History:
The neighborhood was originally a collection of farming hamlets in the early 19th century. Two historical landmarks still exist from that period, the Zion Schoolhouse and the Alexander Muirhead Victorian farmhouse.
The Don Valley Village neighborhood was developed in the 1960s and 1970s. However, the pre-subdivision history of this area dates back to the early 1800s, when Don Valley Village was comprised of a collection of small farming hamlets. Only three historical landmarks remain from the pioneer days of Don Valley Village. These vestiges include the Zion Primitive Methodist Church, circa 1873, located at 1650 Finch Avenue East, and the charming little red brick Zion Schoolhouse, circa 1869, located at 1091 Finch Avenue East. The only pioneer home still standing in this area is the Alexander Muirhead Victorian-style farmhouse, circa 1853, located at 179 Old Sheppard Street. This house was originally part of the former O’Sullivan’s Corners, a crossroads community that once thrived at the corner of Victoria Park and Sheppard Avenues.
Overview:
Don Valley Village is a low to middle-income neighborhood that includes many new Canadian citizens of Armenian, Chinese, East Indian, and Middle Eastern backgrounds. The outstanding feature of Don Valley Village is its hill and dale topography which is formed from the nearby Don River Valley situated along the eastern boundary of this neighborhood.
Don Valley Village landmarks include Fairview Mall – one of Toronto’s largest shopping centers, the highly regarded North York General Hospital located at the south-west corner of Sheppard Avenue and Leslie Street, and the Cummer Park Fitness Centre which is one of Toronto’s largest municipally operated recreational facilities.
Homes:
The majority of Don Valley Village houses and apartments were built during the 1960’s and 1970’s. The mix of housing here includes a large selection of condominium townhouse and apartment buildings, split-level houses, semi-detached homes, and family size detached houses that feature Georgian, Tudor, and contemporary-style designs.
There are also a large number of high-rise rental apartment buildings in Don Valley Village that are concentrated along the peripheral streets that border this neighbourhood.
Lifestyle:
Fairview Mall is a large regional shopping centre located at the north-east corner of Sheppard Avenue and Don Mills Road. Fairview Mall has recently been remodelled and includes over 150 stores plus professional and medical offices. Don Valley Village’s other indoor shopping mall is “The Shops on Steeles and the 404”. This mid size shopping centre is anchored by a national department store and a medical and health centre.
Don Valley Village also has a number of excellent shopping plazas including The Pickle Barrel Plaza at Finch Avenue and Leslie Street, Skymark Plaza at Don Mills Road and Finch Avenue, the Finch and Leslie Square and Cliffwood and Peanut Plazas, both on Don Mills Road.
Parks, Recreation & Culture
The Cummer Park Fitness Centre, located at 6000 Leslie Street near Steeles Avenue features squash and racquetball courts, fitness classes, an indoor jogging/walking track, two weight rooms, outdoor tennis courts, whirlpools and saunas.
The Oriole Community Resource Centre is located at 2975 Don Mills Road West and features a gymnasium, meeting rooms, and a seniors lounge. This centre is also the home of the Oriole arena which offers pleasure skating, shinny and organized hockey programs for the public. Next door to Oriole Centre is Oriole Park which is the home of the North York Tennis Association. This club features a tennis bubble and offers year round tennis.
Don Valley Village is also filled with an abundance of local parks that feature children’s playgrounds, sports fields, tennis courts, baseball diamonds and outdoor hockey rinks.
The Fairview Library and Theatre located at 35 Fairview Mall is the cultural and entertainment center of this neighborhood. This theatre has been running since 1976 and features regular performances produced by local theatre groups. The Fairview Public Library offers a myriad of programs for preschoolers, children, and adults. Some of the programs at this library include English as a second language, seniors socials, and children’s storytime in various languages including Cantonese, Persian, and Tamil.
Transportation
Don Valley Village residents are well served by bus routes on Steeles, Finch and Sheppard Avenues that provide direct connections to stations on the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line. Bus services along Don Mills Road and Victoria Park Avenue connect passengers to stations on the Bloor-Danforth subway line.
Motorists can get downtown and out of town very quickly via on-ramps to the Don Valley Parkway which are conveniently located off Sheppard and Finch Avenues.
Schools:
Don Valley Village has 10 Public schools, 5 Catholic schools, in this neighborhood, your kids can get a great education.
PUBLIC SCHOOL
Georges Vanier Secondary School
Georges Vanier Secondary School
Address: 3000 Don Mills Rd, North York, ON M2J, Canada | Telephone: (416) 395-3250 | Fax: (416) 395-9373 | Email: GeorgesVanier@tdsb.on.ca
“Georges Vanier Secondary School (GVSS) is a dynamic learning environment with a wide variety of opportunities to meet the needs of all students. We host a full range of courses in all areas of the Ontario Curriculum. We are proud to be launching a new program, STEM+, a grade 9 -12 enriched program in Mathematics and Science that takes a Global, Social Justice perspective in the delivery of the curriculum. As well, there are MSC2, PROGRAM 2 ART, and three Specialist High Skills Major Programs (Aerospace, ADVANCE: Arts & Culture, and ICT) that attract students with different academic interests and passions. Vanier serves a highly diverse student population & we are dedicated to preparing students to be successful in the Global Economy.” As originally published by Georges Vanier Secondary School
Seneca Hill Public School
Address: 625 Seneca Hill Dr, North York, ON M2J 2W6, Canada | Telephone: (416) 395-2840 | Fax: (416) 395-4460 | Email: SenecaHill@tdsb.on.ca
“Seneca Hill Public School is a Kindergarten to Grade 6 school located in the northeast part of the city, south of Finch Avenue, east of Don Mills Road, and just south of Seneca College. Seneca Hill P.S. is a dual program school in that we house the regional gifted program which draws from the wider community for students in Grade 4, 5, and 6. We also have a regular Junior Kindergarten program. Phoenix Daycare Centre, a community-based program, works closely with the school. Children from two and one half years old and up are provided with a stimulating, nurturing program. There is a before and after school program for school-age children. The daycare is accommodated in the building.” As originally published by Seneca Hill Public School
Dallington Public School
Address: 18 Dallington Dr, North York, ON M2J 2G3, Canada | Telephone: (416) 395-2270 | Fax: (416) 395-2279 | Email: Dallington@tdsb.on.ca
“Dallington Public School is a Kindergarten to Grade 6 school located in the Don Mills/Sheppard area. As a dual track school, Dallington P. S. has two languages of instruction – English, and French. We are very proud to have been named a ‘School on the Move’ by the Ministry of Education. At Dallington we want children to enjoy learning, challenge themselves to take risks and solve problems. We want every child to be successful and to be inspired to be a lifelong learner. We provide support for students in a variety of ways including English as a Second Language programs and Special Education and remedial programs. We partner with parents and other community members to enable our students to achieve. As originally published by Dallington Public School
É Élém Paul-Demers
Address: 100 Ravel Rd, North York, ON M2H 1T1, Canada | Telephone: 437 317-4444
Crestview Public School
Address: 101 Seneca Hill Dr, North York, ON M2J 2W3, Canada | Telephone: (416) 395-2250 | Fax: (416) 395-2258 | Email: Crestview@tdsb.on.ca
“Crestview Public School is a Kindergarten to Grade 6 school situated on Seneca Hill Drive. Opening in 1972, Crestview continues to benefit from being a culturally diverse school. The school has 408 students, who are representative of our global community. Many of our students are fortunate to be multi-lingual language users. We have Early Learning Program for Kindergarten students. All our JK/SK students are at school all day!” As originally published by Crestview Public School
Don Valley Middle School
Address: 3100 Don Mills Rd, North York, ON M2J 3C3, Canada | Telephone: (416) 395-3010 | Fax: (416) 395-3934 | Email: DonValley@tdsb.on.ca
“Don Valley Junior High School is a dual track school, offering instruction in English and French. We are a school with a rich diversity of cultures whose traditions, languages, and perspectives provide our students with a myriad of opportunities to interact, communicate and collaborate to achieve academic success. We offer a challenging, friendly and safe environment where students can develop not only their academic skills, but also their social and emotional skills. Our commitment to excellence, strong academic programming, rich programs in the Arts, Technology and Athletics create an atmosphere which supports our motto: “Where All Can Learn/Vivre Pour Apprendre.”” As originally published by Don Valley Middle School
Lescon Public School
Address: 34 Lescon Rd, North York, ON M2J 2G6, Canada | Telephone: (416) 395-2640 | Fax: (416) 395-2645 | Email: Lescon@tdsb.on.ca
“Lescon Public School is located in the Sheppard and Leslie area. Lescon offers Full Day Kindergarten and a junior gifted program. The school services students representing many ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The staff encourages these differences and believe that all students have the right to be accepted for their individuality. Lescon staff and community believe that all students deserve: the best education possible, to reach their full potential, a safe, caring, and stimulating school environment, the opportunity to grow into responsible, caring and respectful citizens.” As originally published by Lescon Public School
Kingslake Public School
Address: 90 Kingslake Rd, North York, ON M2J 3E8, Canada | Telephone: (416) 395-2610 | Fax: (416) 395-4480 | Email: Kingslake@tdsb.on.ca
“Our mission at Kingslake P.S. is to ensure success for all students by providing learning environments that are safe, engaging, nurturing, and respectful of diversity. Kingslake Public School is located in the northeast quadrant of Don Mills Road and Sheppard Avenue. The school first opened on December 10, 1964. The school serves approximately 250 students representing 25 different language groups. Approximately 80% of the students speak English as a second language. We view the diversity of our school population as one of our main strengths.” As originally published by Kingslake Public School
Woodbine Middle School
Address: 2900 Don Mills Rd, North York, ON M2J 3C2, Canada | Telephone: (416) 395-3110 | Fax: (416) 395-4447 | Email: Woodbine@tdsb.on.ca
“Woodbine Middle School is a vibrant community school committed to ensuring success for all students. We strive to meet the diverse needs of our multicultural community within a positive, supportive, and caring environment. At Woodbine, the staff and students work together to create a peaceful and friendly place to learn. Rules are reasonable, easy to understand, and implemented fairly. In order to involve parents in their child’s learning, we maintain constant communication between the home and the school. Woodbine students are challenged to reach high levels of achievement as they work to expand their skills in the areas of literacy, numeracy, problem-solving, inquiry, and information processing.” As originally published by Woodbine Middle School
CATHOLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOL
ÉÉC Sainte-Madeleine
Address: 1 Ness Dr, North York, ON M3A, Canada
“Mission de l’école Sainte-Madeleine: Amener l’enfant à s’épanouir académiquement et socialement dans un milieu de vie catholique fondé sur l’Évangile dans un contexte culturel francophone universel. As originally published by ÉÉC Sainte-Madeleine
ÉSC Monseigneur-de-Charbonnel
Address: 110 Drewry Ave, North York, ON M2M 1C8, Canada
“À l’Ésc Monseigneur-de-Charbonnel, vous découvrirez un esprit de famille et de fraternité ainsi qu’un sens de l’accueil qui reflète nos valeurs chrétiennes. Fiers de leur identité francophone et de l’effort de leur famille et du personnel pour maintenir cet héritage, les élèves de l’école ont de multiples occasions de perfectionner cette langue et lui donner toute la place qu’elle mérite à travers de multiples activités scolaires et parascolaires, pastorales et culturelles.” As originally published by ÉSC Monseigneur-de-Charbonnel
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School
Address: 3105 Don Mills Rd, North York, ON M2J 3C2, Canada | Telephone: 416-393-5342 | Fax: 416-397-6348
“Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School, located at Don Mills Road and Seneca Hill Drive in North York, offers a full curriculum of Catholic education to Roman Catholic students from Junior Kindergarten (age 4) to grade 8. Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School is one of three Catholic elementary schools within the St. Timothy Catholic Church Parish. Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School was built as an open concept school and has since undergone renovation to build individual classrooms. Our Junior Kindergarten room has access to a separate play area for the Junior Kindergarten students. The single gymnasium has large separate change rooms for boys and girls and also has a kitchen. In addition, the gymnasium has a dual purpose as an auditorium with a full stage. Furthermore, our gymnasium is used as a congregated lunch room facility for all the students from grades 1-8. The library on the second floor also serves as a computer lab.” As originally published by Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School
St. Timothy Catholic School
Address: 25 Rochelle Crescent, North York, ON M2J, Canada | Telephone: 416-393-5298 | Fax: 416-397-6313
“In our efforts to meet the diversified needs of our students at St. Timothy, we acknowledge and rejoice in cultural diversity. Commonality is found by focusing on our Catholic beliefs, common roots, and common values. As each child is unique and brings a variety of different experiences to the classroom, activities presented to the students also reflect the differences and needs of all in order to unify and promote common growth. The notion of our Christian families is another unifying force. The real life application of how we live these Christian values in our families is used to enhance the growth in our community.” As originally published by St. Timothy Catholic School
St. Matthias Catholic School
Address: 101 Van Horne Ave, North York, ON M2J 2Y2, Canada | Telephone: 416-393-5357 | Fax: 416-393-5168
“St. Matthias School provides a learning environment where models of Gospel values and Catholic doctrines, teachings, and beliefs are an integral part of the daily life of the school. A Catholic environment is evident in the religious education and family life programs at all levels, both formal and informal daily prayers, displays throughout the school, liturgical and paraliturgical celebrations and participation in a variety of charitable endeavors. All members of the St. Matthias School community are expected to interact with each other respectfully and in a peaceful manner. Our school is also developing programs from junior kindergarten to grade 8 which are consistent with Ministry of Education documents. All of the classroom curriculum is adapted by the teachers to meet the varying needs of our pupils.” As originally published by St. Matthias Catholic School
