Long Branch, Toronto
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Long Branch is a former village that is now part of the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The area is bounded by Lake Ontario on the south, Etobicoke Creek to the west, the Canadian National railway to the north and Kipling Avenue to the east.
In 1967, the Village of Long Branch was amalgamated with the Township of Etobicoke and the Towns of New Toronto and Mimico to form the Borough of Etobicoke. The Borough became the City of Etobicoke in 1984. In 1998, Etobicoke was merged with five other municipalities and the Metropolitan Toronto government to form the new City of Toronto.
Prominent reeves of the village included Thomas Berry, Len Ford and Marie Curtis, (1953-1962).
In the late 19th and early 20th century, Long Branch was a popular summer resort destination for Torontonians. The area was served by steamers that sailed from the foot of Bay Street. A popular summer resort, built in a pagoda style, was located at Long Branch Avenue and Lake Promenade, until it was destroyed by fire in the 1950s.
In 1954, more than 40 homes in Long Branch were demolished at the mouth of the Etobicoke Creek by Hurricane Hazel. To prevent any future floods from having similar disatrous results, houses from around the mouth of the creek were relocated, and the area turned into a park. In 1959, the park was named for Marie Curtis in recognition for her efforts to have it built. Adjacent to the park is a closed site which functioned as a munitions factory in the second world war. There are current plans (2005) to amalgamate these grounds to the Marie Curtis Park.
Humber College Lakeshore is located in this neighbourhood. In 2003, renovation began to adjacent building that were a former mental hospital. The renovations are completed in 2004, with a total budget of over $8,000,000. This neibourhood is desirable to many due to its close proximity to Toronto, but with lower real-estate values.