This downtown Toronto neighbourhood has a large Portuguese population that is centred around the Rua Acores shopping district on Dundas Street West.
Beaconsfield is popular with members of Toronto’s arts community who have gradually migrated westward along Queen Street to the affordable houses and studios found in this neighbourhood.
Learn more about Queen West Condos and Queen West Lofts.
Neighbourhood Schools:
- Alexander Muir/Gladstone Jr. & Sr. (Website);
- Central Technical School (Website); and
- St. Anthony (Website).
Political Profiles:
- Ward 10 (TDSB Trustee);
- Ward 20 (Municipal);
- Trinity-Spadina (Provincial); and
- Trinity-Spadina (Federal).
A little history…
Beaconsfield Village history begins with the Denison family who were the major landholders in this district dating back to the early 1800’s.
Captain John Denison was the owner of “Brookfield”, built around 1815, at the north-west corner of Queen and Ossington. Henry Scadding recounts in his book Toronto Of Old, “Brookfield house was shaded by great willow trees and surrounded by flower gardens and lawns, no mean feat in an area of virgin forest.”
The Denison heirs sold Brookfield in the 1850’s. By the 1870’s a network of streets had been laid out on the former Brookfield estate.
Beaconsfield Avenue became the signature street in the neighbourhood. It is named after former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who was given the title of Lord Beaconsfield by Queen Victoria.
