Kingsview Village-The Westway
Former Laver House
1671 Kipling Avenue
*Private property. Please observe from the street only. This heritage-designated home dates back to 1897. It is built on land that was once owned by members of the Dixon family, who were prominent in early Etobicoke's nineteenth century agricultural settlement history and for whom nearby Dixon Road is named after. The home was constructed for Edwin and Ellen Laver (nee Dixon), who farmed the lot. It is constructed in Gothic Revival style - which was very popular for farmhouses in Ontario - and features a peaked roof over the front door and a veranda across the front. The home and property stayed in the family for 152 years until it was sold in 1988. It was the last remaining home in Etobicoke to be owned by a member of the Dixon family.
18 Warbeck Hydro House
18 Warbeck Place
From the outside this looks like a regular suburban house, but it is anything but! This is actually one of many hydro transformer stations that are disguised as homes scattered 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 number of these structures still remaining in Toronto.
Wincott Park
86 Northcrest Road
Wincott Park is divided in half by Poynter Drive. This park is located in the middle of the neighbourhood near Westway Junior School. North of Poynter Drive there is a newly refurbished children's playground and two lit outdoor bocce courts. At the south end of the park there is a swing set, a pair of slides and a climbing structure. There are open green areas along the path with naturalized areas for wildlife throughout the park. The Humber Creek Trail is a paved path that runs through the park from Moline Drive in the south to Dixon Road in the north. Near the north end of the park the trail passes by a pond with a small seating area on the south shore.
Former Briarcrest Estate
1982 Islington Avenue
This gorgeous heritage-designated building dates back to the 1930s, when film executive Clair Hague purchased this lot. Hague was the General Manager of Canadian Universal Films Ltd., which was part of a rapidly expanding motion picture industry in Canada at that time. He hired architect Frank Ridley to design a home that resembled an English country manor. Ridley hired his father-in-law, an artist, to hand carve wooden figures that decorate the interior and exterior of the home. In the 1950s, the aircraft company AVRO purchased the home to be used as a retreat for executives and a place to host classified meetings. Famous visitors included Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. It was sold to a developer in 1959 after AVRO ceased operations, and is now divided into three separate commercial units.
Alex Marchetti Park
1 Sun Row Drive
A 10 hectare park south of Dixon Road that follows the Humber Creek ravine from Islington Avenue to just west of Royal York Road. This park features two children's playgrounds, trails along the creek and naturalized areas and wetlands. The park is named in honour of former Etobicoke municipal politician Alex Marchetti, who served as an alderman for 30 years. Marchetti immigrated to Canada from Italy in 1955 with a Doctorate in Engineering from the University of Rome, and also worked as a lecturer at Ryerson University in addition to his duties as an alderman. He advocated strongly for the Italian immigrant community in Toronto, and supported service agencies that helped immigrants settle in Canada and find work. Marchetti was known for his love of parks and the outdoors, and this park was named after him after his retirement from council.
Leyland Adams Mural
40 McArthur Street (School of Experimental Education, mural is on east side of building)
Together, we co-created a dynamic mural in collaboration with students with a message of hope, respect, diversity, and community.
Fairhaven Park
100 Golfwood Heights
A 3.2 hectare park near Islington Avenue and Dixon Road with lots of space for leisurely recreation featuring a wading pool, children's playground, a basketball court and the Fairhaven Park Outdoor Pool.
Kingsview Park
46 Kingsview Boulevard
A 1.6 hectare park near Islington Avenue and Dixon Road that features two outdoor tennis courts, two lit bocce courts, a splash pad and a children's playground.
Dixon Park
350 Dixon Road
A 2 hectare park on Dixon Road near Kipling Avenue featuring three basketball courts, a tennis court, sports pad and a children's playground. The basketball courts came as a result of the philanthropy of former Toronto Raptors player Vince Carter, who played for the team between 1998 and 2004. His charitable organization - Carter's Embassy of Hope - began in 1998 and donated $120,000 for the construction of the courts, which were unveiled in 2003. The courts are among several physical locations marking Carter's impressive legacy in Toronto, where the superstar helped to further popularize basketball in the city.
Blackfriar Park
22 Blackfriar Avenue
A 1.5 hectare park near Dixon Road and Kipling Avenue featuring a children's playground and open green space.
Explore Kingsview Village-The Westway
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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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 Etobicoke neighbourhood features a largely low-rise suburban landscape, punctuated with residential high-rises spread throughout. Fantastic greenspace can be found in several spots, particularly along the section of the Humber Creek that flows through the area. The section of this neighbourhood along Dixon Road is colloquially known as 'Little Mogadishu' given the large Somali population that resides here. Great local businesses can be found along Dixon Road, Islington Avenue, and Kipling Avenue.
- Former Laver House
1671 Kipling Avenue
*Private property. Please observe from the street only. This heritage-designated home dates back to 1897. It is built on land that was once owned by members of the Dixon family, who were prominent in early Etobicoke's nineteenth century agricultural settlement history and for whom nearby Dixon Road is named after. The home was constructed for Edwin and Ellen Laver (nee Dixon), who farmed the lot. It is constructed in Gothic Revival style - which was very popular for farmhouses in Ontario - and features a peaked roof over the front door and a veranda across the front. The home and property stayed in the family for 152 years until it was sold in 1988. It was the last remaining home in Etobicoke to be owned by a member of the Dixon family.
- 18 Warbeck Hydro House
18 Warbeck Place
From the outside this looks like a regular suburban house, but it is anything but! This is actually one of many hydro transformer stations that are disguised as homes scattered 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 number of these structures still remaining in Toronto.
- Wincott Park
86 Northcrest Road
Wincott Park is divided in half by Poynter Drive. This park is located in the middle of the neighbourhood near Westway Junior School. North of Poynter Drive there is a newly refurbished children's playground and two lit outdoor bocce courts. At the south end of the park there is a swing set, a pair of slides and a climbing structure. There are open green areas along the path with naturalized areas for wildlife throughout the park. The Humber Creek Trail is a paved path that runs through the park from Moline Drive in the south to Dixon Road in the north. Near the north end of the park the trail passes by a pond with a small seating area on the south shore.
- Former Briarcrest Estate
1982 Islington Avenue
This gorgeous heritage-designated building dates back to the 1930s, when film executive Clair Hague purchased this lot. Hague was the General Manager of Canadian Universal Films Ltd., which was part of a rapidly expanding motion picture industry in Canada at that time. He hired architect Frank Ridley to design a home that resembled an English country manor. Ridley hired his father-in-law, an artist, to hand carve wooden figures that decorate the interior and exterior of the home. In the 1950s, the aircraft company AVRO purchased the home to be used as a retreat for executives and a place to host classified meetings. Famous visitors included Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. It was sold to a developer in 1959 after AVRO ceased operations, and is now divided into three separate commercial units.
- Alex Marchetti Park
1 Sun Row Drive
A 10 hectare park south of Dixon Road that follows the Humber Creek ravine from Islington Avenue to just west of Royal York Road. This park features two children's playgrounds, trails along the creek and naturalized areas and wetlands. The park is named in honour of former Etobicoke municipal politician Alex Marchetti, who served as an alderman for 30 years. Marchetti immigrated to Canada from Italy in 1955 with a Doctorate in Engineering from the University of Rome, and also worked as a lecturer at Ryerson University in addition to his duties as an alderman. He advocated strongly for the Italian immigrant community in Toronto, and supported service agencies that helped immigrants settle in Canada and find work. Marchetti was known for his love of parks and the outdoors, and this park was named after him after his retirement from council.
- Leyland Adams Mural
40 McArthur Street (School of Experimental Education, mural is on east side of building)
Together, we co-created a dynamic mural in collaboration with students with a message of hope, respect, diversity, and community.
- Fairhaven Park
100 Golfwood Heights
A 3.2 hectare park near Islington Avenue and Dixon Road with lots of space for leisurely recreation featuring a wading pool, children's playground, a basketball court and the Fairhaven Park Outdoor Pool.
- Kingsview Park
46 Kingsview Boulevard
A 1.6 hectare park near Islington Avenue and Dixon Road that features two outdoor tennis courts, two lit bocce courts, a splash pad and a children's playground.
- Dixon Park
350 Dixon Road
A 2 hectare park on Dixon Road near Kipling Avenue featuring three basketball courts, a tennis court, sports pad and a children's playground. The basketball courts came as a result of the philanthropy of former Toronto Raptors player Vince Carter, who played for the team between 1998 and 2004. His charitable organization - Carter's Embassy of Hope - began in 1998 and donated $120,000 for the construction of the courts, which were unveiled in 2003. The courts are among several physical locations marking Carter's impressive legacy in Toronto, where the superstar helped to further popularize basketball in the city.
- Blackfriar Park
22 Blackfriar Avenue
A 1.5 hectare park near Dixon Road and Kipling Avenue featuring a children's playground and open green space.
Accessibility information: All of the points of interest on this stroll are viewable from street level, and most of the parks offer paved paths. Blackfriar Park requires traversing grass to access its playground equipment. Use caution on the driveway when approaching Briarcrest Estate.
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.