Clairville, Toronto

Clairville
Neighbourhood

The Hindu Mandir near the West Humber River
Coordinates: 43°45′00″N 79°38′20″W / 43.75000°N 79.63889°W / 43.75000; -79.63889
Country  Canada
Province  Ontario
City Toronto Toronto
Community Etobicoke-York
Established 1849 (Subdivision)
Changed Municipality 1998 Toronto from Etobicoke
Government
 • MP Kirsty Duncan (Etobicoke North)
 • MPP Shafiq Qaadri (Etobicoke North)
 • Councillor Vincent Crisanti (Ward 1 Etobicoke North)

Clairville is the northwestern most neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The neighbourhood is part of Rexdale, in north Etobicoke. Today Clairville is almost wholly industrial/commercial.

Guardhouse estate at top of Rexdale Blvd, 1878

History

The town of Clairville was established in 1850 at the intersection of Albion Road and Steeles. It was built on a land owned by Jean du Petit Pont de la Haye, a French teacher at Upper Canada College. He developed the community on his estate which he named after his daughter Claire.[1] A private street was built diagonally across northern Etobicoke as a shortcut to Albion Township (now part of Brampton), with a toll at Clairville. The street was originally named Clairville but was also called the Albion Road (the current name for this street).[2]

Re-development

Clairville largely disappeared after a dam was built on the West Branch of the Humber creating the Lake Clairville reservoir. In the 1970s Highway 427 was built north along the western edge of the neighbourhood and in the 1990s Highway 407 was built just to the north. This combined with the existing rail lines and proximity to Pearson Airport to make the area prime industrial land. Today all residential homes have disappeared in the Toronto section of Clairville and replaced with warehouses and factories.

Clairville was divided between municipalities, the portion west of Indian Road and Highway 427 is today in Brampton. Unlike in Toronto, Claireville, Brampton largely consists of new residential subdivisions north of Queen Street, Indian Line Campground and the Clairville Conservation Area in the south end.

The area is close to the large south Asian communities of Brampton and Rexdale. The accessible area with large cheap lots has become home to several Hindu temples, most notably the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto.

Institutions

Notes

  1. ↑ "Dwellers on City's edge pull up roots." Peter Kuitenbrouwer. National Post. Jul 5, 2006. pg. A.6
  2. ↑ Villages of Etobicoke, 'Clairville' by Mae Snider Hames; Argyle Print. Co., Weston Ont., Pgs 9 - 13
 Vaughan, Ontario
Claireville, Brampton Smithfield
   Clairville  
Humberwood

Coordinates: 43°44′31″N 79°37′01″W / 43.742°N 79.617°W / 43.742; -79.617

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