Swansea
Just south of Bloor Street and west of High Park, where the Humber River meets Lake Ontario, is the charming West Toronto neighbourhood of Swansea. Set amongst rolling hills and rich in history, this now mostly residential community, 200 years ago was the home of fur trader, Jean Baptiste Rousseau, Toronto’s earliest European settler. Soon afterwards John Simcoe, first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, arrived in the area to found Fort York, the city that would one day become Toronto. Initially, the area that is now Swansea, was set aside as undeveloped forest but by the later 19th century, industry sprang up around newly laid rail lines, and shortly after families would arrive en masse, as local factory owners built numerous cottages to house the growing workforce. In fact, resident industrialist, James Worthington, earned the community its moniker, by christening his steel mill, Swansea Works, after his hometown of Swansea, Wales.
The early half of the 20th century saw a further flourishing of the community as numerous upper-middle class houses were built, mostly in the detached and semi-detached styles, in the north Swansea neighbourhood of Windermere. This growth led to Swansea’s incorporation as a village in 1926 and with the extension of streetcar lines in the 1950’s, the neighbourhood would begin to see urban growth, with apartment buildings being constructed mostly along the area’s west side. By the close of the 20th century Swansea would finally amalgamate with the city of Toronto proper but despite this, much of the area still retains its peaceful cottage atmosphere.
The draw of modern Swansea is simple: Small town charm hidden amongst the bustle and glamour of Canada’s largest city. All the amenities of family living are readily available, with many schools, parks, daycares and community centers all conveniently close by, and yet the excitement of Bloor West Village, with its array of bakeries, delis, shops, restaurants, movie theatres and innumerable professional services await shoppers only mere moments away. Diners are treated to such delightful establishments as Amber European Restaurant, offering the best in Polish and Ukrainian cuisine, Villa Italian Restaurant serving the finest Italian food and Earth Bloor West, which provides a world class, locally grown, international menu. Though serene, Swansea is by no means secluded, situated in close proximity to the Gardiner Expressway and Lakeshore Boulevard with bus and subway routes within walking distance, Swansea residents have quick access to the greater Toronto area. Whether spending a lazy afternoon beneath the cherry blossom trees in High Park, catching a glimpse of Journey’s End, the house where famed Anne of Green Gables author Lucy Maud Montgomery spent her final years, or strolling along the Humber River Pedestrian Bridge, you will doubtlessly fall in love with Swansea, the little town in the heart of Toronto.