Neighbourhood finds a name.
The area of Davenport Road to the base of Perth Avenue and encompassing the neighbourhood between the train tracks east of Dundas Street West and west of Lansdowne is now officially the Junction Triangle.
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They are no longer nameless.
Those who live in the previously undefined area stretching from Davenport Road to the base of Perth Avenue and encompassing the neighbourhood between the train tracks that run east of Dundas Street West and west of Lansdowne can now call themselves Junction Triangle residents.
After a day of tallying votes, Kevin Putnam’s head was spinning.
“The Junction Triangle,” he reported late Monday afternoon, “won a plurality of votes.”
The Junction Triangle was one of 10 choices voters could choose from over the past two weeks. The announcement of the new name is the culmination of an almost year-long endeavour, spearheaded by Putnam, a Perth Avenue resident, who initiated the community improvement project christened ‘Fuzzy Boundaries.’ Since its inception, Putnam has stressed that adopting a name would provide a collective and cohesive identity and create a sense of ownership. More than 700 votes were made, spurred by a parade
Sunday with the Baturyn Concert Marching Band through neighbourhood streets, encouraging voters. Six-hundred and seventy-four votes were made by local residents, said Putnam.
“It was well beyond our expectations,” he said. “We all feel great about it. Elated. Yesterday’s parade provided a huge boost to the process.”
The Junction Triangle was always the front-runner, he added.
“Regardless of the name, it was always about pulling people together. It’s a great way to link new people with long-time residents,” said Putnam.
The Junction Triangle moniker was a late 1970s invention. At the time, a group of local residents banded together to fight pollution caused by surrounding companies. The name made sense, said Putnam, because the West Toronto Junction was not too far away and the train tracks defined the neighbourhood.
“The environmental fight popularized the name,” he said. “It’s a great base to build on. A lot of area residents have embraced it. The name’s purpose is two-fold: to bring the neighbourhood together for big cultural events, but also to fight the expansion of Metrolinx. The group of residents who are opposed, we’re right here in this neighbourhood. It gives us a platform.”
Putnam is proud to say that through the naming process, people have met their neighbours.
“As soon as I step out my door, I’m always bumping into people I’ve met through this process,” he said.
It’s always been, historically, the Junction Triangle - although not as ancient history as some believed.
“People are sentimentally attached to the name,” said Putnam. “We have a name now and forever. At least until the next 40 years when someone decides we need a new name.”
To commemorate the christening of the neighbourhood, Ashley Ross, owner of the former D&M lumber yard at 229 Wallace, is hosting a celebration Tuesday, March 23 at noon for the entire community. Ross’ lumber yard building served as a canvas on which local students painted the top 10 names residents voted for. As part of the festivities, Ross will unveil his project that includes 10 commercial units.
“We followed Kevin’s good work for the neigubhourhood. We liked what he was doing so we approached him and asked if we could contribute to get the word out,” said Ross.
Ross’ family has worked in the local community for the past three decades.
“Whenever I do a project, I want to get involved in the neighbourhood and to bring something to improve it,” he said.
Plein air painter Jerry Campbell, a Dupont Street and Ossington Avenue area resident, has created a new piece depicting the mural that featured the top 10 names. His work shows the old lumber yard building on an overcast winter day, acting as a billboard for the local community improvement project. A construction trailer sits nearby in preparation for demolishing the site.
“I do paintings around Toronto of urban scenes,” said Campbell. “This caught my eye. I painted it a couple of weeks ago.”
Campbell spent three hours outside painting, undaunted by the cold.
“Being a letter carrier prepares me for the cold. I love painting snow,” he said. “I’m hooked on painting outdoors from life.”
Growing up in Windsor, Campbell came to Toronto to attend the Ontario College of Art and Design, where he studied experimental art, something he’s pursued for most of his art career.
Campbell said he is drawn to the Junction area for its “interesting scenes” and older buildings.
“There’s a lot of history there that’s evident, unlimited possibilities,” he said.
The Junction Triangle almost doubled its closest contenders in votes. Perth Park and Black Oak Triangle were a distant second.
Though the new name has been designated for the community by the community, it is not an official city designation.