Under The Spotlight – Armour Heights
Armour Heights is an established Toronto neighbourhood with a rich history. The Don River Valley, Earl Bales Park and the Don Valley Golf Course form a natural boundary along the north and east end of this neighbourhood. Highway 401, one of Toronto’s main commuter highways winds its way discreetly through the centre of this neighbourhood.
The Armour Heights Community Centre is well known for its excellent selection of children’s programs while ArmourHeightsSchool is highly regarded as one of the top public schools in Toronto.
History:
ArmourHeights was originally settled in the 1830’s by John Armour after whom this neighbourhood is named. The Armour homestead was situated where Armour Heights Community Centre is located today.
The Armour family sold their farm in 1911 to Colonel F.B. Robins, who planned the ArmourHeights neighbourhood. Robins envisioned ArmourHeights as a high-class address with its own polo field and bridle path. The polo field was never built however the bridle path has become today’s Yonge Boulevard.
When the first World War broke out Colonel Robins put his subdivision on hold and instead donated land in ArmourHeights to the air force as a training school for American and Canadian pilots. American Aviatrix hero Amelia Earhardt was a regular visitor to the airfield during the latter part of the war when she was stationed in Toronto as a nurses aid with the Canadian Red Cross.
The ArmourHeights subdivision was beginning to gather steam when in 1929 Robins and fellow developer W.P. Mulock sold all their interest in ArmourHeights to R. J. Lillico & Associates. This sale was described in local papers at the time as one of the largest real estate transactions ever in Toronto.
The new owners attempted to change the name of this subdivision to BeverleyHills but it is the original ArmourHeights name that has stood the test of time.
Houses:
The residential tone of ArmourHeights was inspired by Strathrobyn the magnificent Tudor stone mansion set back from the street at the north-east corner of Yonge Boulevard and Wilson Avenue. Strathrobyn was built in 1914 for Colonel Frederick B. Robins. It is now owned and operated by the Canadian Armed Forces as a staff college.
ArmourHeights’ houses were built over time from the 1920’s to the 1970’s. These houses range in size from modest two-storey three bedroom homes to the impressive Tudor Manor houses situated on the spectacular ravine lots along Sandringham Drive.
The homes at the north end of ArmourHeights, just south of EarlBalesPark, are located on the former site of the York Downs Golf Club, which operated in ArmourHeights from the early 1920’s until 1968. The houses in this area represent excellent examples of the Modernist architectural designs that were in vogue in North America during the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Schools:
Armour Heights ES – Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6
Summit Heights PS – Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6
Dublin Heights E and MS – Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8
Ledbury Park E and MS – Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8
Sir Sandford Fleming Academy – Grade 9 to Grade 12
Northern SS – Grade 9 to Grade 12
Lawrence Park CI – Grade 9 to Grade 12
To find out which schools are associated with your prospective new home, please click here to access the TDSB Street Guide and enter the street name only.
Shopping:
Avenue Road has a plethora of shops and restaurants catering to every taste and budget. Included in this shopping mix are food markets, drug and health food stores, gift shops, bookstores, convenience stores, fashion stores, home furnishing shops, hairstylist and beauty salons, children’s clothing and toy shops, banks, fast food outlets and upscale restaurants.
Bathurst Street forms the western boundary of this neighbourhood. This street contains drug stores, banks, a large supermarket, Jewish specialty shops, delicatessens and bakeries.
Recreation:
The Armour Heights Community Centre located at 2141 Avenue Road, offers dance and fitness programs for adults, tiny tots programs and an after school children’s program. The ArmourHeights public library is also located in this community centre.
The Don Valley Golf Course is conveniently located at the south-east boundary of this neighbourhood. This eighteen hole public course provides beautiful scenery and spectacular golfing. The entrance to this course is off Yonge Street, just north of York Mills.
EarlBalesPark is located at the north end of ArmourHeights off Bathurst Street. This expansive park is home to the North York Ski Centre which offers lessons, clinics and rentals for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and ability. EarlBalesPark also includes a community centre with a parent and tot activity centre, games and meeting rooms and a banquet hall. In addition this multi-faceted park includes a seniors centre, an amphitheatre and many fine picnic spots. Access to the West Don River Parkland trails is available at the north end of EarlBalesPark off Don River Boulevard.
Transportation:
The Avenue Road and Wilson Avenue buses connect to stations on the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line while the Bathurst Street bus connects to the Bloor-Danforth subway station. The York Mills subway station located inside the York Mills Centre at the north-west corner of Yonge Street and York Mills Road also provides Go Transit service with an express bus to the airport.
Motorists can travel directly downtown in approximately twenty- five minutes by way of Avenue Road. The Avenue Road on-ramp to Highway 401 can be immediately accessed at the south end of this neighbourhood.
Please Note: The neighbourhood profile text and sketch were originally published in “Your Guide to Toronto Neighbourhoods”, © Maple Tree Publishing Inc., and have been reproduced under license.