Bridle Path-Sunnybrook-York Mills
Former Metropolitan Street Railway Station - Glen Echo Terminal
3640-3448 Yonge Street
This grocery store is the former site of the Glen Echo railway terminal. The station marked the Toronto city limits and was built in 1923 as a stop on the Metropolitan line, run by the Metropolitan Street Railway. The Metropolitan line was first a horsecar route before evolving into an electric radial (streetcar or tram) line; the route led all the way to Lake Simcoe. Glen Echo Terminal was a two-storey building with distinctive Spanish roof tiles. The building's first floor contained passenger waiting areas and baggage facilities, with offices on the floor above. This site was also home to the Glen Echo Carhouse. In 1927, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) began operating the Metropolitan line, which they renamed the Lake Simcoe line. Glen Echo Terminal was closed later that year. The site then became home to the North York Township Market, a 30-stall community farmer's market, until the 1950s.
Jolly Miller Park
3995 Yonge Street
Located near the busy intersection of Yonge Street and York Mills Road, Jolly Miller Park includes walking trails, multipurpose green space and picnic areas, as well as a rock and flower garden.
The Historic Miller Tavern
3885 Yonge Street
The Miller Tavern was built circa 1857. Originally the York Mills Hotel, the building was constructed by John and William Hogg, who developed the Hoggs Hollow subdivision on their property in 1856. It is the only nineteenth century commercial structure still standing on its original site in the neighbourhood. The building's red brick and gabled roof exemplifies the Georgian architecture of nineteenth century Ontario. The hotel was a community hub for the mill village, serving as a rest stop for mail and omnibuses passing between Toronto and Richmond Hill. During Prohibition, the building housed a gambling den which was often raided, causing its closure. In 1930, the former hotel reopened as a dining establishment, which was in operation for over fifty years. The City of North York purchased the property in 1997 and oversaw significant restoration of the building. The building reopened as a restaurant in 2004. Also nearby is the former location of the Hogg General Store, which was destroyed by fire in 1978.
George S. Pratt House
17 Mill Street
Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the sidewalk only. Built circa 1886, George S. Pratt House is one of the oldest landmarks in the neighbourhood. Pratt's father Joseph purchased the mill just east of this site from the Hogg family, prompting his son's construction of this house. Though unassuming, the house is said to be the first in Ontario to be built of poured concrete. Since gravel was plentiful, the concrete was mixed onsite. The Pratt Mill burned down in 1895 but was subsequently rebuilt. It included a sawmill (first floor), grist mill (second floor), and an underground cider press. When the mill closed in 1926, the iron mill wheel was too heavy to be carried away and so was buried near the mill, where it remains. The mill served as a stable before its demolition in 1959; the old mill dam is almost under the Mill Street bridge. The Pratt family lived in this house until 1952.
Irving Paisley Park
2539 Bayview Avenue
Irving Paisley Park is named after the late Councillor of the former Township of North York. Paisley served several terms on Metro Council as a Controller for North York. His thirty-year municipal career culminated in his appointment as Deputy Mayor of the City of North York. Paisley became the founding Chairman of York Finch General Hospital, having spearheaded its creation in North York. In 1967, he received the Centennial Medal for Service to the Nation. Today, the park features a lit ball diamond, a basketball court, a children's playground, and Wilket Creek trail, a bike trail that can be found along the eastern border of the park.
Former Windfields Estate / Canadian Film Centre
2489 Bayview Avenue
*Note: Private property. Please observe the building from the sidewalk on Bayview Avenue only. Windfields Estate was the residence of Edward Plunkett 'E.P.' Taylor, a Canadian businessman. The founder of Argus Corporation, once Canada's most powerful conglomerate; Taylor was also a breeder of champion racehorses. In 1936 he had this estate built, as designed by Ian Jocelyn Davidson. This house is a prime example of the Georgian Revival style, featuring a Palladian window in the front-facing gable and a swan's-neck pediment above the entrance. In 1946, architect Earle C. Morgan designed the gatehouse, greenhouse, and three workers' cottages. The Taylor family lived here until 1987, when the estate was transferred to the City of Toronto with the agreement to lease the space for the Canadian Film Centre (CFC), which still operates on the site today. The CFC is a leading cultural organization for the development and advancement of Canadian creative and entrepreneurial talent in the screen-based industries.
Park Lane Circle
Park Lane Circle at Post Road
*Note: Private property on this street. Please observe houses from the sidewalk only. Park Lane Circle, High Point Road, and the Bridle Path are three parallel streets with strong ties to entertainment. Houses in this hamlet are said to be home to a number of prominent Canadian celebrities. Singer Prince also owned a mansion on the Bridle Path during his marriage to Toronto businesswoman Manuela Testolini. Political guests such as Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Margaret Thatcher, and Richard Nixon have also stayed in mansions nearby. Park Lane Circle and nearby High Point Road have also served as notable filming locations, such as Regina George's mansion in 'Mean Girls' and Dr. Bowles' House in 'Orphan Black' (both of which starred Canadian actors, Rachel McAdams and Tatiana Maslany respectively). More recently, the television adaptation of Canadian author Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale' was filmed here, with a mansion on Park Lane Circle serving as Putnam House.
Bob Rumball Canadian Centre of Excellence for the Deaf
2395 Bayview Avenue
The Bob Rumball Canadian Centre of Excellence for the Deaf is the first centre of its kind. It is named for its founder, Robert Leslie Rumball, a pastor who advocated for the Deaf. Rumball was introduced to Deaf culture while preaching at the Evangelical Church of the Deaf in Toronto; he later learned American Sign Language and dedicated his life to advocacy. In 1960, Rumball purchased land to establish the Ontario Camp of the Deaf, and later opened the Ontario Community Centre for the Deaf in 1979. Managed by Rumball's son Derek under its current name, the Centre provides the Deaf Community a space without communication barriers. Originally a community recreation hub, the Centre also offers a range of specialized services to those within the Deaf Community. Unique services are inclusive to seniors, those with developmental, physical, health, or mental health issues, infants and young children, and newcomers to Canada.
Crescent School (Formerly Frank P. Wood Estate)
2365 Bayview Avenue
*Note: Private property. Please observe the building from the public path only. Now the Crescent School, this house is the former estate of Frank P. Wood, a local financier, art collector, and philanthropist. Built in 1931, the estate boasts elements of the Beaux-Arts influences of New York architecture firm Delano and Aldrich. The symmetrical limestone building features traits of the late English and French renaissance periods. The house included a plate-glass sunroom overlooking the West Don River ravine to the south. Wood was a distinguished art collector and benefactor of the Art Gallery of Toronto (now the Art Gallery of Ontario). Upon his death in 1955, he left this estate and his collection to the Gallery. The Crescent School moved to the estate in 1970. Notably, the Rolling Stones rented the Crescent School in 1994 and used it as their rehearsal space that summer, taking over the auditorium and other rooms to prepare for their international Voodoo Lounge tour.
Canadian Language Museum, Glendon College
2275 Bayview Avenue
The Canadian Language Museum opened in 2011 at Glendon College, within York University. The museum promotes an interest in the varied languages spoken in Canada and their significance to the culture and history of the nation. French, English, and Indigenous languages used across the country - as well as regional dialects used in specific communities - make up the subject matter at this museum. Since its opening, the Canadian Language Museum has also developed exhibitions which have been displayed across Canada.
Chedington Plaque
Lawrence Avenue East and Bayview Avenue (at the north east corner)
This is the former site of a Tudor Revival style residence known as Chedington, which was built in 1928 for the financier Edward R. Wood. The nearby Glendon Hall was Wood's own home; he had Chedington made as a gift to his daughter Mildred upon her marriage to stockbroker Murray Fleming. Two and a half storeys, the building was designed by architects Molesworth, West, and Secord, featuring patterned brickwork, half-timbering, and carved wood trim. Chedington was sold in 1947, to businessman Samuel Fingold. In 1997, the house was sold to a developer who built condominiums on this site. Chedington was badly damaged by fire in 2009, and its remains were eventually demolished in 2013.
The Estates of Sunnybrook
80 - 130 Armistice Drive, Sunnybrook Hospital Campus
Sunnybrook Estates comprises a series of historical homes built by local financiers. McLean House, the Coach House, and Vaughan Estate each have their own unique history. McLean House, formerly known as Bay View, was built in 1928 by James Stanley McLean. It remained in the family until 1967, when Edith Lavelle McLean left the house to Sunnybrook Medical Centre, who used it for events and medical research. In 1930, a local doctor (Dr. Bruce) was subdividing his land along the Don River Valley. Alfred Rogers moved into the coach house, naming it Uplands and commissioning English landscape architect Howard Dunington-Grubb to landscape the gardens. The following year, John James Vaughan, Vice President of the T. Eaton Company at the time, built his estate, Donningvale. This house is now known as Vaughan Estate. Sunnybrook Medical Centre later bought the properties, which served as event venues before their closure in 2020.
Sunnybrook Hospital Veterans Centre
Raab Boulevard, Sunnybrook Hospital Campus
*Private property. Please observe from the street only.The Sunnybrook Veterans Centre upholds Sunnybrook Hospital's origins as a military hospital. In 1928, Alice M. Kilgour, widow of Toronto businessman Joseph Kilgour, donated her estate, Sunnybrook Farm, to the City of Toronto - the largest land gift to the City in its history at the time. It opened as Sunnybrook Park later that year, and in 1942 it was recommended for a 1,590-bed veterans hospital. The first veteran patients were admitted in 1946, and two years later, Sunnybrook Military Hospital officially opened. By the 1960s, the number of beds required for veterans had declined, but the need to provide veterans with continuing care facilities remained. The hospital and its lands were subsequently transferred to the University of Toronto, and in 1966 it became Sunnybrook Medical Centre, the first tertiary care teaching centre in Ontario. Today, Sunnybrook houses the largest veterans care centre in Canada, providing care to 500 war veterans.
CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind)
1929 Bayview Avenue
Originally founded as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) in 1918, the CNIB assists Canadians who are blind or living with vision loss. Upon its founding, CNIB aided soldiers who had been blinded in the First World War, as well as 850 people who were blinded during the 1917 Halifax Explosion. CNIB also provided sheltered care, launching a specialized employment program in the 1920s for people who had vision loss. By the 1950s, CNIB was serving more than 17,000 clients. It had offices, vocational centres, and residences in major cities across Canada and sponsored programs such as a course for blind computer programmers in the 1950s. Today, CNIB facilitates research, public education, rehabilitation counselling and training, advocacy, and an alternative-format library for those living with a print disability. It employs over 1,000 people and is supported by over 10,000 volunteers nationwide.
Explore Bridle Path-Sunnybrook-York Mills
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
Set in an area with deep historical roots and a strong sense of inclusivity, this neighbourhood stroll explores the homesteads of yesterday and the lavish residences that today line the Bridle Path, including filming locations. From the Bob Rumball Canadian Centre of Excellence for the Deaf, to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, to Sunnybrook's Veterans wing, the history of the neighbourhood is rich and varied. A visit to the shops and restaurants in the Yonge Lawrence Village BIA would round out your stroll!
- Former Metropolitan Street Railway Station - Glen Echo Terminal
3640-3448 Yonge Street
This grocery store is the former site of the Glen Echo railway terminal. The station marked the Toronto city limits and was built in 1923 as a stop on the Metropolitan line, run by the Metropolitan Street Railway. The Metropolitan line was first a horsecar route before evolving into an electric radial (streetcar or tram) line; the route led all the way to Lake Simcoe. Glen Echo Terminal was a two-storey building with distinctive Spanish roof tiles. The building's first floor contained passenger waiting areas and baggage facilities, with offices on the floor above. This site was also home to the Glen Echo Carhouse. In 1927, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) began operating the Metropolitan line, which they renamed the Lake Simcoe line. Glen Echo Terminal was closed later that year. The site then became home to the North York Township Market, a 30-stall community farmer's market, until the 1950s.
- Jolly Miller Park
3995 Yonge Street
Located near the busy intersection of Yonge Street and York Mills Road, Jolly Miller Park includes walking trails, multipurpose green space and picnic areas, as well as a rock and flower garden.
- The Historic Miller Tavern
3885 Yonge Street
The Miller Tavern was built circa 1857. Originally the York Mills Hotel, the building was constructed by John and William Hogg, who developed the Hoggs Hollow subdivision on their property in 1856. It is the only nineteenth century commercial structure still standing on its original site in the neighbourhood. The building's red brick and gabled roof exemplifies the Georgian architecture of nineteenth century Ontario. The hotel was a community hub for the mill village, serving as a rest stop for mail and omnibuses passing between Toronto and Richmond Hill. During Prohibition, the building housed a gambling den which was often raided, causing its closure. In 1930, the former hotel reopened as a dining establishment, which was in operation for over fifty years. The City of North York purchased the property in 1997 and oversaw significant restoration of the building. The building reopened as a restaurant in 2004. Also nearby is the former location of the Hogg General Store, which was destroyed by fire in 1978.
- George S. Pratt House
17 Mill Street
Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the sidewalk only. Built circa 1886, George S. Pratt House is one of the oldest landmarks in the neighbourhood. Pratt's father Joseph purchased the mill just east of this site from the Hogg family, prompting his son's construction of this house. Though unassuming, the house is said to be the first in Ontario to be built of poured concrete. Since gravel was plentiful, the concrete was mixed onsite. The Pratt Mill burned down in 1895 but was subsequently rebuilt. It included a sawmill (first floor), grist mill (second floor), and an underground cider press. When the mill closed in 1926, the iron mill wheel was too heavy to be carried away and so was buried near the mill, where it remains. The mill served as a stable before its demolition in 1959; the old mill dam is almost under the Mill Street bridge. The Pratt family lived in this house until 1952.
- Irving Paisley Park
2539 Bayview Avenue
Irving Paisley Park is named after the late Councillor of the former Township of North York. Paisley served several terms on Metro Council as a Controller for North York. His thirty-year municipal career culminated in his appointment as Deputy Mayor of the City of North York. Paisley became the founding Chairman of York Finch General Hospital, having spearheaded its creation in North York. In 1967, he received the Centennial Medal for Service to the Nation. Today, the park features a lit ball diamond, a basketball court, a children's playground, and Wilket Creek trail, a bike trail that can be found along the eastern border of the park.
- Former Windfields Estate / Canadian Film Centre
2489 Bayview Avenue
*Note: Private property. Please observe the building from the sidewalk on Bayview Avenue only. Windfields Estate was the residence of Edward Plunkett 'E.P.' Taylor, a Canadian businessman. The founder of Argus Corporation, once Canada's most powerful conglomerate; Taylor was also a breeder of champion racehorses. In 1936 he had this estate built, as designed by Ian Jocelyn Davidson. This house is a prime example of the Georgian Revival style, featuring a Palladian window in the front-facing gable and a swan's-neck pediment above the entrance. In 1946, architect Earle C. Morgan designed the gatehouse, greenhouse, and three workers' cottages. The Taylor family lived here until 1987, when the estate was transferred to the City of Toronto with the agreement to lease the space for the Canadian Film Centre (CFC), which still operates on the site today. The CFC is a leading cultural organization for the development and advancement of Canadian creative and entrepreneurial talent in the screen-based industries.
- Park Lane Circle
Park Lane Circle at Post Road
*Note: Private property on this street. Please observe houses from the sidewalk only. Park Lane Circle, High Point Road, and the Bridle Path are three parallel streets with strong ties to entertainment. Houses in this hamlet are said to be home to a number of prominent Canadian celebrities. Singer Prince also owned a mansion on the Bridle Path during his marriage to Toronto businesswoman Manuela Testolini. Political guests such as Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Margaret Thatcher, and Richard Nixon have also stayed in mansions nearby. Park Lane Circle and nearby High Point Road have also served as notable filming locations, such as Regina George's mansion in 'Mean Girls' and Dr. Bowles' House in 'Orphan Black' (both of which starred Canadian actors, Rachel McAdams and Tatiana Maslany respectively). More recently, the television adaptation of Canadian author Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale' was filmed here, with a mansion on Park Lane Circle serving as Putnam House.
- Bob Rumball Canadian Centre of Excellence for the Deaf
2395 Bayview Avenue
The Bob Rumball Canadian Centre of Excellence for the Deaf is the first centre of its kind. It is named for its founder, Robert Leslie Rumball, a pastor who advocated for the Deaf. Rumball was introduced to Deaf culture while preaching at the Evangelical Church of the Deaf in Toronto; he later learned American Sign Language and dedicated his life to advocacy. In 1960, Rumball purchased land to establish the Ontario Camp of the Deaf, and later opened the Ontario Community Centre for the Deaf in 1979. Managed by Rumball's son Derek under its current name, the Centre provides the Deaf Community a space without communication barriers. Originally a community recreation hub, the Centre also offers a range of specialized services to those within the Deaf Community. Unique services are inclusive to seniors, those with developmental, physical, health, or mental health issues, infants and young children, and newcomers to Canada.
- Crescent School (Formerly Frank P. Wood Estate)
2365 Bayview Avenue
*Note: Private property. Please observe the building from the public path only. Now the Crescent School, this house is the former estate of Frank P. Wood, a local financier, art collector, and philanthropist. Built in 1931, the estate boasts elements of the Beaux-Arts influences of New York architecture firm Delano and Aldrich. The symmetrical limestone building features traits of the late English and French renaissance periods. The house included a plate-glass sunroom overlooking the West Don River ravine to the south. Wood was a distinguished art collector and benefactor of the Art Gallery of Toronto (now the Art Gallery of Ontario). Upon his death in 1955, he left this estate and his collection to the Gallery. The Crescent School moved to the estate in 1970. Notably, the Rolling Stones rented the Crescent School in 1994 and used it as their rehearsal space that summer, taking over the auditorium and other rooms to prepare for their international Voodoo Lounge tour.
- Canadian Language Museum, Glendon College
2275 Bayview Avenue
The Canadian Language Museum opened in 2011 at Glendon College, within York University. The museum promotes an interest in the varied languages spoken in Canada and their significance to the culture and history of the nation. French, English, and Indigenous languages used across the country - as well as regional dialects used in specific communities - make up the subject matter at this museum. Since its opening, the Canadian Language Museum has also developed exhibitions which have been displayed across Canada.
- Chedington Plaque
Lawrence Avenue East and Bayview Avenue (at the north east corner)
This is the former site of a Tudor Revival style residence known as Chedington, which was built in 1928 for the financier Edward R. Wood. The nearby Glendon Hall was Wood's own home; he had Chedington made as a gift to his daughter Mildred upon her marriage to stockbroker Murray Fleming. Two and a half storeys, the building was designed by architects Molesworth, West, and Secord, featuring patterned brickwork, half-timbering, and carved wood trim. Chedington was sold in 1947, to businessman Samuel Fingold. In 1997, the house was sold to a developer who built condominiums on this site. Chedington was badly damaged by fire in 2009, and its remains were eventually demolished in 2013.
- The Estates of Sunnybrook
80 - 130 Armistice Drive, Sunnybrook Hospital Campus
Sunnybrook Estates comprises a series of historical homes built by local financiers. McLean House, the Coach House, and Vaughan Estate each have their own unique history. McLean House, formerly known as Bay View, was built in 1928 by James Stanley McLean. It remained in the family until 1967, when Edith Lavelle McLean left the house to Sunnybrook Medical Centre, who used it for events and medical research. In 1930, a local doctor (Dr. Bruce) was subdividing his land along the Don River Valley. Alfred Rogers moved into the coach house, naming it Uplands and commissioning English landscape architect Howard Dunington-Grubb to landscape the gardens. The following year, John James Vaughan, Vice President of the T. Eaton Company at the time, built his estate, Donningvale. This house is now known as Vaughan Estate. Sunnybrook Medical Centre later bought the properties, which served as event venues before their closure in 2020.
- Sunnybrook Hospital Veterans Centre
Raab Boulevard, Sunnybrook Hospital Campus
*Private property. Please observe from the street only.The Sunnybrook Veterans Centre upholds Sunnybrook Hospital's origins as a military hospital. In 1928, Alice M. Kilgour, widow of Toronto businessman Joseph Kilgour, donated her estate, Sunnybrook Farm, to the City of Toronto - the largest land gift to the City in its history at the time. It opened as Sunnybrook Park later that year, and in 1942 it was recommended for a 1,590-bed veterans hospital. The first veteran patients were admitted in 1946, and two years later, Sunnybrook Military Hospital officially opened. By the 1960s, the number of beds required for veterans had declined, but the need to provide veterans with continuing care facilities remained. The hospital and its lands were subsequently transferred to the University of Toronto, and in 1966 it became Sunnybrook Medical Centre, the first tertiary care teaching centre in Ontario. Today, Sunnybrook houses the largest veterans care centre in Canada, providing care to 500 war veterans.
- CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind)
1929 Bayview Avenue
Originally founded as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) in 1918, the CNIB assists Canadians who are blind or living with vision loss. Upon its founding, CNIB aided soldiers who had been blinded in the First World War, as well as 850 people who were blinded during the 1917 Halifax Explosion. CNIB also provided sheltered care, launching a specialized employment program in the 1920s for people who had vision loss. By the 1950s, CNIB was serving more than 17,000 clients. It had offices, vocational centres, and residences in major cities across Canada and sponsored programs such as a course for blind computer programmers in the 1950s. Today, CNIB facilitates research, public education, rehabilitation counselling and training, advocacy, and an alternative-format library for those living with a print disability. It employs over 1,000 people and is supported by over 10,000 volunteers nationwide.
Accessibility information: These locations are visible from the sidewalk or road. Please note that Yonge Street and York Mills Road are quite steep when walking. Take care when stopping at main intersections, the York University Glendon College campus, and Sunnybrook Hospital campus - these locations are busy and should be navigated with caution. The Estates of Sunnybrook do not have sidewalks through the main property, but the driveway is paved and level.
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.