The historic stone gates at the corner of Jane Street and Baby Point Road mark the entrance to this exclusive west end neighbourhood.
Baby Point is situated on a peninsula of land overlooking the Humber River. It is surrounded by ravine and parkland and is one of the prettiest settings in Toronto.
Ed Note: Long time Baby Point residents pronounce the name of this neighbourhood “Bobby Point”, using the French pronunciation for Baby, after whom this neighbourhood is named.
History of Baby Point
Baby Point’s rich history dates back to the 1600’s when it was a prosperous Seneca Nation village known as Teiaiagon. The Seneca people found Teiaiagon to be the perfect location for conducting their fur trading activities as this high peninsula of land located in a bend of the Humber River, was easily defended from attack.
The Seneca village had long since been abandoned when in 1816 the Honourable James Baby settled on this peninsula of land overlooking the Humber River. The present day neighbourhood is named after Baby, a member of a prominent Quebec fur trading family and a former politician in Upper Canada. Baby’s settlement was a virtual Garden of Eden. A lush apple orchard occupied much of the land, and salmon swam in the Humber River. There was even a spring of fresh water that flowed from the hillsides. This water was bottled and shipped around the world.
Baby’s heirs continued to live in Baby Point until 1910 when the government acquired Baby Point with the intention of establishing a military fortress and army barracks on this site. As fate would have it the government changed their plans and sold Baby Point to developer Robert Home Smith who began developing the Baby Point subdivision in 1912.
