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Toronto—Danforth is 448 km from Ottawa and Parliament Hill — a drive of just over four hours. The riding encompasses five stops along the Bloor-Danforth subway line which bears part of its name. The TTC Greenwood Yard, used to service subway cars along the Bloor-Danforth line, is also here.
This central Toronto riding sits on the shore of Lake Ontario. The Don River runs down the western edge of the riding until it empties into the lake. It is also home to the Toronto Port Lands, Cherry Beach Park and the ‘Leslie Street Spit’ – a 5 km long manmade peninsula that includes Tommy Thompson Park.
About 31% of the riding’s population are immigrants, with some of the largest populations born in China, Greece, and the United Kingdom.
Cantonese, Greek, and Mandarin are the most common non-official mother tongues in the riding.
Approximately 2% of the riding’s population identify as Aboriginal.
Average individual income is $54,560.
There are many parks and trails in the riding for residents to enjoy, as well as beaches on the shore of Lake Ontario. The Opera House, a former vaudeville theatre, now hosts many large concerts, and has featured artists from Nirvana to Eminem.
The Danforth Music Hall was originally a movie theatre but now features national and international artists.
De Grassi Street, which the Degrassi TV franchise takes its name from, is found here. The street itself is named for Filippo de Grassi, an Italian soldier who settled in the area in 1831. Many houses on the street date back to the late 1800s.
The Port Lands, found at the mouth of the Don River on Lake Ontario, has a cruise ship terminal and a cargo shipping facility. The Port Lands is also home to many film studios.
Industries that employ the most residents in the riding include professional, scientific and technical services, education, health care and social assistance, and retail.
The average individual income in this riding is $45,909 while the median income was $30,571.
Tommy Thompson Park, one of Toronto’s largest urban parks at over 500 hectares, also features what’s known as an Important Bird Area, which helps conserve global bird populations. The park was original intended as a site for Toronto’s Port Authority facilities but during its construction it became an “accidental wilderness.” Today the park is part of an attempt to create a wetland environment for aquatic animals, including fish and other wildlife species.
Danforth Avenue takes its name from Asa Danforth Jr., an American land speculator who was supposed to help find settlers to move to Upper Canada in the late 1700s. After many controversies, Danforth entered into an agreement with colonial administrator Peter Russell to build a road (including bridges as necessary) from York (now known as Toronto) to the Bay of Quinte. Danforth eventually finished the road in 1799 but ran into problems with inspections — and a stint in debtor’s prison — along the way. The road was later fixed and renamed Kingston Road, but the avenue that connected to that main thoroughfare retains his name to this day.
Toronto—Danforth is home to the First Nations School of Toronto, which serves students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 9.
