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| Old Mill Bridge, built in 1916, spans the Humber River |
Bloor West Village is located between the Humber River to the west and High Park to the east in Toronto. South of it is the village of Swansea, although it is often referred to as part of Bloor West Village. The BWVhas a really rich sense of history and culture. For one thing, the banks of the Humber River were a favourite fishing and hunting spot for people of the First Nations Tribes long before the first European pioneers settled here in the 1790s. In 1793 the Kings Mill – the forerunner to today’s Old Mill – was built in order to process lumber for the first homes in Toronto, then known as the Town of York. A series of fires forced the Mill to be re-built three times. Today, the remains of the last grist mill, destroyed in the fires of 1881 have been incorporated into the walls of the newly constructed Old Mill Inn. The Old Mill restaurant and Tea Garden was opened in 1914 at the outbreak of World War I. The Old Mill attracted a clientele from all over the city and doubled as a sales office for Home Smith and Company, which developed this neighbourhood in the 1920s and 30s. In 1967 when the Bloor-Danforth subway line was completed, which due to the rise of suburban housing, it created the neighborhoods exist today.
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A typical residential street in Bloor West Village
Bloor West Village is a great place to live. It is also the first business improvement area (BIA) designated in Toronto. Among its attractions are the many has many cafes and delis and local businesses, such as Ling’s and Cecil Ward’s men’s clothing. More recently, major franchises, such as Pizza Pizza have moved in. Chapters Indigo, which occupies the old Runnymede Theatre, is considered the anchor store of the village. One of the major local attractions in the area is the Bloor West Ukrainian festival. It is the biggest Ukrainian festival in all of North America. It has attracted audiences well in excess of 500,000 from across Canada, the US and abroad. http://www.ukrainianfestival.com/about.htm
While Bloor West Village is a nice place to live there are also a few issues of concern to residents. One of the biggest issues is the increasing amount of condominium development in and around Bloor West Village. A website called “Save Our Village” is dedicated to preserving character of the neighborhood. http://saveourvillage.ca/Another big issue is the high cost of property taxes that are forcing small businesses to move out of the area. Ironically, residence who initially opposed to “Chapters” taking over the historic Runnymede theatre in 1999 are now lamenting that it will be moving out in 2014 to be replaced by a Shopper’s Drug Mart. Further concerns are over the future of the Humber Theatre which was shut down at one point in 2007. It was supposed to be turned into a condo building. However in 2010, the Humber Theater was reestablished and open for business – but for how long?
A top executive of Chapters book store has confirmed that the store located at the corner of Bloor Street West and Runnymede Road for many years will be shutting down in 2014. The store is considered to be an anchor business for the Bloor West Village business area. In 1999, Chapters redeveloped the old theatre, the “Runny” as it was affectionately called, into a bookstore while keeping the cinema’s atmospheric interior intact. It also preserved the heritage character of the building exterior. At the time, many residents were opposed to Chapters moving in. Now they’re even more concerned that Shopper’s Drug Mart, the new tenant, will make major changes to the character of the building. Other people are troubled that Bloor West Village will be loosing it’s only remaining bookstore.
Dana Bagan has lived in Bloor West Village since the early 1960s. She continues to live in the same house that she grew up in on Humber Trail. Over that time, Dana has seen many changes. ”I have seen Bloor West Village change from a mostly a Eastern European community. More and more young urban professionals have displaced the older generation. This change is reflected in the types of shops found on Bloor Street. Starbucks, the body shop, McDonalds and other corporate franchises have replaced many family owned stores.” Dana works as a pharmacist for a company that serves nursing homes. She is married and has two adult children in university. “Despite all the changes, I still love being a part of the community and enjoy living in the neighbourhood.”
The Bloor West Villager - a local newspaper
Another blog
Bloor West Village Business Improvement Area
A real estate site
Save Our Village
Bloor West Ukrainian Festival
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