Thistletown

Thistletown is a culturally diverse neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It consists of the area surrounding the intersection of Albion Road and Islington Avenue. The borders of Thistletown are generally delineated by the Humber River: the West Branch to the south, slightly beyond the river to the east, and to the William Osler Health Centre - Etobicoke General Hospital just above the river in the north. The western border is Kipling Avenue, though the part of the neighbourhood west of Islington is sometimes considered a separate area named Beaumonde Heights.

Established as a postal village in 1847, it served the surrounding farms of Etobicoke Township. The area remained largely agricultural until after World War II, joining Metropolitan Toronto in 1953. By the 1970s, residential subdivisions replaced the farm lands of Thistletown. Today the area is fully urban.

This area has seen many changes and many ethnic groups arrive and flourish. Presently the corners of Albion and Islington in Thistletown has a large presence of East Indian stores and services. They are joined by a variety of Caribbean, Indian, Sri Lankan, and Pakistani stores. 43% of those living in this area, more specifically the CT-0250.05 are of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepali origin, with those of black origin making up 22%.^[1] One landmark is the Franklin Carmichael Art Group at 34 Riverdale Drive, is named for Group of Seven member Franklin Carmichael by an art foundation founded by his widow and Dr. Ann Curtin.

The village of Thistletown (originally called St Andrew's) was planned for John Grubb (1783-1850) in 1847 around the intersection of Albion Road and Islington Avenue. Grubb migrated from Scotland to Etobicoke in 1833.^[2] The property was part of John Grubb's farmlands. Grubb was a promoter of the Albion and the Weston plank toll road companies, an elected member of the Home District Council and a magistrate. Although originally known as St. Andrew's (likely to honour his Scottish roots after the Patron Saint of Scotland), Thistletown was renamed in honour of Dr. William Thistle, the local physician.^[3]

En 1933, Thistletown se convirtió en un pueblo policial y se eligieron dos concejales.

A finales de la década de 1950, el desarrollo urbanístico procedente de la creciente ciudad de Toronto llegó a Thistletown cuando se construyó una urbanización, Albion Gardens, en una granja local de patatas al norte y al este de Albion Road.

• Centro Regional de Niños y Adolescentes de Thistletown - comenzó como el Hospital para Niños Enfermos, Sucursal de Thistletown en 1927 ^{[ 4 ]}
• Plaza Albion West

Parques

• Parque Albion Gardens
• Parque Beaumonde Heights
• Parque Kipling Heights
• Parque Rowntree Mills - nombrado en honor a Joseph Rowntree, un colono del siglo XIX que estableció los "Molinos Greenholme" en el río Humber, incluyendo un molino harinero construido en 1848 en Etobicoke. ^{[ 5 ]}

Iglesias

• Iglesia Luterana Nuestro Salvador (1957)
• Iglesia Bautista de Thistletown
• Iglesia Presbiteriana Fellowship (fusión en 2012 de Albion Gardens y Pine Ridge)
• Iglesia católica romana de San Andrés

La escuela original del distrito fue la Escuela Pública de Thistletown, que abrió sus puertas en 1874. Era una escuela de una sola aula construida en el lado este de la Avenida Islington, justo al sur de la Carretera Albion, antes de trasladarse hacia el este a Village Green en 1901. Se construyó un nuevo edificio en 1947 y la escuela pasó a llamarse Escuela Intermedia de Thistletown antes de ser clausurada en 1985 por la Junta de Educación de Etobicoke . Actualmente, la escuela funciona como un centro comunitario de servicios múltiples. ^{[ 6 ]}

Actualmente, funcionan cinco escuelas primarias en el barrio:

• Escuela Primaria Braeburn
• Escuela Primaria Católica St Andrews ^{[ 7 ]}
• Escuela Primaria Católica St John Vianney ^{[ 8 ]}
• Escuela Secundaria Beaumonde Heights
• Escuela primaria católica de Saint-Noël-Chabanel

El Consejo Escolar del Distrito de Toronto es el único consejo escolar que gestiona una escuela secundaria en la zona, el Instituto Universitario Thistletown .