The Elms

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The Elms
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      History:

      The Elms neighbourhood is named after the former Elms Golf Club, which occupied all of the land between Islington Avenue and Albion Road, north of Hadrian Drive. Another large golf course named Pine Point was located just south of the Elms course. The Pine Point clubhouse is still standing in Pine Point Park, where it now serves as the home of the Thistletown Lions Club.

      The Pine Point Golf Course was sold in the early 1950’s to the same developers who built the Rexdale neighbourhood. In fact, the area south of Hadrian Drive is still sometimes referred to as “Old Rexdale.” The Elms Golf course site was developed much later in the mid 1960’s.

      The Elms Ratepayers Association was formed in the 1970’s in opposition to the Wilson Avenue extension which would have cut a wide swath through the ravine valley in the centre of this neighbourhood. The residents association won this battle. Their most recent accomplishment was their successful lobbying for the Northern Elms Public Library which opened in the Rexdale Plaza in 1995.

      Overview:

      The Elms is a diverse community made up of people from a wide variety of economic and cultural backgrounds. The Elms neighbourhood is located next to the very scenic Humber River Valley corridor. As a result there are plenty of parks, mature trees and a varied topography. The peaceful tranquility of this area is intermittently broken by the roar of airplanes which fly above The Elms neighbourhood enroute to nearby Pearson International Airport.

      Lifestyle:

      Rexdale Plaza located off Islington Avenue at Rexdale Boulevard, features a large Asian Supermarket, lots of bargain and discount stores, sports and children’s wear, professional offices, a women’s health club and the Northern Elms Public Library.

      Islington Avenue and Albion Road both contain clusters of small shopping plazas that include a vast array of food shops and restaurants from a cross-section of cultures.

      Homes:

      The Elms neighbourhood contains a large assortment of houses built mostly during the 1950’s and 1960’s. These houses are generally well-kept and nicely landscaped. Many of these properties back onto ravine or parkland. The various house styles found in this neighbourhood include ranch, contemporary and raised bungalows, split-level homes, storey-and-a-half houses, detached, two-storey Georgian Revival homes and some newer custom built housing.

      The residential pocket east of Albion Road around Summerlea Park has some continuity in housing from the west side of Albion Road however this residential pocket also features low-rise rental apartment buildings and townhouses that are owned and operated by the Metro Toronto Housing Authority.

      Recreation:

      The Elms Community School, located at 45 Golfdown Road, has an indoor swimming pool and gymnasiums. During the school year this centre offers preschool, children, youth and adult programming. Some of these programs include dance classes, piano lessons, gymnastics, cartooning, ballet and drama classes. Programming is halted during the summer when the Elms summer camp program begins. Every year in June The Elms Community School hosts an annual “Fun Day” where neighbourhood residents come together to enjoy games, a garage sale, entertainment and a barbecue.

      The Berry Creek Valley that runs through the centre of this neighbourhood is a watershed of the Humber River Valley. Elms Park is located in the section of the Berry Creek Valley between Islington Avenue and Norfield Crescent. This park contains a paved walking trail and a children’s playground.

      The West Humber Parkland Trail can be accessed off Albion Road at the north end of this neighbourhood. This 5.5 kilometre paved trail follows the valley to the Humber Arboretum where a large variety of plants and wildlife can be discovered. Across the street from the West Humber Trail parking lot is Summerlea Park. This pretty park includes a baseball diamond, a children’s playground and tennis courts which are used as an artificial ice rink in the wintertime.

      Pine Point Park is a long linear park that forms the southern boundary of this neighbourhood. This multi-use recreational park includes the Pine Point Indoor Arena which is the home of the Etobicoke Hockey League, a figure skating club, and a ball hockey league. Next to the Arena is the Pine Point Banquet Hall which hosts a variety of social, cultural, and business events. Pine Point Park also includes four clay surface tennis courts, an outdoor pool, an outdoor hockey rink, a sports field, and a children’s playground. In addition this park is also the starting point for a 1.7 kilometre paved trail with bridges across the Humber River and nearby Berry Creek.

      The Humber Valley Golf Course located at Albion Road and Beattie Avenue is a par 70 course with a combination of links and valleyland holes.

      Transportation:

      Bus lines both on Islington Avenue and on Albion Road connect passengers to the Islington station on the Bloor-Danforth subway line.

      Motorists are less than five minutes from the Islington Avenue and the Weston Road on-ramps to Highway 401, which links drivers to Toronto’s network of commuter highways.

          The Elms Stats

          Walkability:

          Low

          Bikeability:

          Low

          Public Transit:

          Medium

          Affordability:

          Medium

          Greenspace:

          High

          Recreation:

          Medium

           

          Legend: Low, Medium, High

          Commute Times

          Time to Closest Shopping Mall:
          20 Minutes
          Time To TTC Station:
          20 Minutes
          Time to GO Bus or Train Station:
          20 Minutes
          Time To Hospital:
          15 Minutes
          Time to Toronto Pearson International Airport
          15 Minutes
          Time to Closest Highway:
          10 Minutes

          * All commuting times provided are approximate times only. Commute times may increase or decrease depending on where you live within the neighbourhood and the time of day i.e rush hour versus off hour commutes. Time estimates to public transit are based on walking distance or bus line connection whichever is quicker. All other commute times on the chart above are based on drive times.

          School Guide

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          Toronto School Resources

          Editor’s Note. BEFORE MOVING INTO, BUYING OR RENTING A HOME, PLEASE CONTACT THE SCHOOL YOU ARE CONSIDERING BY PHONE to ensure your home is within the designated boundaries and that your child is age appropriate. WE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MISINFORMATION REGARDING SCHOOL ENROLLMENT SO DO NOT ASSUME that your child can automatically attend a specific school or specialized program until you have official confirmation from that school. Please visit the school board web sites for more information.