Mimico-Queensway

Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women's Empowerment
101 Portland Street
In 1993, Jean Augustine was the first African-Canadian elected to the House of Commons. Her riding was Etobicoke-Lakeshore, where she held her seat until 2006. Among her many accomplishments in office, she led the motion that allowed for the placement of the 'Famous Five' Women are Persons! monument on Parliament Hill, as well as the motion that created Black History Month in Canada. The Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women's Empowerment was founded in 2014 and runs camps, workshops, after-school and community programs that support the mental, physical and social wellbeing of girls and young women aged 7-17 years of age. Jean Augustine is honored by a park in the very east of this neighbourhood adjacent the Humber Bay Shores Park.

Christ Church Mimico Memorial Gardens and Cemetery
329 Royal York Road
Christ Church St. James Memorial Garden and Cemetery was born of Etobicoke's oldest Anglican congregation. The congregation first met and conducted services at the home of prominent miller John William Gamble in 1827. In 1832, he donated land along what is now Royal York Road for the construction of the first Christ Church Mimico. The church was rebuilt twice, once in 1889 and again in 1956. Sadly, the 1956 structure suffered serious damage in a series of fires in 2006. As a result, it was decided to demolish and deconsecrate the remains of the church and turn the site into a memorial garden and cemetery. In 2010, the new parish of Christ Church St. James resulted from the amalgamation of the historic parishes of Christ Church Mimico and St. James Humber Bay. Many of Etobicoke's notable early European settler families are buried in the cemetery including the Gambles, Fishers, Giles' and Hicks'.

Mimico Railway Station
10 Judson Street
The Mimico Railway Station was originally built around 1916 by the Grand Trunk Railway Line. The station was in operation until the late 1960s, when the Canadian National Railway (CN) ceased service to the station. In 2001, the station was sold to a private owner who intended to demolish the century-old building until the Mimico Station Community Organization (MCSO) formed with the intention of turning the building into a museum and community centre. The building was moved to Coronation Park in 2007 as part of these plans, but the dissolution of the MSCO has put these plans on indefinite hold.

Student Artists of the Lakeshore Area 'Generations' Mural
Railway Underpass Along Royal York Road South of Judson Street
The Student Artists of the Lakeshore Area (SALA) team created this mural, titled 'Generations', in 2005 after completing interviews and community research with Mimico residents. The inspiration of the mural was to show the development of Mimico from pre-settlement to the present.

Mimico Post Office Robbery
285 Royal York Road
The building you see here once served as the Mimico Post Office. It has changed little over the years, but has a past involving armed bandits and kidnapped captives. On March 2, 1929, a truck from the Mimico Post Office made its way towards Mimico's railway station to meet the westbound train. Harold Douglas was helping his father Thomas to deliver mail when suddenly a hard-top sedan stopped in front of their truck, forcing Harold to slam on the brakes. Two armed young men forced the victims into a stolen car and took five mail bags from the truck. The post was an attractive target for criminals since large quantities of valuables were shipped regularly. Eventually, the victims were dropped off in High Park and the robbers drove off. The crime has never been solved

St. Leo Catholic School
165 Stanley Avenue
This heritage-designated school was the only Catholic school in the Mimico Separate School Board upon opening in 1926, and today is the oldest Separate School in Etobicoke that is still open. The architect behind the Collegiate Gothic design of the school was Dr. William J. Woods - a local dentist. Some notable design elements include its steeply-pitched gable entrance and flat-headed windows ornamented with stone quoins. Several additions were added to the school in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The school is currently undergoing another renovation that will include a new three-storey wing constructed at the rear of the building.

Toronto Public Library - Mimico Centennial Branch & Ron Baird 'The Butterfly'
47 Station Road
Mimico Centennial Library was built in 1966 with funds from Canada's Centennial Commission that aimed to enrich Canada's public life through funding the building of art, culture, recreation and educational facilities throughout the nation. The garden courtyard of the library features 'The Butterfly' by renowned sculptor Ron Baird. Though Baird has worked in printmaking and other media, he is primarily known for his sculptures, which are featured in public parks, civic buildings and other community centred locations throughout Ontario. Many of Baird's sculptures are dynamic - they interact with the wind, are responsive to light, or make musical sounds. Among numerous other accolades, he has received Allied Arts awards from both the Royal Architectural Society of Canada and the Ontario Association of Architects.

Sirius Theatre Company
119 Mimico Avenue
The Sirius Theatrical Company rehearses and performs in Donald Hendry Hall located inside Mimico Presbyterian Church. In 1989, Artistic Director Heather Dick founded the Sirius Theatrical Company to produce exciting works by emerging Canadian playwrights. Along with their performances, Sirius also facilitates a wide variety of workshops and training opportunities for both professional and recreational actors of all ages. In 2015, Sirius Theatrical Company presented My Lakeshore - My Home, a Signature Project of the Cultural Hotspot, leading a series of workshops and mentorships in costume design, directing, set design, stage management, writing and more, and presented pop-up performances within the community that were created by local residents.

James Hendry House
53 Mimico Avenue
*Private property. Please observe from the street only. This heritage-listed home was constructed for James Hendry, whose parents - George and Margaret Hendry - purchased a 100 acre farm here in the mid-nineteenth century. After George and Margaret passed away, the farm was divided amongst their four sons, with each building a home on the property. James' house is the only one that has survived to this day. The Hendry family was active in the Underground Railroad. Enslaved people who had escaped from the United States heading to Toronto were permitted to sleep in the Hendry barns and were offered food and drink. Some of those who sheltered here provided the Hendry Family with a penny as a token of their appreciation, at least 14 of which subsequently became precious family heirlooms.

Ormscliffe Estate
2523A Lake Shore Boulevard West
*Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the street only. Ormscliffe Estate is the last of the grand waterfront estates that once lined the lake shore in early-twentieth century Mimico. Originally built in 1910 for Albert B. Ormsby, the design of the home was inspired by California bungalows featuring high dormer windows, doors, and balconies to view the lake from. Mrs. Ormsby was involved in both the Temperance and Women's Suffrage movements, and held meetings at the home and in the extensive gardens on the property. Remnants of these gardens still remain within the grounds. The home was purchased by Dufferin Construction founder James Franceschini in 1925, who renamed the estate Myrtle Villa after his daughter. The property was seized at the start of the Second World War, as Franceschini's Italian heritage meant he was arrested and interned as a threat to the Canadian state. The estate was later sold and developed into the current apartment complex.

Jungle Ling Artbox
Southwest Corner of Lake Shore Boulevard West and Hillside Avenue
This design pays homage to the Atlantic Salmon which was a species of fish indigenous to the rivers, streams and lakes within the GTA and the surrounding areas. The image hopes to evoke queries about these fish, and also lead to larger questions about our roles in effecting the environment.

Student Artists of the Lakeshore Area 'Inspiration' Mural
2318 Lake Shore Boulevard West
Student Artists of the Lakeshore Area (SALA) painted this mural, collaborating with local community members, business owners and other stakeholders to develop a theme. The mural can be read from left to right. On the far left is a red snake and two figures struggling. At the top of the snake is a white dove, a symbol for a progressive future, hope and new beginnings. In the middle is a child with two birds, representing the new generation in the community. On the right are two angels painting a golden path of unlimited possibilities by the water along with a message to the community from SALA.

Interwar Worker's Cottages
14-20 Alexander Street
*Note: Private property. Please observe the houses from the street only. The onset of the First World War spurred a period of residential development in Mimico. Industries critical to the war effort relocated here due to its proximity to the railyards, bringing factory and service industry workers with them. The worker's cottages on Alexander Street are typical of the interwar period with their compact plan, twice as deep as they are wide, covered with a low hipped roof and fronted with an enclosed porch. These workers likely lived within walking distance of the factories they worked at such as Ontario Sewer Pipe Co. Ltd., which was formerly located on Burlington Street. After the First World War, there was a significant expansion of municipal infrastructure in Mimico including the establishment of a Fire Brigade in 1918, the construction of sewer and water main infrastructure, and the acquisition of land for schools and parks.

Flight Lieutenant David Ernest Hornell, V.C. Plaque
32 Victoria Street
The David Hornell Public School is named for Mimico-born-and-raised Flight Lieutenant David E. Hornell who won a Victoria Cross for his bravery leading an air assault on a German submarine during the Second World War. After spotting a German submarine off the coast of Scotland, his own plane came under heavy attack. Nevertheless, he persisted and destroyed the submarine before his own plane crashed. He survived the wreckage, but succumbed to his injuries a short time afterwards.

Former Pickfair Restaurant
2282 Lake Shore Boulevard West
The Pickfair Restaurant was named after Toronto-born silent film star Mary Pickford and husband Douglas Fairbanks' grand Hollywood estate. The restaurant was built at some point in the late 1920s or early 1930s and features Art Deco styling evocative of its era. It was originally conceived as a drive-in restaurant (both a novelty and luxury for 1930s Mimico residents), which explains why so much parking around the building remains.