- Oakwood–Vaughan
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Oakwood-Vaughan — Neighbourhood — 
Location of Oakwood-Vaughan within Toronto
Coordinates: 43°41′33″N 79°26′27″W / 43.6925°N 79.44083°WCoordinates: 43°41′33″N 79°26′27″W / 43.6925°N 79.44083°W Country 
CanadaProvince 
OntarioCity 
TorontoCommunity Etobicoke-York Changed Municipality 1998 Toronto from York Government – MP Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul's) – MPP Eric Hoskins (St. Paul's) – Councillor Josh Colle (Ward 15 Eglinton–Lawrence) Oakwood-Vaughan, also known simply as Oakwood, is a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada bordered by Eglinton Avenue West to the north, Dufferin Street to the west, St. Clair Avenue West to the south, and Winnett Avenue and Arlington Avenue to the east.[1] It was in the former City of York before it amalgamated. The neighbourhood's northern half is nicknamed Five Points for the intersection of Oakwood Avenue, Vaughan Road, and Belvidere Avenue. The western half of Oakwood-Vaughan was called Northcliffe.
Contents
Character
Vaughan Road Academy
The main streets of the Oakwood Village neighbourhood are Oakwood Avenue, Vaughan Road, Rogers Road, Dufferin Street, and Eglinton Avenue West; these main streets generally demarcate political boundaries. The east boundary is less clear. Politically, Winona Drive separates Ward 15 from Ward 21, but many residents move between the two areas seamlessly because of the three public schools that straddle the wards: JR. Wilcox, Arlington Middle School, and Vaughan Road Academy. Also, there is Laughlin Park and Cedarvale Park in which both residents of Ward 15 and Ward 21 have a vested interest and use regularly.
A portion of Little Jamaica is located on the northern border of the neighbourhood, situated along Eglinton Avenue West.
- Former historical structures
Built in 1936, former Mount Zion Apostolic Church of Canada is one of the hundreds of apostolic churches in Toronto. It was relocated to North York.
- Political boundaries
Oakwood Village has changed political boundaries on several occasions. One of the most significant changes was the result of amalgamation in 1998.[2] Formerly part of the City of York, Oakwood Village became part of the City of Toronto, along with Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York—all cities in their own right before January 1, 1998.
Municipally, the area has a complex history and its boundaries have changed several times. Since the 1998 amalgamation, from Dufferin Street to Winona Drive and north of Rogers Road up to Eglinton Avenue (and beyond), it is a small part of Ward 15: Eglinton-Lawrence. However, because there is no main road as an eastern boundary, east of Oakwood Avenue and (once north of Vaughan Road, east of Winona Drive), the area's residents also extend into Ward 21: St. Paul's. One would also have to note that west of Oakwood Avenue and south of Rogers Road, it is part of Ward 17: Davenport. A visual representation of the wards is provided for reference.[3]
Provincially, the area's boundaries have also changed, as recently as in the 2007 provincial election where it was designated part of the St. Paul's riding. Until 2009, MPP Michael Bryant represented the residents. Bryant stepped down in early 2009, and Eric Hoskins won a by-election, becoming the new MPP. Residents living east of Oakwood Ave. are part of the St. Paul's provincial riding. The official website, however, has an outdated map from 2005, and so lists the area, incorrectly, as part of the Davenport riding. [4]
Federally, the area is also part of St. Paul's riding and is represented by MP Dr. Carolyn Bennett. [5]
Schools
Front of Fairbank Middle School- High Schools
- Oakwood Collegiate Institute, at the corner of Oakwood Avenue and St. Clair Avenue.
- Vaughan Road Academy, offering the IB Diploma Programme. It is located at Vaughan Road between Alameda Avenue and Winona Drive.
- Middle Schools
- Fairbank Middle School, at the intersection of Eglinton Avenue West and Dufferin Street.
- Arlington Middle School, offering the IB Middle Years Programme. It is on Arlington Avenue, inside Cedarvale Park. This is scheduled to become Leo Baeck Day School south campus in fall 2012.
- Roman Catholic elementary schools
- St. Thomas Aquinas, D'Arcy McGee, and St. Alphonsus.
- Public elementary schools
- Rawlinson Community School, on Glenholme Avenue.
- J.R. Wilcox Community School on Ava Road between Winona Drive and Atlas Avenue.
Institutions
Built in 1997, Oakwood Village public library is located on Oakwood Avenue and Holland Park Avenue. However, the Maria A. Shchuka public library, which was rebuilt in 2003, is also located on the neighbourhood's periphery at Eglinton Avenue and Northcliffe Boulevard. Both of these libraries are run by the Toronto Public Library.
Public transportation
The neighbourhood is west of the Eglinton West station, and has three 24-hour bus routes: Dufferin (29), Eglinton Avenue West (32), and Ossington (63). There are other buses that operate very frequently, including the Vaughan Road (90) that runs along Vaughan Road to St. Clair West station and the 512 St. Clair streetcar route that runs east-west along St. Clair, and the 161 bus route along the southern stretch of Oakwood Avenue and along Rogers Road. The bus routes and the 512 streetcar route are operated by the TTC.
The 31 km (19.3 mi) proposed Eglinton Crosstown LRT along Eglinton Avenue, will benefit the city, and the neighbourhood.
Demographics
According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the top 6 languages spoken at home are English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, and Tagalog (Filipino). Among ethnic origins, Italian is the highest, followed by Portuguese, English, Filipino, and Canadian.[6]
Oakwood Village is home for many artists and their families. It is also an area which houses two community-based facilities: Art Starts and The Oakwood Village Library and Arts Centre. Statistics Canada data indicates that 8% of the area’s residents are employed in art or recreation compared with the 5% average for the City of Toronto.
Issues
The intersection of Oakwood Avenue and Vaughan Road is considered a notorious area, given that it has among the highest concentration of after-hour bars in Toronto, as said by one resident, "This community is so underserved in terms of amenities we don't even have a community centre, but we're really over-served in terms of bars and alcohol."[7]
- Community Action
There are several organizations in the Oakwood Village area that are working to effect positive change and are trying to counteract the negative, often stereotypical, media coverage of the area. The Oakwood Village BIA, founded in 2009, is actively trying to beautify the area and attract vibrant businesses. [8]
Another organization active in Oakwood Village is the residents' association, 5 Points Community Action,[9] that was founded in 2005 and has grown tremendously as young families continue to move into this safe, conveniently located, and affordable neighbourhood. 5 Points Community Action takes its name from the "5 Point" intersection of Oakwood Ave., Vaughan Rd., and Belvidere Ave.
While there are several outstanding issues to be tackled, 5 Points Community Action has coordinated and completed several community projects to strengthen connections between neighbours, politicians, police, and community agencies.[10] A community garden, located at the corner of Belvidere and Oakwood Avenues, was completed with funding from Clean & Beautiful City. A plaque located on the site testifies to the commitment and determination of residents to reclaim and beautify their shared space.
Another project, a striking mosaic, is located on the south side of Belvidere Ave., on the community garden's retaining wall. This was completed in partnership with Art Starts.[11] The mosaic illustrates the motif of 'roots' and has “welcome” in many different languages, including Polish, Hebrew, Italian and Portuguese, among others.
5 Points Community Action's most recent project is an art installation that was completed in partnership with Clean & Beautiful City and the City of Toronto. The newly reconstructed Oakwood Village Transit Island, located directly at the corner of Oakwood and Vaughan, was completed in October 2010. Standing tall in this oasis is a 16' foot steel palm tree that represents the strong roots put down by the residents of Oakwood Village.[12] The palm tree, which can be found from Eritrea to California, is a symbol of unity—the coming together of the many diverse groups in the Oakwood Village community. However, the tree generated local controversy, as a political hopeful stated that it cost the city $350,000 to erect. The actual cost of the tree was $4200.[13]
Festivals
The neighbourhood also boasts to be host to Lauder Beer Festival on Amherst Avenue between Lauder to the west and Glenholme Avenue to the east. The festival takes place annually during the summer.
The Oakwood Village Arts Festival, to be held in June 2011, is a very exciting new development in the community. As a curated festival revolving around the theme of village, this event will feature theatre, dance, music, creative writing, art exhibits, interdisciplinary works and public discussions. [14]
There is also the Arlington Village Project, which is working to create more positive community building and connecting events in the area. Following their very successful first summer 2010, in which they organized 3 outdoor fairs "Arlington Village Artisan Market and FunFair" which saw huge numbers of residents flocking to Laughlin Park to play on the bouncy castle, listen to the live music, browse the artist and organic food market and just schmooze with each other, they are now in planning stages to again host these events on the last Sunday of June, July and August 2011 with lots more in the works. More info can be found on their Facebook page Arlington Village Connections.
Notable residents
- Roy Garrick, drummer of Messenjah
- J-Wyze, radio host on FLOW 93.5
- Kardinal Offishall, hip hop musician
- Watts, hip hop producer
References
- ^ "Oakwood-Vaughan neighbourhood profile". http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/cns_profiles/cns107.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
- ^ "The Toronto Amalgamation: Looking Back, Moving Ahead". http://www.toronto.ca/toronto_history/amalgamation/amal_speech.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ "City of Toronto: Ward Profiles". http://app.toronto.ca/wards/jsp/wards.jsp. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ "Davenport Riding". http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_detail.do?locale=en&ID=85&detailPage=members_detail_riding_map. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ "St. Paul's Federal Riding". http://carolynbennett.liberal.ca. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ "Social Profile #2 - Neighbourhoods - Language and Ethnicity" (PDF). http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/cns_profiles/2006/pdf2/cpa107.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
- ^ Kyonka, Nick (2008-06-04). "West-end residents fight bars, booze-cans". Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/436603. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
- ^ "Oakwood Village BIA". http://www.oakwoodvillage.ca/. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
- ^ "5 Points Community Action". http://www.5pointscommunity.ca/. Retrieved 2011-02-10.
- ^ Coorsh, Karolyn (2008-10-01). "All night booze cans mar area". Town Crier. http://www.towncrieronline.ca/main/main.php?direction=viewstory&storyid=7319&rootcatid=&rootsubcatid=. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
- ^ "Art Starts Belvidere Ave. Mosaic Wall, 2007". http://artstarts.net/web/?page_id=587. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ "Community supports aluminum palm tree, 2010". http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/09/10/15312901.html. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
- ^ McLean, Jesse (19 October 2010). "The Smell Test: The real cost of a steel palm tree". Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/news/elections/article/877893--the-smell-test-the-real-cost-of-a-steel-palm-tree. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
- ^ "It Takes a Village". http://oakwoodvillageartsfestival.com/IT_TAKES_A_VILLAGE__The_Oakwood_Village_Arts_Festival/Welcome.html. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
External links
- Oakwood-Vaughan neighbourhood profile at Toronto.ca
Briar Hill-Belgravia Fairbank 
Humewood-Cedarvale 
Oakwood-Vaughan 
Bracondale Hill Categories:- Black Canadian settlements
- Neighbourhoods in Toronto
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