Caribou Park street names – including Otter, Caribou, and Kimbark (originally called Beaver Street) – are appropriate for a neighbourhood that features many mature trees, lush landscapes and a small ravine with a creek running through it. Discovering this neighbourhood for the first time one can’t help but feel that one has taken a surprise turn out of the city and into the country.
This neighbourhood is in big demand for its rustic charm, fine selection of houses, close proximity to private and public schools, and convenience to the upscale Avenue Road shopping district.
History of Caribou Park
Caribou Park was formerly part of a farm owned by a pioneer named Thomas Snider who resided here from the 1830’s to the 1870’s. The Snider farm took in the entire present day neighbourhood and also included land west of Bathurst Street. Remarkably, the Snider farm house is still standing on the western edge of this neighbourhood at 519 Glengrove Avenue. The Snider house is hidden from the street by two towering blue spruce trees that stand guard over this historic house.
Following Thomas Snider, the next name to appear on city maps of this area is that of John H. Watson, whose family resided here from the 1870’s up until the early 1900’s.
Another house which was built when this area was still farmland is number 43 Kimbark Boulevard. This cobblestone house was built in 1906 by a stone mason from Scotland, and is listed on the Toronto Historical Board’s Inventory of Heritage Properties.
The rest of the present day neighbourhood was laid out in two separate plans of subdivision registered in 1910 and 1912. However the actual building of houses in Caribou Park did not commence until the 1930’s.
