Leslieville, Toronto
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Leslieville is a
neighbourhood A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; American and British English spelling differences, see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community ...
in
Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Canada, situated east of the
Don River The Don ( rus, Дон, p=don) is the fifth-longest river in Europe. Flowing from Central Russia to the Sea of Azov in Southern Russia, it is one of Russia's largest rivers and played an important role for traders from the Byzantine Empire. Its ...
. It is bounded by the
Canadian National The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN ...
railway line and Gerrard Street to the north, McGee Street to the west, Eastern Avenue to south, and Coxwell Avenue to the east.


History

This east-end neighbourhood forms part of the broader neighbourhood of South Riverdale. Leslieville began as a small village in the 1850s, which grew up around the Toronto Nurseries owned by George Leslie (1804-1893) and sons, after whom the community is named. Most of Leslieville's residents were gardeners or were employed at one of the brick-making factories in the area. Leslie's home at Queen and Leslie no longer exists but the general store remains on Queen east of Jones Avenue. Alexander Muir, the composer of ''
The Maple Leaf Forever "The Maple Leaf Forever" is a Canadian song written by Alexander Muir (1830–1906) in 1867, the year of Canada's Confederation. He wrote the work after serving with the Queen's Own Rifles of Toronto in the Battle of Ridgeway against the Fenia ...
'', was the first principal of the Leslieville Public School, one of the first buildings in the village. Muir was inspired when a brilliant maple leaf fell on his jacket from a Leslieville tree. That tree fell on July 19, 2013, and only its trunk exists today in front of Maple Cottage within
Maple Leaf Forever Park Maple Leaf Forever Park is a municipal park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The park is named after the song "The Maple Leaf Forever" composed by Alexander Muir. The park was created in 1933 by public subscription to honour the composer, and is loc ...
. Its offspring still grows in the park behind the cottage. For decades, South Riverdale was home to light industry, particularly along Eastern Ave. south of Queen St. Metal processing and tanning were notable industries which, along with other industrial activity, left Leslieville and South Riverdale with a legacy of contaminated land. In 2000, the A.R. Clarke Tannery(c.1876 and now C.C. Leather Inc) went up in flames, burning for days and unleashing toxic ash on the surrounding neighbourhood. Almost all these industrial areas have now been abandoned and are being redeveloped. Leslieville once mainly housed those who worked in the factories, and their departure has greatly changed the area. The reduction in air pollution and fumes have made it much more appealing to members of the middle and creative class. Several industrial buildings in the immediate area, including north along Carlaw, have been revamped into condominiums. Large film studios have opened in some of the former industrial areas, including Cinevillage and Showline Studios. Just to the south, in the
Port Lands The Port Lands (also known as Portlands) of Toronto, Ontario, Canada are an industrial and recreational neighbourhood located about 5 kilometres south-east of downtown, located on the former Don River delta and most of Ashbridge's Bay. Approxi ...
area, the massive new
Pinewood Toronto Studios Pinewood Toronto Studios (formerly known as ''Filmport'') is a major film and television studio complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is the largest of its kind in Canada. It is the first in Toronto capable of accommodating the production of ...
have been built. A fortified site along Eastern Avenue was the main Toronto base of the
Hells Angels The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is a worldwide outlaw motorcycle club whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporati ...
until it was raided by police and confiscated in 2007. Just to the southeast of the neighbourhood is the massive Ashbridges Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant, Canada's largest.


Landmarks

* Ashbridge Estate *
Pape Avenue Cemetery Pape Avenue Cemetery, officially known as Holy Blossom Cemetery, is the first Jewish cemetery in the city of Toronto, Canada. The small cemetery is now closed to new burials, and is mostly hidden within the residential neighbourhood of Leslievil ...
*
Gerrard India Bazaar Gerrard India Bazaar, also known as Little India, is a commercial South Asian ethnic enclave in the Leslieville neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is entirely situated along a portion of Gerrard Street, between Greenwood Avenue and ...
*
Russell Carhouse The Russell Carhouse, located at Queen Street East and Connaught Avenue just east of Greenwood Avenue in Toronto, is the Toronto Transit Commission's second oldest carhouse. Russell Carhouse used to store and maintain high-floor streetcars whic ...
(a.k.a. Connaught Barns) - streetcar facility on Connaught Avenue between Queen Street and Eastern Avenue since 1916 *
Maple Leaf Forever Park Maple Leaf Forever Park is a municipal park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The park is named after the song "The Maple Leaf Forever" composed by Alexander Muir. The park was created in 1933 by public subscription to honour the composer, and is loc ...


Churches

*Glen Rhodes United Church *Living Hope Community Church *Queen Street East Presbyterian Church *St. Anargyroi Old Calendar Greek Orthodox *St. Matthew's Cathedral *St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church *Toronto Gospel Lighthouse


Political representation

Leslieville is in the federal political riding of Toronto-Danforth, represented by Liberal MP
Julie Dabrusin Julie A. Dabrusin (born April 16, 1971) is a Canadian Liberal politician. She was elected to represent the riding of Toronto—Danforth in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 federal election. Dabrusin earned university degrees in law ...
. Municipally, Leslieville is in Toronto Ward 14, represented by City Councillor Paula Fletcher. The seat in the
Ontario provincial parliament The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...
is currently held by
New Democrat New Democrats, also known as centrist Democrats, Clinton Democrats, or moderate Democrats, are a centrist ideological faction within the Democratic Party in the United States. As the Third Way faction of the party, they are seen as cultural ...
Peter Tabuns Peter Charles Tabuns (born October 3, 1951) is a Canadian politician who has served as the interim leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party and the leader of the Opposition since June 28, 2022. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of O ...
, elected in the March 30, 2006 by-election and then re-elected in the 2007 general election. Federally, the riding was represented by
New Democrats New Democrats, also known as centrist Democrats, Clinton Democrats, or moderate Democrats, are a centrist ideological faction within the Democratic Party in the United States. As the Third Way faction of the party, they are seen as culturall ...
from 1965 until 1988; past MPs include Bob Rae (1978-1982), who resigned to become leader of the provincial NDP, and was later Premier of Ontario in the NDP majority government of 1990-1995. In the 1988 federal election, the seat was won by
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
Dennis Mills Dennis Joseph Mills (born July 19, 1946) is a Canadian businessman and former politician. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Toronto—Danforth in the east-end of downtown Toronto. From February 2012 until November 2016, M ...
. Mills held the riding until
Jack Layton John Gilbert Layton (July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011) was a Canadian academic and politician who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2003 to 2011 and leader of the Official Opposition in 2011. He previously sat on To ...
of the New Democratic Party regained the seat in the 2004 Canadian federal election. The provincial seat was previously held by
Marilyn Churley Marilyn Churley (born May 7, 1948) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 2005 who represented the downtown Toronto ridings of Riverdale and Toronto—Danfor ...
, then deputy leader of the New Democratic Party of Ontario, until she resigned prior to an unsuccessful bid for the adjacent federal seat of Beaches-East York in the January 2006 federal election. Provincially, the riding has elected a
New Democrat New Democrats, also known as centrist Democrats, Clinton Democrats, or moderate Democrats, are a centrist ideological faction within the Democratic Party in the United States. As the Third Way faction of the party, they are seen as cultural ...
in every election and by-election since 1963.


See also

*
List of neighbourhoods in Toronto The strength and vitality of the many neighbourhoods that make up Toronto, Ontario, Canada has earned the city its unofficial nickname of "the city of neighbourhoods." There are over 140 neighbourhoods officially recognized by the City of Toronto ...


References


External links


The Murals of Leslieville
documenting the work of Graffiti Transformation, The Mural Program and The Ralph Thorton Centre
Toronto Life Real Estate Guide , South Riverdale
{{authority control Neighbourhoods in Toronto Streetcar suburbs Gentrification in Canada