Where a neighbourhood begins and ends is often somewhat ambiguous. Moss Park, an area situated in Downtown East Toronto, is no exception. The official boundaries of Moss Park by the city of Toronto may diverge from historical boundaries and the perceptions of many residents, workers, and others familiar with the area. This article explores the definitions of the perimeters of Moss Park through an exploration of maps.
Creation- 1800s
In its inception, Moss Park was part of a 100-acre parkland with abundant moss growth, and was owned by William Allan, one of the wealthiest men in Toronto in the early 1800s. It stood on the west side of Sherbourne Street, between Queen Street East and Shuter Street. In 1830, Allan built a mansion on his estate, and named it Moss Park. With Allan’s death in 1853, ownership of the estate was passed onto his son, who later became the Mayor of Toronto. With mayoral powers, George subdivided the land, and it became one of the wealthiest areas in the city, as Victorian houses sprung up.
Today, the area that once held that mansion is now a city park and military armoury under the same name and is referred to as being a part of the ‘Garden District’. The park also includes a hockey arena, and community centre, which is set for major reconstruction. Currently, the rest of the park is closed due to construction of an Ontario Line subway station set to open in 2041.
Industrialisation- 1900s
With a clear change in the course of the future of the neighbourhood from its origins, by the 1960s, Moss Park was a heavily industrial area that was deemed for so-called ‘slum’ clearance. As part of ‘urban renewal’ efforts of the post-World War II era, large swaths of these residences were demolished to make way for the construction of three Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC)-owned apartment towers at Queen Street East and Parliament Street.
Since 2013, Building Roots has operated from a front parking lot of these apartment buildings.
Post - Development
The above map was created sometime between 1970 and 1990, and is titled as a “Map of Moss Park.” Created after the construction of the TCHC apartment complex, the map shows how this development helped to shape the boundaries of the area that people commonly think of when they define Moss Park. Today, many identify the area by the same or similar boundaries to these ones. Though, most would say that Moss Park now extends more northwards to Dundas Street and further east to Jarvis Street.
Currently - 2024
The area of the map defined as the ‘typical boundaries’ of Moss Park are what most people associate with being the perimeters of the area. These boundaries are established by the old park area established by William Allan, and the public housing buildings. It is within these boundaries that Building Roots operates, as well.
Within the southern area of the city-defined boundaries, you can find major condominium developments as well as the area of Corktown. With a significant demographic difference to those living within the commonly-thought boundaries, in the future, Moss Park Chronicles hopes to reach out to those living within the southern zone to see what are their perceptions of where Moss Park begins and ends.
Final Thoughts
The city's defined boundaries of the neighbourhood, being different from public perceptions, makes it difficult to concretely say where the neighbourhood starts and ends. Statistics Canada has acknowledged that because “the boundary of a downtown neighbourhood may depend on the perception of an individual relating to cultural, and historical considerations but may also consider physical and administrative boundaries present in the city such as major roads or municipal electoral boundaries,” there has long been a challenge with formally defining downtown neighbourhoods across the country.
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