West Rouge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
West Rouge is a small community neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the eastern end of the city, in the former borough of Scarborough. The community is roughly bounded by Lake Ontario to the south, the Rouge River to the east, Highland Creek to the west and Kingston Road to the north.
The area was recorded as being settled as early as 1798, when a crown patent for lots 29, 30, 32 & 33, "Con. 1 with the Broken Front, Township of Pickering, County of York and Home District, Province of Upper Canada", were granted to William Holmes, Esquire. In 1843 Henry Cowan, an immigrant from Ayr, Scotland, bought lots 32 & 33 from Holmes and settled the land with his family. In 1848 Cowan sold a small portion of his land on the shores of Lake Ontario to the Grand Trunk Railway Company.
In the years following, much of the land changed hands. In 1948, the land that is now a new housing development between Rouge Hills Dr. and Ridgewood was sold to Rouge Hills Golf and Country Club Limited. The country club and golf course were closed in 1973.
Until 1977 West Rouge was not part of Toronto or Scarborough, but was considered part of the township of Pickering. In 1977 it was transferred to the Borough of Scarborough.
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[edit] Significant buildings
The single most notable building in the area is the West Rouge Community Centre, an old stone farmhouse built some time between Henry Cowan's purchase of the farm in 1843 and his death in 1868. Unfortunately, it was gutted by fire in 1977 and in 1986 its structural safety was called into question. Decisions had to be made as to whether the existing building should be saved and refurbished, or torn down and replaced with a more modern community centre. The local community urged the city to retain the building. In 1987 the City of Scarborough announced its commitment to the retention of the building, and presented plans and designs for its restoration and renovation. On October 20, 1990, the newly renovated West Rouge Community Centre reopened to the public.
[edit] Schools
[edit] Public
- West Rouge Jr PS (website)
- William G Davis Jr PS (website)
- Centennial Road Jr PS (website)
- Joseph Howe Sr PS (website)
[edit] High schools
- Sir Oliver Mowat CI (website)
