The 2006 Urban Trail

St Clair Ave West

The Purpose of the Trail

Geography is supposed to deal with the real world. You will encounter various theories, various ideas, and interpretations in the course. Then there is reality. The theories and interpretation are useless unless they actually connect with reality. They need to be about reality, and we need to be able to see them at work in real life. On this urban trail you will walk through and explore a real landscape. You will see places and spaces created by economic activity. You will see landscapes shaped by ethnicity and other forms of social identity. You will see social contrasts in housing, in neighbourhood, in landscaping. In the discussion phase of the activity (Workshops 2A and 2B) you get to talk about what you saw, and you have the responsibility for interpreting it. How does ethnicity express itself in the landscape along the trail? What impact is the streetcar reconstruction having on local businesses? You are there to find out.

The Route of the Trail

The trail begins outside the St Clair West TTC subway station. Parking is restricted in this congested part of town and we suggest you reach the area by public transit. If you are driving in from the suburbs you might consider parking at Yorkdale, and taking the subway from there.

The trail takes you along St Clair Avenue, via busy commercial streets and quiet residential ones. This is not a dangerous part of the city, but be careful, especially of traffic. The trail has been laid out so that you can cross major roads at pedestrian crossings.

The St Clair streetcar line is under heavy reconstruction. At present the streetcars are not running, but a temporary bus service is in operation. You may find that streetcar reconstruction interferes with the instructions in this trail booklet. In this case, please use common sense and work around the problem.

The trail ends at Dufferin & St Clair. You can either walk back to the subway station or catch a bus.

The trail is intended to be undertaken in daylight, but it does not matter which day you choose.

Dress appropriately for the weather. We recommend you walk the trail with a friend.

Your TA will want to see your complete trail booklet just to verify that you did the trail. It is OK if the booklet looks like you completed it in the field. Don't waste time copying it all out again neatly. Authentic fieldwork chicken scratch is OK as long as it is reasonably legible.

Themes

The questions and exercises of the trail have been designed to raise a number of issues and themes for later discussion. Expect to find these themes coming up in the class discussion (Workshop 2A) and becoming questions for the times in-class essay (Workshop 2B).

Route ways

St Clair is a classic example of an important urban street which functions as a major route way or corridor. It functions as an important artery for motor traffic, pedestrians and transit vehicles. There are sewer, water and utility lines which run along it. The traffic and accessibility have attracted commercial storefronts, and apartment buildings. It is expected to become a focus for intensified housing, enhanced transit improvements and the beautification of public space. Most of the planning issues which arise from St Clair are derived from its importance and popularity as a route way.

Conflict and Competition

St Clair is a busy street, with lots of traffic, lots of pedestrians and major transformations in progress. In this vibrant urban landscape money is being made, power is being exercised, decisions are being taken. Pedestrians want wide sidewalks for social activity, walking and sitting, merchants want to use the sidewalks for patios and the display of merchandise, motorists want parking and so on. These are all potential sources of conflict. Major projects are underway to reconstruct the streetcar line, to shoehorn in housing for another 10,000 people, to create parks and community facilities. The conflicts range in size from multi-million dollar schemes to funky sidewalk cafes being required to install wheelchair-accessible washrooms. Not every interest can be accommodated, and not everyone has an equal voice. The rich and powerful, the politically-well connected and well-organized tend to prevail.

St Clair Streetcar Right-of-Way Reconstruction.

The St Clair streetcar line was established in 1911-12 as the civic car line, with car barns at Wychwood Avenue. The project required the bridging of the major ravine of Castle Frank Brook (east of Bathurst) which was the major obstacle to the creation of the east-west street. At the end of the 1990s the TTC faced the replacement of the track, and decided that it would make sense to create a dedicated right-of-way for the streetcars. Previously the streetcars had to share road space with motor traffic, are were delayed. A dedicated right of way will remove motor vehicles from the portion of the road used by the streetcars, and severely restrict the opportunities for motor vehicles to turn. This also delays streetcars. Motor traffic would be confined to narrower lanes, a great deal of parking would be eliminated from St Clair and sidewalk space would be reduced in several places. Opponents of the scheme included merchants who objected to the reduction of on-street parking and residents who objected to turn restrictions from residential side streets. An umbrella group of the scheme's opponents (SOS: Save Our St Clair) tried unsuccessfully to get the scheme changed. Councillor Joe Mihevc supported the right of way, Councillor Cesar Palacio opposed it. Despite a court challenge, the reconstruction is now proceeding. The city has promised a cultural re-launch of St Clair once construction is complete. When the landscaping is completed, there will be artwork, as on Spadina, and markers to show where the lost creeks crossed the street.

The city has other plans for St Clair which a streetcar right-of-way will enhance. There are plans to add a lot more housing to the low-rise commercial streetscape of St Clair. The city plans to add housing for 10,000 people along the route, a process known as intensification.

Ironically, the quality of streetcar service was degraded by the city in the 1990s when the Stockyards were redeveloped in the St Clair/Keele area. The big-box retailers who moved into that district have greatly increased road traffic and thus degraded streetcar service. The right of way scheme would not reverse the degradation, as opponents have noted.

The opponents have suggested that most of the benefits of a dedicated streetcar right-of-way could be had by modifying short sections of the route, where delays presently occur, while allowing other sections to remain as at present.

The new right-of-way will eliminate many of the streetcar stops in an effort to speed-up service. Stops at Glenholme Ave and Northcliffe Blvd, for example, are due to be removed, provoking another round of grumbling from the scheme's opponents.

During the period in which you will be walking the urban trail the streetcar reconstruction will be disrupting the street, the transit system and pedestrian access. It may well interfere with your ability to execute details of the trail. Please be careful around the construction and modify your route if required.

Lost Creeks

Building a city involves the transformation of its physical environment. Buildings and roads replace natural vegetation, farmland and natural features. Creeks, ponds and ravines get filled in and paved over. There are a number of places where creeks crossed the line of St Clair Avenue. Gradually these have been bridged, filled and replaced with sewers, leaving dips in the landscape, fragments of ravine and areas of landfilling behind. The area of the urban trail crosses the ravines of Castle Frank Brook, Taddle and various branches of Garrison Creek. These features remain to challenge urban land use, and offer possibilities for reconnecting people to the natural environment if they can be pointed out and recognized. They remain relevant to the management of urban storm water runoff and the parks system.

St Clair Ave sits on top of a plateau of till left by the retreating glaciers. Around 11,000 years ago, when glacial ice blocked the outlet of Lake Ontario, the lake was higher than it is today. Known as Lake Iroquois to the geologists, it cut a cliff along the north side of Davenport Road. The lost creeks which cross St Clair cut ravines into this Lake Iroquois cliff line, most of which are still visible in the landscape even if the creek has since been buried. Lake Iroquois was only in existence for about 700 years, before the ice dam melted and the waters fell to the modern shoreline of Lake Ontario.

Ethnicity and Landscape

Toronto people often imagine that ethnic groups are confined to certain places, and within them create classic landscapes. St Clair-Dufferin, for example, has long been celebrated as an Italian area, the Corso Italia with its gelato parlours, wedding dress shops, shoe stores, sports bars and restaurants. To some extent we can make connections between ethnicity and place, and we can identify obvious 'ethnic landscape' but it is a complicated issue. The landscape is always changing, ethnic settlement is dynamic, and identity is constantly in flux. Commercial streetscapes with ethic specialty stores and services typically express ethnicity much more obviously than residential areas. One of the purposes of the urban trail is to show just how complex St Clair's ethnic landscapes are, and how the connection between ethnicity and landscape is variable.

Neighbourhood Difference

The trail takes you into three contrasting residential areas. The Wells Hill area, the Wychwood area and the Earlscourt area. These residential areas differ somewhat by ethnicity, but especially by income and social class. More importantly, we need to be able to read the signs of social difference in neighbourhood. Look at the size and state of repair of the homes. Look at how they decorate, how they do their landscaping, the kinds of cars parked outside, the colours, and if you are lucky, the quality of garbage and recycling that they generate.

Handling evidence

In field observations we need to be able to collect evidence and form appropriate conclusions. In some parts of the trail you will be asked to make some generalizations about housing, land use or ethnicity. There is no point in recording everything, just valid generalizations, with appropriate evidence.

Trail Starts

Begin the urban trail at the St Clair West subway station.

If you arrive by subway, you will note that the St Clair West station has two exits, one at the north for Heath Street (don’t take this) and one at the south for St Clair (take this). When you exit at St Clair you have two choices, one on the north side of the road, and one on the south. Either will do. In any case you need to cross to the south side of St Clair. There are some traffic lights in front of the Loblaw's store to allow you to do this safely.

This should put you on the south side of St Clair at the subway entrance from the St Clair West station, just a little east of Wells Hill Ave.

A lost ravine

On the SE corner of St Clair Ave W and Wells Hill Ave you can see the forested Nordheimer Ravine. There is a set of steps going down and a parks signboard. This is the ravine of one of Toronto's lost rivers, Castle Frank Brook, a tributary to the Don. St Clair crosses its deep ravine here, as you can see on the south side. The bridging of the Castle Frank Brook ravine was a vital part in the development of St Clair Ave W as a major east-west street. The bridging of the ravine in 1911-12 allowed the construction of the Civic streetcar line.

Look to the north side of St Clair. The deep Castle Frank Brook ravine once crossed St Clair and continued on the north side. Now you see the Loblaw's store and other structures built on it. What has happened to the ravine?

Housing in the Wells Hill area

Turn west, and follow Wells Hill Ave south from St Clair, keeping the park on your right. This is Wells Hill Park, and it occupies part of the original Nordheimer Ravine. Housing begins to appear on the east (left-hand) side of Wells Hill Ave as you walk south.

What sort of housing can you see in this district? Note down any observations about the kinds of people who appear to live here.

Before you leave the park behind, note that there is a mural painting on the side of the park washrooms. The presence of a distinct social group is implied. Which social group?

Follow the curves of Wells Hill Ave until you get to a stop sign, turn sharp right (west) and head west along Melgund Road. Stop when you reach the intersection with Hilton Ave.

What recreational activity takes place on the NW corner of Hilton and Melgund?

Turn left and proceed south on Hilton Ave from Melgund.

Record some comments on the kind of housing you find on Hilton, and what sorts of people seem to live here. What evidence is there in the landscape about the people who occupy these homes?

Bathurst St Streetscape

Follow Hilton south until you reach Nina St, and then turn right (west) and proceed towards Bathurst St.

There are buildings on the west side of Bathurst St. What uses are made of them?

Bathurst-Vaughan Ethnicity & Social Groups

A little to the south of the intersection of Bathurst and Nina you can see a community centre for a distinct social group. Which group?

Cross to the west side of Bathurst Street at the lights, and begin to walk north. As you pass Alcina Avenue, look westwards. The road dips a short distance west of Bathurst. What could cause this?

Continue north on the west side of Bathurst to where Vaughan Road intersects Bathurst Street at an angle. This intersection is a little complex, please be careful crossing.

Look eastwards across Bathurst at this point. On the east side of Bathurst at Vaughan is a training and outreach facility with a particular social group in mind. Which social group?

Where Bathurst intersects with Vaughan look west.

Vaughan Road is an ancient portage route used by the First nations to avoid the Castle Frank Brook ravine. On the west side of Vaughan, close to where it connects with Bathurst there are several buildings connected with a distinctive social group. Which group?

Proceed north on the west side of Bathurst St to its intersection with St Clair Ave W.

The streetcar line on St Clair is currently under reconstruction, along with related streetcar lines on Bathurst and Vaughan. The TTC is constructing a dedicated right of way for the streetcars, similar to the ones on Queen's Quay and Spadina. The project, which is controversial, is intended to make the streetcars function as a light-rail rapid transit system.

Bathurst-St Clair: Planning Conflict

On the NW corner of Bathurst & St Clair a structure is in the process of construction on the site of a former TD bank building. What is being built here?

Could the streetcar line have anything to do with it?

The projected new building is controversial. Suggest why.

Bathurst-St Clair Ethnicity & Streetscape

Cross St Clair to the NW corner of Bathurst and St Clair, and proceed westwards to Vaughan Road.

As you go along, comment on the presence of any ethnic groups suggested by the stores.

Halt at the intersection of St Clair and Vaughan Road.

On the SE corner of this diagonal intersection, note a branch of Hakim Optical. What was the likely function of the building before Hakim?

Vaughan & St Clair: Ethnicity & Social Groups

Cross Vaughan Road to the NW corner of Vaughan and St Clair. Proceed north on Vaughan a short distance past Albert's Real Jamaican Foods and Coffee Time.

The next store is iconic and very colourfully decorated. Identify it and its ethnic background.

A couple of buildings north of the iconic store with the cows you come to a building with a decorative arch over the entrance to its parking lot. Another building to the north, painted in distinctive colours (with oxblood and saffron accents) is part of the same cluster. What community occupies these buildings?

Vaughan Rd north of St Clair: Land Use

Look further north up Vaughan Road. Comment on the kinds of housing you see on Vaughan north of this point.

Turn south and follow Vaughan back to St Clair. Cross to the south side of St Clair at the lights. This is a complex intersection, please be careful.

Proceed westwards along the south side of St Clair Ave W, west from Vaughan.

Although Vaughan Road was the ancient route way, and was a provincial highway until the 1930s, the construction of the St Clair streetcar route in 1911-12 meant that St Clair became a much more important city street. From this point westwards, St Clair is lined with commercial storefronts almost all of which were constructed in the decade 1911-1921.

St Clair Ave Land Use & Ethnicity

In general terms, describe the land uses of St Clair west of Vaughan. Is it residential? Commercial? What kind of commercial? Any ethnic or social groups apparent?

Walk westwards along St Clair until you reach the intersection with Wychwood Ave. 144 Wychwood (on the SW corner of St Clair and Wychwood) is a 1920s apartment block with retail frontage. Follow Wychwood south from the intersection with St Clair.

Housing in the Wychwood-St Clair Area

As you move south down Wychwood, how does the land use change from what you see on St Clair? What sorts of housing do you see on Wychwood and adjoining streets?

Wychwood Car Barns Planning Issues

Where Wychwood intersects with Benson, and extending SW from there, you encounter a block of land once used as the Wychwood car barns for the civic streetcar line. It is now in the process of conversion into other purposes. There are signs posted describing this project and evidence of work in progress. What is the site intended to become?

The Wychwood car barns conversion was not without some controversy, and some of the local residents opposed the scheme. Can you suggest what objections they might make?

Remember the new construction which is happening at the NW corner of Bathurst & St Clair? The developers of the condos at Bathurst & St Clair were able to get away with an oversized tower because they promised to provide $1 million towards the Wychwood car barns conversion. Councillor Joe Mihevc, who supported the deal, has been crisicised for this.

Return northwards up Wychwood and back to St Clair. Proceed west on the south side of St Clair. As you proceed westwards, make some general observations about the land use and ethnicity of St Clair Ave W.

St Clair-Christie Streetscape

At St Clair and Christie, note two well-known coffee chains. What use was made of the building which Starbucks now occupies?

Who now provides financial services at this intersection?

Proceed westwards and stop opposite the McDonalds, located on the north side of St Clair.

McDonalds Planning Conflict

In 2000-02 this McDonalds proposed to rebuild and renovate to include a drive-through counter. There was widespread criticism from the local community, who staged street protests outside. Councillor Joe Mihevc supported the residents and McDonalds was prevented from building its drive-through. Suggest why the residents might oppose the scheme.

Proceed westwards on St Clair as far as Winona, recording any general observations on land-use, ethnicity and the use of sidewalks.

Rushton-Winona Ethnicity & Streetscape

Between Rushton and Winona, along St Clair, the street is used for the annual "Salsa on St Clair" festival, in July. In this section of the St Clair, is there any evidence for the ethnic groups which might sponsor this?

At Hendrick Avenue, pause for a moment. On the SW corner of Hendrick & St Clair is a KFC outlet. Suggest the former land use.

On the north side of St Clair at this point is the large yellow-brick building of the Hungarian Canadian Centre. This was built in the 1940s as a synagogue. Is there any sign of a large Jewish presence in the neighbourhood today?

At St Clair and Winona, cross to the north side of St Clair and proceed northwards on Winona a short distance and examine a white church building.

Which ethnic group is associated with it?

Return to St Clair and proceed westwards on the north side of the street.

A lost river crossed St Clair at about this point. Read the clues in the landscape to name the creek.

Roseneath Parkette Planning Conflict

At St Clair and Alberta, turn north and proceed past a dollar store, Laundromat and a No Frills grocery store. At a suitable point in the parking lot north of the store pause to look around.

Is there any evidence that you are standing in the ravine of a lost creek?

Proceed northwards into the small parkette (Roseneath Parkette) at the north end of the parking lot.

The No Frills parking lot was built on the course of Garrison Creek. After the creek had been buried with rubbish, it was used as an athletic facility (the Argonauts and Oakwood Collegiate played here) and as a boxing rink. Eventually the Oakwood stadium became a parking lot, owned by IPCF realty (the realty arm of Loblaw's) who in turn sold it to Manulife. In the later 1990s York councilor Joe Mihevc established a parkette here in this district which generally lacks parkland. The site is still leased by the city for $120,000/year from Manulife. In 2006 a developer wanted to turn the parkette into townhouses, something which the local community and Ward 17 Councillor Cesar Palacio, opposes. Would this be a good site for housing? Why would people object?

St Clair-Lauder Streetscape

Return to St Clair Ave and continue westwards about 500 metres until you reach Lauder Ave.

Another branch of a lost river crossed St Clair at this point. Identify the lost creek.

On the NE corner of Lauder & St Clair is a commercial block, built in the 1910s. On the Lauder Ave face of this block you see various awnings and other antique features. Caffee 163 opened here recently to serve gourmet and fair-trade coffees. The building and the courtyard behind it were used in shooting the recent Ron Howard movie, Cinderella Man. (It was used for the tenement scenes). Caffee 163, a small coffee place now faces difficulties because it is too small to offer a washroom accessible to the disabled.

The reconstruction of the streetcar route is going to bring more housing into the area along St Clair. It will also add to the demand for small businesses, such as coffee shops. There is a developing cluster of them here (and opposite at the Regal heights Café). It is one way in which the streetcar may change the economic activity on St Clair. On the other hand, there are issues (such as the small size of the business premises, the lack of parking, and the difficulty of meeting license requirements in old buildings (of which disabled washrooms are just one issue). Would it make sense to tear down the old buildings and accommodate the increased population in new ones?

What would be the arguments in favour of keeping the older structures?

Proceed W on St Clair. At Northcliffe Ave, note the slight dip in the street. This is the course of another branch of Garrison Creek.

St Anthony of Padua parade, 2005

St Clair-Dufferin Ethnicity and Commercial Land Use

Proceed west on the north side of St Clair and stop outside St Clare's Roman Catholic church, on St Clair east of Dufferin.

St Clare's Catholic Church was constructed in the early twentieth century, in connection with the residential suburbs which were then developing along the street car line. By the 1960 it had developed a large Italian congregation, and became a focus for the developing Italian community in the area. A parish priest established Mass in Italian, and helped set up other Italian-speaking Catholic congregations in the city, notably St Nicola di Bari, farther west on St Clair and St Wilfrid's near York University. The present priest, Fr. Ernie di Ciccio, a popular local figure, serves a parish which is still rather Italian, but is changing with fresh immigration. St Clare's is the focus of an annual St Anthony of Padua procession in June. Fr Ernie has encouraged another local community, St Michael's Eritrean Orthodox Church, to participate in the festivities.

Proceed west on St Clair and cross Dufferin. Carefully.

This brings you into the heart of St Clair-Dufferin, the district so often associated with Italian settlement. In 1982 and again in 2006 Italian world cup victories were marked by mass celebrations on the local streets. In recent years, however, much of the younger generation has moved away, to Woodbridge and other places.

What evidence is there of a continuing Italian presence? Are the Italians locals or commuters? What ranges of businesses? Is it just Italian or is it mixed in ethnicity? How do the businesses use space?

Proceed westwards on the north side of St Clair to St Clair Gardens. Turn north and proceed northwards on St Clair Gardens.

Housing in the Earlscourt Area

St Clair Gardens is one of the streets of the Earlscourt district. It was built originally by British immigrants and has been heavily modified since. Comment on the character of the housing you find in this residential street.

At Ascot, turn and walk west, crossing Boon, past the new housing which occupies a former factory site. Cross Earlscourt. Continue westwards on Ascot.

At Ascot and Nairn, on the NW corner, a local painter has expressed his ethnicity. What ethnic roots is he proud of?

Turn south on Nairn and walk south to St Clair.

If you fancy a gelato at this point, you might want to walk westwards to La Paloma at St Clair & Lansdowne. They aren't cheap.

Otherwise, turn eastwards and return to Dufferin & St Clair completing any notes you want to make about the ethnic landscape and businesses of St Clair west of Dufferin.

Trial Ends

The trail terminates at this point. You can return to St Clair West subway station by catching a bus eastwards.