Willowridge-Martingrove-Richview
Explore Willowridge-Martingrove-Richview
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
This predominantly residential neighbourhood combines several distinct suburban neighbourhoods. It contains much of the historic community of Richview (a nineteenth century agricultural community) and small traces of it can still be found in the area. All parts of this neighbourhood feature serene green spaces and quiet residential streets. Some great local businesses can be found on Eglinton Avenue West, Royal York Road, Martin Grove Road, and The Westway.
- Richview Park
555 Martingrove Road
A 10.9-hectare park near Martin Grove Road and Eglinton Avenue West featuring a lit ball diamond, seven multipurpose sports fields and a children's playground. This area is colloquially referred to as Richview, which comes from the name of an agricultural community that existed here in the nineteenth century. The first reference to the name Richview came when the first post office opened in the area in 1852. The small hamlet was settled by a number of farming families, many of whom stayed in the area for several generations. Richview maintained a rural character well into the twentieth century. A beloved pony farm was situated near here along present-day Eglinton Avenue West just west of Kipling Avenue until 1966, where families would often stop by to watch the animals roam or take a ride for a small fee. The area transformed into the suburban neighbourhood it is today in the post-Second World War period.
Read More - Stonehouse Park
671 Martin Grove Road
This park is located south of The Westway. It features a newly refurbished children's playground to explore. There is a small seating area with cement tables and stools. For those who bicycle to the park there are bike racks available. There is also an open green space, to toss a Frisbee, kick a ball or have a picnic. The land the park is situated on has deep historic roots in the community. One of the first schools in the historic community of Richview was located here. The log school was constructed in 1846 thanks to lands donated by Isaac and Ann Stonehouse. The school no longer exists but there is still evidence of Richview's past visible at the park. A chain link fence surrounds a small cemetery along Martin Grove Road where Longbourne Drive ends.
Read More - Westgrove Park
15 Redgrave Drive
A four-hectare park at Martin Grove Road and Redgrave Drive featuring a multipurpose sports field, three lit tennis courts and a children's playground. Located at the north end of the park is the Westgrove Outdoor Pool.
- Kirsten MacRea Artbox
Southeast Corner of Kipling Avenue and Dixon Road
This woman's magnificent hair is a tangled web of pattern, blooming like a carefully manicured miniature garden. These pattern blooms eliminate detail, replacing the visual appearance of a familiar object with something alive, organic, and visually stunning.
- La Rose Farm House
322 La Rose Drive
*Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the street only. This heritage-designated farm house was constructed in the 1850s for farmer Daniel La Rose and his family. It was built in Georgian style, with brick laid in Flemish bond pattern and double-hung windows. Daniel and his wife Caroline raised 11 children here, and each of their sons ended up also owning farms in the area. Members of the La Rose family continued to occupy the area until the early twentieth century, after which the area was redeveloped as a residential enclave.
Read More - Mary Reid House
4200 Eglinton Avenue West
*Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the street only. This heritage-designated home occupies a lot that was originally part of the La Rose farm property, and was severed from it in the 1920s. Mary Reid immigrated to Canada from Yorkshire in England in 1880, residing in the present-day Park Lawn Road and Berry Road area, and working as a market gardener with her husband. Reid acquired this lot in 1925 for her son Randolph Calvin, and the home was constructed in the 1930s. Randolph Calvin and his wife Frances Maud were the first occupants of the home, with Frances continuing to live there until she sold the property in 1989. The home is an excellent example of Period Revival design, which featured elements of English medieval architecture and was prominent in the early twentieth century. Some of the notable architectural features visible on the home include detailed corbelled brickwork below the eaves, and sporadic clinker bricks (clustered bricks used as a decorative element).
Read More - 30 Norgrove Crescent
30 Norgrove Crescent
*Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the street only. This heritage-designated farmhouse was built in 1910. The three-storey, double brick structure is unlike any other home on the street, and was built in Georgian style with features such as octagon-accented windows.
- Former Scarlett Heights Entrepreneurial Academy
15 Trehorne Drive
This former secondary school originally opened in the early 1960s as Scarlett Heights Collegiate Institute. It was converted into an entrepreneurial academy in 1998, and then closed due to declining enrollment in 2018. Notable former alumni of Scarlett Heights include the late former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and his brother and Premier of Ontario Doug Ford. The building has been used as a filming location for several productions. The exterior of the building was used as a filming location for the high school in the 2000 Canadian cult classic horror film 'Ginger Snaps', which was widely lauded by critics for its strong female cast. It was also used as a filming location for the 2019 film 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark'.
Read More - Bee Fawn Artbox
Northwest Corner of Royal York Road and Trehorne Drive
Our differences are bridges, not barriers. From each other's experiences we can learn and strengthen our connections. All we have is each other.
- Valleyfield Park
35 The Westway
This community park is a popular spot for a game of shinny hockey on the outdoor artificial ice rink. There are benches for spectators and a building for changing into your ice skates. A small parking lot is available for those who drive to the park. The park is west of Royal York Road on the south side of The Westway. In the summer, there is a tennis court for residents to use. The Humber Creek Trail runs along the east side of the park. The trail connects to Alex Marchetti Park on the north end and leading towards Douglas B. Ford Park at the south end.
Read More
Accessibility information: Most of the points of interest on this stroll are viewable from the street. Some of the park accessories in Richview Park and Stonehouse Park require crossing grassy areas for access.
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.