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A BRIEF HISTORY OF MARKLAND WOOD The
following history has been posted on the Markland Wood website as a work in
process that will never be complete. Little
is known about the first human occupants in the Etobicoke area, following the
retreat of the last ice sheet between 11,000 and 12,000 years ago. Even though
the most recent First Nation occupants, the Mississaugas, left only 150 years
ago, written records are
unfortunately sparse. What
is known is that the Mississaugas had a traditional homeland at the head of
Lake Huron midway between Sault Sainte Marie and Sudbury. They were one of
five Ojibwa groups, members of the Algonquian language family, who in the 17th
and 18th centuries started to migrate southwards and westwards. They
eventually controlled the entire stretch of land roughly between Niagara to
Trenton and from the north shore of Lake Ontario to the edge of the Canadian
Shield. They brought with them their seasonally mobile life of fishing,
hunting and gathering. Given
this timing, it was the Mississaugas who interacted most extensively with the
early settlers of the 19th century. One of the most familiar legacies of this
interaction is the naming of present day locations by the European settlers
using the language of the Mississaugas, eg: -
Etobicoke (Wah-do-be-kaung) means "the place where the alders grow" -
Mimico means "resting place of wild pigeons" The
Mississaugas preferred name for themselves, in Ojibwa, is "Anishinabe",
or "human beings". The
Mississauga Nation signed its first treaty with the Europeans, the
"Toronto Purchase" in 1787. Settlers started arriving about the same
time as the Township of Etobicoke was created (1800). The first census of 1805
showed a population of only 84 settlers. Although
the population was small, the European concept of land ownership quickly
blanketed the entire area. One of the first acts of the Crown (the government)
was the drawing of township lines, concession lines and lot lines. The land
survey imposed a grid of 200 acre farms with road allowances 66 feet wide. Most
of the early European arrivals were United Empire Loyalists, supporters of the
British constitutional monarchy as opposed to those who had favoured American
independence. Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe hoped to re-establish
British dominance in North America by gaining back a power base centred on the
Great Lakes, while also providing for those Loyalists who were genuine war
refugees. Many
had been tortured by their former compatriots in the United States and driven
out of the country. The first generation of Loyalists was treated well by the
government, which bore the entire cost of surveying and granting the lands. III.
THE FIRST SILVERTHORNS ARRIVE IN ETOBICOKE One
person who had suffered for his loyalty to the Crown was Thomas Silverthorn
(1715 - 1788) of New Jersey, who had been heavily fined, imprisoned and put in
irons. In 1786, Thomas and his wife, Johanna Newman and some of their children
set out for Upper Canada (then called the British colony of Quebec.) They
settled initially in Lundy's Lane on the shore of Lake Ontario near Niagara
Falls. Back
then, the journey took six weeks at a rate of about seven miles a day. Niagara
was a logical destination since it was a major centre and later became the
capital of Upper Canada. In 1802, Thomas' land grants of 600 acres in Niagara
came through, four years after his death. Joanna received her late husband's
land posthumously. One
of Thomas' sons, John, received 200 acres, also in Niagara. John's own son,
Joseph, at the age of 20 years also received a land grant. But Joseph's grant
of 1806 was of greatest significance to Marklanders, because it was not in
Niagara. It was in Toronto Township (now the Region of Peel). The location was
Lot 11, North, on Dundas Street. This
appears to be the event that began pulling 45 year old John Silverthorn to the
area that would become Markland Wood. Within 10 months of his son Joseph
receiving his land, John made his first trip to the Etobicoke area. This was
on April 18, 1807. John
was accompanying Joseph, who had married Jane Chisholm (age 16) and their
black maid, Dinah Green. The major luggage was Jane's trousseau trunk (they
had been married only one month) and two cows. Imagine,
if you will, the situation. The entire population of Etobicoke as of 1805 was
determined to be 40. In 1813, the population of York, now Toronto, was 800.
They were leaving Niagara for a strange place across a large cold body of
water. The following extract from "The Silverthorns - Ten Generations in
America" by Kathleen A. Hicks, gives some indication of the perils of
travel in 1807: "The
day was cold and blustery with a tremendous wind whipping at the sails as the
ship headed out onto Lake Ontario. The captain set his destination for the
Etobicoke Creek, but the easterly wind threw him off course and two and a half
hours later they ended up outside little York (New Toronto). It must have been
a frightening experience for the Silverthorn party. The port had a dangerous
accumulation of ice that damaged the boat as it edged in to the dock. "They
spent the night in a tavern owned by Dr. Thomas Stoyles. The
next day they transferred their supplies into a smaller vessel and resumed
their journey. Again, a storm came up,
forcing them to moor the boat at the mouth of the Humber River. "They
went ashore to find shelter in the government shipyards (built around 1793).
The following day greeted them with better weather, and they headed out again
to reach Etobicoke Creek without further delay. "The
group disembarked at the Dundas Road crossing. Joseph and Jane, with Dinah,
headed west towards Lot 11. John bade them goodbye and set out east in order
to look over some property on the Etobicoke banks for himself. He met settlers
along the roadside, made inquiries about the area. Satisfied, he borrowed a
horse and made the 70 mile trip back home to Niagara." From
this extract, it appears John himself was being drawn to the Etobicoke area.
For one thing, it probably felt safer from American invasion than Niagara.
John later made a number of return trips and on January 28, 1808 purchased lot
6, South Dundas Street. In 1809, he purchased Lot 4, South Dundas Street. John's
next purchase is of greatest interest to Marklanders. He purchased Lot G, west
half and Lot H, totalling some 400 acres of rich soil on the north side of
Dundas, east of Etobicoke Creek - the future Markland Wood community. The
land cost 200 pounds and his lots plus his property in Niagara. In
the spring of 1810, John Silverthorn and his wife Esther, John's mother
Johanna and nine children moved to their new home, which would soon become
known as the Mill Farm. They
built a 16x22 foot cabin with two rooms: a kitchen-living area and an
adjoining bedroom with a loft for the boys to sleep in. Some of the pines
felled in the clearing of the land measured 200 feet in height. In
1811, John and his son Aaron began construction of a saw and grist mill on the
banks of the Etobicoke Creek just north of Dundas. They used stones gathered
while clearing the land. The
mill operated day and night all year round. It was large enough to cut 10,000
feet of lumber a day. The grist mill could handle 200 barrels of wheat daily.
The Silverthorn family saw to the building of Mill Road to facilitate
shipments to and from Dundas Street and Burnhamthorpe Road. Naturally,
a milldam had to be built and a pond created to get the water to back up to a
good height and create the fall needed to turn the water wheel. Soon after
this happened, people upstream in Brampton noticed the salmon and suckers were
having difficulty reaching the headwaters to spawn. But
there were trees to be converted to lumber and roads to be built; mills were a
necessity for both. John's grandson, Francis, was also in the lumber mill
business. In the 1840's, his saw mill and grist mill were by the Credit River
at Meadowvale. For the construction of a plank road from Meadowvale to Port
Credit, he supplied clear pine, eighteen feet long and three inches thick at
four dollars and fifty cents per thousand. Naturally,
a small community began to grow, based on the location of the mill and its
proximity to Dundas Street. In early days, the area was known as the district
of Silverthorn. Later it became the Village of Summerville. By 1881 the
population had reached 250; today there is no sign in that area that
Summerville ever existed. In
1846, John Silverthorn passed on, leaving the Mill Farm to Aaron. In addition
to working at his father's side at the mill, Aaron had an active military
career. When the war of 1812 broke out, he was 22 years old and fought in the
battles at Queenston Heights and Lundy’s Lane. He remained a military man
until 1823, when he became classed as a farmer. He had considerable talents,
becoming a Justice of the Peace by 1850 and accumulating a lot of property
over the years. However,
the grist mill was a different story. The price of wheat plummeted suddenly in
1856 when the Crimean War ended abruptly and the demand for wheat fell. He had
to shut the mill down after more than 50 years of operation and turn to full
time farming. In 1870, the mill building was levelled and the stones used to
build barns. V.
NEWMAN SILVERTHORN – ADVENTURER,
INVENTOR, NATURE LOVER Aaron
Silverthorn had three children who survived to adulthood. The youngest
was Newman, born March 22, 1829. At
age 20 he began his travels throughout the United States, working as a
millwright in Tennessee, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin. As a result of
patenting three inventions (copper toed shoes, a stove, and a pig scraping
machine) he became a wealthy man. Money was sent home to his mother with
instructions to buy farmland near the Mill Farm. News
of his prosperity spread back to Canada. Father Aaron was often petitioned by
men claiming to be his son and looking for the money he had been sending back
home. One in particular, who had really fooled the family, stayed around the
farm for two years. Aaron eventually became suspicious of all strangers. So
it was no wonder when the real Newman arrived home after 20 years, in 1869,
that his first conversation with father Aaron was a difficult one. Newman
started up his father’s lane with his wife and two children and found his 79
year old father up on the roof repairing the shingles. According to the family
history, the conversation went something like this; Newman:
“Father, I’m home!” Aaron:
“You’re not my son. Go away!” Newman:
“You don’t seem to remember me.” Aaron:
“You may or may not be my son, but you sure have caused me a lot of
trouble.” Newman
persisted, answering questions as his father demanded information that would
prove Newman’s claim. Eventually Aaron came down from the roof for an
ecstatic reunion. After
his return to Canada, Newman bought land on the south side of Dundas. His
third child, Charles, was born in 1872. Later that same year, Aaron passed on
at age 82, leaving the Mill Farm to Newman. This brought Newman’s land
holdings to 1,000 acres. (Think of it as two and a half Markland Woods in
size.) Newman’s
love of the farms and woods was well known. His grandson Gideon remembered: “That
forest was never touched. My grandfather was very particular about touching
any forest or the animals. In fact, the only thing I ever saw him do was take
a bunch of pigs up to the bush. When we started out, I said to him,
‘Aren’t you going to take some food for them?’ He said ‘Oh no,
there’s lots of it there – good big beechnuts.’ He claimed the beechnuts
put a nice flavour in the pork.” Such
was Newman’s love of the farm estates that he wanted to pass them along to
his heirs in perpetuity. His death in 1918 triggered a will that lawyers have
called a classic for its time. VI.
THE NEWMAN SILVERTHORN WILL The
following is an extract from The Silverthorns – Ten Generations in
America: “The
terms of Newman’s will were so complex that even today (1996) it hasn’t
been settled. He didn’t want his land divided and sold. He wanted to keep
it, intact, for future Silverthorns. Land and possessions traditionally went
to the eldest son. But Newman’s will was made to prevent disposing of the
property and squandering the proceeds of the sale. “His
estate was listed at $750,492 in personal property and $72,275 in real
property. By means of intricate legalities, Gideon, his grandson, became the
lifetime tenant of the estate, but he was unable to sell or mortgage it
without the troublesome task of consulting every member of the family. Newman
had figured that this way the family land holdings would be preserved for
future generations. “Some
of his grandchildren would inherit the farms in a predetermined succession,
gaining a “life interest”. Upon their deaths, the properties would pass on
to the next generation under similar conditions. His will reached ahead three
generations and included children not yet born. “His
desire to keep his farms intact is reflected in a statement from his will:
“…with the right to cut down all dead standing trees thereon and to
convert the same and all fallen timber thereon to his own use, but he shall
not fell or destroy any live timber thereon except where it may be necessary
to open any road or roads on or through the same.” “But
Newman could not foresee the fantastic growth the city of Toronto was to
experience after World War II. The farms and woods he was so proud of could no
longer be worked profitably because of the high taxes. His son Gideon had the
difficult task of working through the courts and heirs to convert the farms
into cash investments. It took him 15 years to finally sell off all of the
land, which was used for industrial parks, residential development, and the
Markland Wood golf course. “At
this writing, the Newman Silverthorn estate is still being administered
through the courts, with the family now enjoying the “life interest”. The
principal is intact and is being held in trust until it is finally dispersed
in another generation. “Newman,
who passed away over 75 years ago, left a legacy that affected many lives and
still does to this day.” VII.
CHARLES SILVERTHORN – A LIFE CUT SHORT A
sign of the changing times was the arrival of ‘the radials’ – a system
of interurban electric railways that began running in the late 1800’s before
cars were widespread. These lines connected outlying communities such as
Woodbridge, Weston and Brampton to Toronto. Despite
the growing use of cars in the early 20th century, the radials
continued to expand for a time. On April 14, 1917 one of the most spectacular
interurban lines opened – the Toronto-Guelph interurban. The following
describes the leg of the journey that Marklanders should recognize: “Leaving
Dundas Street at the top of the hill on the east side of the Humber River, the
line cut through Lambton Park on its own private right-of-way, sped across the
Humber on a 25 metre high bridge, paralleled the CPR line to Montgomery Road,
crossed Mimico Creek on a wooden trestle, passed underneath the CPR tracks,
crossed Cordova Avenue and Dundas Street, then hugged the north side of Dundas
from Kipling Avenue to Etobicoke Creek. “Here
we leave Dundas for a few minutes, sweep north and west in a great arc along
the east bank of the Etobicoke Creek, cross the creek, head back to Dundas
Street, and hug its south side as we head towards Cooksville.” Part
of that line remains visible to this day. Golfers at the Markland Wood Country
Club standing on the 12th tee cannot help but notice a large
concrete abutment near Etobicoke Creek. It is the remains of the radial
bridge. On
Saturday, August 25, the 45 year old Reeve of the Township of Etobicoke,
Charles Silverthorn, youngest son of Newman Silverthorn, went out in his car
to make arrangements for the threshing of wheat. He
visited Rufus Garbutt, who lived a mile east on Dundas Street, to talk about
the task. When he started back home in his used Ford, the trees that lined the
Garbutt’s lane and the rise of the ground at the radial car track blocked a
driver’s view. Charles didn’t hear the warning whistle of an approaching
radial car. He
pushed down on the gas pedal for a burst of speed to take him over the rise
leading to the radial line crossing. On a special run from Toronto, the radial
car collided with Charles’ car at full speed, hitting his car broadside and
killing him instantly. As
cars became more prevalent, so did the number of accidents. The radial line
killed 70 people before it was shut down in 1931. As a popular Reeve of the
Township, Charles Silverthorn’s funeral was an impressive sight. In the year
1917, a funeral procession of 150 cars must have been a memorable sight
indeed. Charles
oldest son, Gideon, was only 21 years of age when he had the responsibility of
the farm suddenly thrust upon him. There were 1,000 acres of farmland to
manage. Much was divided up into individual parcels that were rented out. As
the city grew ever closer, the inevitable problems of nearby farms became
acute; higher land values meant higher property taxes. Year-by-year the rental
income of the farm properties looked smaller and smaller compared to the tax
bills. After
the war, Gideon had a difficult decision to make. He had to approach all his
brothers and sisters and their heirs to ask for their signatures in order to
start to sell the property. “It
was a slow evolution,” he recalled. “It had to come. You couldn’t hold
it back. But it was contrary to what Newman Silverthorn had wanted. He was
very conscious of the land and the trees. It took a lot of time to finally
sell the property.” In
1953, Gideon saw gigantic machines move in to widen Brown’s Line into an
eight lane thoroughfare. The government had taken over 30 acres of his
property to improve the Highway 27 and Dundas intersection. An
innovation – the cloverleaf interchange – was being built at the
intersection. Etobicoke
was the first municipality in the Toronto area to establish a master plan that
outlined industrial and residential areas. Building permits for 1953 were
worth $50 million compared to $1 million in 1945. Even
the weather itself seemed to be contributing to the difficult times. On
October 16, 1954, the iron bridge on Mill Road where it crossed Etobicoke
Creek on its way to Dundas was washed out by Hurricane Hazel. It was never
rebuilt. One way or another, the property was becoming fragmented. The bridge
over the creek ran close to the current number 12 tee at the Markland Wood
Country Club. After
being in the family for 148 years, the Mill Farm was sold to Mark Cavotti and
Associates in July of 1958. The 400 acres, from Dundas Street to Burnhamthorpe
Road that ran along the edge of the Etobicoke Creek, sold for $3,000,000 (or
slightly more than $7,000 per acre). The
family explained Newman’s feelings about his 100 acre hardwood forest, and
Mr. Cavotti promised to preserve the trees wherever possible. “I
love trees,” he said at the time of the major purchase. “I’ll make sure
that we spare every tree we can and see that every house lot has a few on
it.” By
September of 1958, news of the sale of the Silverthorn farm was attracting
interest in the media. An editorial in the Etobicoke Press of September 25,
1958 reads in part: “The
old Silverthorn family farm, along the east bank of Etobicoke Creek from near
Dundas to Burnhamthorpe has been sold for development. “News
of this was probably of special interest to Etobicoke residents last week
because the Etobicoke river valley on the west border of the township, is like
the Humber River on the east, among the most picturesque and interesting
features of our area. “It
was heartening to read the developer’s statement that he has an affection
for trees and will try to preserve as many as possible. He’ll actually write
into deeds of building lots a covenant requiring purchasers to preserve trees
on the land. “This
is smart business on his part and good citizenship as well. One of the
repelling aspects of many new subdivisions has been their bareness and lack of
even a few small trees. Lots located in a pleasantly treed area must surely
bring premium prices. “A
golf course is to be built on part of the Silverthorn property according to
the purchaser’s present plans. This is also good news, since we need to
promote and encourage preservation of open, greenbelt land by any feasible
means. “While
development of the Silverthorn property is under way, it would be a good idea
for the Township or the Metro Conservation Authority to consider some sort of
historical marker on the property. “The
Silverthorns have throughout Etobicoke’s long municipal history been
admirable citizens and public spirited landowners. They have made a very
considerable contribution to the township’s growth. This should be
recognized by some sort of cairn and plaque at least.” The
following is an account of a conversation with Mark Cavotti and two of his
associates; “I
wanted to purchase a piece of land close to Metropolitan Toronto which could
be developed into a modern residential community,” said Mr. Cavotti, a real
estate developer. “The problem was to find land, which was suitable. My
associates and I examined many locations before we heard that the Silverthorn
farm was for sale. As soon as I saw it I knew that I wanted it. “Here
was a property, which was ideally situated close to the main arteries leading
into the heart of Toronto. What really impressed me about the farm were the
abundance of trees and brooks or rivers. When my associates saw the farm they
were almost as impressed as I was. We finally decided to buy the farm. My
associates, at first, jokingly referred to the land as ‘Mark’s land’ and
then, after the purchase was completed, they did me the honour of calling the
area “Markland Wood.” “Each
of my associates”, continued Mark Cavotti, “was qualified to contribute
his talents and experience to the development of Markland Wood. Mr. Eric
Hanson looked after the planning operations and Mr. Reg. Powell took care of
the engineering details.” “Markland
Wood,” said Eric Hanson, “presented the type of challenge which every
planner dreams of. Here was a parcel of land, bounded on three sides by
natural boundaries: on the south and west by the Etobicoke River and on the
east by the Renforth Creek. “In
preparing the plans for Markland Wood”, said Reg. Powell, “we felt that we
should retain, as far as possible, the topography of the land.” “After
the initial plans were prepared”, said Mark Cavotti, we found that the land
adjoining the Etobicoke River and part of the Renforth Creek was below the
flood level as established by Hurricane Hazel. We could not build on these low
levels. We did feel however that the land could be used on which to build a
golf course. We turned this project over to Eric Hanson and he designed an 18
hole championship golf course which promised to be one of the finest in
Ontario. “No
subdivision is complete without park facilities where the children can play”
added Mark Cavotti. “Instead of allowing for three or four small parks, we
set aside ten acres of land west of Mil Road and on Bloor Street for a park,
and this land was turned over to the Township of Etobicoke. Our final plans
for Markland Wood had the appearance of a village. A
field office was erected at 2 Markland Drive where all work in the area was
supervised. A model of the completed project was mounted on the wall for all
to see what the subdivision would eventually look like. It was decided to
develop the subdivision in stages. The
first stage was the area north of Bloor Street and east of Mill Road. At the
same construction began on the golf course. Maisonettes were to be built on
the south side of Bloor Street, west of Mill Road. The
shopping centre was to be built on the south-west corner of Bloor and Mill and
a service station was to be built on the south-east corner of Bloor and Mill.
The area north of Bloor and west of Mill would be developed at a later date.
It would be several years before the entire subdivision was completed. In
1960 the first family to reside in “Markland Wood” moved to 15 Clearside.
The Smith family braved the eternal mud of construction on all sides, hiking
in muck-laden boots to the closest bus stop (West Mall and Bloor). By 1961,
ninety one families lived amid the mud of the emerging Markland Wood. They had
paid in the vicinity of $26,000 for a four bedroom house. X.
THE FIRST 25 YEARS OF THE MARKLAND HOMES ASSOCIATION The
Markland Homes Association was formed in October of 1962. In celebration of
this milestone, the Marklander of
October, 1987 was a special issue. Much of this issue is reproduced below. Hi
Neighbours! October
30th marked the 25th Anniversary of the Markland Homes
Association and in commemoration, this “Special Anniversary” issue is
presented to you. Your regular November Marklander appears in the back portion
of this publication. Without
getting philosophical, it is quite a feat for a neighbourhood of our size to
be so organized and concerned for such a long period of time. It has not been
accomplished by the Board of Directors alone but by everyone who has lived
here. I have had much help from fellow Marklanders both present and former. I would
like to thank everyone who has helped make this Anniversary issue possible.
Special thanks should go to the Directors both past and present who I have
hounded relentlessly for photographs; Howard Lowe, Bert Taylor, Jim Ringer,
Jean Tubby, Norman Wall, Mrs. Jack Cates, Glen Ayers, Michael McFall, Dave
Saunders, Mike Wilson, Joan Hart, Stu McNair, Mrs. Tom Gladney, Fletcher
Keating, Noreen Wells, Peter Little, Marie Dorey, Owen Menzel, Rick Lunny and
Mr. & Mrs. Inglis. This
Marklander was a typical Markland Wood undertaking. It was a community effort,
and I, for one, am most appreciative to all who have helped. Pat
Murphy. Markland
Wood and Its Homes Association – Then and Now Mr. Bert
Taylor, the first editor of your Marklander, had the pleasure of calling on
Mr. Gideon Silverthorn, one of the remaining descendants, and from him, was
able to obtain the information for the first part of this story. “I
farmed the land for many years,” said Mr. Silverthorn. “I built a barn and
the barn stood until 1959. I raised a few head of livestock, grew hay and
grain for my own use. For a few years I cultivated 20 acres of tomatoes and
sold the crop to the Campbell Soup Company. My uncle once felt that we should
turn part of the farm into an orchard like our neighbours, the Clarksons, who
lived on the west side of the river, but I did not agree. In 1958 we sold the
farm to Mr. Mark Cavotti and his associates. I know every foot of the farm and
it holds many pleasant memories for me. I am very glad that an effort has been
made to retain some of its rustic beauty.” From 1950
until 1958, the farm was a haven for wildlife, Many species of birds built
their nests there and almost every week-end bird watchers came to the area. (Editor:
Some lovers of wildlife tried to block the sale of the farm when they knew it
would be used for a housing development). The early
development was not without its issues. Sidewalks were planned to be set
eleven feet from the curb for a lush boulevard look. The families soon
realized that half of the people could not park their cars in their own
driveway without blocking the proposed sidewalks. Under the leadership of
Howard Lowe, they met every Thursday evening from November 1961 to May 1962 in
the Etobicoke Council Chamber to convince “City Hall” to have the plans
changed. “A
referee is useless unless he can form an opinion on what he sees”, explained
Howard Lowe to Council. “So come out and see our driveways and we will abide
by your decision.” Ninety of
the ninety-one families signed the petition to shorten the boulevard. “Markland
Wins Struggle – Breaks Etobicoke Standards,” announced the
Advertiser-Guardian, May 24, 1962 in red headlines across the front page.
Photographed below were residents Howard Lowe and Bert Taylor with councillors
Macdonald, Pyne and Gilbert staking out the new sidewalks closer to the
curb’s edge. The
tightly-knit Marklanders developed a tremendous spirit of playing cards,
forming a bowling league and holding regular parties. “We enjoyed each
other’s company so much” said Howard Lowe to past editor Marie Dorey in
1982, “that we formed the Markland Homes Association in October 1962 with
the motto “to create, foster and maintain a community spirit”. George
Owen, a barrister, volunteered his services to “prepare the Constitution”
because he wanted to do something for the community. He again volunteered his
services when the Executive felt the need to obtain a Provincial Charter. It was
natural that the people should name Howard Lowe as the first president of the
Markland Homes Association and he continued as president through 1964. He
assisted Dr. S. A. Khan in organizing The West Side Youth Club which held
Saturday night dances at the West Mall Skating Rink. He assisted Jean Tubby in
coordinating the first of a string of annual high profile fashion shows in
1964. “I don’t think there was a female over twelve years old in Markland
Wood who was not involved,” claimed Howard. In 1963,
the Marklander was born. It consisted of a single folded sheet with an
occasional insert. Bert Taylor was its first editor and it was printed on a
ditto machine by former director Jim Ringer. It cost 50 cents to deliver them
to all of the residents. The
sixties era of the Homes Association continued on with the start of many
things. Some remain to this day; others have for one reason or another dropped
off to the wayside. It saw
the start of the Christmas Lighting Contests, where the home and street with
the best outside Christmas decorations would
win a prize donated by Etobicoke Hydro, and the annual Fireworks Display. An
ice rink was provided at the corner of Bloor and Mill Rd. (now a gas station)
and maintained by the residents of Markland Wood. ( In the 1970’s the newly
installed tennis courts would be frozen over and again maintained by
residents). Baseball teams were organized for boys and girls and an improved
TTC bus route began. It was
the start of the Annual Spring Dances as well as the Golf Tournament and
Dinner Dance. This, however, was not quite the same as it is today. Women were
not allowed to golf. It was for gentlemen only and it was not a golf
tournament. It was merely a social get together. A buffet dinner followed and
the wives were allowed to attend. The cost was $5.00 to golf with a $5.00 per
person charge for dinner. “Meet
the Candidates Nights” were held. We took part in S.A.N.A. (Society for
Aircraft Noise Abatement). The roads in Phase 4 were paved and in 1969 the
Markland Homes Association consisted of 900 members – the largest in its
history to date. The Marklander took on a new look. It was now similar
in size to what it is today. The
1970’s were very busy times for us. With them came the installation of: - traffic
lights at Mill Road and Bloor Street (and at Bloor and Markland Drive.) - three
courtesy benches at the bus stops (provided by the MHA) - tennis
courts at Silverthorn Collegiate and at Millwood Park - new
lighting in the wooded area behind Millwood School -
crosswalks at Markland and Bloor We
sponsored: - the
presentation of “A Roman Night” - a play put on by Marklanders and held at
the Golf Club - the
first scholarships to area schools - hockey
and lacrosse teams - The
Etobicoke Day Festival We
supported: - the
Federal Government’s proposal to build a new airport at Pickering - the
investigation of a new garbage disposal plant in our borough - the
continuation of the Humber Highlands Curling Club (of which many Marklanders
were members) In the
1970’s we also: - saw the
first Markland Woods” sign (1971) at the plaza - had the
City repair the sidewalks that collapsed on Silverthorn Bush and across
Millwood due to the installation of storm sewers -organized
and ran (along with Mr. Young, the principal) the Annual Commencement at
Silverthorn Collegiate during the ‘work to rule’ strike of Etobicoke
teachers. Marklanders
also: -
provided the adult supervision for social functions and assisted, through
advertising, in finding leaders for particular specialty groups at the school - had the
crosswalks at Toledo and Mill Road relocated to accommodate Millwood School - had a
‘No Stopping’ zone created to
cover the full frontage of the Golf Club property at the clubhouse - held
the first Markland Wood Tennis Tournament - saw our
last Spring Dance -
participated in ‘Operation Checkmate’ -
resolved the problem regarding the possible change in name of Stoneglen - took
part in the Etobicoke Traffic Committee - were
instrumental in having an all night bus route initiated to provide maximum
benefit to Marklanders with little or no inconvenience - helped
the President of the Silverthorn Student Council to organize a Public Meeting
to outline the student-organized teaching program and to enlist part-time
teachers during the teacher’s strike (many of whom were Marklanders) - got the
Etobicoke Municipal Department to clean up the creek and bridge between
Thicket Road and the Burnhamthorpe Plaza Last, but
certainly not least, we began our “Christmas Caravan” with Norman Wall as
our first Santa Claus. With the
1980’s came the McDonald’s issue. Although we lost the fight to have one
built in our community, we were able to have it designed according to our
wishes; we “Street-Proofed” our children; instituted a Neighbourhood Watch
(and were studied as a model for other communities); sponsored a hockey team,
a girl’s all-star baseball team and the Bloordale Baseball League for a
Wintario grant. We
objected to and defeated the proposed Provincial electoral boundaries split
which would have divided Markland Wood in two: worked to keep Silverthorn
Collegiate open; held poster contests in area schools; sponsored the first
Master’s Games; gave money to both St. Clement’s and Millwood Schools for
their playground equipment and strongly supported the Separate School
residents of Markland Wood in their fight to separate student registrations
between Bloor Street north and south. As a result of this action, the students
were given the option. We dealt
with the ongoing problems of traffic on Markland Drive, and are still awaiting
responses from the City regarding
our recommendations as well as the problems related to the airplanes flying
over our area. We spoke
to City Officials and Planners involved in the development of Centennial Park
and extension of Mill Road to Eglinton regarding the possible traffic impact
it could have on our community and we represented Marklanders along with the
Bloordale Baseball League in urging Parks and Recreation to do something to
prevent foul balls in Millwood Park from landing in the middle of Bloor Street
with children in pursuit. In
retrospect, our “All Candidates Nights” are a credit to the community
spirit and the sense of public responsibility in Markland. Through this and
many other activities, we have earned the respect and admiration of the City
politicians with whom we enjoy working toward common goals. The
Christmas Caravan has become an annual event with which the community
identifies itself. It expresses our concern for other less fortunate citizens.
We have an increased liaison with the police. We extend our thanks to them for
their prompt attention to our problems and the assistance they have given us. We have
kept our roads and parks safe and in good condition by bringing such matters
to the attention of the City. We have kept a close eye on actions by Federal,
Provincial and Municipal governments that could have an impact on Markland
Wood and have opposed most projects associated with an increase in taxes. We have
also kept a close liaison with the Boards of Education and the Etobicoke Hydro
Commission. In addition, we have increased our scholarships to area schools. We have
come a long way since 1962. Markland Wood has matured as a neighbourhood with
the problems of development behind us. Unlike some Homeowner Associations,
however, we have not lost our momentum as we grow older. We are as
strong and active today as we were 25 years ago. We have a history of
dedicated and involved directors, the Marklander which has kept
everyone informed and residents who are proud of their community and committed
to maintaining it as a wonderful place to live. It has
often been expressed by Mayors,
City Executives and Federal Representatives that we are one of the most active
and well-organized Citizens’ Committees in Etobicoke. We have
had many successes and, of course, some disappointments. The challenges and
objectives of the future remain to be seen but, as in the past, they will be
dealt with as they arise. The
future of the Markland Wood community is as bright as has been its past
developing years. We as an
association are strong. We are concerned. “To create, foster and maintain a
community spirit” is not simply words. They are what has made Markland Wood
what it is today and what it will be tomorrow. This
history has relied heavily on the following publications:
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