A Bit of History:
First settled in the 1800's as Coleman Postal Village at the crossroads of the Danforth, which was a concession road, and Dawes Road. Improved for horse traffic when railways were built in the mid-19th century and named after Colonel Asa Danforth, an American contractor.
The Grand Trunk Railway had a railway yard east of Main between Danforth and Lakeview - now Gerrard - and built a station (York) to serve locals. The village grew and was incorporated as the Village of East Toronto in 1888. Centred on Main Street and extending down the Lake, the village was elevated to a Town and shortly afterwards annexed to the City of Toronto in 1908.
In 1918 the Prince Edward Viaduct connecting Bloor and Danforth was opened. Cost in today's money $32,000,000. Streetcar tracks linking Bloor and Danforth Avenues were extended to the Luttrell Loop, a streetcar terminus for the Bloor-Danforth, Gerrard and former Coxwell streetcar routes.
The area developed through the 1920s and 1930s as a streetcar suburb along the Danforth. Most of the housing to the north and south of the Danforth date from this period. In 1921 the Ford Motor Car Company built an assembly plant for Model T and Model A cars, east of the Luttrell Loop, south of Danforth.
The building is still there - Shoppers World. During WWII it was a munitions plant too. Ford moved to Oakville in 1953. AMC then took it over for a few years. In 1962 Shoppers World was developed by Peel Elder on the car assembly property - one of the very first enclosed Shopping Malls in Canada. Eatons was the anchor with other retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Koffler's Drugs, which took its name today - Shoppers Drug Mart - from Shoppers World, Danforth.
In 1966 the Bloor-Danforth subway line opened from Keele to Woodbine and in 1968 streetcars were retired.
| Shopping:
Danforth Village now extends east and west of Dawes to Victoria Park Avenue and to two blocks west of Main Street. It includes Shoppers World, completely renovated as a 328,198 square foot open plaza type shopping centre in 1998 and acquired by RioCan in 2002, an expanded Canadian Tire store built in 2003 and Main Square which has 1,152 apartments and plans to expand. Also a newly renovated Sobeys food store and a Leon's streetfront store. Close to 650,000 square feet of retail space in Danforth Village - about half the space in Scarborough Town Centre - as many small stores.
Major and regional stores and franchises are to be found in Danforth Village - Zellers, Canadian Tire, Sobeys, Metro, Staples, Leon's, Shoppers Drug Mart, Reitmans, Moores and many others. These anchor stores attract shoppers to Danforth Village and to its specialty streetfront stores.
Plenty of free parking at the major stores in the Danforth Village and most of the specialty streetfront stores are within 100 metres of the anchors. A round trip in Danforth Village, on foot, is just under 3 km. There are over 200 street front stores, restaurants, pubs and Newsletters go to over 60,000 homes in the local market area - a five minute drive. In 10 minute drive there are 129,300 families that shop in Danforth Village. And within a 20 minute drive, there are more than 573,710 households.
Eating and Drinking:
Restaurants and cafes to choose from in the Danforth Village range from take-out and fast food to dining in style at Bistro Camino. You'll find delis, pizzas, wings and coffee. Asian feasts from China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan are on offer for a change in tastes. Well known fast food places include: Pizza-Pizza, KFC, Tim Hortons, Subway, Country Style Bistro, Coffee Time, Burger King, Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits and Mr. Sub. There is something different for all palates.
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Specialty food shops such as Grumbels, Vincenzos, Danforth Variety & Fruit Market and Danforth Village Quality Fruits - to name a few - are well established in Danforth Village. Plus new stores offering a great range of Asian food to meet a wide variety of tastes.
Professional Services:
The Danforth Village has the Bank of Montreal, RBC, ScotiaBank, TD Canada Trust, CIBC. These are just a few of the many financial services offered in the Danforth Village.
Over 50 health related services offices are located in Danforth Village. Doctors, dentists and others help to make Danforth Village an important and convenient health care centre. With subway, street car, bus and GO Transit, patients have easy access to health care services in Danforth Village.
Lawyers, accountants and others are well established in Danforth Village.
Neighbourhood Place:
Street furniture is being upgraded with new benches, transit shelters, waste receptacles - all part of the Vibrant Streets Program by the City of Toronto. Graffiti has been cleaned off fronts, sides and backs of all buildings in Danforth Village - and is kept off!
Danforth Village puts on a flower show in the spring that attracts visitors from all over. Seasonal banners invite visitors to shop, dine and stroll the area in summer and winter too.
Danforth Village is a true neighbourhood shopping place. Its streets and public spaces are being improved for people to walk, shop and dine in comfort and at leisure. Take time for a stroll to explore stores and restaurants and enjoy the flowers in Danforth Village
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