Smithfield | |
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Neighbourhood | |
 View of Smithfield from Kipling Avenue | |
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| Coordinates:43°44′23″N79°34′49″W / 43.73972°N 79.58028°W /43.73972; -79.58028 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| City | Toronto |
| Established | 1870Postal village 'Etobicoke' |
| Changed municipality | 1998Toronto fromEtobicoke |
| Government | |
| • MP | Kirsty Duncan (Etobicoke North) |
| • MPP | Doug Ford (Etobicoke North) |
| • Councillor | Vincent Crisanti (Ward 1Etobicoke North) |
| Postal codes | M9V, M9W |
| Area code | 416, 647 and 437 |
Smithfield is a neighbourhood and former village inToronto,Ontario, Canada. Some new residents of Toronto and new immigrants to Canada are attracted to this neighbourhood, mainly because there is a large amount of affordablepublic housing. It is named after the former village of Smithfield located at the intersection of Albion Road and Martin Grove Road.[1] The neighbourhood is located north of the west branch of theHumber River and west ofKipling Avenue.
Smithfield was established as a postal village in 1870 to serve the then-agricultural district. It started becoming urbanized after World War II as part of the development of theRexdale district. Today, the area is fully urbanized. Originally part ofEtobicoke Township, which later became the City of Etobicoke, it has been part of Toronto since 1998.
Primarily residential, the west and north of the neighbourhood are small industrial areas. For social purposes, the city identifies the neighbourhood asMount Olive-Silverstone-Jamestown, named for three streets in the area. Mount Olive is the name given to the area north of Albion Road between Kipling and Martin Grove. Jamestown is the part of the community south of Albion between Kipling and Martin Grove. Silverstone covers the area west of Martin Grove and north of Finch. The northernmost section of the neighbourhood, above the hydro right of way, is known as South Steeles. The western projection of the area running along the south side of Finch is known as Woodbine Downs.
Smithfield is represented byWard 1 Etobicoke North along with thefederal andprovincial ridings of Etobicoke North and thepostal codes are M9V and M9W. It is patrolled by the 23 Division of theToronto Police Service.
Smithfield has experienced a large influx of citizens from Eastern Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. The large expanses of rowhouse developments dating to the 1930s located on Mount Olive Drive just off Kipling Ave has been home to the first newcomers especially from Somalia and the West Indies. North Albion Collegiate Institute, opened in 1962 and located on Kipling and Mount Olive, has for years held showcases for the Asian and South East Asian Communities, attracting audiences from far and wide. Directly across the street, the St. Andrews School and Father Henry Carr Secondary School reflect the Catholic tradition and culture that many resident Filipinos, andAssyrians share.
The Albion Centre (formerly known as "Shoppers World Albion") Is the main shopping mall in the area. Containing a variety of small boutiques and stores, the Albion Centre also contains such franchises as Pizza Pizza, Canadian Tire, and Shoppers Drug Mart. The Albion Cinemas have been operating since before 1970 and are still in operation. The cinemas, well known for their broadcasts of modern Bollywood/Indian/Asian films, have attracted many to this location.
Over the past few decades, multiple attempts have been made to crackdown on gang violence in Rexdale. In May 2006,Toronto Police apprehended 106 members of the "Jamestown Crips" in the largest gang sweep in Toronto's history. In total, there were over 1,000 charges laid in the anti-gang offensive calledProject XXX.[2] Sometimes known by the nicknameDoomstown because of its reputation as a poor neighbourhood ridden with gang violence, the neighbourhood was the setting of the 2006 Canadian television movieDoomstown.
On June 04, 2015, more than 700 police officers participated in the series of raids, part of a multi-year investigation dubbedProject Pharaoh, which targeted a faction of theMount Olive Crips known as"The Monstarz", who police alleged were involved in a series of deadly gunplay including 8 homicides & were known rivals to the nearby Jamestown Crips.[3]
Twopublicschool boards operateelementary schools andsecondary schools in the neighbourhood, theToronto District School Board (TDSB), and theToronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB). Two secondary schools are located in the neighbourhood,West Humber Collegiate Institute (operated by TDSB),Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School (operated by TCDSB). Father Henry Carr Secondary School was relocated to Smithfield in 2007, taking the space of the formerMarian Academy.[7]
Elementary schools in the neighbourhood include:
The North Campus ofHumber College, apost-secondary institution, is also in the neighbourhood. TheUniversity of Guelph'ssatellite campus, theUniversity of Guelph-Humber, is on the same campus as Humber College's North Campus.
One of the area's most high-profile roads isJohn Garland Boulevard. The street was named for Nipissing MP andMinister of National RevenueJohn Richard 'Jack' Garland and fought to create housing development like Thistletown. Garland died of a heart attack in 1964 and the street was named in his honour in 1965.[8]
Places adjacent to Smithfield, Toronto | |
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