The Community of Humber Summit
Jitendra Singh - Internet Mapping - Fall 2010
| Humber Summit is a neighbourhood located in Northwest Toronto in the former municipality of North York. It is bounded by Finch Avenue to the South, the Humber River to the West, Steeles Avenue to the North, and Highway 400 to the East. European settlers started to settle in what is now known as Humber Summit in the mid-1800s; these settlers mainly worked in the gristmills and sawmills in the surronding area. As the population of the Toronto area grew, Humber Summit slowly evolved into a resort community for residents of Toronto, by this time, the community was known as Riverbank Park. |  |
| In 1954, Hurricane Hazel landed in Toronto and wreaked havoc in Humber Summit. While most homes and businesses were able to withstand the 120km/h wind gusts, cottages constructed along the banks of the Humber River were no match for the river's high water level resulting in numerous cottages being swept away. |  |
| By the 1960s, Humber Summit began to receive a large influx of Italian residents, many of whom were recent immigrants to Canada. The demographics of the neighbourhood further diversified througout the 1970s and 1980s as a sizeable amount of immigrants from the Caribbean started to settle within the community. Througout the 1990s and 2000s, a large South Asian community had also taken residence within the neighbourhood creating an unparalled cultural mosaic. |  |
| Today, Humber Summit is considered one of Northwest Toronto's finest neighbourhoods. Suburban, post-World War II semi-detached backsplits with cast-iron railings and extravagant archways are a common sight. Demographically, the neighbourhood has been able to retain its muticultural roots with Italian, East Indian, Pakistani, and Canadian listed as the top five ethnic origins of the neighbourhood's residents. |  |
| With the Greater Toronto Area expanding westward, Humber Summit is quickly becoming a central community within Toronto's metro. Gentrification, business revitalization districts, and redevelopment are all terms that have crept into the vocabulary of Humber Summit residents over the past decade. With the construction of the Etobicoke-Finch West LRT, in addition to revelopment through the Emery Village Business Improvement Area (BIA), the future of Humber Summit is indeed bright. |  |
Sources:
Humber Summit Wikipedia Article
Humber Summit Neigbourhood Profile
Toronto Photos: Black Creek Pioneer Village (Early 1800s)