Guildwood Village Commemorative Plaque, 2007
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Resource ID
4858
Access
Open
Address
71 Guildwood Parkway
Credit Line
Heritage Toronto
Date of Creation
2007
Program Category
Rights
Heritage Toronto
Time Period
Caption
Guildwood Village Commemorative Plaque, 2007
Description
Opened in 1957 Guildwood Village was the dream of Rosa and Spencer Clark founders of the Guild of All Arts in 1932 and later of the Guild Inn. The Clarks planned the transformation of 500 acres of their rural land into an idyllic "garden community" for about 7 000 residents complete with schools community centres churches and shops.
The Clarks directed Dr. E.G. Faludi one of Canada's leading town planners in the creation of a master plan. Designed to calm traffic winding and secluded streets retained many mature trees and were free of overhead wires. Rear-lot parks were modelled after English footpaths as walkways within the community. The Clarks saved the 1839 iron gates of Toronto's Stanley Barracks and placed them at the entrance to Guildwood Parkway.
In August 1957 the grand opening of the first phase of Guildwood Village featured the Avenue of Homes a street of twelve unique furnished architect-designed homes. It attracted 25 000 visitors on the first weekend alone and was dubbed "the largest display of its kind ever presented in Canada".
Marker lat / long: 43.746057, -79.202558 (WGS84)