Kingsway South

Anna Camilleri and Tristan Whiston 'Everyone Everywhere' Mural
East Side of Islington Avenue, South of Dundas Street West
Completed in 2013 by lead artists Anna Camilleri and Tristan Whiston, this 61-metre-long mural reflects the diversity of the neighbourhood and is inspired by Article Six of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. This mural is also part of the Village of Islington's Mural Mosaic, which features over 15,000 square feet of outdoor art throughout the BIA. Free mural tours can be arranged through the Village of Islington BIA's website.

Montgomery's Inn
4709 Dundas Street West
Built in the 1830s to shelter travellers, Montgomery's Inn brought people together from the surrounding area and beyond over food, drink, games, and more. More than 170 years later, it's still doing just that. This lively museum gives visitors the opportunity to see how a nineteenth century Canadian inn was run from ballroom to bedrooms, with a kitchen and bar still in full working order. Montgomery's Inn gathered communities around food, drink, news and laughter. Today you can keep that spirit alive: there's always something happening at the Inn. Go behind the scenes and hear the diverse stories of people who traversed the grounds from Chinese market gardeners to an employee who escaped his enslavement in the United States through the Underground Railroad.

Montgomery's Meadow
4709 Dundas Street West
Montgomery's Meadow was created in 1997 by volunteers who planted a meadow of native wildflowers and grasses. By replacing the lawn with native plants, the land became a home for rabbits, mice, chipmunks, groundhogs, butterflies and song birds, creating a small ecosystem within a larger environment. More than 650 species of native wildflowers, grasses, sedges, ferns and shrubs were planted (ten thousand individual plants!), all native to this area. In the southeast corner is a chipmunk habitat, which features a stone wall for protection from predators. A butterfly garden was created in the northwest corner. The meadow is maintained by the City of Toronto, Humber College and Etobicoke Horticultural Society.

Etobicoke Collegiate Institute
86 Montgomery Road
This high school has served the local community for over 90 years, first opening in 1928 when most of the area was still farmland. It has been expanded several times, but still features the beautiful original entrance designed in Modern Classical style. Notable alumni include hockey player and Member of Parliament Ken Dryden, musician Jeff Healey, Olympian Marnie McBean, and former Toronto Argonauts running back Jeff Johnson. The school was also used as a filming location for the hit movie 'Mean Girls', starring Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams. The exterior of Etobicoke Collegiate was used as a stand in for the high school featured in the film.

Barri Biederman Mural
Montgomery Road pedestrian railway underpass, between Allanbrooke Drive & Lynngrove Avenue
Developed in collaboration with students at Etobicoke Collegiate Institute and residents of the nearby Delmanor Seniors Residence, this mural is inspired by part of Amnesty International's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Tom Riley Park
4725 Dundas Street West
Tom Riley Park runs down the Mimico Creek valley from Dundas Street to Bloor Street. The park, originally known as Central Park, opened in two sections in 1941 and 1944 on land donated by the Montgomery family and J.A.L. MacPherson, respectively. It was renamed in 1998 after Tom Riley, who served as Etobicoke's Commissioner of Parks and Recreation for 28 years, and was credited by recreation professors at Waterloo University with giving Etobicoke the best parks system in the country. Riley's many honours included the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal and the Province of Ontario Corps d'Elite. Today the park features a lit ball diamond, a multipurpose sports field, six senior and five junior tennis courts, a children's playground and an allotment garden. Located at the southeast end of the park is the Memorial Pool & Health Club and Central Arena.

Kingsway Theatre
3030 Bloor Street West
This heritage-designated movie theatre originally opened in 1939 with seating for seven hundred people. The facade contains elements of Art Deco style architectural features with an exterior of shiny black vitrolite and aluminum. The theatre changed ownership numerous times over the years, with the current owner conducting extensive renovations in the late 2000s.

Old Mill
9 Old Mill Road
The Old Mill is one of the first mills that operated along the Humber River. As the name indicates, the Old Mill has a long and rich history. The Old Mill area was the first industrial site in Toronto. Many mills operated along the Humber River in the 1800s. William Gamble built a mill on the site, which was destroyed by a fire in 1849. Gamble built another mill that was also destroyed by a fire in 1881. By 1914, railway builder and real estate developer Robert Home Smith had assembled the land and opened the Old Mill Tea Garden, which features Tudor architecture. Over the years, many additions were made to the site including the Print Room, which offered dinner and dancing, spurring the Old Mill's live music tradition. Even after the sudden death of Robert Home Smith, the Old Mill continued to expand. During the 1990s, the ruins of the original grist mill were replaced by the Old Mill Hotel, with a spa and an English-style bar dedicated to Robert Home Smith. Today the Old Mill is a combination of hotel, event space, jazz bar, fine dining, spa and wedding venue.

Milton Mills Plaques
24 Old Mill Road
Two Heritage Toronto plaques can be found at this spot that speak to the archaeological history of the site. After uncovering 1300 different artifacts from the riverbank, it was found that two villages existed on this site: an Indigenous community in the sixteenth century and community of about one hundred English and Irish settlers in the mid-1800s.

Old Mill Bridge
Old Mill Road as it crosses the Humber River
The Old Mill Bridge was erected in 1916 and offers a picturesque view of the river. Two coats of arms can be found on its sides, one representing the Municipality of Etobicoke and the other representing York Township, because the Humber River is the border between the two areas. Old Mill Bridge is one of the few bridges along the Humber River designated as a heritage property under the Ontario Heritage Act. The concrete piers and cement-clad steel arches with thick walls and stone facing gave the bridge enough strength to survive Hurricane Hazel. It was built from a design prepared by Frank Barber, consulting engineer and Vaughan Township Engineer, who also built a truss bridge at Lambton Mills further up the river. While the bridge looks like a traditional stone arched bridge, Barber's use of concrete in the design of the bridge was a major departure from the traditional method of constructing. The bridge was also used as a filming location in the first season of 'The Handmaid's Tale' for the episode titled 'The Bridge'.

Philip Cote, Kwest, and Jarus 'First Timeline' Mural
2672 Bloor Street West (Mural is below Subway Underpass on Western Side of Humber River)
Located in the Humber River Valley (an important Indigenous hunting area and trail), 'First Timeline' features ten large-scale murals by iconic Toronto artists Philip Cote, Kwest and Jarus to create a visual storyboard illustrating more than 12,500 years of the history of cultural and ecological heritage.

Hurricane Hazel Site
King's Mill Park North
A historical plaque in King's Mill Park North commemorates Hurricane Hazel, a tragedy that devastated this area. On October 15, 1954, Hurricane Hazel struck Toronto, causing 28.5 centimetres of rainfall within 48 hours. It caused the Humber River to overflow, and since there were no flood controls in place at the time, overflow destroyed 20 bridges and hundreds of homes along the Humber River. Rescue efforts were made by police, firefighters and citizens. Many lives were lost and the hurricane left 4,000 people homeless. On the west side of the Humber River, north of the Old Mill along the trail is a plaque honouring five volunteer firefighters who drowned attempting rescues during the flood. A wave marker can also be found on the Bloor Street Bridge (over the Humber River), which indicates the remarkably high water levels caused by the storm.

Home Smith Park
4101 Dundas Street West
*Note: Home Smith Park is currently undergoing extensive construction. Until it is completed, portions of the park - including the entrance on Home Smith Park Road near Old Mill Road - will only be accessible on weekends. Home Smith Park is named after Etobicoke Lawyer Robert Home Smith. He purchased the former King's Mill and turned it into the Old Mill Inn, which still operates today. The park runs along the west side of the Humber River between Lambton House Hotel and the Old Mill Inn. There is a plaque in the park which notes the Mississauga Settlements that were once located on this side of the Humber River after they began settling in Southern Ontario beginning in the 1690s. Home Smith Park is an excellent spot for wildlife viewing with plenty of waterfowl, songbirds and forest critters. It's also a great spot to view salmon swimming up the Humber River to spawn each fall. Home Smith Park is fully accessible with a paved trail and a number of pleasant picnic areas.

Explore Kingsway South

Now is the time for residents to experience all that tourists have been raving about for years. Discover shops, stops, places and spaces on city main streets. Stay curious, Toronto.

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Don't Miss

Explore FREE Public Art Across the City. Toronto's Year of Public Art 2021-2022 is a year-long celebration of Toronto's exceptional public art collection and the creative community behind it.

We hope that you enjoyed exploring this Toronto neighbourhood and found many other points of interest along the way. While StrollTO highlights some of the 'hidden gems' in the neighbourhood, there may be others that could be included in a future edition. Would you like to share a point of interest that you discovered in the neighbourhood? Email us at [email protected].

Neighbourhood Stroll

This neighbourhood offers an idyllic setting amongst the many Tudor Revival and Arts and Crafts homes that line its streets not far from the Humber River. Fascinating local history is waiting to be discovered along the banks of the Humber River at the eastern edge of the area, with plenty of picturesque cafés, restaurants, and retail shops to enjoy throughout the Kingsway Village and Islington Village BIAs.

Main Streets: Bloor Street West, Islington Avenue and Dundas Street West.
  1. Anna Camilleri and Tristan Whiston 'Everyone Everywhere' Mural
    East Side of Islington Avenue, South of Dundas Street West
    Completed in 2013 by lead artists Anna Camilleri and Tristan Whiston, this 61-metre-long mural reflects the diversity of the neighbourhood and is inspired by Article Six of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. This mural is also part of the Village of Islington's Mural Mosaic, which features over 15,000 square feet of outdoor art throughout the BIA. Free mural tours can be arranged through the Village of Islington BIA's website.
  2. Montgomery's Inn
    4709 Dundas Street West
    Built in the 1830s to shelter travellers, Montgomery's Inn brought people together from the surrounding area and beyond over food, drink, games, and more. More than 170 years later, it's still doing just that. This lively museum gives visitors the opportunity to see how a nineteenth century Canadian inn was run from ballroom to bedrooms, with a kitchen and bar still in full working order. Montgomery's Inn gathered communities around food, drink, news and laughter. Today you can keep that spirit alive: there's always something happening at the Inn. Go behind the scenes and hear the diverse stories of people who traversed the grounds from Chinese market gardeners to an employee who escaped his enslavement in the United States through the Underground Railroad.
  3. Montgomery's Meadow
    4709 Dundas Street West
    Montgomery's Meadow was created in 1997 by volunteers who planted a meadow of native wildflowers and grasses. By replacing the lawn with native plants, the land became a home for rabbits, mice, chipmunks, groundhogs, butterflies and song birds, creating a small ecosystem within a larger environment. More than 650 species of native wildflowers, grasses, sedges, ferns and shrubs were planted (ten thousand individual plants!), all native to this area. In the southeast corner is a chipmunk habitat, which features a stone wall for protection from predators. A butterfly garden was created in the northwest corner. The meadow is maintained by the City of Toronto, Humber College and Etobicoke Horticultural Society.
  4. Etobicoke Collegiate Institute
    86 Montgomery Road
    This high school has served the local community for over 90 years, first opening in 1928 when most of the area was still farmland. It has been expanded several times, but still features the beautiful original entrance designed in Modern Classical style. Notable alumni include hockey player and Member of Parliament Ken Dryden, musician Jeff Healey, Olympian Marnie McBean, and former Toronto Argonauts running back Jeff Johnson. The school was also used as a filming location for the hit movie 'Mean Girls', starring Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams. The exterior of Etobicoke Collegiate was used as a stand in for the high school featured in the film.
  5. Barri Biederman Mural
    Montgomery Road pedestrian railway underpass, between Allanbrooke Drive & Lynngrove Avenue
    Developed in collaboration with students at Etobicoke Collegiate Institute and residents of the nearby Delmanor Seniors Residence, this mural is inspired by part of Amnesty International's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  6. Tom Riley Park
    4725 Dundas Street West
    Tom Riley Park runs down the Mimico Creek valley from Dundas Street to Bloor Street. The park, originally known as Central Park, opened in two sections in 1941 and 1944 on land donated by the Montgomery family and J.A.L. MacPherson, respectively. It was renamed in 1998 after Tom Riley, who served as Etobicoke's Commissioner of Parks and Recreation for 28 years, and was credited by recreation professors at Waterloo University with giving Etobicoke the best parks system in the country. Riley's many honours included the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal and the Province of Ontario Corps d'Elite. Today the park features a lit ball diamond, a multipurpose sports field, six senior and five junior tennis courts, a children's playground and an allotment garden. Located at the southeast end of the park is the Memorial Pool & Health Club and Central Arena.
  7. Kingsway Theatre
    3030 Bloor Street West
    This heritage-designated movie theatre originally opened in 1939 with seating for seven hundred people. The facade contains elements of Art Deco style architectural features with an exterior of shiny black vitrolite and aluminum. The theatre changed ownership numerous times over the years, with the current owner conducting extensive renovations in the late 2000s.
  8. Old Mill
    9 Old Mill Road
    The Old Mill is one of the first mills that operated along the Humber River. As the name indicates, the Old Mill has a long and rich history. The Old Mill area was the first industrial site in Toronto. Many mills operated along the Humber River in the 1800s. William Gamble built a mill on the site, which was destroyed by a fire in 1849. Gamble built another mill that was also destroyed by a fire in 1881. By 1914, railway builder and real estate developer Robert Home Smith had assembled the land and opened the Old Mill Tea Garden, which features Tudor architecture. Over the years, many additions were made to the site including the Print Room, which offered dinner and dancing, spurring the Old Mill's live music tradition. Even after the sudden death of Robert Home Smith, the Old Mill continued to expand. During the 1990s, the ruins of the original grist mill were replaced by the Old Mill Hotel, with a spa and an English-style bar dedicated to Robert Home Smith. Today the Old Mill is a combination of hotel, event space, jazz bar, fine dining, spa and wedding venue.
  9. Milton Mills Plaques
    24 Old Mill Road
    Two Heritage Toronto plaques can be found at this spot that speak to the archaeological history of the site. After uncovering 1300 different artifacts from the riverbank, it was found that two villages existed on this site: an Indigenous community in the sixteenth century and community of about one hundred English and Irish settlers in the mid-1800s.
  10. Old Mill Bridge
    Old Mill Road as it crosses the Humber River
    The Old Mill Bridge was erected in 1916 and offers a picturesque view of the river. Two coats of arms can be found on its sides, one representing the Municipality of Etobicoke and the other representing York Township, because the Humber River is the border between the two areas. Old Mill Bridge is one of the few bridges along the Humber River designated as a heritage property under the Ontario Heritage Act. The concrete piers and cement-clad steel arches with thick walls and stone facing gave the bridge enough strength to survive Hurricane Hazel. It was built from a design prepared by Frank Barber, consulting engineer and Vaughan Township Engineer, who also built a truss bridge at Lambton Mills further up the river. While the bridge looks like a traditional stone arched bridge, Barber's use of concrete in the design of the bridge was a major departure from the traditional method of constructing. The bridge was also used as a filming location in the first season of 'The Handmaid's Tale' for the episode titled 'The Bridge'.
  11. Philip Cote, Kwest, and Jarus 'First Timeline' Mural
    2672 Bloor Street West (Mural is below Subway Underpass on Western Side of Humber River)
    Located in the Humber River Valley (an important Indigenous hunting area and trail), 'First Timeline' features ten large-scale murals by iconic Toronto artists Philip Cote, Kwest and Jarus to create a visual storyboard illustrating more than 12,500 years of the history of cultural and ecological heritage.
  12. Hurricane Hazel Site
    King's Mill Park North
    A historical plaque in King's Mill Park North commemorates Hurricane Hazel, a tragedy that devastated this area. On October 15, 1954, Hurricane Hazel struck Toronto, causing 28.5 centimetres of rainfall within 48 hours. It caused the Humber River to overflow, and since there were no flood controls in place at the time, overflow destroyed 20 bridges and hundreds of homes along the Humber River. Rescue efforts were made by police, firefighters and citizens. Many lives were lost and the hurricane left 4,000 people homeless. On the west side of the Humber River, north of the Old Mill along the trail is a plaque honouring five volunteer firefighters who drowned attempting rescues during the flood. A wave marker can also be found on the Bloor Street Bridge (over the Humber River), which indicates the remarkably high water levels caused by the storm.
  13. Home Smith Park
    4101 Dundas Street West
    *Note: Home Smith Park is currently undergoing extensive construction. Until it is completed, portions of the park - including the entrance on Home Smith Park Road near Old Mill Road - will only be accessible on weekends. Home Smith Park is named after Etobicoke Lawyer Robert Home Smith. He purchased the former King's Mill and turned it into the Old Mill Inn, which still operates today. The park runs along the west side of the Humber River between Lambton House Hotel and the Old Mill Inn. There is a plaque in the park which notes the Mississauga Settlements that were once located on this side of the Humber River after they began settling in Southern Ontario beginning in the 1690s. Home Smith Park is an excellent spot for wildlife viewing with plenty of waterfowl, songbirds and forest critters. It's also a great spot to view salmon swimming up the Humber River to spawn each fall. Home Smith Park is fully accessible with a paved trail and a number of pleasant picnic areas.

Accessibility information: Most of the points of interest in this stroll are viewable from street level, though the areas around King's Mill Park and Home Smith Park may contain unpaved surfaces and stairs. King's Mill Park and Home Smith Park are most easily accessed via Old Mill Road. The road through Home Smith Park is closed to vehicles from November to April.

The StrollTO itineraries may follow routes that do not receive winter maintenance. Please review winter safety tips and for more information contact 311.

Soundtracks of the City

From global superstars to local favourites and ones to watch, the Soundtracks of the City playlists all feature artists who have called Toronto home. Whether it’s a lyric about the neighborhood, an artist representing a cultural community, or a tie-in to the StrollTO itinerary itself, all the music reflects connections to an individual ward or the City as a whole.

Music was chosen based on an artist’s Spotify presence and each song’s broad appeal, as well as its associations with the cultures, languages and ethnicities that reflect Toronto’s neighborhoods and diverse music scene. Soundtracks of the City combines 425 songs that feature more than 500 different local artists or acts, showcasing songs in 23 different languages.