Sunnylea

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Sunnylea
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      History:

      The history of the Sunnylea neighbourhood revolves around Alexander Thompson who purchased two hundreds acres of land in this area in 1803, after his discharge from the Kings Rangers. Alexander Thompson lived in a distinguished residence, just south of Bloor Street at Royal York Road that was known as “Rose Bank Cottage.” His son Archibald lived in a country Georgian farmhouse just to the south of his father, that was called “Spring Bank Cottage.” Spring Bank Cottage is still standing today at 7 Meadowcrest Road. The Thompson property was renowned for its apple, cherry, pear and plum orchards. In the latter part of the 1800’s the Thompson’s were joined in Sunnylea by families who cultivated thriving market gardens filled with fruits and vegetables. A handful of these old Sunnylea farmhouses are still standing both on Prince Edward Drive and on Islington Avenue. In 1907, the first Sunnylea School – a two room white brick schoolhouse – was built on Prince Edward Drive. Edna G. Whitworth, a pupil at the school won a contest in coming up with the Sunnylea name which also became the name of this community. Sunnylea’s old farms were subdivided in the 1930’s and 40’s, when the present day neighbourhood was developed. The influx of new families to this community led to the opening of the second Sunnylea school in 1942.

      Overview:

      Sunnylea is one of Toronto’s most idyllic neighbourhoods. It is especially popular with young families. There is a country charm here with no sidewalks on many of the tree-lined streets. The Humber River forms the eastern boundary of the neighbourhood and Mimico Creek gently meanders through the centre of this neighbourhood. The exclusion of sidewalks on many of the streets add to Sunnylea’s  quaintness and charm.. Sunnylea is known for its excellent schools which are a popular drawing card for this neighbourhood. The elementary schools have definite enrollment boundaries that serve different parts of this neighbourhood. You should contact the schools directly to confirm their enrolment area. Sunnylea has an active ratepayers association. Here is the link: kpri.ca

      Lifestyle:

      Sunnylea residents enjoy convenient access to the Kingsway Village shopping district on Bloor Street West. This well-planned retail corridor has a festive, pedestrian friendly atmosphere and features comfortable park benches, evergreen trees, and expensive looking cast iron street lamps. Even the garbage bins are wrapped in ornate cast-iron frames. There is plenty of meter parking along Bloor Street and many of the side streets which make it easy to explore this vibrant shopping district. The shops in the Kingsway Village include high-end fashion shops, children’s stores, book shops, specialty stores, upscale restaurants, fruit and vegetable markets, bakeries and coffee shops. There is also a myriad of professional services located on this street led by a large number of travel shops and real estate offices that serve the high profile neighbourhoods in this district.

      Homes:

      There are a handful of original Sunnylea farm houses on Prince Edward Drive that have been lovingly restored and maintained by current owners and add an air of whimsy and charm to the neighbourhood. Sunnylea’s bungalow, split-level, storey-and- a-half, and two-storey houses were built mostly in the 1940’s and 1950’s. All of these houses are detached and include at least a thirty foot frontage and a private drive. The Tudor style houses closer to Bloor Street are the older houses in this neighbourhood. Many of these houses feature handsome Riverstone exteriors, bay windows, stone chimneys, wrought iron railings and decorative front porches. Sunnylea residents in the area bound by Bloor Street, Royal York Road, and the Mimico Creek, have been progressive in forming the Thompson Orchard Community Association. This association has been successful in getting the city to pass site specific zoning by-laws designed to protect the residential character of this neighbourhood.

      Recreation:

      The Norseman Community School, located at 105 Norseman Street, and the Park Lawn Community School, at 71 Ballacaine Drive, offer a large variety of recreational programs for children, teens, adults and seniors. Norseman has an indoor pool which is extensively used for aquafit and instructional swim programs. Park Lawn has a winter ice arena that converts to tennis courts in the summertime. The outdoor pool at Park Lawn is used for recreational swimming. Sunnylea Park and Laura Hill Park each have two tennis courts and a children’s playground. Spring Garden Park is nestled on the west bank of Mimico Creek. This idyllic park has a children’s playground and is well shaded with many old trees. The Brentwood Public Library is located at 36 Brentwood Road, one block west of Royal York Road and one block north of Bloor Street. This library offers year-round programs for children. The fifty-five plus Fairfield Seniors’ Centre is located at 80 Lothian Avenue. The facilities here include a seniors lounge, a library, workshops, support groups, and a variety of special events including fashion shows, “pub nights,” a flea market and summer barbecues.

      Transportation:

      Bus lines on Prince Edward Drive, Royal York Road and Islington Avenue provide Sunnylea residents with connecting routes to stations on the Bloor-Danforth subway line. Motorist are approximately fifteen minutes from Toronto’s downtown financial and entertainment districts via Lake Shore Boulevard or the Gardiner Expressway which also provide commuters with connecting routes to the all of the major highways leading out of the city.

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          Sunnylea Stats

          Walkability:

          High

          Bikeability:

          High

          Public Transit:

          High

          Affordability:

          Low

          Greenspace:

          High

          Recreation:

          Medium

           

          Legend: Low, Medium, High

          Commute Times

          Time to Closest Shopping Mall:
          15 Minutes
          Time To TTC Station:
          5 Minutes
          Time to GO Bus or Train Station:
          15 Minutes
          Time To Hospital:
          20 Minutes
          Time to Toronto Pearson International Airport
          25 Minutes
          Time to Closest Highway:
          5 Minutes

          * All commuting times provided are approximate times only. Commute times may increase or decrease depending on where you live within the neighbourhood and the time of day i.e rush hour versus off hour commutes. Time estimates to public transit are based on walking distance or bus line connection whichever is quicker. All other commute times on the chart above are based on drive times.

          School Guide

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          Toronto School Resources

          Editor’s Note. BEFORE MOVING INTO, BUYING OR RENTING A HOME, PLEASE CONTACT THE SCHOOL YOU ARE CONSIDERING BY PHONE to ensure your home is within the designated boundaries and that your child is age appropriate. WE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MISINFORMATION REGARDING SCHOOL ENROLLMENT SO DO NOT ASSUME that your child can automatically attend a specific school or specialized program until you have official confirmation from that school. Please visit the school board web sites for more information.