Mimico Yard

Grand Trunk Railway opened Mimico Yard in 1906 at a time when railways were growing and expanding facilities everywhere. Located in the south end of the Township of Etobicoke, Mimico, which stretched from Mimico Creek west to Mimico Avenue (Kipling Avenue) became a Police Village within Etobicoke in 1905 and in 1917 the Town of Mimico. It went north of the main line to Algoma Street just south of what became the Queen Elizabeth Way. January 1/1913 the area from Dwight Avenue, one block west of Church Street (Royal York Road) west to 22nd Street, four blocks west of Kipling and south of the main line became the Village of New Toronto with a population of 500 and in 1923 with a population of 5000 became the Town of New Toronto. West of 22nd Street was the Village of Long Branch. Later, in 1967 all three would join the Borough of Etobicoke becoming in 1984 a city and in 1998 the City of Etobicoke became part of the City of Toronto. Throughout it all, the name Mimico Yard has stood the test of time.

New Toronto was for many decades a highly industrialized community with ample housing for workers. Besides the railway, Anaconda American Brass, Continental Can and Campbell's Soup were some of the biggest employers along with Goodyear Tire & Rubber. Beginning with Goodyear, closing in May of 1987 thousands of good-paying jobs were lost to Free Trade.

Modern view looking east of former CNR Mimico Yard once 120 acres, long-divided up for GO Willowbrook (to left of relocated mainline running through middle of yard). Originally (1967) using old CNR car department buildings and a smaller portion of the yard the big growth of GO required new purpose-built facilities and a much bigger yard, VIA Toronto Maintenance Centre (1985) to right. A new overpass extends Islington Avenue across the yard. Large warehouse at right is Canpar Transport Ltd. once the site of Arrowhead Metals formerly, Anaconda American Brass. This 15.26 acres of brownfield land was vacant for over 15 years when it was developed by TEDCO (Toronto Economic Development Corp. owned by the City of Toronto) it was the first LEED certified project in Toronto. Canpar's distribution facility at 290 New Toronto Street opened June 2006. A $22 Million 164,120 square foot facility rated at 20,000 packages per hour. It replaced a converted 100,000 sq.ft. facility at 261 Queens Quay East, formerly a Toronto Harbour Commission Marine Terminal, in downtown Toronto. Continental Can once occupied land to the east where Toronto Police are located. Goodyear site is out of view to the south (right) replaced by a large housing development. Bottom left is a new commercial plaza at Kipling Avenue where once was CN's section and signals building originally the yard office.
May 31, 2009 Aleks Stefanovic