The History Of Moore Park In Toronto

By Author: Rob Parker
Total Articles: 312
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Moore Park is a name that is applied to both a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto and the park which the neighbourhood surrounds.

Moore Park Ravine encompasses 32 acres along Mud Creek, which is one of the tributaries of the Don River. The park has preserved an important watershed within the limits of the city, keeping several areas natural and includes the lower Don Trail, a meandering path along the bottom of the ravine enjoyed by walkers all year round.

The Moore Park neighbourhood is among Toronto's most affluent, a title that would sit well with the person who conceived of the area in the first place.
John Thomas Moore owned the 100 hectares surrounding the ravine, and in 1889 the industrialist began to develop the area as a community for wealthy Toronto citizens.

Moore himself was involved in several investment opportunities aside from the development of real estate. One of his most notorious efforts was the development of the Belt Line Railway, a railroad system that was conceived as a way of providing easy transportation from Toronto to its rapidly expanding suburbs. The show piece of the line was the station that was located at Moore Park. The rail line was a bit before its time, though, and Moore sank most of his fortune into its creation. When Toronto was hit by a depression after the rail line opened, the line went bankrupt and Moore did so as well.

This setback delayed the residential development of Moore Park for a couple of decades. By the end of the roaring twenties, however, the neighbourhood was entirely developed, with no more room for further building. It includes two of the original bridges built by the developer of the community, the steel bridge on St. Clair and the wooden bridge on Moore Avenue.

The area remains in high demand today due to its exclusivity and its isolation from the city at large. The community is surrounded on all sides by natural barriers which set it apart from the city itself.