Tucked away in the southwest corner of Toronto proper, south Etobicoke is the home to Furniture Bank and a wide range of other organizations, green spaces and vibrant area residents. Also referred to as New Toronto, the area was once a major hub of Toronto’s manufacturing industry and still maintains an authentic, hard working feel, complemented with exciting new housing developments and major improvements along the shore of Lake Ontario.
Since we moved our headquarters and primary showroom to the region in August of 2012, it’s been a pleasure getting to know the members of our community and sprouting roots for our organization in the process.
To shine a light back on some of our newly-minted neighbours, here are five fun fact you may not have known about south Etobicoke.
South Etobicoke has a brand new public green space as the second and final phase of the Mimico Waterfront Park opened in June of 2013. Offering residents and visitors direct access to the waterfront for the first time, the Park stretches 1.1 kilometres between Norris Crescent Parkette and Humber Bay Park West. Check out this article in the Torontoist for some shots of the Park.
Did you know that the Toronto Maple Leafs practice in south Etobicoke? It’s true! The MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence houses four rinks (three NHL rinks and one Olympics) and is the official practice facility for both the Leafs and their AHL affiliate the Toronto Marlies. For you reality TV fans, the third season of the popular CBC television program Battle of the Blades was shot at the facility. You can learn more about the Mastercard Centre here.
Pro hockey players aren’t the only people training in south Etobicoke. The Toronto Police College training facility on Birmingham Street opened in September 2009 and passes hundreds of individuals, from new recruits to senior officials, through its doors every year. The College also has partnerships with other leading learning institutions such as Guelph University and the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, as well as community safety partners at the Toronto Transit Commission, the Toronto Housing Authority, and the University of Toronto.
The New Toronto Historical Society is a community organization with a mandate “to preserve and promote the history of the Town of New Toronto”. Staffed by volunteers from in and around the south Etobicoke region, the Society hosts meetings throughout the year with topics focused on the rich history of the area. Their next event, slated for October 5, 2013, is a historical walk and celebratory tea in honour of New Toronto’s 100th anniversary.
The local Member of Parliament for the Etobicoke-Lakeshore riding (where our facility is located) is Bernard Trottier of the Canadian Conservative Party. Bernard has been in office since late Spring 2011 when he succeeded former Liberal Party of Canada leader Michael Ignatieff and is an Etobicoke resident himself, residing in the area with his wife and two children. Check out some images of a recent visit Bernard paid to our showroom from his official website here (website no longer exists).
What do you love about south Etobicoke, or about your neighborhood? We would love to hear from you about the people and places that make where you live and work a community.
By Cam Gordon
Cam is a Toronto-based PR professional and freelance writer. He volunteers his time to write for Furniture Bank.
