Living in Dorset Park
Dorset Park is a middle-income family oriented neighbourhood comprised of people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. This neighbourhood is currently in transition as a new generation of young families with children are gradually replacing the aging first generation Dorset Park homeowners. The Dorset Park neighbourhood is bound on the north by Highway 401 and on the east and west by a commercial corridor and light industry. Large companies like Kraft Foods and Laura Secord are based on the periphery of Dorset Park, off Birchmount Road.
History of Dorset Park
Dorset Park was originally part of the Village of Ellesmere, a small farming hamlet that was centred around the intersection of Kennedy and Ellesmere Roads, during the 1800’s. Ellesmere was named after the Village of Ellesmere in England. In the early 1900’s, the focal point of this community was the Ellesmere Arena. This venue served as the home of the Maple Leaf Curling Club and the Ellesmere Maple Leaf Band, the latter of which performed at church garden parties, fall fairs and other public functions. Ellesmere was particularly well known for its sports clubs including the Maple Leaf Football Team that won the Ontario Championships in 1890. In the early 1950’s, Ellesmere’s market gardens and dairy farms gave way to the present day Dorset Park subdivision. Like Ellesmere, the Dorset Park neighbourhood is also named after a small village in England.
Homes in Dorset Park
Dorset Park’s housing stock was built in the 1950’s. These houses include well kept bungalows, cosy storey-and-a-half houses, and a few semi-detached homes. The north-east corner of Birchmount and Ellesmere Roads is currently being developed as a modern subdivision community consisting of detached and semi-detached homes.
Lifestyle in Dorset Park
Kennedy Road is a regional shopping destination that is filled with home furniture and appliance stores, electronics and computer shops, and discount department stores. There are also many restaurants located along this street. The international mix of cuisines found here includes Chinese, Greek and Japanese restaurants. A recent addition to Kennedy Road is the Kennedy Commons, located just south of Highway 401 on the east side of Kennedy Road. This gigantic shopping area features a Lansing Buildall “Super Store” that encompasses 80,000 square feet of retail space. A Sears Furniture and Appliance store, the Brick and Dominion Supermarket are some of the other big name retailers in this shopping complex. The neighbourhood oriented Courtesy Plaza on Birchmount Road reflects the ethnic mix of this neighbourhood with its East and West Indian food market and family style restaurant. A popular food shopping destination for residents of this neighbourhood is Highland Farms, located on Ellesmere Road, just west of Kennedy Road.
Recreation in Dorset Park
The Dorset public park located of Lewiston Road includes a baseball diamond and a children’s playground. McGregor Park, situated off Lawrence Avenue East, is the largest recreational facility in this neighbourhood. It is the home of the McGregor Park Public Library and the McGregor Park Community Centre, which includes an outdoor pool and an indoor ice arena. This park also offers three tennis courts, a baseball diamond, sports fields and a children’s playground.
Transportation in Dorset Park
The Birchmount and Kennedy Road buses provide passengers with connecting routes to the Lawrence East station on the Scarborough Rapid Transit line. Scarborough Rapid Transit links up with the Bloor-Danforth subway line. Motorists are just a few minutes from the Kennedy Road on-ramp to Highway 401, which provides commuters with access to most of Toronto’s major highways.