Community Focus - Scarborough
by Amy West - New Dreamhomes & Condominiums Magazine
Scarborough, which forms the eastern edge of the city of Toronto, was originally a separate city and prior to that a borough and township, but has been part of the East District since its amalgamation with Toronto 1998.
The area was named after Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England, by Elizabeth Simcoe, wife of John Graves Simcoe, the first lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada. The bluffs along Lake Ontario’s shore reminded her of the limestone cliffs of her home. In her diary she wrote, “the [eastern] shore is extremely bold, and has the appearance of chalk cliffs, but I believe they are only white sand. They appeared so well that we talked of building a summer residence there and calling it Scarborough.â€
Much of Scarborough was settled by suburban housing developments in the last third of the 20th century. The older section is in the southwest along the Kingston and Danforth corridors, where the housing stock was built beginning in the late-19th century as Toronto grew outward. New low-rise condo development has extended into this area, which borders the growing, trendy strip along Queen Street East known as The Beach.
A significant amount of building activity has spurred growth along the Highway 401 corridor at the northern end of the Scarborough RT. Several key high-rise condo projects have increased the residential density around Scarborough Centre, increasing the apparent affluence of the once-neglected neighbourhood and increasing the traffic congestion in the region.
Scarborough Town Centre, the biggest commercial and entertainment hub, has undergone massive renovations to transform it into a modern and competitive mall. Recent additions include satellite establishments such as Jack Astor’s, Milestone’s, and Best Buy Electronics.
In Scarborough’s northeast corner is Agincourt, which has a large Asian population. It’s a great place to have a nice meal and it also provides some of the city’s best shopping.
One of the nicest areas in Scarborough is situated in the southern part of the city. The earthen cliff formation known as Scarborough Bluffs stretches for about 14 kilometres and in some places reaches heights of more than 60 metres. The Bluffs and Bluffers Park are heavily used by tourists and families looking for a break from the city. The Bluffs is also a favourite with boaters because it hosts numerous marinas and its closeness to Toronto’s downtown makes it accessible to everyone.
Scarborough is also notable for the Rouge River Valley, an area where many parts are still wild and mostly wooded. The Valley is home to a great variety of wildlife including deer, foxes, and the occasional coyote. The Toronto Zoo is also located in the Rouge River Valley.
In 2005, Scarborough’s population was 593,297. A large portion of the population is composed of immigrants who have arrived in the last two decades, which has created various multicultural havens. Scarborough residents have developed their own unique culture and sense of humour as evidenced by such native Scarberians such as Mike Myers, the Barenaked Ladies, and pop teen princess Fefe Dobson.
The city offers a little bit of everything for everybody—making it a great place to live.
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