Thorncliffe Park
Vanderhoof Skatepark at Leonard Linton Park
60 Research Road
Vanderhoof Skatepark is a prominent attraction within Leonard Linton Park. The Toronto Skateboarding Committee recognizes Vanderhoof Skatepark as host to one of the best bowls in Ontario; the long, U-shaped bowl joins extensions, mini ramps, and challenging elements. Leonard Linton Park also features a playground and two basketball courts. The park's namesake, Leonard Linton, is a dedicated advocate of the area, having served as President of the Leaside Business Park Association from 1993 to 2003. The park recognizes Linton's contributions to urban business improvement in the neighbourhood.
Former Wartime Factory of Research Enterprises Ltd. (REL)
20 Research Road
During the Second World War, this building at 20 Research Road was a facility for Research Enterprises Limited (REL), a Crown Corporation that produced electronics and optical instruments from 1940 to 1946. REL was Leaside's largest single employer to operate in the area, employing 7,500 men and women. A large drop in employment across the Leaside area between 1943 and 1946 resulted in the company's ultimate closure in September 1946. Now a listed heritage building, this former factory was a key location for Toronto's war effort on the home front, as well as a historic employment hub for the neighbourhood.
Tara Dorey Artbox
Commercial Road & Laird Drive
The design is inspired by the design of vintage travel posters, and is meant to playfully 'advertise' local neighbourhood sights.
Heritage Toronto Plaque - Leaside: A Railway Town
87 Laird Drive (east side of the street)
Since 2012, this Heritage Toronto plaque has stood on Laird Drive to commemorate the history of Leaside as a railway town. Named after nineteenth century farmer William Lea, Leaside's development is historically rooted in the Canadian Pacific and Canadian Northern Railways. Leaside Junction was established in 1894, where the railroads meet. The town of Leaside was incorporated in 1913, shortly after the Canadian Northern Railway announced its intent to create a residential community. The neighbourhood grew further in the 1930s, stimulated by industrial expansion.
Heritage Toronto Plaque - Canadian Northern Railway Eastern Lines Locomotive Shop
93 Laird Drive
This 2012 Heritage Toronto plaque illustrates the railroad history of the surrounding area. This present-day supermarket location is housed in the former Canadian Northern Railway Eastern Lines Locomotive Shop. Railway companies were instrumental in the growth of the Town of Leaside (which then included Thorncliffe Park). The 1927 opening of yards and shops on Spadina Avenue caused the Leaside Terminal's decline in importance, and the locomotive shop closed in the early 1930s. Although the surrounding industrial buildings were demolished, the locomotive shop survived amid this commercial plaza, the largest surviving structure of the former Leaside Terminal.
Millwood Overpass Bridge / Leaside Bridge
Millwood Road & Overlea Boulevard (just southeast of the intersection if following Millwood Road)
Also known as the Leaside Bridge and formally commemorated as Confederation Bridge on the sixtieth anniversary of Canada's Confederation, the Millwood Overpass Bridge overlooks the Don Valley, which is home to the sprawling Don River. An imposing structure, the bridge was built in 1927 to connect the Township of East York to the Town of Leaside, which also included Thorncliffe Park at that time. Overseen by bridge designer Frank Barber, the construction of the bridge was completed in a mere 10 months, a record-breaking speed for its time. By the 1960s, the expansion of the city necessitated a widening of the bridge deck. More recently, the mosaic handrail - original to the 1927 bridge and designed by New York architect Claude Bragdon - was restored as part of a 2005 rehabilitation.
Leaside Park
5 Leaside Park Drive
Not far from the Don River, Leaside Park boasts an outdoor pool, a lit baseball diamond, a multipurpose sports field, a children's playground, and six lit tennis courts.
Andrea Manica Artbox
Overlea Boulevard & Thorncliffe Park Drive (western intersection)
Andrea's box represents the green spaces in Toronto, the diversity of the community, and the importance of cycling in the lives of city dwellers.
R. V. Burgess Park & Jenner Jean-Marie Community Centre
46 & 48 Thorncliffe Park Drive
R. V. Burgess Park is a community gathering hub with a splash pad, children's playground, and basketball court. The park is also known for its local markets, which take place on Friday afternoons from May to September. Artists and vendors sell clothing, artwork, handmade items, and food from a variety of cuisines. Local residents of all ages can celebrate art and culture, and children's art activities are also available during market days. Attached to the Thorncliffe branch of the Toronto Public Library nearby, the Jenner Jean-Marie Community Centre is a thriving hub for Thorncliffe Park's multicultural community. The centre hosts a daycare, a gymnasium, a fitness/weight room, and three multipurpose rooms. Programs are offered for community members of all ages.
Community Garden
53 Thorncliffe Park Drive
Thorncliffe Park's community garden is known as one of the first community gardens in the city. Situated under the powerlines in a green space off of Thorncliffe Park Drive, the outdoor space provides residents of the neighbourhood with a place to grow their own food and tend to a personal garden while sharing knowledge with other community members.
Pat Moore Drive
Pat Moore Drive
Formerly a portion of Thorncliffe Park Drive, the road was recently named after Patricia Moore, and was unveiled at a 2018 ceremony. At the ceremony, Mayor John Tory also presented Moore with a Key to the City for advocating for her fellow community members in the Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park neighbourhoods. A longtime resident of the area for over 40 years, Moore has raised awareness of women's issues and community housing concerns and has created programs to advance these causes.
Explore Thorncliffe Park
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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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
Known for its rich industrial history and multicultural community, Thorncliffe Park is a vibrant neighbourhood with a diverse array of green spaces, community hubs (both indoor and outdoor), and public art installations. This stroll explores some of Thorncliffe Park's best offerings, from former factories to outdoor community meeting places. Great local businesses can be found along the way on Eglinton Avenue East, Overlea Boulevard, and Laird Drive.
- Vanderhoof Skatepark at Leonard Linton Park
60 Research Road
Vanderhoof Skatepark is a prominent attraction within Leonard Linton Park. The Toronto Skateboarding Committee recognizes Vanderhoof Skatepark as host to one of the best bowls in Ontario; the long, U-shaped bowl joins extensions, mini ramps, and challenging elements. Leonard Linton Park also features a playground and two basketball courts. The park's namesake, Leonard Linton, is a dedicated advocate of the area, having served as President of the Leaside Business Park Association from 1993 to 2003. The park recognizes Linton's contributions to urban business improvement in the neighbourhood.
- Former Wartime Factory of Research Enterprises Ltd. (REL)
20 Research Road
During the Second World War, this building at 20 Research Road was a facility for Research Enterprises Limited (REL), a Crown Corporation that produced electronics and optical instruments from 1940 to 1946. REL was Leaside's largest single employer to operate in the area, employing 7,500 men and women. A large drop in employment across the Leaside area between 1943 and 1946 resulted in the company's ultimate closure in September 1946. Now a listed heritage building, this former factory was a key location for Toronto's war effort on the home front, as well as a historic employment hub for the neighbourhood.
- Tara Dorey Artbox
Commercial Road & Laird Drive
The design is inspired by the design of vintage travel posters, and is meant to playfully 'advertise' local neighbourhood sights.
- Heritage Toronto Plaque - Leaside: A Railway Town
87 Laird Drive (east side of the street)
Since 2012, this Heritage Toronto plaque has stood on Laird Drive to commemorate the history of Leaside as a railway town. Named after nineteenth century farmer William Lea, Leaside's development is historically rooted in the Canadian Pacific and Canadian Northern Railways. Leaside Junction was established in 1894, where the railroads meet. The town of Leaside was incorporated in 1913, shortly after the Canadian Northern Railway announced its intent to create a residential community. The neighbourhood grew further in the 1930s, stimulated by industrial expansion.
- Heritage Toronto Plaque - Canadian Northern Railway Eastern Lines Locomotive Shop
93 Laird Drive
This 2012 Heritage Toronto plaque illustrates the railroad history of the surrounding area. This present-day supermarket location is housed in the former Canadian Northern Railway Eastern Lines Locomotive Shop. Railway companies were instrumental in the growth of the Town of Leaside (which then included Thorncliffe Park). The 1927 opening of yards and shops on Spadina Avenue caused the Leaside Terminal's decline in importance, and the locomotive shop closed in the early 1930s. Although the surrounding industrial buildings were demolished, the locomotive shop survived amid this commercial plaza, the largest surviving structure of the former Leaside Terminal.
- Millwood Overpass Bridge / Leaside Bridge
Millwood Road & Overlea Boulevard (just southeast of the intersection if following Millwood Road)
Also known as the Leaside Bridge and formally commemorated as Confederation Bridge on the sixtieth anniversary of Canada's Confederation, the Millwood Overpass Bridge overlooks the Don Valley, which is home to the sprawling Don River. An imposing structure, the bridge was built in 1927 to connect the Township of East York to the Town of Leaside, which also included Thorncliffe Park at that time. Overseen by bridge designer Frank Barber, the construction of the bridge was completed in a mere 10 months, a record-breaking speed for its time. By the 1960s, the expansion of the city necessitated a widening of the bridge deck. More recently, the mosaic handrail - original to the 1927 bridge and designed by New York architect Claude Bragdon - was restored as part of a 2005 rehabilitation.
- Leaside Park
5 Leaside Park Drive
Not far from the Don River, Leaside Park boasts an outdoor pool, a lit baseball diamond, a multipurpose sports field, a children's playground, and six lit tennis courts.
- Andrea Manica Artbox
Overlea Boulevard & Thorncliffe Park Drive (western intersection)
Andrea's box represents the green spaces in Toronto, the diversity of the community, and the importance of cycling in the lives of city dwellers.
- R. V. Burgess Park & Jenner Jean-Marie Community Centre
46 & 48 Thorncliffe Park Drive
R. V. Burgess Park is a community gathering hub with a splash pad, children's playground, and basketball court. The park is also known for its local markets, which take place on Friday afternoons from May to September. Artists and vendors sell clothing, artwork, handmade items, and food from a variety of cuisines. Local residents of all ages can celebrate art and culture, and children's art activities are also available during market days. Attached to the Thorncliffe branch of the Toronto Public Library nearby, the Jenner Jean-Marie Community Centre is a thriving hub for Thorncliffe Park's multicultural community. The centre hosts a daycare, a gymnasium, a fitness/weight room, and three multipurpose rooms. Programs are offered for community members of all ages.
- Community Garden
53 Thorncliffe Park Drive
Thorncliffe Park's community garden is known as one of the first community gardens in the city. Situated under the powerlines in a green space off of Thorncliffe Park Drive, the outdoor space provides residents of the neighbourhood with a place to grow their own food and tend to a personal garden while sharing knowledge with other community members.
- Pat Moore Drive
Pat Moore Drive
Formerly a portion of Thorncliffe Park Drive, the road was recently named after Patricia Moore, and was unveiled at a 2018 ceremony. At the ceremony, Mayor John Tory also presented Moore with a Key to the City for advocating for her fellow community members in the Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park neighbourhoods. A longtime resident of the area for over 40 years, Moore has raised awareness of women's issues and community housing concerns and has created programs to advance these causes.
Accessibility information: Most points of interest on this stroll are viewable from the street and can be reached via standard sidewalks, although there are some areas without sidewalk pavement (caution is advised). Some stops are situated near busy roads or parking lots - take care when approaching these stops.
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.