Don Valley Village
Explore Don Valley Village
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.
We want to hear from you! Click here to complete a short survey
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 StrollTO@toronto.ca.
Neighbourhood Stroll
Don Valley Village is a neighbourhood in northeast Toronto and is home to a culturally diverse community. Once a collection of small farming hamlets in the early 1800s, the neighbourhood began a period of increased development in the 1960s and 1970s. Although now a suburban neighbourhood, historic landmarks still exist from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, which you will encounter on this stroll. With its outstanding hill and dale topography, this neighbourhood also encompasses smaller non-official neighbourhoods, such as 'The Peanut', named after the peanut-shaped plot of land created by the split in Don Mills Road between Finch and Sheppard Avenues East. This stroll takes you through the neighbourhood's green spaces, sites of architectural and historical significance, the beloved Peanut Plaza, and community gardens. Other great local businesses are located on Sheppard Avenue East, Leslie Street, Don Mills Road West, and Don Mills Road East.
- Green Meadows Park
100 Green Meadows Circle
*Note: Please observe the private residence from the park only. Green Meadows is a tree lined park centered on the home at the east end of the park. Built circa 1950, this Colonial Revival house was the centrepiece of a 120 hectare equestrian estate owned by John Angus 'Bud' McDougald. McDougald and his wife, Hedley Maude, created this estate and called it 'Green Meadows'. The elegant house features a full-height, Greek temple facade. The estate included housing for staff, as well as outbuildings for McDougald's horses, dogs and antique and luxury cars. Under development pressure from North York's growing suburbs, McDougald agreed in 1969 to sell most of his estate if he could keep his horses on the remaining 7.7 hectare lot (a privilege otherwise prevented by law). Maude McDougald resided here until her death in 1996, after which the remaining estate was sold. This house was preserved, and remains a private residence.
Read More - Zion Schoolhouse
1091 Finch Avenue East
Behind the worn green doors of this museum is a school frozen in time. The wooden desks, still carved with messages from the past and names of former students, sit empty waiting for you. Zion Schoolhouse offers visitors a chance to experience a day at school circa 1910. Imagine what it's like to take class not only with your friends, but every kid in the neighbourhood including all your siblings. Schoolchildren and teachers alike can see what's changed and what's stayed the same in the last 110 years of education in Toronto. Immerse yourselves in a day of education and fun at this hidden gem in the north-end of the city. Zion Schoolhouse is now one of ten historic sites and museums owned and operated by the City of Toronto.
Read More - Linus Park
125 Seneca Hill Drive
A 1.7 hectare park near Don Mills Road and Finch Avenue East that features a multipurpose sports field and a children's playground.
- Peanut Plaza
3030 Don Mills Road East
To non-locals who might assume this plaza is oddly named after a legume, this iconic shopping centre is actually named after the peanut-shaped parcel of land it sits on, formed by a rare-occurring fork in Don Mills Road between Finch and Sheppard Avenue East.
- Godstone Park
45 Godstone Road
Godstone Park is a 2.8 hectare park with a multipurpose sports field and a children's playground. It also has an outdoor space with exercise equipment for seniors.
- Oriole Peanut Community Garden (behind Advent Lutheran Church)
2800 Don Mills Road
The Advent Lutheran Church in partnership with local gardeners and the Working Women Community Centre has been the site of the Oriole Peanut Community Garden since 2005. It is an organic, accessible, and vibrant community space with over a hundred plots that provide food for around 800 people.
- Stephen Cruise 'Northern Dancer' Art Installation
North of Sheppard Avenue East and Don Mills Road
This art installation by Stephen Cruise pays tribute to a racehorse owned by E.P. Taylor, Northern Dancer. Northern Dancer was the first Canadian-bred and owned horse to win the Kentucky Derby and won 14 of 18 races including the Queen's Plate. The champion racehorse became the first animal inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1965. Northern Dancer's former home, E.P. Taylor's horse stable property, Windfields Farm (now Windfields Park), is located on Bayview Avenue.
Read More - Toronto Public Library - Fairview Branch
35 Fairview Mall Drive
Fairview Library is home to one of three Toronto Public Library theatres. Local groups such as Stage Centre Productions perform at the theatre regularly. The library also features exhibition space and artists are invited to submit an application to show.
- Fairview Mall
1800 Sheppard Avenue East
Fairview Mall is one of Toronto's largest shopping centres. This two-level mall has been popular with shoppers since it opened in 1970, and is another symbol of North York's transformation from a sleepy township to a bustling urban centre. At the time of its opening, it was only the fourth enclosed shopping facility in the Toronto area. The mall has undergone numerous renovations and expansions over the years, perhaps most notably with the addition of the Don Mills subway station connecting the mall to the Sheppard Subway Line in 2002. With over 860,000 square feet of space, this large regional mall today features almost 200 stores, offices, and a cinema complex. The 2002 Canadian movie 'Bollywood/Hollywood' featured several scenes that were filmed within the mall.
Read More - Stephen Cruise, 'before/after' Art Installation
1700 Sheppard Avenue East
Don Mills subway station opened in 2002 and is currently the eastern terminus of the Sheppard Line of the Toronto subway system. Parts of the station, particularly in the tunnels connecting the station to nearby Fairview Mall, are covered with Stephen Cruise's work 'before/after'. The artist took inspiration from the nearby Don River and Don Valley. Patterns on the walls represent the soil and water of the Don River. Cruise imagined the station to resemble an archaeological dig site, with found objects such as fossils of fish, turtles and local flora and fauna, revealing what can be found outside the station within its walls.
Read More - Frederick Connell House (Phillips House)
10 Buchan Court, building is at rear of the property
The Frederick Connell House, also known as the Phillips House, is a designated property of cultural and heritage value. Frederick Connell commissioned and completed the two-storey building in 1938 on farmland formerly occupied by the Mulholland family for over a century. The building is a well-crafted example of the Georgian Revival style applied to a mid-twentieth century country estate house. This house is historically connected to Oriole, the North York hamlet that originated as a milling community adjoining the Middle Don River that was settled by the Mulholland family. As a small part of the large estate formerly known as 'Macron Farms' the Frederick Connell House remains in its original hilltop location. The house is presently owned by North York General Hospital.
Read More - Nick Sweetman 'Dallington Pollinators' Mural
18 Dallington Drive
In partnership with StART, David Suzuki Foundation, and Dallington Public School a large-scale mural was painted on the south side of the school with a theme of pollinators and biodiversity, to recognize and celebrate the work being done to improve the lives of local pollinators.
- Dallington Pollinators Community Garden
39 Glentworth Road
Built in 2013, the Dallington Pollinators Community Garden (DPCG) was the first community garden in a public park in former Ward 33. It was started by a group of neighbours with a shared vision of serving and engaging the community through an intergenerational garden in the park. The garden provides a space for the community to produce food and learn about sustainable urban agriculture. DPCG also has a rainwater harvesting system and teaches community members the importance of stormwater management, particularly relevant as the park lies in the former pathways of the East Don River tributaries and is prone to flooding.
Read More
Accessibility information: Most of the points of interest on this stroll are viewable from streets and paved paths, however, there may be some unpaved paths and uneven surfaces along Linus Park, Goldstone Park, and the Dallington Pollinators Community Garden. There may also be additional barriers, including but not limited to stairs, steep inclines, and narrow passageways, along or at other destinations.
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.