Heritage Preservation in East York
If you’ve ever walked down Coxwell Avenue and wondered about the old brick buildings, or noticed the faded signs above the storefronts on the Danforth, or driven past the Don Valley and thought about what used to be there — then you already understand why heritage preservation matters. East York has one of the most fascinating histories of any neighbourhood in Toronto, and at MPCT we believe it’s our responsibility to make sure those stories don’t disappear.
East York has a truly unique place in Canadian history. Did you know that from 1924 to 1998, it was officially designated as Canada’s only borough? Before amalgamation, East York had its own municipal government, its own civic identity, and a strong sense of community pride that you can still feel today if you spend time talking to long-time residents. The borough was known as a working-class community, home to waves of immigrants from the UK, Greece, South Asia, and the Caribbean, each of whom left their mark on the neighbourhood’s character and culture.
The industrial heritage of the Don Valley is another piece of the story that often gets overlooked. The Don Valley Brick Works, which operated from 1889 to 1984, produced the distinctive red and yellow bricks that built much of old Toronto — you can see them in buildings all across the city. The factories and warehouses along the Don River provided employment for generations of East York families, and the floods of Hurricane Hazel in 1954 reshaped both the landscape and the community in ways that are still visible today.
The East York Oral History Project
Our flagship heritage initiative is the East York Oral History Project, which we launched in 2015. We’ve recorded over 150 interviews so far with long-time residents, and every single one of them has something remarkable to share. The stories range from memories of the old East York Civic Centre dances in the 1960s to accounts of the Danforth’s transformation from a quiet commercial strip to one of Toronto’s most vibrant food destinations. We’ve heard from factory workers, schoolteachers, shopkeepers, community organisers, and newcomers who chose East York as their first home in Canada.
All interviews are recorded with professional equipment and transcribed by our volunteer team. The archive is housed in partnership with the Toronto Public Library’s Digital Innovation Hub at the S. Walter Stewart branch, where it is available for research by appointment. We also share excerpts through our Heritage Voices Podcast, which is now in its third season and available wherever you listen to podcasts.
Heritage Walking Tours
From May through October, we offer monthly Heritage Walking Tours led by trained volunteer guides. Current routes include:
- “The Borough of East York: From Township to City” — Our most popular tour, covering the civic history of East York from its rural origins to amalgamation
- “Industrial Heritage of the Don Valley” — Exploring the factories, brickworks, and working-class communities along the Don River
- “Monarch Park: A Neighbourhood Story” — A walking tour of the streets around Monarch Park, focusing on the residential development of the area in the early 20th century
Tours are free for MPCT members, $5 suggested donation for non-members. Registration is required as space is limited to 25 participants per tour. Email heritage@monarchparktrust.ca to register.
Historic Photo Archive
We maintain a growing collection of over 800 historic photographs documenting East York’s development from the early 1900s to the present day. The collection includes images donated by community members, reproductions from the City of Toronto Archives, and photographs taken at MPCT events over the years. Selected images are displayed in our Heritage Gallery at 15 Monarch Park Avenue and are available for research by appointment.
If you have old photographs of East York that you’d be willing to share or donate, we would love to hear from you. Even photocopies or digital scans are valuable additions to the archive.
Get Involved
We are always looking for volunteers to help with our heritage programs. Whether you’re interested in conducting oral history interviews, leading walking tours, or helping to catalogue our photo archive, there’s a role for you. Training is provided for all volunteer positions.
We are also currently exploring funding opportunities to digitise our photo archive and make it accessible online. If you know of any applicable grants or have experience with digital archiving, please get in touch — we submitted an application to the Ontario Arts Council Heritage Fund in March 2023 but unfortunately were not successful, so we’re actively looking for alternative funding sources.
Contact James Whiteduck, Heritage Programs Coordinator, at heritage@monarchparktrust.ca for more information.
This page was written by Paul Fournier, heritage volunteer and MPCT board member. Last updated November 2023.