Clairlea-Birchmount
Explore Clairlea-Birchmount
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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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
This stroll explores the green spaces, distinctive buildings, and vibrant works of public art throughout the Clairlea-Birchmount neighbourhood as well as highlighting local community projects. Experience lush parks overlooking the Taylor Massey Creek, such as Byng Park, and learn about Scarborough's industrial and agricultural history through the 'Bomb Girls' mural and heritage buildings such as the Thornbeck-Bell House. View colourful murals that bring life to the busy streets and highlight the important work of community youth groups. Check out all the local businesses on Eglinton Avenue East, Victoria Park Avenue, St. Clair Avenue East, and Danforth Road.
- Robert Matejka 'Flight' Mural
458 Danforth Road
Developed by Robert Matejka, 'Flight' was created in 2003 as part of the Mural Routes Summer Youth Mural Program. It was painted by Matejka and youth artists Thea Chow, Fathima Mohiudden, Katy Mulla, and Minal Patel. The mural consists of several wood panels and depicts the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. The paintings use the butterfly to explore themes of migration, transition, and change. The mural overlooks a parking lot on the side of a local carwash.
Read More - Oates Park
10 Oates Drive
Located along Oates Drive, Oates Park is a 1.2-hectare park near Danforth Road and Warden Avenue that features a sports field, a playground, and a splash pad. The park provides an open green space with paved paths winding throughout.
- Thornbeck-Bell House
51 Bell Estate Road
*Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the sidewalk only. This farmhouse was first constructed around 1830 for Richard Thornbeck, before it was purchased by William Bell in 1882. The building suffered fire damage shortly after it was purchased and, during the reconstruction, full height was added to the second story. The farmhouse operated as part of the Bell's Scarboro Dairy from 1931 until 1943. The Bells continued to occupy this house even after selling much of their farmland. Eventually, the property was acquired and restored as part of a condominium development. Even though the house underwent a number of different renovations throughout the years, it is a designated heritage property as a remaining example of Gothic Revival style.
Read More - Omen 'Bomb Girls' Mural
7515 St. Clair Avenue East
Designed by Montreal-based graffiti artist Omen, the 'Bomb Girls' mural decorates the underpass along St. Clair Avenue East, just east of Warden Avenue. The mural pays tribute to the women who worked at the munitions plant in Scarborough's General Engineering Company (GECO) during the Second World War. First constructed in 1941, GECO was comprised of 170 buildings and employed 21,000 people to build munitions for the Allies. The majority of this workforce was made up of women and, over the course of the war, they produced 256 million munitions. Because of the secrecy surrounding the war effort, the contribution of the women working at GECO went unknown for many years, but is now publicly recognized.
Read More - Warden Hilltop Community Centre
25 Mendelssohn Street
Warden Hilltop Community Centre first opened in 2011, and provides the community with a variety of facilities and resources, including an amphitheatre, a teaching kitchen, various fitness rooms, and a preschool. The community centre rests by the Warden Hilltop Community Playground and Splash Pad. It has the distinction of being the first public building in Toronto to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certified. The building features a geothermal heating and cooling system, a green roof, and solar power.
Read More - Rob Matejka and Elaine Teguibon Mural
747 Warden Avenue
The puzzle design of this mural incorporates the values of YouthLink (the youth services organization in the building) and the faces of several of the youth participants.
- Evond Blake (MEDIAH) 'Drift Appendar' Mural
772 Warden Avenue
These two landmark murals titled 'DRIFT APPENDAR' contrast the warm organic communities with the coldness of the adjacent industrial area and enliven this southwest Scarborough neighbourhood.
- Edge Park
15 Edge Park Avenue
Located in between Edge Park Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue, Edge Park is an open green space that features a multipurpose sports field and a children's playground.
- Devenish House
1355 Victoria Park Avenue
*Note: Private property. Please observe house from the sidewalk only. First constructed in 1851, this home belonged to William and Jane Devenish. William Devenish first settled on this plot of land in 1803 and was a prominent member of the Scarborough township. Devenish acted as an assessor, tax collector, and commissioner before the township was officially incorporated in 1850. This house is a designated heritage property as a remaining example of Neoclassical style, with elements of Georgian and Italianate style.
Read More - Moreau Trail Park
35 Herron Avenue
A small park just off Warden Avenue and St. Clair Avenue East, Moreau Trail Park features a playground, and a paved path allowing for easy access on either side of the park. The park also provides access to Warden Woods and the Massey Creek ravine. Trails down by Taylor Massey Creek offer a popular route for pedestrians, dog walkers, and cyclists, and an opportunity to see local wildlife.
Read More - Byng Park and Bryan Taguba Mural
299 Pharmacy Avenue
Located between Pharmacy Avenue, Danforth Road, and St. Clair Avenue East, Byng Park is a 3.6-hectare park close to the Massey Creek ravine. The park features a range of facilities, including a playground, two sports fields, and three bocce ball fields. The West Scarborough Neighbourhood Centre is located at the north end of the park. The entrance to the park/community centre at 313 Pharmacy Avenue features a mural painted by Bryan Taguba, and was done in partnership with the West Scarborough Neighbourhood Centre. The mural covers much of the centre's outer walls. The paintings depict various scenes and landscapes referencing Vincent Van Gogh paintings, koi fish, and a crane with a multicoloured crown symbolizing the multicultural community serviced by the community centre.
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Accessibility information: Most points of interest on this stroll are viewable from the street and paved paths. The paths through Moreau Trail Park and Oates Park may be difficult to maneuver depending on weather conditions. There may be uneven ground through Edge Park and Byng Park, and they may be more difficult to navigate depending on weather conditions. The 'Bomb Girls' Mural is located in an underpass, and there is a slight incline to access it.
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.