History

In 1812, the 240 acres of land bounded from Lot Street (today’s Queen Street) on the north, Jameson on the west and Dufferin Avenue was granted to James Brock, the cousin of Sir Isaac Brock, in lieu of salary. Brock did not occupy or improve the land during his lifetime. After Brock’s death in 1830, his widow Lucy Brock sold the lands which became the major part of Parkdale to John Henry Dunn and William Gwynne.

The area north of Queen Street was subdivided from the O’Hara Estate, given to Walter O’Hara for military service. Another parcel of land north of Queen given to James Brock, east of the O’Hara estate, was developed along Brock Avenue, and became Brockton Village. Dr. William Charles Gwynne, one of Parkdale’s early settlers, built his family home (which he called “Elm Grove”) on this land in 1833.

In 1888, a building located at the south west corner of Queen Street West and Cowan Avenue was built to accommodate Parkdale’s first police and fire department. In 1931, the building that now stands at 1313 Queen Street West was built in its place. Today, it is home to the Parkdale Village BIA office, as well as numerous non-profit organizations and arts workers.

Colonel Walter O’Hara (1789 – 1874), one of Parkdale’s earliest settlers, who once owned this land, was born in Dublin, Ireland. A career soldier, he served in the Napoleonic Peninsular War, and arrived in Canada in 1826. He was Assistant Adjutant General of the Upper Canada Militia with the rank of Colonel from 1827-1846. Walter and his wife Marion accumulated over one hundred and twenty hectares of land in Parkdale between the years of 1831 and 1840. Their home, an imposing Georgian-style building named “The West Lodge”, stood at the head of the street of that name until it was demolished in the 1960s to build the May Robinson Apartments.

There are many streets in Parkdale named for O’Hara family members or places linked to them. The only two named by the Colonel himself date back to his 1856 subdivision of Park Lots 33 and 34: Roncesvalles and Sorauren Avenues. These names refer to the sites of battles in Spain in which he fought (in the years 1813 and 1815, respectively).

In 1812, 240 acres of land surrounding Lot Street (now known as Queen Street) between Jameson and Dufferin Avenues were granted to James Brock for his military service. Upon Brock’s death, his widow Lucy Brock commissioned a roadway along the centre-line of the length of the lot parcel. This road, built in 1850, is known today as Brock Avenue. The Development continued into the 1850s with the rail line built along the lake and a train station at the intersection of Springhurst and Jameson Avenues.

The addition of these new streets transformed Parkdale from a quiet rural settlement into a small incorporated village. By 1883, Parkdale’s population doubled in size and the corporate seal of the town of Parkdale was created in 1886, as seen above.
In 1852, writer W.H. Smith described Brock Street as “a cluster of houses, three of which are taverns”. Until the late 19th century, this street was the centre of Parkdale’s social and commercial activity and was the main north-south route.

Over the years this stretch of road has had many names: Niagara Road, Burlington Road, Lot Street, and Lake Shore Road. Its current designation, Queen Street, was first used in 1859. By 1878, Queen Street emerged as the main thoroughfare of Parkdale.