A Queen Street Streetcar advertising the Scarboro Beach amusement Park in 1917. ( Photo Courtesy of the Toronto Archives ) .

Scarboro Beach Amusement Park

Once located in the Beaches between Luety and Mclean Ave. An amusement park built on the pattern of New York's Coney Island and Toronto's popular Hanlan's point. The park boasted numerous rides and dare-devil acts and attractions. Opening in 1907 featuring a roller coaster, a carpet slide a miniature steam railway and The Chutes which was a log flume ride and the Cascades an indoor "scenic" ride. Taking advantage of the frequent street car service to the area for the existing fair at Munro Park owned by the Toronto Railway Company, it became a popular get away for the residents of Toronto at that time. The park was later bought by the Toronto Railway Company itself in 1912. The TRC wanted to encourage off peak street car ridership. The TRC greatly expanding the park with more rides and illuminated it with thousands of lights at night. Toronto Railway Company built a large streetcar loop from present day Scarboro Beach Ave to McLean Avenue. Not only to service the park but to store streetcars for the east bound morning rush hour. A fire at the TRC's new street car barns at River and King street wiped out one third of the company's rolling stock and their repair facilities. The company never recovered and later went bankrupt and it's remaining assets were taken over by the city owned Civic Railway and amalgamated in to the TTC in 1921. The city was not interested in running a amusement park and the land was eventually sold to a housing developer

The developer eventually sold off some of the rides and bulldozed the rest. A portion of land was given back to the city between Hubbard Boulevard and the lake in lieu of development fees. This land included a new park as well as the building a handful of homes on the beach front for social housing. A large number of lovely four-plexes were built and became iconic of the beaches. These homes are sought after to rent and as income properties, increasing in price steadily over the years. So much so that the city has sold off most of their holdings of them making a huge profit. The last group of these being the ones on Hubbard Ave that sit directly on the beach.

An example of the Fourplex homes built on the old fair grounds. Many versions exist of this building design in the Toronto Beach with different fronts, entrance ways and verandas. Their design was popular in the beach area with a great many being found on or below Queen Street.

Entrance to the Cascades ride in the Scarboro Beach amusement park around 1919. (Photo Courtesy of the Toronto Archives )

A photo of the Scarboro Beach park in 1907. Park visitors watch people going down "The Chutes" log flume ride. ( Photo Courtesy of the Toronto Archives )

An example of some of the homes built on the old park grounds. The design is iconic of the Toronto Beaches area. They were built sort of the condos of their time. The city of Toronto resisted the building of large apartment blocks or tenements at the time believing such things were health hazards. The homes were seen as much more desirable both in design and to live in. The development also truly marked the end for the beach area being a place of cottages, summer homes and orchards with influx of full time residents to these homes.

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