ONTARIO
Scarborough
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ARTICLE MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT
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(Note that the locals consider this to be just "The Beach".)
Located in present-day Toronto and Scarborough, the area grew to contain many nature parks and beach facilities. Amusement parks also came into being including Balmy Beach, Kew Beach/Gardens, Munro Park, Scarboro Beach Park, and Victoria Park - all of which are profiled at this site.
The area encompassed a district which, at the outside, came to be bounded by Lake Ontario south of present-day Queen Street, and what would become Danforth Avenue, Coxwell Avenue, and Fallingbrook Road. It was divided into lots by Alexander Aitken for Lieutenant Governor John Simcoe in 1793 and the new owners, or their heirs, developed roads and settlements. This prompted stagecoach, and later, rail service to the area. As the villages grew, some owners fashioned recreational areas which they often opened to the local population. Word spread and by the 1870s, The Beaches became a summer resort for the general population of Toronto. This prompted parks to open, or private ones to go public, some of which were owned or run by rail & ferry transportation companies that wished to promote business during normally off times.
The communities grew to be towns with their own schools, churches, and post offices, all of which would eventually be incorporated into Toronto. Water & power services and infrastructure improved along with transportation, so more parks opened. Besides the amusement areas listed above, public parks & areas also included Small's Park/Pond - often used as a public skating area in winter, Neville Beach, and Woodbine Beach & Woodbine Park - since called Greenwood after the racetrack was moved to Rexdale.
By the 1910s, local governments began to buy the land many of the private and commercial recreational areas occupied. The plan was to open the entire area as a public recreation site with no commercial establishments or amusements. Property purchases and renovation work progressed slowly, until the late 1920s. Due in part to the loss of part of the beach through erosion, locals complained to their representatives and work began to further improve the area.
On land which had been bought previously by the city, buildings were removed and a boathouse, public washrooms, a play field, and a refreshment booth were built. Further, a 1500-metre boardwalk was built near the shoreline. On May 24th, 1932 Beaches Park opened. It encompassed the shore area from Nursewood road to Woodbine Avenue and then connected with The Woodbine Beach area peninsula between the Greenwood Racetrack and the water. 60,000 attended the ceremony.
Following, are links to the articles on each of the district's amusement areas. These are also accessible directly from the Closed Canadian Parks Index.
Return to the
Closed Canadian Parks Index
