As originally published by ÉSC Père-Philippe-Lamarche
Neil McNeil Catholic High School
Neil McNeil Catholic High School
Address: 127 Victoria Park Ave, Toronto, ON M4E, Canada | Telephone: 416-393-5502 | Fax: 416-512-3386
“Neil McNeil High School, founded in 1958 by members of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost, the Spiritans, is a publicly-funded Catholic boys’ school dedicated to the education of young men. Guided by the Holy Spirit, Neil McNeil High School aspires to foster excellence in the development of the whole person through a comprehensive educational experience in the Spiritan tradition. Within a safe and supportive community that follows the school’s motto Fidelitas in Arduis, we strive to cultivate a brotherhood in which every student has the opportunity to achieve their potential and to use their gifts to serve – leading boys to be men, for others.” As originally published by Neil McNeil Catholic High School
St. Theresa Shrine Catholic School
St. Theresa Shrine Catholic School
Address: 2665 Kingston Rd, Scarborough, ON M1M 1M2, Canada | Telephone: 416-393-5248 | Fax: 416-397-6492
“St. Theresa Shrine of the Little Flower, affectionately known as The Shrine, has been a second home to many students, parents, and staff over the years. We have celebrated over 60 years of excellence. Since it opened its doors as the first Catholic school in Scarborough, under what was then the Metropolitan Separate School Board, it has strived to uphold the ideals of Catholic education. St. Theresa Shrine embodies the true spirit of a Catholic community bringing together all members through academic, artistic, and athletic pursuits.” As originally published by St. Theresa Shrine Catholic School
St. Denis Catholic School
Address: 67 Balsam Ave, Toronto, ON M4E 3B8, Canada | Telephone: 416-393-5310 | Fax: 416-393-5827
“St. Denis Catholic School opened its doors in September 1966. The school is named after the first bishop of Paris and patron saint of France, St. Denis, who was martyred for the faith on Montmatre, the mount of the martyrs. St. Denis has earned a well-deserved reputation in the community by offering a balanced core program combining the teaching of the gospel values, arts, language, math, science and technology and self and society. The school is committed to strong literacy and math programs to provide students with the tools and understanding for life long learning.” As originally published by St. Denis Catholic School
St. Denis Catholic School
Address: 67 Balsam Ave, Toronto, ON M4E 3B8, Canada | Telephone: 416-393-5310 | Fax: 416-393-5827
“St. Denis Catholic School opened its doors in September 1966. The school is named after the first bishop of Paris and patron saint of France, St. Denis, who was martyred for the faith on Montmartre, the mount of the martyrs. St. Denis has earned a well-deserved reputation in the community by offering a balanced, core program combining the teaching of the gospel values, arts, language, math, science and technology, and self and society. The school is committed to strong literacy and math programs to provide students with the tools and understanding for life long learning.” As originally published by St. Denis Catholic School
St. John Catholic School
Address: 780 Kingston Rd, Toronto, ON M4E 1R7, Canada | Telephone: 416-393-5220 | Fax: 416-393-5211
“St. John is a Roman Catholic School that provides education for children from Junior Kindergarten to Grade Eight. We are a Catholic School community dedicated to providing a faith centred school environment that will encourage students to reach their full potential academically and socially and who understand the gospel message of social justice and peace.” As originally published by St. John Catholic School
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