Sports and recreation facility.
Details of Site Location: The west side of Dufferin Street south of Bloor.
Boundary History: The property consisted of approximately 25 acres.
Current Use of Property: Dufferin Mall.
Historical Description: Charles Leslie Denison was the son of George Taylor Denison I and Elizabeth Caldwell Todd, and a half brother of George Taylor Denison II, of Richard Lippincott Denison I, and of Robert Britten Denison. His mother had inherited substantial properties and these were added to those accumulated by his father. At his mother’s death, Charles Leslie inherited most of her lands. In 1884 he is shown on maps as the owner of part of the east half of Park Lot 29 north of Dundas Street in the village of Brockton. Shortly after taking possession of the land, Charles Leslie developed a driving park of half a mile. When Charles Leslie died, the track was purchased from his estate for $400,000 by Abe Orpen, who opened the course as the Dufferin racetrack with a stable of 35 horses. From the onset, the track was popular. As with others in the city, it was purchased by the Jockey Club and closed down in 1955. The site was then sold for development.
Relative Importance: The Denison family and its impact on the city can be approp-riately commemorated at other locations and, because most of the tracks in the city were purchased and closed by the Ontario Jockey Club, horse racing began to vanish from the city’s history. This track was very successful up until the time it was taken over by the club.
Planning Implications: The owners of Dufferin Mall should be invited to place a plaque near the entrance to the mall, which tells of the racetrack and its dates.
Reference Sources: City of Toronto Archives, Goad’s Atlas (1884, 1890, 1910)
Acknowledgements: Maps Project