Little Italy

Little Italy is bounded by Bathurst Street to the east, College Street to the north, Ossington Avenue to the west, and Dundas Street to the south. Majority of Italians arrived in Toronto during the early 20^th century. They firstly settled at the area called “Ward,” but later most moved west of Bathurst Street and the area became Little Italy. The affordable Victorian homes that line the side streets of this neighbourhood were bought by Italian immigrants, many of whom found work on the railways and in road construction. These houses were vacated by the suburb-seeking Canadians of Anglo-Saxon descent, which led to an influx of Italians in the community, and the opening of a number of Italian-owned businesses along College Street.

Many Italians moved out of Little Italy during 1950’s and 1960’s to St. Clair Avenue and Dufferin Street. That area is known as “Corso Italia” now. With the time more and more Italians moved out to adjacent suburbs and now there are more concentrations of Italians all such as: Weston, Downsview and Jane and Finch in Toronto; Woodbridge and Maple in Vaughan; Richmond Hill, and Mississauga.

Today, Little Italy's population is ethnically diverse. By the 1960s, the Portuguese had become the largest ethnic group, and were later joined by East Asians and South Americans. Little Italy has also become quite popular with younger crowds because of its vibrant nightlife and its proximity to the downtown core. Since the 1980s, many young professionals have been buying homes in the neighborhood.

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