HISTORY: Sunnylea is a highly desirable community popular amongst young families. The area is going through a transformation from "empty nesters", many of whom brought families up in these homes, to complete renovations creating modern 2000 - 3500 square foot homes for young families. The area is biccycle friendly with dedicated lanes and paths in some areas.
Sunnylea is anchored around Royal York Road and Prince Edward Drive oriented South of Bloor. The recorded history of Sunnylea began when Alexander Thompson purchased 200 acres of land in the area in 1803 after his discharge from the Kings Rangers Regiment. His son's Georgian farmhouse is near Royal York and Bloor Street, known as "Spring Bank Cottage."
The Thompson estate was known for its fruit orchards, as was much of the area. In the latter part of the 1800's families moved to Sunnylea to cultivate thriving market gardens filled with fruits and vegetables. Sunnylea's old farms were subdivided in the 1930's and 40's, when the neighbourhood was developed as it is today. The bungalows, split-level, 1 1/2 storey, and 2 storey houses were built mostly in the 1940's and 1950's. These detached homes generally include a wide frontage and a private drive. The older houses in this neighbourhood often feature local character with Riverstone exteriors, bay windows, stone chimneys, wrought iron railings and attractive front porches.
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SCHOOLS: The area is known for its excellent schools. Six schools serve the area, including the 3 public schools: Norseman, Park Lawn, and Sunnylea; 2 public high schools - Etobicoke C.I., Etobicoke School of the Arts, and the separate school Sainte-Margueritte-d'Youville.
Norseman, 105 Norseman St., (416) 394-7880 Ranking
Park Lawn, 71 Ballacaine Dr., (416) 394-7120 Ranking
Sunnylea, 35 Glenroy Ave., (416) 394-3850 Ranking
Etobicoke Cl., 86 Montgomery Rd., (416) 394-7840
Etobicoke School of the Arts, 675 Royal York Rd., (416) 394-6910
Sainte-Margueritte·d'Youville, 755 Royal York Rd., (416) 393-5418
SHOPPING: Residents enjoy convenient access to the Kingsway Village shopping district on Bloor Street West. This leading retail corridor has a pedestrian friendly atmosphere featuring comfortable park benches, evergreen trees, and cast iron street lamps. There is plenty of meter parking along Bloor Street and many of the side streets. The shops in the Kingsway Village include fashion shops, children's stores, book shops, specialty stores, upscale restaurants, fruit and vegetable markets, bakeries and coffee shops. There is also a collection of professional services located on this street.
RECREATION: The Norseman Community School and the Park Lawn Community School both offer a large variety of recreational programs for children, teens and adults. Norseman Public School has an indoor pool which is extensively used for instructional swim programs. Park Lawn has a winter skating rink which converts to tennis courts in the summertime. There is also an outdoor pool for recreational swimming.
Sunnylea Park, Park Lawn and Lora Hill Park each have tennis courts and a children's playground. Spring Garden Park is located on the west bank of Mimico Creek. This park has a children's playground and is well shaded with many old trees. The Brentwood Public Library located at 36 Brentwood Road, one block west of Royal York Road and one block north of Bloor Street, offers year-round programs for children. Nearby bicycles paths and quiet streets allow for safe cycling.
TRANSPORTATION: Bus lines on Prince Edward Drive (Route 66) and Royal York Road provide Sunnylea residents with connecting routes to stations on the Bloor subway line. Motorist are approximately 15 minutes from Toronto's downtown via Lake Shore Boulevard or the Gardiner Expressway.
some text and map courtesy of David Dunkelman
