Toronto - Roncesvalles Avenue - Toronto's Polish area
Length: 4:38
Description: In my quest to highlight different parts of Toronto I went out on a driving tour through some of my favourite neighbourhoods in Toronto. From the Yonge and St. Clair area I made my way westwards through Forest Hill, one of Toronto's most desirable and upscale neighbourhoods, a place of residence for many wealthy and prominent Torontonians. After a quick stop at Upper Canada College, one of Canada's most prestigious private schools (for boys only) my drive continued westwards on St. Clair through areas such as Hillcrest Village and Corso Italia. Both these areas are full of small retail shops, cafes and restaurants, and Corso Italia is a popular entertainment area featuring a variety of culinary establishments.
Continuing south on Keele Street we finally arrived at High Park, Toronto's largest park, and went eastwards on Bloor to Roncesvalles Avenue, a popular commercial strip running south of Bloor Street to Lake Ontario. Originally settled by immigrants from the British isles, Roncesvalles became a magnet for Polish immigrants in the postwar years, and to this day Polish owned cafes and retail stores have a great presence on this popular shopping street. Roncesvalles has been the centre of Toronto's Polish community for many years now. Kielbasa / kolbasa is still a staple in this area, and there is even a wholesale outlet for this Polish sausage delicacy, along with a variety of bakeries, butcher shops and delicatessens that sell Eastern European specialties.
One of the most treasured architectural jewels on Roncesvalles is the Revue Cinema, a movie house and designated heritage building dating back to 1911 that continuously operated until 2006 when it was shut down. Neighbourhood rallied to save the movie house and it was purchased by local residents Danny and Letty Mullin. Today it has re-opened and operates as a non-profit organization.
For more of my travel stories visit www.travelandtransitions.com, my recently published travel books are available at http://www.travelandtransitions.com/ebooks.html.
Author: travelandtransitions
Source: YouTube
