Humber Heights is located in the Humber River Valley, known for its rolling hills and lush green trees. A charming creek named Humber Creek meanders through the heart of this community serving as a tributary, to the Humber River. This quaint stream flows southeast from Sun Row Park near Islington Avenue until it meets the Humber River. Over at Royal York Road there’s a pedestrian bridge, by the shopping plaza that provides a vantage point to admire the creek and the beautiful ravine valley that surrounds it.
History Of Humber Heights, Toronto
Humber Heights, formerly part of the Village of Weston was once a hamlet situated by the Humber River. It thrived around establishments, like a grist mill, a saw mill and a distillery. Unfortunately in 1852 a severe spring rain caused the river to swell dramatically submerging most of the settlement. Today only St. Philips Church and Cemetery stand as remnants of that community.
Transitioning into a hub centred around Scarlett Road, Humber Heights later evolved into an area during World War I to accommodate workers from nearby munitions factories in Weston. The post war housing boom further spurred the development of this neighbourhood.
In 1921 the opening of Humber Heights Consolidated School marked a milestone for the community. Today this historic school still stands proudly at 2245 Lawrence Avenue West, under the management of the Toronto School Board as both a resource centre and an adult education facility.
Lifestyle
There’s a shopping area, in the neighbourhood at 1500 Royal York Road. It has a supermarket, a bike and ski shop, fashion stores, a dry cleaner, a drugstore, a bakery with deli items, a dollar store, a travel agency, a playground for kids, a billiard hall and even a bowling alley.
On Dixon Road you’ll find a group of shops that cater to the needs of the locals. Among them are stores selling meat and groceries as well as Somali clothing.
Humber Heights, Toronto Parks & Facilities
Residents of Humber Heights enjoy the convenience of being close to the Humber River Valley nature trail. The trail can be accessed from Raymore Drive leading into Raymore Park, where a plaque commemorates the thirty two residents of Raymore Drive who tragically fell victim to Hurricane Hazel in 1954. Riverlea Park, situated at 919 Scarlett Road is home to community clubs. Toronto’s only greenhouse allotment gardens operating from October to May. This private facility, managed by the city, rents out greenhouse spaces to commercial applicants on a first come first served basis.
The neighbourhood boasts parks and recreational facilities offering fun for all ages. These parks include playgrounds for children and sports amenities. With 8 parks in Humber Heights housing a total of 29 facilities there is an average of 3 facilities per park, for residents enjoyment.
Humber Heights, Toronto Transit
The buses at Royal York and Scarlett Road link up with stops along the Bloor Danforth subway line whereas the Eglinton and Lawrence Avenue buses connect to stations on the Yonge University Spadina subway line.
If you’re driving it takes around five minutes to reach the Highway 401 on ramp when heading north from Dixon Road via Islington Avenue.
Humber Heights has a total of 94 transit stops, including the Weston GO station. The neighbourhood mainly sees commuters using vehicles who typically travel within the city.
Humber Heights, Toronto Elementary, Secondary High Schools
This area boasts elementary and secondary schools, along with specialized programs at both levels. The neighbourhood is served by a total of 8 schools, 7 Catholic schools and 1 private school. Noteworthy special programs available at these schools include the International Baccalaureate and French Immersion options.
- Public Schools: 8
- Catholic Schools: 7
- Private Schools: 1
Public
- Valleyfield Junior School
- Hilltop Middle School
- H. J. Alexander Community School
- Westmount Junior School
- ÉÉ Félix-Leclerc
- ÉS Jeunes sans frontières
- Kipling Collegiate Institute
- Weston Collegiate Institute
Catholic
- ÉSC Saint-Frère-André
- ÉSC Monseigneur-de-Charbonnel
- All Saints Catholic School
- St. Demetrius Catholic School
- ÉÉC Saint-Noël-Chabanel-Toronto
- ÉÉC Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
- St. Eugene Catholic School
Private
- Institute of Canadian Education
Humber Heights, Toronto Homes
Humber Heights boasts a variety of homes, from mansions on Yorkleigh Avenue and Westmount Park to cozy bungalows and split level houses scattered throughout the neighbourhood.
In the area near Scarlett Road you’ll find charming Victorian cottages dating back to the early 1900s Edwardian style homes from the 1910s and 1920s Tudor designed residences from the 1930s and 1940s as well as story and a half houses from the 1950s. The Scarlettwood apartment and townhouse complex managed by Metro Toronto Housing sits at the top of the valley in this part of the neighbourhood.
On the side of Scarlett Road lie back split and side split level houses built in the 1960s along with a variety of newer larger homes constructed in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. This area is rich in charm with houses, like 11 Yorkleigh Avenue (circa 1850) 85/89 Yorkleigh Avenue (circa 1855) 5 Hill Garden Road (circa 1840) 15 La Rush Drive (circa1850) and581 Scarlett Road (circa1875).
The neighbourhood mainly consists of condominiums and apartments. In Humber Heights there is a community, with 31% of households relocating in the last five years and 8% moving within the past year. The neighbourhood consists mostly of residences. Has a blend of homeowners and renters.