Summerhill is a neighbourhood in central

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada, located north of

Downtown Toronto Downtown Toronto is the main city centre of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located entirely within the district of Old Toronto, it is approximately 16.6 square kilometres in area, bounded by Bloor Street to the northeast and Dupont Street to the nor ...

History

It was named after Summer Hill house, built in 1842 by Canadian transportation magnate Charles Thompson. Much of the area was once part of the original Thompson estate but was subdivided for development during the following decades. During the 1880s, the North Toronto railway station was established on

Yonge Street Yonge Street ( ') is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Great Lakes#Geography, Upper Great Lakes. Ontario's first colonial administrator, ...

, and the neighbourhood of Summerhill quickly developed around it. The railway station was rebuilt in 1916 in honour of a visit by the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

(later King Edward VIII). The neighbourhood underwent very little growth after the railway station closed in 1931, but it was revitalized by the launch of the Summerhill subway station in 1954. The railway station from 1916 still exists, and it currently serves as a

LCBO The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO, ) is a Crown agency (Ontario), Crown agency that retails and distributes alcoholic beverages throughout the Provinces of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. It is accountable to the Legislative Asse ...

outlet. The station, along with the still-operational

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

bridge, is a landmark of the neighbourhood. As part of the provincial government's " MoveOntario 2020" program, plans were being considered to return the building to its original use as a train station, serving a planned

GO Transit GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven mil ...

Crosstown line.

Famous residents

Bob Rae Robert Keith Rae (born August 2, 1948) is a Canadian diplomat and former politician who is the current Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations since 2020. He previously served as the 21st premier of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, leader of the ...

, politician and Canada's UN Ambassador}

Chrystia Freeland Christina Alexandra Freeland (born August 2, 1968) is a Canadian politician and journalist who has served as the Member of Parliament (Canada), member of Parliament (MP) for University—Rosedale (federal electoral district), University—Rose ...

, Liberal Party politician

References

External links

* {{authority control Summerhill