Parkwoods

Parkwoods or sometimes referred to as Parkwoods-Donalda is located in the city of Toronto, a geographically large neighbourhood located just south of Ontario Highway 401, West of Victoria Park Avenue, North of Lawrence Avenue East and east of the Don Valley Parkway.

The Northern part of the neighbourhood (area north of York Mills Road/Parkwoods Village Drive) is populated by mostly new immigrants to the city and has a mix of lower income and middle income families. As a result there is a huge number of visible minorities (over 50%). Chinese, South Asians and Blacks (African, Caribbean) make up the largest percentage of ancestries in the area, after Canadian and other mixes. The area south of York Mills Road is a fairly affluent neighbourhood, with a large number of original homeowners (1957 to 1962 purchasers) still occupants (or their heirs).

In the North West quadrant of the neighbourhood is the area known as Graydon, which is built up on hillside terrains and is home to the Donalda Golf course.

One of the dominant characteristics of the neighbourhood is its winding streets and undulating topography. Several large parks and trails can be found throughout the area. Of particular note is Brookbanks Park; a branch of the Don Valley ravine system. Running throughout the ravine is Deerlick Creek, which is a tributary of the Don River. "For several seasons in the late '80s and early '90s, Dr. Mima Kapches of the Royal Ontario Museum conducted a variety of archaeological digs in some of the backyards that line the Brookbanks Park ravine. During a dig in the fall of 1987 she uncovered a Meadowood-cache blade dating from 1000 BC, making it one of the oldest ever discovered. Continued excavation the following year uncovered a variety of Middle Archaic period artifacts, including a small pebble that displayed a human face in effigy, believed to have been created in 4,700 B.C. making it one of the oldest dated human representations in northeastern North America. From 1988 to 1990, digs in an adjacent backyard revealed a wealth of Early Iroquoian pottery (ca. AD 1000), as well as the remnants of an "open-pit firing event," a site that would have been used in its production. These discoveries have led local archaeologists to hypothesize that the ravine surrounding Deerlick Creek may have once served as a seasonal pottery production and firing campsite."^[1]

Schools

There are 10 public schools in Parkwoods, eight secular schools managed by Toronto District School Board and two separate schools operated by the Toronto Catholic District School Board. Prior to 1998, the North York Board of Education operated the secular schools.

• Donview Middle School is a Secular middle school with grades from 6 to 8, in the Toronto District School Board under the jurisdiction of the former North York Board of Education. The current school principal is Mrs. Karen Robertson, and the vice-principal is Mr. Neel Vohra. The school is located on Evermede Drive. The school currently has about 500 students. Students from Roywood Public School, Fenside Public School, Three Valleys Public School and Rene Gordon Elementary School attend Donview when they are ready for grade 6. Most of the students go to George S. Henry Academy, Victoria Park Collegiate Institute or Senator O'Connor College School after graduating from Grade 8. Donview Middle School was once called Donview Heights Junior High School, when it first opened.
• Milne Valley Middle School is a middle school on Underhill Drive, near Lawrence Ave. E. and Highway 401. The school is for students in grade 6, 7, and 8. The students of the school usually graduate and continue their secondary education in Victoria Park Collegiate Institute, George S. Henry Academy, Don Mills Collegiate Institute, or Wexford Collegiate. The current principal of Milne Valley Middle School is Mrs. Maria Campbell, who was the previous vice-principal of Donview Middle School, and the vice principal is Mr. Ian Wilson. Milne Valley Middle School used to be Milneford Junior High School.
• Fenside Public School is an elementary school on Fenside Drive near York Mills Road. The school is for JK-Gr.5.
• Three Valleys Public School is an elementary school on Three Valleys Drive near the DVP. The school is for JK-Gr.5. The current principal is Ms. Melissa Carson. Graduates will either go to Milne Valley or Donview. The school also has a gifted program.
• Roywood Public School is an elementary school located at 11 Roywood Drive, which is close to York Mills Road and Victoria Park Avenue. The school is for JK-Gr.5. The current principal is Mr. B. Fong. Most Graduates will go to Donview.
• Cassandra Public School is an elementary school located at 45 Cassandra Boulevard.
• Ranchdale Public School is an elementary school located south of York Mills Road and west of Victoria Park Avenue. The school is for JK-Gr.5.
• Victoria Park Collegiate Institute is a Secular high school located at 15 Wallingford Road.
• Crestwood Preparatory College is a high school located at 217 Brookbanks Drive. The school was founded in 2001 and runs from Gr.7 - Gr.12. It was formerly called Brookbanks Public School.
• Senator O'Connor College School is a Roman Catholic Separate high school originally located at 5 Avonwick Gate since its founding in 1963 and was changed to 60 Rowena Drive in 2005.
• Annunciation Catholic School is a Separate elementary school located on 65 Avonwick Dr. It is the feeder school for Senator O'Connor.

References

1. ^ http://abbey-trails.blogspot.ca/2011/08/august-13-2011-brookbanks-park-and.html

External links

• http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/profiles_map_and_index.htm