Scarborough
Cliffside
History of Cliffside
Cliffside was formerly known as Mortlake, in reference to an English hamlet outside London. The Mortlake name came into use with the opening of a post office in the Halfway House Hotel, which was situated on Kingston Road. This hotel was moved in 1962, and now assumes a prominent role in Toronto's historic Black Creek Pioneer Village, located at 1000 Murray Ross Parkway.
An enduring Cliffside landmark is the St. Augustine Seminary, which opened in 1910. St. Augustine was the first Canadian seminary for the training of English speaking clergy. This large edifice, with its Beaux Arts style architecture and soaring dome, is a powerful visual landmark on Kingston Road.
In the early 1900's, the land west of the St. Augustine Seminary began to evolve as a summer cottage community. The first year round residences were built in the 1920's at the south end of Chine Drive. These charming Arts and Crafts style houses set the tone for the present day neighbourhood.
