West Toronto Junction Historical Society

06/19/2026

100 Years Ago on Dundas St. W.

Dundas St. W., looking west from Clendenan Ave., November 28, 1923. Photo by Alfred Pearson (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 2819).

You can see the prominent streetcar tracks running down the middle of Dundas, buildings lining the road, and typical Junction activity. The photo captures the commercial heart of our neighbourhood during a period of growth.

The streetcar tracks were laid as part of the Toronto Civic Railway / TTC expansion in the mid-1910s. The area already had major railway lines (CPR and others) running nearby since the 1880s — which is why it's called "the Junction."

A wonderful glimpse of daily life and commerce in our neighbourhood a century ago.

See more at: https://wtjhs.ca/junction-history/junction-streets-and-houses/

06/15/2026

This video is about the 2nd Toronto Suburban Railway from Weston Road, north of St Clair, following the Belt Line right of way, north of the C.P.R. later having to go underneath, a subway, at about Lambton Arena, before crossing the Humber into Etobicoke. I provide the history and Brian Domander did the drone video. ..enjoy

John Maniezzo and Brian take a look at the roadbed of the extinct T...

06/15/2026

A look at how that south west corner of West Toronto Junction developed, that is at the 2nd Concession, Bloor, and 5th Concession, Jane .
I will leave comments to those who follow these postings for now; just enjoy the pics.

06/14/2026

Toronto Carrying Place & Bloor-Jane intersection - September 25th, 1793

Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe on his strategic excursion to Matchetache Bay, had his surveyor, Alexander Aitkin, take measurements in considering a road to Lake Huron where a possible defensible deep water harbour British naval base could be established. Although we have no archaeological evidence of the Toronto Carrying Place location, we do have measurements from this excursion, indicating the trail location, of this portage, “leave the canoe, carry the load” and the south west boundary of West Toronto Junction.

06/11/2026

I was pleased to give a presentation at the June 4th meeting of the WTJHS about the dramatic story titled, "Mercy Mission: Connie Beattie and Arctic Polio, 1949."
It was a good turn-out on a warm evening with lots of good questions and discussion.
Here are a few photos from the meeting, courtesy of Richard Lundeen.
If you were unable to attend, a video recording is now available on the WTJHS website,
http://wtjhs.ca

06/10/2026

Bloor-Jane Streets intersection and the Toronto Carrying Place

Just west of the intersection of Toronto’s 2nd Concession north of the Lake, Bloor Street, and the 5th Concession west of Yonge Street, Jane Street, there had to be something that interfered travelling the Toronto Carrying Place-portage trail.
This is evident from a survey by Alexander Aitkin, Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe’s Deputy Surveyor in the September 25 th 1793 excursion along this Indigenous trail, where at this location, just south of Bloor, changed from a north direction to a east-north-west direction, resuming the north path.

I recently came across this info which explains the veering of the portage trail. This is from Murray Johnson’s biography,...from his book "Crossing the Bloor-Mossom bridge (Old Mill) on the east side of the Humber, there was a steep sandy hill which led to an open field just 200 feet west of Jane. (This would be just west of the Odeon Theatre).
On Saturdays & Sundays, motorcyclists would congregate at the base of this hill and one by one attempted to climb to the top. With engines roaring and dirt flying , many were frustrated in their efforts; some even toppled over”.

I looked at my Junction album and noticed a similar hill at Bloor and Keele Sts. and I am convicted this was the obstruction leading to a change of direction.

Here are a few pic and in a later posting I will add some more info.

06/08/2026

For anyone with easy access to West Toronto Junction, this June 28 walking tour will be too good to miss!

06/08/2026

City of Toronto Heritage Planning (HP) has announced that an Open House will be held on Wednesday June 17 from 5:30-7:30 at the Baptist Church, 3049 Dundas St. West. This is the last public consultation for the Study Phase of the Junction Heritage Conservation District (HCD) designation process.

The first public meeting was held a year ago on June 11, 2025 and since that date, City-appointed consultants have conducted the Study evaluating the heritage character of the Junction to see if it merits HCD status.

At the Open House, HP City Staff will provide critical information on which areas and buildings within the study area have important heritage value and would merit designation in a future HCD plan. Designation as an HCD would help us all to keep the Junction's identity and character as a vital, dynamic and historic community for now and for the future as it grows and changes with new development.

06/07/2026

The historic diamond
Credit Valley Railway- Canadian Pacific Railway
Belt Line- Toronto Carrying Place

The junction may have had their famous diamond, a track configuration shaped like a diamond that allows two or more rail lines to cross each other at the same grade. Four railways used the Junction Diamond, the Grand Trunk Railway-Canadian National Railway; the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway and the Credit Valley Railway- Canadian Pacific Railway, which headed southwest toward St. Thomas.

A more historic diamond was located a few kilometers west of the Junction, east of Scarlett Road at Dundas, (St. Clair was not built at that time). At this location, an Indigenous trail-path known as the Toronto Carrying Place for many years, which began at that lake and went north to the Holland Marsh-River and Lake Simcoe.

The Credit Valley Railway began operation in 1879, from the Parkdale area and absorbed by the C.P.R. in 1884, crossing the Junction diamond, then it headed west, crossing the Toronto Carrying Place portage trail. In 1892-94, the short lived Belt Line, created a diamond at this location, as it headed north from Union Station, passing through the Teiaiagon-Baby Point area, (not far from Jane Street), and then headed east towards Weston Road.

At this location, Dundas and Langmuir-Humbercrest Blvd., the C.P.R. built the second Lambton Station in 1911; the first was west of Scarlett, north of Dundas, built in 1875. The Belt Line also had a station here in 1982-84, located north of Dundas west of Jane. A family lived here until it was demolished in 1955c.
The Belt Line station, it headed east to Weston Rd, and south to the end of Keele Street. This part of Keele was north of St. Clair for about 50 metres, it ended where Weston Road South began, ending at a large railway yard. There was no transfer station, passengers would get off, walk to the Grand Trunk Railway station south of St Clair west of Weston Road (now Old Weston Road) and take the G.T.R. train to Union Station.

The last Junction rail diamond was embedded at the north end of the West Toronto Railpath as a reminder of the area's rail history and that the Railpath is situated on a former rail line itself, the Old Bruce referring to the Toronto-Grey & Bruce Railway, which connected Toronto with the agricultural and timber resources of Grey and Bruce counties in Southern Ontario.

06/04/2026

TOM LONGBOAT DAY - JUNE 4 2026
June 4th is celebrated in Ontario as Tom Longboat Day, a celebration to honour the Canadian running legend, an Onondaga runner born at the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario in 1886. Tom Longboat was a famous Canadian and world champion long-distance runner. In 1906 to 1908 he won the Ward Marathon in Toronto; in 1907, he won the Boston Marathon; and in 1909 he won the world professional marathon championships at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In 1916 he enlisted and served as a Dispatch Carrier in the First World War. After serving in the war he lived in Toronto for many years. After his retirement he returned to the Ohsweken, Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario. He died in 1949. (https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/)

So what is Tom Longboat's connection with West Toronto Junction? One day when I was doing research for a house on Pacific Ave, I noticed in the 1911 City of Toronto Directory a person named Thos. Longboat living at 66 Pacific Avenue in West Toronto Junction. City directories also list the occupation of each resident listed and Mr. Longboat’s occupation was athlete. In the 1911, 1912, and 1913 City of Toronto Directories, Mr. Longboat is listed as living at 66 Pacific Ave.

I checked the City of Toronto Archives website to see if I could find a photo of the house on Pacific Ave. But no luck. But what I did find was a photo of Tom Longboat at the High Park toboggan slide in about 1909. Tom and Loretta Longboat were married in December 1908 in Toronto. (The Globe (1844-1936); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont.]. 29 Dec 1908, pg.12).

Some of the information from the 1911 Canadian Census about the residents at 66 Pacific Ave., Thomas and Loretta Longboat is:
• Marital status: Married; Race or Tribe: Indian; District: York South; Sub-district: 39 - Ward 7; Place of Habitation: 66 Pacific; and Occupation: Runner.

In Indigenous History Month in Canada, let's recognize and celebrate this famous First Nations Canadian.

Teresa
WTJHS Volunteer
(Abridged from an earlier post)