Riverdale Zoo

Details of Site Location: At the east end of Winchester and Carlton Streets, east of Sumach Street.

Boundary History: The property began as a tract of 119 acres and expanded to 162 acres.

Current Use of Property: Riverdale Farm and surrounding parkland.

Historical Description: In 1856, the City of Toronto purchased 119 acres from the Scadding estate for the purposes of a park and an industrial farm (that is, a jail with surrounding lands to be farmed by prisoners). On 11 August 1880, Riverdale Park was officially opened. Ten years later, all of the lands except the jail property were designated to remain in parks use. Including other additions made since, Riverdale Park consists of about 162 acres, much of it built on garbage and manure landfill laid out by the prisoners from the jail. It appears that the first exhibition of animals at Riverdale Zoo took place in 1899. The collection grew quickly as Alderman Lamb encouraged prominent people to donate either animals or money to buy them. By 1902, the zoo had acquired sixteen pheasants, two ocelots, a male camel, a female dromedary, a buffalo bull, six pens of monkeys, a Siberian bear, a young female crane, some lions, and a hippopotamus. The first weekend that the elephant and lions were shown, the Toronto Railway Company carried 20,000 people to the zoo. The grounds were cared for by prisoners from the Don Jail, men who had committed minor crimes such as vagrancy. Many were befriended by visitors to the zoo.  Some of the children were quite friendly with the zoo keepers, and often went about with them when they fed the animals.  In 1902, the Toronto Railway Company arranged for the erection of a two-storey building of Moorish design, built of stone and pressed brick with a tile roof, called the Donnybrook. At sunset on 30 June 1974, the Zoo closed its gates for the last time and the animals were shipped up to the then-new Metro Zoo. Most of the buildings were torn down. The tower from the fanciful little edifice, the zookeeper’s cottage, and a small wildlife pavilion down at the bottom of the hill are the only buildings left. After the Zoo closed, Riverdale Farm opened with only animals and fowl that were in Ontario at the turn of the century. An 1850s Pennsylvania-style bank barn was reconstructed on the site, as well as a replica 1850s-style brick farmhouse, a small animal barn, a shed, and a large Meeting House.

Relative Importance: The Riverdale Zoo was a much-loved place for Toronto’s children and their parents for over 75 years.

Planning Implications: The Riverdale Zoo should have a plaque at the entrance of Riverdale Park at Winchester and Sumach, telling of the zoo’s history. The Donnybrook Tower, the zoo keeper’s cottage, and the wildlife pavilion should also have plaques telling the visitor what they were.

Reference Sources: George Rust-D’Eye, Cabbagetown Remembered (1984); files of  the Cabbagetown Preservation Association; City of Toronto Archives.

Acknowledgements: Cabbagetown Preservation Association.