Agincourt, Toronto

Agincourt
Neighbourhood
Sheppard Avenue East in Agincourt
Vicinity
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
City	Toronto
Community	Scarborough
Settled	1858
Changed Municipality	1998 Toronto from Scarborough
Government
• MP	Rathika Sitsabaiesan (Scarborough—Rouge River)
• MPP	Bas Balkissoon (Scarborough—Rouge River)
• Councillor	Chin Lee (Ward 41 Scarborough—Rouge River)

Agincourt is a very diverse neighbourhood in the Scarborough district of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is centred along Sheppard Avenue between Kennedy and Markham Roads (north-south includes lands between Highway 401 and Finch Avenue). It is officially recognized by the City of Toronto as occupying the neighbourhoods of Agincourt South–Malvern West and Agincourt North.

The name Agincourt is often used to refer to a larger area of north-west Scarborough than just the officially recognised neighbourhood. The area to the west of Agincourt, officially named Tam O'Shanter–Sullivan is often included as part of Agincourt. Both regions are part of the electoral district of Scarborough—Agincourt, and the Agincourt Mall is located in Tam O'Shanter. Because of its significant population of Chinese-Canadians, it is usually referred to as Asiancourt.

History

The opening of Agincourt Public School in 1914.

Agincourt, once referred to as "hero town" by the citizens that lived there. The village of Agincourt was officially founded with the establishment of the Agincourt post office, opened in June 1858 by John Hill. The name of the settlement was after Azincourt in northern France and apparently was intended to satisfy a French Canadian Post Office Department bureaucrat who demanded that Hill give his settlement a French name. However the Azincourt in France is also the site of a decisive English victory over French forces in 1415. The original crossroads of Agincourt is located at Midland Avenue and Sheppard and served a rural agricultural population.

A Presbyterian church (from France) was built on the north-east corner, which is today's Knox United Church. In addition, a school was built, which has evolved over time into Agincourt Junior Public School (primary) and Agincourt Collegiate Institute (secondary, founded 1915), both part of the Toronto District School Board.

Two railway stations were constructed in the second half of the 19th century at Agincourt. One was built just west of the crossroads as part of the Toronto and Nipissing Railway line heading north from Scarborough Junction on the Toronto – Montreal mainline, and greatly improved access. The line eventually became part of Canadian National Railways, and the station operates today as Agincourt Station on the GO Transit Stouffville commuter rail route. A second station was built east of the crossroads, just north of Sheppard and Brimley Roads, on what is today CP Rail track that runs from downtown Toronto diagonally northeast through the neighbourhood. Commuter rail service to Toronto's Union Station was offered, but was discontinued in the 1970s. The line branches east of a marshalling yard, built by CP in the 1960s between McCowan and Markham Roads on the east of the neighbourhood, into the (Peterborough–) Havelock and Belleville (– Montreal) subdivisions.

Agincourt saw an influx of Hong Kong Chinese and Taiwanese emigrants during the 1980s, especially around Sheppard Avenue and Midland Avenue. Since the development of Agincourt's Dragon Centre Mall in the 1980s, it has become a booming "Chinatown" and was the vanguard for the proliferation of "Chinese malls", large malls with restaurants and stores catering specifically to the Chinese community, across the GTA. Since 2000, the Agincourt Chinese population is spread thinly and many are leaving for communities north of Toronto. Pockets of Chinese areas are likely to remain, but they will be less vibrant when compared to the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Schools

Saint Bartholomew Catholic school

• Agincourt Collegiate Institute
• Henry Kelsey Senior Public School
• Sir Alexander Mackenzie Senior Public School
• Saint Elizabeth Seton Catholic Elementary School
• White Haven Junior Public School

External links

• City of Toronto – Agincourt South-Malvern West Neighbourhood Profile
• City of Toronto – Agincourt North Neighbourhood Profile