A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Scarborough | |
|---|---|
Administrative district and former city | |
From top, left to right: Scarborough City Centre, Bluffers Park, panoramic view of western Scarborough at dawn | |
| Nickname(s): "Scarberia", "Scarlem" | |
| Motto: Home Above the Bluffs | |
 Interactive map of Scarborough | |
| Coordinates: 43°45′21″N 79°13′51″W / 43.75583°N 79.23083°W[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Municipality | Toronto |
| Incorporated |
|
| Changed region | 1954 (Metropolitan Toronto from York County} |
| Amalgamated into Toronto | January 1, 1998 |
| Government | |
| • Councillors | Ward councillors |
| • MPs | Federal reps |
| • MPPs | Provincial reps |
| Area | |
| • Total | 187.70 km2 (72.47 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 629,941 |
| • Density | 3,356.1/km2 (8,692/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| Postal code span | M1(B-X) |
| Area code(s) | 416, 647, and 437 |
.jpg)
Scarborough (/ˈskɑːrbʌroʊ/; 2021 Census 629,941) is a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is situated atop the Scarborough Bluffs in the eastern part of the city. Its borders are Victoria Park Avenue to the west, Steeles Avenue and the city of Markham to the north, Rouge River and the city of Pickering to the east, and Lake Ontario to the south. Scarborough was named after the English town of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, inspired by its cliffs.
Scarborough, which was settled by Europeans in the 1790s, has grown from a collection of small rural villages and farms to become fully urbanized with a diverse cultural community. Incorporated in 1850 as a township, The district became part of Metropolitan Toronto in 1953 and was reconstituted as a borough in 1967. The borough rapidly developed as a suburb of Toronto over the next decade and became a city in 1983. In 1998, the city and the rest of Metropolitan Toronto were amalgamated into the present city of Toronto. The Scarborough Civic Centre – the former city's last seat of government – is now used by the municipal government of Toronto.
Since the end of the Second World War, the district has been a popular destination for new immigrants in Canada. As a result, it is one of the most diverse and multicultural areas in the Greater Toronto Area, being home to various religious groups and places of worship. It includes a number of natural landmarks, including the Toronto Zoo, Rouge Park, and the Scarborough Bluffs. The northeast corner of the district is largely rural with some of Toronto's last remaining farms, earning Scarborough its reputation of being greener than any other part of Toronto.[4]
Etymology
The area is named after the English town of Scarborough, inspired by Elizabeth Simcoe, the wife of John Graves Simcoe, the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada.[5] The bluffs along the Lake Ontario shores reminded her of the limestone cliffs in Scarborough, England. On August 4, 1793, she wrote in her diary, "The shore is extremely bold, and has the appearance of chalk cliffs, but I believe they are only white sand. They appeared so well that we talked of building a summer residence there and calling it Scarborough."[6] Before that, the area was named Glasgow, after the Scottish city.[7]
The district has acquired several nicknames. A popular one is Scarberia, a portmanteau of Scarborough and Siberia, a reference to its seemingly distant eastern location from downtown Toronto and apparent lack of notable attractions.[8][9] The word originated sometime in the 1960s and has remained a source of contention ever since. In May 1988, Joyce Trimmer, who was campaigning to be mayor of the city of Scarborough, said, "The city of Scarborough needs strong leadership if it is to shed its 'Scarberia' image".[10] With the increased popularity of social media, ScarbTO has become a popular online signifier of the community. Scarborough has also acquired nicknames related to its diversity. Such nicknames typically use the prefix "Scar" and a suffix derived from the name of a region, nation, or ethnicity; for instance, "Scompton" or "Scarlem", alluding to Compton and Harlem respectively.[11]
History
The first known evidence of people in the district comes from an archaeological site in Fenwood Heights, which has been dated to 8000 BCE.[12] The site contains the remains of a camp of nomadic hunters and foragers, and there is no evidence of permanent settlers.[12]
In the 17th century, the area was inhabited by the Seneca at the village of Ganatsekwyagon.[13] They were later displaced by the Mississaugas, who were themselves displaced by the European settlers who began to arrive in the late 18th century. After the land was surveyed in 1793, it was opened to settlement by British subjects with the first issue of land patents in 1796, although squatters had already been present for a few years. The first settlers were David and Andrew Thomson. They were stonemasons who worked on the first parliament buildings for York. They each built mills. This activity led to the creation of a small village known as the Thomson Settlement.[14] The first post office opened in 1832, in Scarborough Village.[15]
During the early part of life in Upper Canada, local administration and justice was administered by the colonial government. From 1792 to 1841, magistrates were appointed by District Councils. There were four districts in the colony of which Scarborough was part of the Home District. Partly due to a political reorganization that was a result of the Durham Report, Scarborough gained elected representation on the Home District Council. Scarborough elected two councillors.[16]
In 1850, the district was incorporated as a township.[17] After incorporation, Scarborough government was led by a reeve, a deputy-reeve and three councillors, each elected annually.[18] Initially the council met in the village of Woburn but it was relocated to Birch Cliff in 1922, where most of the population was then located. During the Great Depression, the local government was on the verge of bankruptcy. The Ontario Municipal Board stepped in and appointed an oversight committee which prevented the collapse of local government.[16]
On April 15, 1953, the township was included within Metropolitan Toronto, a new upper level of municipal government with jurisdiction over regional services such as arterial roads and transit, police, and ambulance services. (Fire fighting services remained separate.) Scarborough retained its local council but gained representation on a new Metro Council. The new council had 24 members, 12 from the old city of Toronto and 12 from the suburban municipalities. The council was not directly elected but was made up of members of each of the local councils. Scarborough's contribution was its reeve who at the time was Oliver E. Crockford.[16]
In 1967, the district was incorporated as a borough. The reeve was replaced with a mayor. Albert Campbell, who had been reeve since 1957, became Scarborough's first mayor. The new borough's council consisted of the mayor and four members of the board of control (which functioned as an executive committee). There were also ten aldermen. The mayor and the controllers also sat on Metro Council. In 1973, the borough increased in size when the West Rouge area, formerly within the Township of Pickering, was transferred to it with the creation of the Regional Municipality of Durham. The borough's status was changed to city in 1983. The number of aldermen was increased to 14 and the term of office extended to three years from two.[16]
As the urban area continued to expand, much of rural Scarborough was converted to suburban housing developments in the last third of the 20th century. At the start of the 21st century, growth occurred along the Highway 401 corridor at the northern end of the Scarborough RT; highrise condominium projects have increased the residential density around Scarborough City Centre.[15]
In 1988, there was a reorganization. The board of control was abolished. Alderman was changed to councillor. Six additional metro council positions were created and these were elected separately for the first time. Scarborough's council consisted of a mayor, 14 local councillors and six Metro councillors.[16]
In 1998, the municipality of Scarborough was dissolved and the district amalgamated with East York, Etobicoke, North York, York, and the old city of Toronto into the current city of Toronto.
Geography
The district's borders, which correspond to the former city's borders, are: Victoria Park Avenue (facing the rest of Toronto) to the west, the Rouge River, the Little Rouge Creek and the Scarborough-Pickering Townline (facing Pickering) to the east, Steeles Avenue (facing Markham) to the north, and Lake Ontario to the south.[19]
Topographically, the district is dominated by two watersheds, Highland Creek and the Rouge River. Highland Creek lies almost entirely within Scarborough and occupies approximately 70% of its total area. It occupies the western half of Scarborough, while the Rouge River flows through the eastern portion. Both of these rivers flow into Lake Ontario.[20] Due to the location of the Lakeshore CN railway right-of-way, both river deltas are constricted to narrow channels where they flow into the lake.
Highland Creek is the most urbanized watershed in Toronto with about 85% of its land use devoted to urban uses.[21] Some sections of the river run through parks and remain in a fairly natural state, while other parts run through industrial or residential districts where the flow is often diverted or channelled. Sections of the creek are marked by deep ravines and valleys, which contain little or no urban development. The deep valley the creek cuts in its bottom sections remains primarily parkland, with little or no development taking place within the valley.
Conversely, the Rouge River valley has parts which are still in a natural, wooded state. The valley is home to a great variety of wildlife including deer, foxes, and the occasional coyote, while the river hosts salmon and catfish.[22] The Rouge River Valley forms a part of Rouge National Urban Park, a national urban park situated along the eastern portion of Scarborough, and its neighbouring municipalities.
Along the shore of Lake Ontario is the earthen escarpment formation known as the Scarborough Bluffs. The Bluffs are about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) long, and reach heights of more than 60 metres (200 ft) in places. They are part of a much larger formation known as the Iroquois Shoreline, most of which is located somewhat further inland. The Iroquois Shoreline marks the extent of a prehistoric lake, Glacial Lake Iroquois, whose level was quite a bit higher than present-day Lake Ontario's. It shrank in size at the close of the last ice age.[23]
Erosion has been a problem along the Scarborough Bluffs. Properties located near the brink have been abandoned, and houses condemned, as the brink wears back away from the lake. Since the 1980s, large areas of beach at the base of the Bluffs have been reinforced with limestone breakwaters and construction rubble infilling.[24]
Climate
The district's climate is moderate for Canada due to its southerly location within the country and its proximity to Lake Ontario. It has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa/Dfb), with warm, humid summers and generally cold winters. Mean temperature and precipitation tends to be slightly lower than the downtown core or south Etobicoke for instance, due in part to the weather station being farther from the moderating influence of the lake and also because of its more northeast location. Conditions vary based on proximity to the lake, with fog more common in the south and areas close to the lake noticeably cooler on hot summer days.[25]
Climate data is from Buttonville Municipal Airport located 16.27 km (10.11 mi) southeast.
| Climate data for Markham (Buttonville at Toronto Buttonville Airport) WMO ID: 71639; coordinates 43°51′44″N 79°22′12″W / 43.86222°N 79.37000°W; elevation: 198.1 m (650 ft); 1981–2010 normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 16.0 | 14.4 | 29.2 | 35.7 | 41.0 | 44.6 | 50.9 | 47.4 | 43.6 | 37.8 | 24.9 | 20.6 | 50.9 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.9 (58.8) |
14.9 (58.8) |
26.0 (78.8) |
31.7 (89.1) |
34.6 (94.3) |
36.6 (97.9) |
37.2 (99.0) |
37.8 (100.0) |
34.4 (93.9) |
31.0 (87.8) |
22.1 (71.8) |
18.0 (64.4) |
37.8 (100.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.5 (29.3) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
4.5 (40.1) |
12.1 (53.8) |
19.1 (66.4) |
24.6 (76.3) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.0 (78.8) |
21.5 (70.7) |
14.1 (57.4) |
7.2 (45.0) |
0.9 (33.6) |
12.9 (55.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −5.8 (21.6) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
6.7 (44.1) |
13.0 (55.4) |
18.6 (65.5) |
21.2 (70.2) |
20.2 (68.4) |
15.7 (60.3) |
8.9 (48.0) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
7.7 (45.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −10.1 (13.8) |
−10.2 (13.6) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
1.2 (34.2) |
6.8 (44.2) |
12.6 (54.7) |
15.2 (59.4) |
14.3 (57.7) |
9.9 (49.8) |
3.6 (38.5) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−6.8 (19.8) |
2.5 (36.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −35.2 (−31.4) |
−25.7 (−14.3) |
−25.6 (−14.1) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
1.9 (35.4) |
6.9 (44.4) |
4.2 (39.6) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
−15.0 (5.0) |
−26.0 (−14.8) |
−35.2 (−31.4) |
| Record low wind chill | −42.6 | −37.4 | −35.6 | −18.6 | −4.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | −4.2 | −8.8 | −23.9 | −36.6 | −42.6 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 62.1 (2.44) |
50.5 (1.99) |
53.2 (2.09) |
74.1 (2.92) |
79.6 (3.13) |
82.8 (3.26) |
79.0 (3.11) |
76.2 (3.00) |
81.8 (3.22) |
68.0 (2.68) |
80.0 (3.15) |
65.7 (2.59) |
852.9 (33.58) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 26.0 (1.02) |
22.9 (0.90) |
33.6 (1.32) |
66.7 (2.63) |
79.5 (3.13) |
82.8 (3.26) |
78.8 (3.10) |
76.2 (3.00) |
81.8 (3.22) |
66.7 (2.63) |
68.3 (2.69) |
34.2 (1.35) |
717.4 (28.24) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 38.9 (15.3) |
29.9 (11.8) |
19.3 (7.6) |
7.5 (3.0) |
0.1 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.6 (0.2) |
12.1 (4.8) |
34.2 (13.5) |
142.6 (56.1) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 16.7 | 12.9 | 12.0 | 12.3 | 12.0 | 11.8 | 11.2 | 9.9 | 10.8 | 13.2 | 14.5 | 15.3 | 152.7 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 5.8 | 3.8 | 6.7 | 10.8 | 12.0 | 11.8 | 11.2 | 9.9 | 10.8 | 13.0 | 11.3 | 6.6 | 113.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 13.4 | 10.8 | 7.0 | 2.9 | 0.13 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.48 | 4.7 | 10.8 | 50.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 1500 LST) | 69.6 | 64.0 | 57.8 | 52.9 | 52.3 | 53.9 | 53.4 | 55.9 | 59.2 | 62.4 | 68.9 | 71.1 | 60.1 |
| Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada[25] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the census districts within the former city had a population of 629,941[a] living in 218,928 of its 228,939 total private dwellings, a change of -0.3% from its 2016 population of 632,098. With a land area of 187.70 square kilometres (72.47 sq mi), it had a population density of 3,356.1 people/km2 (8,692 people/sq mi) in 2021.
The majority of the district's population is between 25 and 64 years old.[26] 52% fell into that "working age" during the last major survey, which also found 21% of Scarborough's population was 14 years old or younger, 15% were between 15 and 24, while senior citizens aged 65+ made up the remaining 12%.[26] Like the rest of Canada, the population is aging. It is projected that close to 30% of Scarborough residents will be senior citizens by 2041.[27] Scarborough has a large number of retirement communities,[28][29] which attracts more seniors to the area creating a situation where the two largest age demographics in Scarborough will be over 55 and under 25.[30]
Immigration
The vast majority of the district's population is composed of immigrants who have arrived in the last five decades, and their descendants. In 2016, 56.6% of residents were foreign-born.[31][32][33][34][35][36]
The immigrant population has created vibrant multicultural locales in various areas. One of the more notable among these is the heavy concentration of Chinese businesses and restaurants in the Agincourt neighbourhood.[citation needed] Many of Scarborough's main arteries, including segments of Kingston Road, Eglinton Avenue East and Lawrence Avenue East, feature Caribbean, Chinese, African, and Indian restaurants and shops, as well as businesses representing the other ethnic groups in the area. [citation needed]
Ethnicity
According to the 2021 census, 477,890 residents identified as members of visible minority groups in Scarborough census tracts, comprising 76.6 percent of the total population of the district.[37] As per the prior census conducted in 2016, the visible minority population numbered 457,775, comprising 73.5 percent of the total population of the district.[38]
The district has one of the largest concentration of Sri Lankan Tamils outside Sri Lanka.[2][39]