We are stoked and incredibly proud to celebrate Stok’d Eglinton’s 1-year anniversary! We warmly invite you to visit our shop at 2978 Eglinton Avenue East and join us in celebrating its first birthday! Not only is it the first franchise and third Scarborough location for Stok’d, it also has the honour of being in one of the city’s most vibrant neighbourhoods.
“We are grateful to be serving one of Scarborough’s most vibrant and diverse neighbourhoods. It’s a real honour to be part of this community!” Khurram, Franchisee of Stok’d Cannabis
Home to immigrant families from around the globe, as well as multigenerational Canadians, the history of Eglinton East, reads like the history of Canada’s multicultural mosaic. In order to celebrate the store and the community we are publishing this article to share with you a background of the residential and commercial neighbourhood that we call home.
“Stok’d Eglinton is located in one of the most interesting pockets of Scarborough and we have the pleasure of serving customers from all walks of life. It doesn’t get more diversely Canadian than this little spot!” Lisa, Co-founder of Stok’d Cannabis
An Ode To Our Neighbourhood: Eglinton East
While there are more well known neighbourhoods in Scarborough we are proud to be helping put Eglinton East on the map. We feel strongly that the community is experiencing a resurgence in growth and we are stoked to be part of it! However before we can look at what the future holds we get to soak ourselves in the rich history of Eglinton East.
History of Eglinton East
Eglinton Avenue is the longest continuous east/west thoroughfare and stretches from Mississauga in the west to Scarborough in the east. The name Eglinton comes from Scottish settlers in Toronto in the 19th century. While parts of Scarberia can trace their roots to the 19th century, until the 1940s Eglinton East was mostly farmland surrounding the inner suburbs of Toronto. Historically known as Knob Hill, it has long been home to new Canadians arriving in search of a better life.
Post World War 2
During the war years, development of this residential and commercial neighbourhood began in earnest. However it wasn’t until after World War 2 did the area see its first big boom in development. There were returning soldiers who required housing and a series of single family home developments were constructed. Hot on the heels of returning veterans was a wave of Eastern European immigrants looking to rebuild their lives after the devastation of the war. These demographic trends cemented Eglinton East’s reputation as a working class neighbourhood, which continues to this day.
Eastern European Immigration
Although this period saw an influx of immigration from Eastern Europe generally, in particular it was home to large numbers of Macedonians and Bulgarians who moved to East Scarborough at this time. While we don’t know if famous businessman and Torontonian Steve Stavro ever lived in Eglinton East, he was certainly part of the Macedonian and Bulgarian community of East Toronto. The grocery store magnate and pioneer also named his flagship store Knob Hill Farms, a reference to our neighbourhood’s historical name.
Waves of Immigration Continue
By the 1970s and 80s, new Canadians from other parts of the globe came to flourish in Eglinton East. They hailed from China, Jamaica, the Philippines and, more recently, Sri Lanka. In addition to the economic and population growth of Eglinton East, we have some of the best ethnic restaurants in Scarborough, thanks in part, to these communities.
Neighbourhood Geography
Our lively borough is defined by Kennedy Road to the West, Lawrence Ave to the north, Markham Road to the east and of course Eglinton Ave East to the south. The southern border is also made up of CNR rail line as well as the Eglinton Go Station, a short walk away from Stok’d Eglinton.
Transit and Transportation
In addition to the Eglinton Go Station, our neighbourhood is served by the TTC. The closest subway stop is Kennedy Station on Line 2 and the 116 Morningside bus will get you within shouting distance of our shop. Both Lawrence Ave and Eglinton Ave East are major thoroughfares for commuters heading from both the outer and inner suburbs of the eastern GTA to downtown Toronto. Another major road is Brimley Rd, which will take you south to the Scarborough Bluffs <links to Bluffs articles>.
Eglinton Crosstown
For any Torontonians reading this and especially anyone from the Scarbs, new transportation lines can feel like Captain Ahab’s whale. Yet after years of delays and budget overruns, it looks like (*knocks wood, crosses fingers) that the Eglinton Crosstown line will be finished by 2024. Stretching from the borders of Mississauga to nearby Kennedy Subway station in Scarborough, the light rail line should provide current and new residents of Eglinton East a faster way to move around the city.
Eglinton East LRT
Scarborough transit is undergoing major changes with the Scarborough RT set to close while the new Line 2 subway extension is built. A stop is planned for the corner of Lawrence Ave and McCowan Rd. In addition the Eglinton East LRT is also slated to be built with a major hub connecting with the Eglinton Go Station on the CNR rail line. While we are used to delays with transit in Scarborough, we hold out hope that these projects will mean convenient transportation for the residents of both Eglinton East and Toronto in general.
Parks
We are blessed to have a few great parks in our neighbourhood. Great for enjoying an afternoon of elevated relaxation, after stopping by Stok’d Eglinton of course 😉:
Glen Ravine Park
“This 2.4 hectare park lies between Glen Ravine Junior Public School to the east and Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School to the west. It features open green space and soccer fields as well as outdoor fitness equipment at south end off Gilder Drive.”
Knob Hill Park
“A 13.5-hectare park on Brimley Road near Danforth Road that features a lit ball hockey court, two lit basketball courts, an outdoor swimming pool, a wading pool and a children’s playground. The park also features a naturalized ravine with walking trails along West Highland Creek.”
Cedar Brook Park
“This 18.6-hectare park near Markham Road and Lawrence Avenue East features many trails, a picnic area and a children’s playground set in the naturalized ravine of West Highland Creek.”
Restaurants and Shopping
Most of the shopping and restaurants in Eglinton East are quite close to our shop, although there are a number of establishments on Danforth Road (not to be confused with Danforth ave, aka The Danforth in East Toronto) and Midland Ave. Here’s a few examples of what you can find as far as great eats and shopping in Eglinton East.
Stephen’s No Frills Scarborough
Located just down the road from us, Stephen’s is a popular grocery store for the community and serves a number of nearby neighbourhoods.
Shorebazaar Supermarket
A longtime bakery and grocery store serving Halal products, another popular grocery store for the neighbourhood, also on Eglinton Ave East.
Swiss Chalet
As we’ve said on our location page, it’s a little dangerous being so close to Swiss Chalet. Let’s just say it’s hard to be disciplined when you can almost smell the rotisserie chicken when step outside 😅.
HoneyB Hives Restaurant
Serving great eats from breakfast to late-night, butter chicken poutine to bubble tea, HoneyB Hives is a neighbourhood staple just west of Stok’d Eglinton.
Anjappar South Indian Cuisine
Serving up spice since 1964, Anjappar is another neighbourhood favourite. Trust us, Hot Ones ain’t got nothing on the heat you’ll find at Anjappar. It’s also open late for those with the munchies.
Souvlaki Palace
The Greek food available in East Toronto and Scarborough is unmatched and Souvlaki Palace is no exception. Traditional meat-on-skewers plus a decent pizza makes this spot a go-to for the community of Eglinton East. It’s a great place to satisfy cannabis-related cravings, IYKYK.
Tasty Jollof
Serving up West African fare, Tasty Jollof is located on Danforth Drive, close to Souvlaki Palace. If you’ve never tried Nigerian jollof you’re truly missing out on some great eats!
Jamaica Stamp Real Island Food
Last but not least, Jamaica Stamp offers traditional Jamaican cuisine like jerk chicken, curry goat and oxtail. Located on Midland Ave, Jamaica Stamp is another great spot to go for stoner snack time.
Schools
If you’re considering moving to Eglinton East there are plenty of primary schools as well as secondary schools to choose from:
École secondaire catholique Père-Philippe-Lamarche
St. Joan of Arc Catholic Academy (formerly Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School)
Glen Ravine Junior Public School
Lord Roberts Junior Public School
John McCrae Public School
What the Future Holds for Eglinton East
While the early waves of post-war development saw many single family homes, in recent decades highrise apartments and condominiums have become the norm. According to some websites, the cost of buying Eglinton East homes are below the (let’s be honest,e ridiculously high) price in comparison to other parts of the GTA. This combined with long-promised transportation improvements may bring about a resurgence to this residential and commercial neighbourhood. Either way, we see Eginton East remaining a strong, vibrant, diverse community for many years to come.
Conclusion
Thanks for making it to the end of this article where we’ve explored the history and community of Eglinton East. As Stok’d Eglinton’s 1-year anniversary approaches in August of 2023 we couldn’t be happier to represent Eglinton East and its people. We’d love to see you in the store and encourage you to eat in one of the great restaurants or visit one of the beautiful parks in the area. Or perhaps even consider making our vibrant community your home?