Roncesvalles Village
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Roncesvalles Village is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It surrounds the commercial strip along Roncesvalles Avenue in the city's west end. The area is located east of High Park, north of Lake Ontario, in the Parkdale-High Park provincial and federal ridings and the municipal Ward 14. It is the centre of the Polish community in Toronto.
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[edit] Naming
Roncesvalles Village and Roncesvalles Avenue take their names from a battle which took place in the Roncesvalles gorge in Spain in 1813. At this gorge, Colonel Walter O'Hara -- an early 19th century Irish settler who played a significant role in the establishment of the neighbourhood -- led a regiment that fought against the retreating army of Napoleon.
The name 'Roncesvalles Village' is an invention of the local business improvement area, which decided to forge a unique identity for the area in an effort to increase commerce for local shops and other enterprises.
[edit] History
Most of the land to the west of Roncesvalles was part of John Howard's Sunnyside Farm, and the road Sunnyside Avenue runs parallel to Roncesvalles, one block west. Indian Road, one block further west, follows an old path thought to have originally been an ancient Mississauga Indian path.
The land to the east of Roncesvalles was originally part of Col. O'Hara's property, acquired in 1850. Several street names have significance to the O'Hara family. Marion, his wife, Constance his daughter. Fermanagh is the county in Ireland of his birth. There are other streets to the east as well, such as O'Hara Avenue and West Lodge Avenue.
The street of Roncesvalles was constructed in the 1860s and sub-division of the O'Hara property followed that, and the death of Col. O'Hara in 1874.
Roncesvalles Village was not historically an independent village like Swansea Village or Forest Hill Village. Politically, the part north of Wright was part of the town of Brockton, and the part south of Wright was part of the town of Parkdale. Both villages were annexed into Toronto prior to 1900.
Residential development dates mostly from the early 1900s and most area homes date from that period.
The area to the west, especially along High Park Avenue and surrounding High Park, was developed as a very affluent suburb of Toronto, with many large homes. After the development of the Gardiner Expressway to the south, and the decline of the Sunnyside lakefront, the area declined and many people left the area to move to other suburbs, and many of the larger homes were converted to apartments. In the past two decades, this area has seen some gentrification and many of the larger homes were converted back to single-family dwellings.
To the east of Roncesvalles the neighbourhood is more transitional in nature, with a former industrial base along the CN and CP rail lines falling into decline, becoming a source of cheap space for artists. Infill projects and loft conversions are taking place. A large TTC bus garage facility was converted into Sorauren Park and efforts are being made to build a community centre from an old linseed oil factory nearby.
At the southern end of Roncesvalles, the popular Sunnyside Amusement Park was located from 1922 to 1955. A fine view of Lake Ontario exists, and a pedestrian bridge leads from the intersection across the rail lines and expressway to the waterfront and the Palais Royale dance hall.
At the southern end of Parkside Drive, the Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion and Pool still operate. The Pavilion was built in 1922, adding the Pool ('the Tank') in 1925, and was renovated in 1980.
The demolition of the park and the subsequent loss of economic activity and rise in road noise and pollution from the Expressway led to a severe economic decline in the immediate vicinity. The area has not completely recovered but many fine buildings and homes remain nearby, some converted to apartments and rooming houses.
[edit] Ethnicity
The street has long been a centre of Toronto's Polish community, as St. Casimir's Roman Catholic Church, a major religious centre, is located there, holding well-attended Polish language masses every Sunday. St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, at Westminster Avenue, holds masses in Polish and Latin.
The St. Stanislaus-St. Casimir's Credit Union -open to all Canadians of Polish descent- is located nearby at Fern Avenue. It features a large statue of Pope John Paul II out front and large vigils and a memorial mass were held there when the Pope's health declined and he subsequently died.
At the southern end of Roncesvalles, two large monuments are erected in memory of two events in Polish history. A large monument in memory of the massacre of Polish officers in Katyn forest during the Second World War. Next to it is a memorial to thousands of Polish citizens deported to Siberian labour camps during the Second World War.
At the intersection of Marion Street and Roncesvalles a large Polish retirement home exists, and several Polish restaurants, food shops and book stores exist along Roncesvalles. The Canadian Polish Congress, an umbrella of Polish cultural organizations in Canada, is headquartered on Roncesvalles.
While Polish is spoken on Roncesvalles and in the shops, the area is very mixed in nature. Roncesvalles is the centre of Parkdale-High Park provincial and federal ridings and the municipal Ward 14. Broadly defined, the northwest section is called High Park and the southeast is the Parkdale neighbourhood. While Polish immigration continues, the highest number of new immigrants are Asian.
[edit] Culture and commerce
[edit] Festivals
The Roncesvalles Village Business Improvement Area holds an annual 'Roncesvalles Village Polish Festival' each fall, closing Roncesvalles from High Park Avenue to Howard Park Avenue. It features several kiddie-type midway rides, food stands and outdoor musical entertainment, including polka music.
[edit] Theatres
Roncesvalles is home to two movie theatres, unfortunately both are closed, although one should re-open soon. The popular repertory movie theatre Revue Cinema, at the intersection of Howard Park Avenue operated from 1911 until its recent closure on June 30, 2006 and a group of local citizens is determined to reopen it. Another theatre, the Brighton, closed in the 1970s, but the theatre is in use as a convenience store, although it has not been renovated.
[edit] Libraries
The High Park branch of the Toronto Public Library, one of the Carnegie libraries, is located at Wright Avenue.
[edit] Schools
There are several elementary public schools nearby, including Fern Avenue, Garden Avenue, Howard Park and St. Vincent de Paul. Grads of these schools move on to the nearby Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton, Humberside, Parkdale, Western Technical and West Toronto high schools.
[edit] Churches
The street has two other large churches, Emmanuel - Howard Park and High Park Baptist. The original Howard Park Church is located at Sunnyside and Marmaduke and is being converted into lofts and the congregation merged with the previous Emmanuel United Church. It operates a mission and a day care at the corner of Roncesvalles and Wright.
[edit] Health
The large St. Joseph's Health Centre at Sunnyside and The Queensway in the south of the district has been on the site since the 1840's, being first the site of the Sisters of St. Joseph Order, then an orphanage and then the hospital. The Order still operates the hospital. It occupies the site of Sunnyside Lodge, the first home of John Howard.
The former Coroner of Toronto, outspoken MPP and TV talk show host, Dr. Morton Shulman, operated a family practice on Roncesvalles until he retired.
The street is home to several independent drug stores, including the fixture Solarski's. The former S.S. Kresge store, built in 1936, is now home to Musial Drugs.
[edit] Businesses
There are numerous small businesses, which are mostly independent. These include gift shops, drug stores, grocers, health food stores, dollar shops, book stores, video stores and hardware stores.
[edit] Food
Roncesvalles is well-known for the large number of small restaurants, cafes and food shops of various cuisines as well as Polish. There are several bakeries and several delicatessens.
[edit] Notable events
- April 8, 2005 - Outdoor memorial mass for Pope John Paul II on Roncesvalles Avenue.
- 1984 - Pope John Paul II visit, with open air mass at Exhibition Place.
- 1980 - Erection of Katyn monument.
- 1979 - Copernicus Lodge opens.
- 1971 - Sunnyside train station closes. Demolished in 1973.
- 1963 - The Sphynx cat is alleged to have originated from a litter born in a Roncesvalles Avenue alley.
- 1958 - Gardiner Expressway opens.
- 1955 - Demolition of Sunnyside Amusement Park. The Lakeshore Road is closed from the foot of Roncesvalles, the street 'The Queensway' is built and streetcars are re-routed from the Lakeshore Road to The Queensway in a dedicated right-of-way.
- 1952 - St. Casimir's Church built. This co-incides with the influx of Polish immigrants and the movement of Polish Torontonians from the Queen Street West area around St. Stanislaus Catholic Church.
- June 28, 1922 - Palais Royale opens at foot of Roncesvalles.
- 1922 - Sunnyside Amusement Park opens.
- 1921 - St. Joseph's Hospital established.
- 1915 - High Park Library opens.
- 1912 - Revue Cinema opens.
- 1910 - High Park Presbyterian Church at Wright and Roncesvalles built. (Now known as Emmanuel Howard Park.)
- 1905 - Parkdale Canoe Club founded. Now known as Boulevard Club. First club building built in 1915 at foot of Roncesvalles.
- 1895 - Roncesvalles streetcar yard built.
- 1889 - Annexation of Parkdale by Toronto.
- 1884 - Annexation of Sunnyside farm into Toronto.
- 1884 - Annexation of Brockton into Toronto.
- 1876 - Sunnyside Residence, orphanage on grounds of then Sunnyside Lodge, and now the site of current St. Joseph's opens, operated by Sisters of St. Joseph.
- 1873 - Most of High Park given to city by John Howard.
- 1856 - Grand Trunk Railway, running north-south to the east of Roncesvalles is built. Stations at Dufferin and Queen and at Dundas and Dupont.
- 1855 - Great Western Railway rail line along Lake Ontario to Hamilton is built. Station at foot of Queen and Roncesvalles.
- 1850 - Col O'Hara acquires 420 acres to the east side of Roncesvalles, north of Queen Street, as part of compensation for helping to put down 1837 rebellion.
[edit] Transportation
The intersection of Roncesvalles, Queen and King streets has long been a transportation hub of the city of Toronto. Passenger trains first served the area in 1855. In the 1890's the location became the hub of commuter streetcars going as far west as Port Credit. In 1895, Toronto Railway Company (forerunner of the TTC) built the Roncesvalles streetcar yards, which continue to dominate the north-west corner. The intersection itself is famous for its huge number of streetcar tracks, possibly the most numerous in the city.
Today, the area is well served with the Dundas West and Keele subway stations to the north at Bloor Street. The 501, 504, 505, 506, and 508 streetcars provide frequent service and the Keele bus provides service along Parkside Avenue to the lakefront.
GO Transit operates trains along the lakeshore rail line, although no longer stopping at Sunnyside, now stopping nearest at Exhibition Place. There are GO trains operating along the CN/CP lines to the east, stopping at Bloor Street and Dundas Street West.
There once was an inter-city bus depot at the north-west corner of Roncesvalles and Queen, now converted to a fast-food restaurant. This took over from the commuter streetcars, although streetcars do travel as far west as Long Branch.
The former Toronto - Sunnyside passenger train station, providing inter-city train connections, on the Great Western line opened in 1855 at the foot of Roncesvalles. It shut in 1971 and was demolished in 1973.
