Links to Local Resources

The plaza at Finch and Victoria Park Ave



Church by Bridlewood Mall


Services

Places of Worships

Schools

Parks

Profile of City Councillor Mike Del Grande

Mike Del Grande has been a resident of Ward 39 since 27 years and has been active in the community ever since he moved in the Kennedy and McNicoll area.

His activities have included everything from Community Association President, Neighbourhood Watch, Block Parent, Boy Scouts, Church Treasurer and Religious Instructor. These activities led to Municipal and Federal recognition as an active volunteer.

From 1993-2003, Mike Del Grande served as the Catholic School Board Trustee for Ward 7 comprising North York and Scarborough Wards. In 2003, he was elected Chair of the Board.

He has been married for 33 years to Beverly, a Pharmacist and active Girl Guider and together they have three children: John, David and Catherine.

Mister Del Grande continues to work hard for the future of our community and strives for improvements in every possible area of concern in Scarborough-Agincourt.

I conducted an interview with Mr. Del Grande on the topis of issues within the community

Q: What is the biggest issue we have right now?

A: I think the biggest issue that we have rigtht now is the city's prosperity and people looking for jobs, economic growth.

Q: What do you think we, as a society should do in order to sustain our community?

A: The most important thing for people is to vote. It's for people to speak up. People aren't speaking up as much as in the old city of Tooronto, so just voices that are unheard.

Q: What's the thing that motivates you to continue to do what you have been doing?

A: It's unfinished work...things that need to de done, things that need to be fixed.

Current Story

In 2007, a proposed Bridlewood Mall Development Project was introduced by the city council to build eight condominium buildings in the Mall parking lot. The original plan included 1,370 units with a maximum building height of 38-storeys.

Three resident buildings just across Bridlewood Mall



Part of the parking lot of Bridlewood Mall



Three years later, in 2010, the developer agreed to reduce the number of units to 975 and the maximum height of the buildings to 25-storeys after numerous negotiations with the Citizens' Working Group and the office of Mike Del Grande and City staff to have a more reasonable development instead.

In 2011, changes are proposed to this project since a new Target Canada store is planned to be built in this mall. Target indicated to the mall owners that it requires a clear sight line to

Finch

for their signage. Accordingly, to build 25-storeys at the corner of Warden and Finch Avenues was now not feasible and subsequently the plans have changed.

The developers- Malibu Inc.-indicated that the number of units will remain unchanged at 975, however, the size of each individual unit will be reduced. In addition, they are now proposing to build all three buildings at the north end of the mall (Warden and Glen Springs Avenues) instead of in phases. These changes would mean that construction would finish sooner. In addition to the accelerated timeframe, there would also be a larger green space at the corner of Warden and Finch Avenues.

Local Problems/Issues

There are a number of issues at hand in Scarborough-Agincourt area that need to be addressed. Some of them include:

• Need for more childcare spaces in public schools
• City should provide more subsidies to low-income families
• The ward needs more festivals and events to highlight its diversity
• There is a need for more jobs and businesses to the area
• There are concerns with portrayed images in some areas, such as Glendower Circuit- which has been labeled as a priority neighbourhood- which are not particularly true.
• Need for expansion of the public transportation, such as faster bus services, more bus stops, and new developments for subway stations.

• 

  Just North of Finch and Victoria Park Ave.

Local Attractions

There are a total of 1 hospital, 1 fire hall, 11 public elementary schools, 2 public secondary schools, 4 Catholic elementary schools, 1 Catholic secondary school, 2 public libraries, and 2 major shopping centres within ward 39.

The most popular local attractions in Scarborough-Agincourt are Bridlewood Mall and Woodside Square Shopping Center, where lots of students socialize after school and consumers shop.



Bridlewood Mall



Other popular attractions include the libraries (Bridlewood and Agincourt) and the parks, such as L’amoreaux Park (North and South) and the Terry Fox Park, in which residents can walk their dogs, go picnic with their families, and jog.

History

Scarborough's earliest communities were established during the 19th century along the roads frequented by stage coaches and around the popular intersections where general stores sprang up. 

Later, as the railways came to Scarborough, communities grew up around the train stations.  Some villages prospered as a result of the railways, some declined, and others simply merged to form larger communities.  Generally, a sign of a growing community was the establishment of a post office in the area.

The name Agincourt was given after a town in northern France. History recalls that it was at Agincourt in France, where King Henry V of England defeated the French in a famous 1415 battle. During that time, most of the residents in Scarborough-Agincourt area were of English and Scottish backgrounds.

Agincourt grew slowly at first, centred around what is now Brimley Road and Sheppard Avenue East. The building of the first Agincourt railway station in 1871 meant an increase in access to transportation, a growth in population, and a shift in the community centre westward along Main Street (now Sheppard Avenue) to Church Street (now Midland Avenue).

By the turn of the century, Agincourt had become the largest community in the township and continued to prosper right into the 20th century.

Present Day Finch and Bridlewood Intersection