Centennial Scarborough

'Creekside' Mural
277 Old Kingston Road
The bright and beautiful mural, designed by Emily Harrison, assisted by Peter Rahul and painted with nine youth artists, is a permanent piece of public art created to welcome visitors entering south Scarborough from the east. The nature-themed mural design celebrates the flora and fauna for which the Highland Creek area is well known. The mural design was inspired by the research and art of a local intergenerational group who took part in Mural Routes' Step x Step: Intro to Mural Art program in 2014. It was created by Mural Routes as one of the Signature Projects of 2014 Cultural Hotspot.

Colonel Danforth Park
73 Colonel Danforth Trail
Colonel Danforth Park can be found northwest of Lawrence Avenue and Meadowvale Road. If you follow the park trail to the northwest, you will find Morningside Park. Go southeast and you will find the Lower Highland Creek Park. This stretch of green space is another gem of a ravine in Toronto featuring the Highland Creek Trail. Wildlife, interesting plants and Highland Creek make this a wonderful walk in the east end.

Rella Braithwaite
Intersection of Lawson Road and Centennial Road
Historian and writer Rella Braithwaite moved to the Port Union neighbourhood near the intersection of Lawson Road and Centennial Road in 1946, and her family became one of the first Black families in Scarborough. She is descended from one of the largest Black settlements in the province, located near Waterloo, which was formed in the nineteenth century and settled by people who had escaped slavery on the underground railway. Rella Braithwaite is known for her contributions to the research and publication of Black history in Canada. She published a book called 'The Black Woman in Canada' in 1975, and worked with teachers on a Black Studies Guide for students in 1978. She played an important role in the formation of the Canadian Negro Women's Club and National Congress of Black Women. Rella Braithwaite has received many honours, including the Scarborough Bicentennial Civic Award; Kay Livingston Award, Congress of Black Women; Accomplishment Award, Association of Black Women; and Black Woman of the Year, Negro Colour Guard.

Adams Park
2 Rozell Road
Adams Park is a 15.8-hectare park that features two lit ball diamonds, a multipurpose sports field, a splash pad, a children's playground and a picnic area.

Charlottetown Park
65 Charlottetown Boulevard
A 4-hectare park that features a ball diamond, a multipurpose sport field, three outdoor lit tennis courts and a children's playground. At the south end of the park is the Port Union Community Recreation Centre which offers an outdoor sports pad and skate park.

Allan Bender 'Passage to Port Union' Mural
5500 Lawrence Avenue East
The 'Passage to Port Union' mural was created by lead Artist Allan Bender of Blinc Studios, who worked with the Centennial Community and Recreation Association and local experts to develop a historical timeline of the Port Union community, from pre-settlement to the present day. Several volunteers and six additional artists (John Nobrega, Azadeh Pirazimian, Jesse McCuaig, Frances Potts, Chris Brown, and Melissa Bessey) worked with Bender to cover over 2,400 square feet with the detailed design. The large wall behind the Centennial Plaza is located adjacent to the Port Union Community Recreation Centre, lending colour and history to a busy community hub. The project was produced by Mural Routes, in partnership with the Centennial Community and Recreation Association and StreetARToronto.

Sir Oliver Mowat Collegiate Institute
5400 Lawrence Avenue East
Sir Oliver Mowat was born in Kingston, Ontario in 1820 and attended private school before becoming John A. Macdonald's first articled law student. In his adult years, Mowat was a senator, lieutenant-governor of Ontario (1897-1903), premier of Ontario (1872-96), politician, judge and lawyer. Although he wasn't a chief architect of Confederation, he did play a significant role. He organized a quarter-century long campaign to help define Canada's Constitution. At the Quebec Conference, it was Mowat who suggested the division of power between Ottawa and the provinces. He also introduced voting by secret ballot, launched municipal governments and developed the Ontario liquor laws. In 1896, Mowat was appointed to the Senate by Wilfred Laurier, as government leader and Minister of Justice. He retired soon after and passed away in 1903.

Bill Hancox Park
101 Bridgeport Drive
This 3-hectare park features many walking paths, one adult soccer field, two junior/mini soccer fields and a children's playground.

Port Union Village Common Park
105 Bridgend Street
This is a 4.2-hectare linear park bounded by the CN railway to the south, featuring a children's playground and paths accessing the surrounding neighbourhoods and the Lake Ontario waterfront.

Stephenson's Swamp
44 Waterbridge Way
Stephenson's Swamp is both a designated Environmentally Significant Area (ESA) and one of the city's few Provincially Significant Wetlands. The area around the mouth of Highland Creek was once a large coastal marsh, but today it is a wetland complex composed of four individual wetlands totaling an area of 7.6 hectares (an area larger than the Rogers Centre!). Stephenson's Swamp is in itself rare, but so are some of the species found in the area such as the blue-gray gnatcatcher and yellow-spotted salamander.

Explore Centennial Scarborough

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

Stroll through this south Scarborough neighbourhood and take in all the parks, public art and history it has to offer. Be sure to check out all the great local businesses on Lawrence Avenue East, Port Union Road, Kingston Road, Military Trail, and Lawson Road.

Main Streets: Lawrence Avenue East, Port Union Road, Kingston Road, Military Trail and Lawson Road
  1. 'Creekside' Mural
    277 Old Kingston Road
    The bright and beautiful mural, designed by Emily Harrison, assisted by Peter Rahul and painted with nine youth artists, is a permanent piece of public art created to welcome visitors entering south Scarborough from the east. The nature-themed mural design celebrates the flora and fauna for which the Highland Creek area is well known. The mural design was inspired by the research and art of a local intergenerational group who took part in Mural Routes' Step x Step: Intro to Mural Art program in 2014. It was created by Mural Routes as one of the Signature Projects of 2014 Cultural Hotspot.
  2. Colonel Danforth Park
    73 Colonel Danforth Trail
    Colonel Danforth Park can be found northwest of Lawrence Avenue and Meadowvale Road. If you follow the park trail to the northwest, you will find Morningside Park. Go southeast and you will find the Lower Highland Creek Park. This stretch of green space is another gem of a ravine in Toronto featuring the Highland Creek Trail. Wildlife, interesting plants and Highland Creek make this a wonderful walk in the east end.
  3. Rella Braithwaite
    Intersection of Lawson Road and Centennial Road
    Historian and writer Rella Braithwaite moved to the Port Union neighbourhood near the intersection of Lawson Road and Centennial Road in 1946, and her family became one of the first Black families in Scarborough. She is descended from one of the largest Black settlements in the province, located near Waterloo, which was formed in the nineteenth century and settled by people who had escaped slavery on the underground railway. Rella Braithwaite is known for her contributions to the research and publication of Black history in Canada. She published a book called 'The Black Woman in Canada' in 1975, and worked with teachers on a Black Studies Guide for students in 1978. She played an important role in the formation of the Canadian Negro Women's Club and National Congress of Black Women. Rella Braithwaite has received many honours, including the Scarborough Bicentennial Civic Award; Kay Livingston Award, Congress of Black Women; Accomplishment Award, Association of Black Women; and Black Woman of the Year, Negro Colour Guard.
  4. Adams Park
    2 Rozell Road
    Adams Park is a 15.8-hectare park that features two lit ball diamonds, a multipurpose sports field, a splash pad, a children's playground and a picnic area.
  5. Charlottetown Park
    65 Charlottetown Boulevard
    A 4-hectare park that features a ball diamond, a multipurpose sport field, three outdoor lit tennis courts and a children's playground. At the south end of the park is the Port Union Community Recreation Centre which offers an outdoor sports pad and skate park.
  6. Allan Bender 'Passage to Port Union' Mural
    5500 Lawrence Avenue East
    The 'Passage to Port Union' mural was created by lead Artist Allan Bender of Blinc Studios, who worked with the Centennial Community and Recreation Association and local experts to develop a historical timeline of the Port Union community, from pre-settlement to the present day. Several volunteers and six additional artists (John Nobrega, Azadeh Pirazimian, Jesse McCuaig, Frances Potts, Chris Brown, and Melissa Bessey) worked with Bender to cover over 2,400 square feet with the detailed design. The large wall behind the Centennial Plaza is located adjacent to the Port Union Community Recreation Centre, lending colour and history to a busy community hub. The project was produced by Mural Routes, in partnership with the Centennial Community and Recreation Association and StreetARToronto.
  7. Sir Oliver Mowat Collegiate Institute
    5400 Lawrence Avenue East
    Sir Oliver Mowat was born in Kingston, Ontario in 1820 and attended private school before becoming John A. Macdonald's first articled law student. In his adult years, Mowat was a senator, lieutenant-governor of Ontario (1897-1903), premier of Ontario (1872-96), politician, judge and lawyer. Although he wasn't a chief architect of Confederation, he did play a significant role. He organized a quarter-century long campaign to help define Canada's Constitution. At the Quebec Conference, it was Mowat who suggested the division of power between Ottawa and the provinces. He also introduced voting by secret ballot, launched municipal governments and developed the Ontario liquor laws. In 1896, Mowat was appointed to the Senate by Wilfred Laurier, as government leader and Minister of Justice. He retired soon after and passed away in 1903.
  8. Bill Hancox Park
    101 Bridgeport Drive
    This 3-hectare park features many walking paths, one adult soccer field, two junior/mini soccer fields and a children's playground.
  9. Port Union Village Common Park
    105 Bridgend Street
    This is a 4.2-hectare linear park bounded by the CN railway to the south, featuring a children's playground and paths accessing the surrounding neighbourhoods and the Lake Ontario waterfront.
  10. Stephenson's Swamp
    44 Waterbridge Way
    Stephenson's Swamp is both a designated Environmentally Significant Area (ESA) and one of the city's few Provincially Significant Wetlands. The area around the mouth of Highland Creek was once a large coastal marsh, but today it is a wetland complex composed of four individual wetlands totaling an area of 7.6 hectares (an area larger than the Rogers Centre!). Stephenson's Swamp is in itself rare, but so are some of the species found in the area such as the blue-gray gnatcatcher and yellow-spotted salamander.

Accessibility information: All points of interest can be viewed from paved sidewalks or park trails with the exception of the 'Passage to Port Union' Mural and Stephenson's Swamp. The mural can be viewed from a paved parking lot, but please be mindful of traffic. Stephenson's Swamp has no paved path, and can only be viewed by walking down an unmaintained trail.

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.