Fairbank

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Fairbank
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      History:

      Fairbank is named after the former “Fairbank” farm, which had been owned by a pioneer settler named Matthew Parsons. The “Fairbank” farm was situated just north of Eglinton Avenue between Dufferin and Keele Streets. Fairbank’s early development centred around the intersection of Dufferin Street and Eglinton Avenue. This neighbourhood began with a one room school house which was built in the 1860’s and followed by a hotel, a post office, a church and a handful of stores. A stone marker from the original Fairbank school house has been preserved on the south wall of the present day Briar Hill School. The only other vestiges of the old Fairbank community are the Fairbank United Church, circa 1889, located at 2750 Dufferin Street, and a Georgian Survival style house located at 108 Stayner Avenue. This red brick house was built in 1852 by Jacob P. Ross, a Fairbank farmer. Fairbank’s growth from a rural hamlet to a big city neighbourhood began to take shape in 1892 when the short lived Belt Line Railway opened a station here. Fairbank’s development was further enhanced in 1924 when the Toronto streetcar railway began service to this area. Fairbank became a welcome centre for many new Canadians in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. These families created a sense of community along Eglinton Avenue West which became known as Little Jamaica. The rich cultural history of Little Jamaica is commemorated in the Reggae Lane wall mural located at 1529 Eglinton Avenue facing the Green P Parking lot.

      Overview:

      Fairbank is poised for growth with the soon to be opened Eglington Crosstown subway spurring on a revitalization of this neighbourhood. The new York Recreation Centre located on the southeast corner of Eglinton Ave. West and Black Creek Drive at 115 Black Creek Drive, is symbolic of this renaissance. The defining topographical feature of the Fairbank neighbourhood is a series of rolling hills that climb their way northward from Rogers Road to the northern tip of Fairbank at Briar Hill Avenue. Many of these hills are bisected by curvilinear one way streets that add an old world charm to the neighbourhood.The Fairbank neighbourhood offers modest house prices and convenient access to transit and highways. Fairbank’s demographics include a large number of people of Italian, Portuguese, and West Indian heritage. The Little Jamaica shopping area along Eglinton Avenue West is a popular shopping destination.

      Lifestyle:

      Little Jamaica along Eglinton Avenue West is a multi-cultural shopping area that has been coined “the Avenue to the world”. Shoppers in this area can choose from hundreds of stores including bargain shops, fashion boutiques, jewellery stores, as well as Jamaican and Caribbean restaurants. Dufferin Street offers a mix of local shops as well as chain stores that attract shoppers from all over the city. The Castlefield Design and Decor district along Castlefield Road at Caledonia features many of Toronto’s top home design and decor retailers.

      Homes:

      Fairbank contains an interesting mix of early 1900’s working class houses, postwar brick and stucco bungalows, and new home developments. There are also a fair number of apartment buildings located on the periphery of the neighbourhood. The charming homes perched on the hills in the centre of Fairbank are located in a setting that is reminiscent of an old world village. Many of these homes feature pretty decks that take advantage of the hilltop vistas of many Fairbank homes.

      Recreation:

      The Fairbank Memorial Community Centre at 2213 Dufferin Street offers a myriad of programs for children and adults. This centre also operates a non-profit seniors club which offers a variety of clinics, workshops and special events for adults 55 years of age and over. To the north of the community centre is the Fairbank Memorial Park. This park has two baseball diamonds, a children’s playground, a basketball court and a swimming pool.

      Transportation:

      Fairbank residents are well served by bus routes that criss-cross this neighbourhood. The Rogers Road and Eglinton Avenue buses connect to stations on the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line while the bus lines serving Oakwood Avenue, Dufferin Street and Caledonia Road connect to stations on the Bloor-Danforth subway line.

      Motorists can gain quick access to the city core via Dufferin Street, which extends all the way down to the Toronto Harbourfront. For those commuting outside the city, the Allen Expressway, off Eglinton Avenue, is approximately a five minute drive from this neighbourhood. This expressway offers quick access to Highway 401.

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          Fairbank Stats

          Walkability:

          Medium

          Bikeability:

          Low

          Public Transit:

          Medium

          Affordability:

          Medium

          Greenspace:

          Low

          Recreation:

          Low

           

          Legend: Low, Medium, High

          Commute Times

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