Rexdale-Kipling
Darren de Genova (Mr. Hydde) Artbox
West Side of Islington Avenue, south of Bergamot Avenue (at entrance to plaza)
The design of this artbox deals with how personal experience forms our identity. The faces sit pieced together side by side, like personalities which make up the parts of our city lives. They rest against each other, but don't interfere with each other. The image is a metaphor for neighbourhood community as it exists in the city.
2310 Islington Hydro House
2310 Islington Avenue
*Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the street only. At first glance this appears to be a regular, albeit strangely situated, suburban house on a busy street. However, it's actually a hydro transformer disguised as a home, one of many that can be found throughout Toronto. Many of these were constructed in order to supply electricity to residential areas in a way that was visually appealing to local homeowners. Toronto Hydro has since updated the ways in which it delivers electricity, and no longer constructs these 'hydro homes'. Etobicoke has the highest amount of these still remaining in Toronto.
Rexlington Park
30 Bergamot Avenue
This park features a ball diamond, drinking fountain, two playgrounds, a splash pad, and wading pool.
Frost Park
2051 Kipling Avenue
A small park on Kipling Avenue north of Rexdale Boulevard that features a children's playground.
Toronto Public Library - Rexdale Branch
2243 Kipling Avenue
This library dates back to the 1950s, when this parcel of land was set aside to construct a new public library. The Kinsman Club of the Humber Valley offered to help purchase books for the children's section, and the branch officially opened in 1959. It underwent further renovations in 1991. One notable feature of this branch is that it offers a small section of material in Gujarati.
West Acres Seniors Apartments
Ardobell Road
*Note: Private property. Please observe the buildings from the street only. The Metropolitan Toronto Housing Corporation was established in 1954 to construct affordable housing for seniors and others who required supportive housing. This group of lowrise buildings on Ardobell Road were the first to be constructed specifically for seniors by this agency in 1957. The development comprises 12 two-storey buildings with apartments on each side, each featuring its own small verandah or balcony. A plaque on the entrance to Ardobell Road from Hinton Road commemorates the opening of these homes.
Kipling Heights Subdivision/66 Fordwich Crescent
66 Fordwich Crescent
*Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the street only. This residential area was constructed in the 1950s as the Kipling Heights subdivision. Most of the homes reflect the mid-century modern style that was extremely popular in subdivisions across North America in the 1950s and 1960s. These homes were built featuring many of the most modern conveniences available at the time, such as refrigerators and electric stoves, and used building material that had previously been restricted during the war, like steel and aluminum. This home at 66 Fordwich Crescent was built as a model home for the Kipling Heights subdivision and was referred to in advertisements as 'The Cambrian', featuring a 'dramatic tri-level house' with furnishings supplied by Simpson's department store.
Rexdale Park
6 Drumheller Road
This neighbourhood park features a ball diamond, drinking fountain, playground, and splash pad.
Former Garbutt/Gardhouse Home
105 Elmhurst Drive
*Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the street only. The Garbutt/Gardhouse home is one of the last old farmhouses in the area. The house was built around 1864 with an addition added in 1915. The property was farmed until 1952, when it was sold for the Kipling Heights subdivision. While much of the surrounding farmland was developed for the subdivision, the farmhouse survived and now has a heritage designation.
Thistletown Collegiate Institute
20 Fordwich Crescent
This high school was completed in 1957 to serve the growing subdivisions being built in the area, and was designed in modernist style. Today the school serves approximately 460 students and offers a variety of academic programs, including their Food and Hospitality Program with a fully-equipped industrial kitchen. Notable alumni of Thistletown Collegiate include rapper Nav.
West Humber Recreational Trail
Along the Humber River (paved access from the intersection of Riverhead Drive and Checkendon Drive)
The paved 19-kilometre West Humber Recreational Trail follows the path of the West Humber River and connects a number of parks along the water. It includes forested areas and recreational spaces. The trail is an ideal location for spotting wildlife.
Explore Rexdale-Kipling
Now is the time for residents to experience all that tourists have been raving about for years. Discover shops, stops, places and spaces on city main streets. Stay curious, Toronto.
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Don't Miss
Explore FREE Public Art Across the City. Toronto's Year of Public Art 2021-2022 is a year-long celebration of Toronto's exceptional public art collection and the creative community behind it.
We hope that you enjoyed exploring this Toronto neighbourhood and found many other points of interest along the way. While StrollTO highlights some of the 'hidden gems' in the neighbourhood, there may be others that could be included in a future edition. Would you like to share a point of interest that you discovered in the neighbourhood? Email us at [email protected].
Neighbourhood Stroll
This largely suburban residential neighbourhood features a wonderful mix of urban and natural, with many amenities offered alongside a spectacular greenspace. The Humber River makes up the northern boundary of the neighbourhood and offers a lovely paved walking trail. Great local businesses can be found along Kipling Avenue, Islington Avenue, and Rexdale Boulevard.
- Darren de Genova (Mr. Hydde) Artbox
West Side of Islington Avenue, south of Bergamot Avenue (at entrance to plaza)
The design of this artbox deals with how personal experience forms our identity. The faces sit pieced together side by side, like personalities which make up the parts of our city lives. They rest against each other, but don't interfere with each other. The image is a metaphor for neighbourhood community as it exists in the city.
- 2310 Islington Hydro House
2310 Islington Avenue
*Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the street only. At first glance this appears to be a regular, albeit strangely situated, suburban house on a busy street. However, it's actually a hydro transformer disguised as a home, one of many that can be found throughout Toronto. Many of these were constructed in order to supply electricity to residential areas in a way that was visually appealing to local homeowners. Toronto Hydro has since updated the ways in which it delivers electricity, and no longer constructs these 'hydro homes'. Etobicoke has the highest amount of these still remaining in Toronto.
- Rexlington Park
30 Bergamot Avenue
This park features a ball diamond, drinking fountain, two playgrounds, a splash pad, and wading pool.
- Frost Park
2051 Kipling Avenue
A small park on Kipling Avenue north of Rexdale Boulevard that features a children's playground.
- Toronto Public Library - Rexdale Branch
2243 Kipling Avenue
This library dates back to the 1950s, when this parcel of land was set aside to construct a new public library. The Kinsman Club of the Humber Valley offered to help purchase books for the children's section, and the branch officially opened in 1959. It underwent further renovations in 1991. One notable feature of this branch is that it offers a small section of material in Gujarati.
- West Acres Seniors Apartments
Ardobell Road
*Note: Private property. Please observe the buildings from the street only. The Metropolitan Toronto Housing Corporation was established in 1954 to construct affordable housing for seniors and others who required supportive housing. This group of lowrise buildings on Ardobell Road were the first to be constructed specifically for seniors by this agency in 1957. The development comprises 12 two-storey buildings with apartments on each side, each featuring its own small verandah or balcony. A plaque on the entrance to Ardobell Road from Hinton Road commemorates the opening of these homes.
- Kipling Heights Subdivision/66 Fordwich Crescent
66 Fordwich Crescent
*Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the street only. This residential area was constructed in the 1950s as the Kipling Heights subdivision. Most of the homes reflect the mid-century modern style that was extremely popular in subdivisions across North America in the 1950s and 1960s. These homes were built featuring many of the most modern conveniences available at the time, such as refrigerators and electric stoves, and used building material that had previously been restricted during the war, like steel and aluminum. This home at 66 Fordwich Crescent was built as a model home for the Kipling Heights subdivision and was referred to in advertisements as 'The Cambrian', featuring a 'dramatic tri-level house' with furnishings supplied by Simpson's department store.
- Rexdale Park
6 Drumheller Road
This neighbourhood park features a ball diamond, drinking fountain, playground, and splash pad.
- Former Garbutt/Gardhouse Home
105 Elmhurst Drive
*Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the street only. The Garbutt/Gardhouse home is one of the last old farmhouses in the area. The house was built around 1864 with an addition added in 1915. The property was farmed until 1952, when it was sold for the Kipling Heights subdivision. While much of the surrounding farmland was developed for the subdivision, the farmhouse survived and now has a heritage designation.
- Thistletown Collegiate Institute
20 Fordwich Crescent
This high school was completed in 1957 to serve the growing subdivisions being built in the area, and was designed in modernist style. Today the school serves approximately 460 students and offers a variety of academic programs, including their Food and Hospitality Program with a fully-equipped industrial kitchen. Notable alumni of Thistletown Collegiate include rapper Nav.
- West Humber Recreational Trail
Along the Humber River (paved access from the intersection of Riverhead Drive and Checkendon Drive)
The paved 19-kilometre West Humber Recreational Trail follows the path of the West Humber River and connects a number of parks along the water. It includes forested areas and recreational spaces. The trail is an ideal location for spotting wildlife.
Accessibility information: All points of interest on this stroll are viewable from the street. Some of the amenities in Rexlington Park require crossing grass for access. Paved access to the West Humber Trail is available from the intersection of Riverhead Drive and Checkendon Drive.
The StrollTO itineraries may follow routes that do not receive winter maintenance. Please review winter safety tips and for more information contact 311.
Soundtracks of the City
From global superstars to local favourites and ones to watch, the Soundtracks of the City playlists all feature artists who have called Toronto home. Whether it’s a lyric about the neighborhood, an artist representing a cultural community, or a tie-in to the StrollTO itinerary itself, all the music reflects connections to an individual ward or the City as a whole.
Music was chosen based on an artist’s Spotify presence and each song’s broad appeal, as well as its associations with the cultures, languages and ethnicities that reflect Toronto’s neighborhoods and diverse music scene. Soundtracks of the City combines 425 songs that feature more than 500 different local artists or acts, showcasing songs in 23 different languages.