History

Don Valley Village is a culturally diverse community made up of houses and high rises built in the 1960s and 70s where a collection of 19th century farming hamlets once stood.

The name Don Mills came, of course, from the Don River and from the fact that several mills were established in the Don Valley in the 19th century. There was a woolen mill in the area of what is now Edward’s Gardens near a tributary of the west branch of the Don. Later, another woolen mill was located on the east branch of the Don where the Don Mills Ski Club was located. A saw mill operated in the Don Valley in what is now the Donalda Club area. Amazingly, the Don River flowed strongly enough in the last century and early part of this one to turn the water wheels operating the mills, and at one point during a great flood some of the mills were washed away.

Actual construction of the Don Mills Development started on May 8, 1953 for the first home on Jocelyn Cres. Rather than single family homes overlooking parkland, semi-detached houses were planned on sub-collector roads which joined The Donway. This enabled more residents to enjoy a view of the park or the ravine from their kitchen windows and compensated for their location on roads with higher traffic use. A system of walkways bordering the parks and schools encouraged pedestrian traffic off the main roads.

While building continued quadrant by quadrant, the four model homes on Jocelyn Cres. attracted buyers, and the first residents moved in during October 1953. Families soon flocked to Don Mills, often with dozens moving in the same week. Slightly more than half of the residential units built were apartments, dispelling the myth that Don Mills contained only single-family dwellings. The area within the ring road west of Don Mills Road and north of Lawrence Avenue contained the Brydencourt Apartments- 32 buildings with 11 apartments each, which were rented at $96.00 per month for a two bedroom apartment. Most of the apartments were completed by 1960, which accounts for the large influx of residents during the late 1950’s.

Don Mills opened to a great deal of fanfare, winning numerous architectural and design awards over the subsequent years. In 1997, the Ontario Heritage Foundation designated Don Mills as a heritage site that used integral and consistent planning principles, the only community so honoured.

Don Mills was planned as a model town that would humanize urban life in an age of industry and the automobile. Initiated and financed by businessman E.P. Taylor and designed by Macklin Hancock, a young urban planner, it was built between 1952 and 1965 on 835 hectares of land between the west and east Don River valleys. Hancock’s planning team envisioned a self – contained community distinguished by consistent design principles and modernist style. Industry, commerce and major roads were arranged to be accessible but insulated from residential areas. Green spaces preserved natural watercourses and provided pedestrian routes between different neighbourhoods. An immediate critical and commercial success, Don Mills has been imitated in suburban development across Canada.

Reproduced Courtesy of Don Mills Residents Inc, Toronto.com and Globe and Mail

WHAT'S NEARBY

YCC 90 is blessed with one of the most comprehensive neighborhoods including all desirable amenities in the Greater Toronto Area.
These include:

Transportation – Sheppard Line, Go Transit, 401 and 404 Highways

Healthcare – North York General Hospital, Canadian Naturopathic Teaching Clinic and Travel Clinic

Relaxation – Across the road from us is the East Don Parklands with its access to the Toronto walking and bicycling network.

Shopping – two major malls within 2 km, Bayview Village and Fairview mall, and the award-winning Shops at Don Mills 3 km away. Also in the neighborhoods are box stores such as Canadian Tire, Ikea and MEC.

Education – Two public school boards operate schools in Don Valley Village, the separate Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), and the secular Toronto District School Board (TDSB). Both TCDSB, and TDSB operate public elementary and middle school. Public institutions in the neighbourhood that offer primary education include:
Crestview Pubulic School (TDSB)
Dallington Public School (TDSB)
Don Valley Junior High School (TDSB)
Kingslake Public School (TDSB)
Lescon Public School (TDSB)
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School (TCDSB)
St. Matthias Catholic School (TCDSB)
St. Timothy Catholic School (TCDSB)
Woodbine Junior High School (TDSB)

TDSB operates one secondary school in the neighbourhood, Georges Vanier Secondary School. TCDSB does not operate a secondary school in the neighbourhood, with TCDSB secondary school students

residing in Don Valley Village attending institutions in adjacent neighbourhoods. The French first language public secular school board, Conseil scolaire Viamonde, and it separate counterpart, Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir also offer schooling to applicable residents of Don Valley Village, although they do not operate a school in the neighbourhood. CSCM and CSV students attend schools situated in other neighbourhoods in Toronto.
In addition to primary and secondary education, the neighbourhood is also home to Seneca College's Newham Campus. The college is a public post-secondary institution.