North York is a former township and city and is now one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the northern area of Toronto, centred around Yonge Street, north of Ontario Highway 401. It is bounded by York Region to the north at Steeles Avenue, (where it borders Vaughan) on the west by the Humber River, on the east by Victoria Park Avenue. Its southern boundary is erratic and corresponds to the northern boundaries of the former municipalities of Toronto: York, Old Toronto and East York. As of the 2016 Census, the district has a population of 644,685.
North York was created as a township in 1922 out of the northern part of the former township of York, a municipality that was located along the western border of Old Toronto. Following its inclusion in Metropolitan Toronto in 1953, it was one of the fastest-growing parts of Greater Toronto due to its proximity to Toronto. It was declared a borough in 1967, and later became a city in 1979, attracting high-density residences, rapid transit, and a number of corporate headquarters in North York City Centre, its planned central business district. In 1998, North York was dissolved as part of the amalgamation which created the new City of Toronto. It has since become a secondary economic hub of the city outside Downtown Toronto.
History
The was formed on June 13, 1922 out of the rural part of the Township of York. In the previous decade, the southern part of York, bordering the old City of Toronto had become increasingly urbanized while the northern portion remained rural farmland. The northern residents increasingly resented that they made up 20% of York's tax base while receiving few services and little representation in return, particularly after 1920 when their sole member on York's council, which was elected on an at-large basis, was defeated. Dairy farmer Robert Franklin Hicks organized with other farmers to petition the Ontario legislature to carve out what was then the portion of York Township north of Eglinton Avenue to create the separate township of North York. With the support of the pro-farmer United Farmers of Ontario government, a plebiscite was organized and held and the 6,000 residents voted in favour of separating from York by margin of 393 votes.
The township remained largely rural and agrarian until World War II. After the war, in the late 1940s and 1950s, a housing shortage led to the township becoming increasingly developed as a suburb of Toronto and a population boom. In 1953, the province federated 11 townships and villages with the Old City of Toronto, to become Metropolitan Toronto.
North York used to be known as a regional agricultural hub composed of scattered villages. The area boomed following World War II, and by the 1950s and 1960s, it resembled many other sprawling North American suburbs.
As North York became more populous, it became the in 1967, and then on February 14, 1979, the . To commemorate receiving its city charter on Valentine's Day, the city's corporate slogan was "The City with Heart".
North York was amalgamated into Toronto on January 1, 1998. It now forms the largest part of the area served by the "North York Community Council", a committee of Toronto City Council.
Incidents On August 10, 2008, a massive propane explosion occurred at the Sunrise Propane Industrial Gases propane facility just southwest of the Downsview Airport. This destroyed the depot and damaged several homes nearby. About 13,000 residents were evacuated for several days before being allowed back home. One employee at the company was killed in the blast and one firefighter died while attending to the scene of the accident.Thousands returning home after massive T.O. fire. CTV News. August 10, 2008. A follow-up investigation to the incident made several recommendations concerning propane supply depots. It asked for a review of setback distances between depots and nearby residential areas but did not call for restrictions on where they can be located.Boost 'hazard distance' at propane depots: report. CTV News. November 7, 2008.
Canada's deadliest pedestrian attack occurred in the North York City Centre district on April 23, 2018 when a van collided with numerous pedestrians killing 10 and injuring 16 others on Yonge Street between Finch and Sheppard Avenues.
Climate
Neighbourhoods
Demographics
Ethnicity
Panethnic groups in North York (1996−2021)Panethnic group2021 Canadian census2016 Canadian census2011 Canadian census2006 Canadian census2001 Canadian census1996 Canadian census European 239,355 266,785 285,110 295,800 319,445 348,430 East Asian 110,555 113,215 101,590 103,195 84,975 61,080 Southeast Asian 84,180 69,680 56,400 40,040 32,685 26,030 African 69,470 63,120 61,745 53,815 52,180 48,505 South Asian 68,980 60,035 58,390 61,015 53,980 49,590 Middle Eastern 46,760 43,860 37,460 29,400 25,280 21,470 Latin American 29,270 26,705 24,050 22,335 19,040 16,820 Indigenous 2,645 2,910 2,005 1,655 1,415 1,335 Other/multiracial 25,810 20,055 17,065 12,450 14,060 11,415 Total responses 677,025 666,365 643,815 619,705 603,060 584,675 Total population 683,511 672,955 651,083 624,610 608,288 589,653
Language + Top Ten Mother Tongue Languages Mother Tongue Languages Population Percentage English 280,320 43.9% Mandarin 40,125 6.3% Persian 30,465 4.8% Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) 28,810 4.5% Cantonese 27,665 4.3% Russian 20,320 3.2% Korean 19,265 3.0% Spanish 16,220 2.5% Italian 15,440 2.4% Urdu 10,325 1.6% Others 123,895 19.4% Multiple Responses 25,255 4.0%
Economy
The district's central business district is known as North York Centre, which was the location of the former city's government and major corporate headquarters. North York Centre continues to be one of Toronto's major corporate areas with many office buildings and businesses. The former city hall of North York, the North York Civic Centre, is located within North York City Centre.
Downsview Airport, near Sheppard and Allen Road, employs 1,800 workers. Downsview Airport will be the location of the Centennial College Aerospace campus, a $60 million investment from the Government of Ontario and Government of Canada. Private partners include Bombardier, Honeywell, MDA Corporation, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Ryerson University, Sumitomo Precision Products Canada Aircraft, Inc. and UTC Aerospace Systems.
Flemingdon Park, located near Eglinton Avenue and Don Mills Road, is an economic hub located near the busy Don Valley Parkway and busy Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) routes. McDonald's Canada and Celestica are located in this area, and Foresters Insurance has a major office tower and Bell Canada has a data centre. The Concorde Corporate Centre has of leasable area and is 85% occupied with tenants such as Home Depot Canada, Sport Alliance of Ontario, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Esri Canada and Deloitte. Home Depot's Canadian head office is located in Flemingdon Park.
North York houses two of Toronto's five major shopping malls: the Yorkdale Shopping Centre and Fairview Mall. Other neighbourhood malls locations include Centerpoint Mall, Bayview Village, Sheridan Mall, Yorkgate Mall, Shops at Don Mills, Steeles West Market Mall, Jane Finch Mall and Sheppard Centre.
Health care is another major industry in North York, with the district housing several major hospitals, including the North York General Hospital, Hennick Humber Hospital and the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
Education
Prior to 1998, the North York Board of Education and Conseil des écoles françaises de la communauté urbaine de Toronto operated English and French public secular schools in North York, while the Metropolitan Separate School Board operated English and French public separate schools for North York pupils. Today, four public school boards operate primary and secondary institutions in the former city: Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (CSCM) Conseil scolaire Viamonde (CSV) Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) Toronto District School Board (TDSB)
CSV and TDSB operate as secular public school boards, the former operating French first language institution, whereas the latter operated English first language institutions. The other two school boards, CSCM and TCDSB, operate as public separate school boards, the former operating French first language separate schools, the latter operating English first language separate schools. All four public school boards are headquartered within North York.
In addition to primary and secondary schools, several post-secondary institutions were established in North York. York University is a university that was established in 1959. The university operates two campuses in North York, the Keele campus located in the north, and Glendon College, a bilingual campus operated by the university. There are also two colleges that operate campuses in North York. Seneca College was established in North York in 1967, and presently operates several campuses throughout North York, and Greater Toronto. One of Centennial College's campuses are also located in North York, known as the Downsview Park Aerospace Campus.
Governance North York is a district of the City of Toronto, and is represented by councillors elected to the Toronto City Council, members elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, as well as members elected to the Parliament of Canada. North York Civic Centre is presently used by North York's community council and other city departments servicing North York.
Prior to North York's amalgamation with Toronto in 1998, North York operated as a lower-tier municipality within the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. The municipality operated its own municipal council, the North York City Council, and met at the North York Civic Centre prior to the municipality's dissolution. The following is a list of reeves (1922–1966) and mayors (1967–1997) of North York.
Reeves and mayors
1922–1929 Robert Franklin Hicks – born in 1866, Hicks was a dairy farmer who organized with other farmers to petition the Ontario legislature to carve out what was then the portion of York Township north of Eglinton Avenue to create the separate township of North York. During his period as the first reeve, the North York Hydro Commission, a public health board, and a water supply system were created and improvements were made to Yonge Street and other local roads. Hicks died in 1942. 1929–1930 James Muirhead – farmer in Leslie and Lawrence Ave area. Born in 1859 and lived on the same farm all of his life up to 1929 except for four years. Was chairman of the committee responsible for breaking North York away from York Township and a founding members of the township council."Model T powered North York revolt" by Harold Hilliard, Toronto Star, 16 July 1985, p. 18."Quintette of solid men in council of North York", Toronto Daily Star, 23 January 1928, p. 20. 1931–1933 George B. Elliott – also served as warden of York county in 1933. As reeve, faced demands for improved unemployment relief as the Depression worsened."Industrial Feudalism Seen As Great Peril", Toronto Daily Star, 7 November 1933, p. 20. Appointed inspector of hospital accounts for indigent patients in York county in 1934. Announced he would run for the federal Conservatives in a York North in 1934 but withdrew his name from consideration.Earl Rowe Is Prospective Leader of Conservatives, Toronto Daily Star, 30 July 1934, p. 14