MISSISSAUGA – Long regarded as one of Mississauga’s hidden treasures, Erindale Village continues to grow and prosper.
Throughout its nearly two centuries of history, this scenic community has transformed into one of Mississauga’s most dynamic neighbourhoods for living, working and learning – all while preserving a sense of heritage, beautiful expanses of green space, and a charming collection of historical buildings.
According to Heritage Mississauga, the settled history of the area dates back to the early 1820s, when Thomas Racy bought a block of land near the crossroads of Dundas Street, Mississauga Road, and the Credit River. Racey later auctioned off the land, and by the 1830s it had grown into a burgeoning settlement with a post office, sawmill, church, and more.
The name of Erindale was chosen in 1890, after the estate of early settler Reverend James McGrath. By this time, it had already begun to transform from a booming mill-village into a quiet, residential area (though reminders of its residential past do remain). In 1968, Erindale joined various other villages in amalgamating to form the original Town of Mississauga.
These days, the neighbourhood of Erindale Village is loosely demarcated, but generally considered to stretch between Dundas Street West and Burnhamthorpe Road, from the University of Toronto’s Mississauga Campus to Mavis Road far to the Northeast. While many parts of the neighbourhood are comprised mainly of well-maintained older homes, exciting new low-rise developments have brought a fresh contemporary look to areas like the well-known Dundas-Mavis intersection.
19 Decades of Residential Design: Buying a Home in Erindale Village
Any trip to Erindale Village should start with a stopover in its historic heart just to the south of Erindale Park. We recommend bringing along a printed copy of Heritage Mississauga’s Heritage Tour– an incredible resource for locating and learning about the neighbourhood’s historic homes, churches and halls.
The tour presents you with quite a few historic homes to check out, but here are a few highlights we recommend looking for if you have the time:
- The Barker-Kellhamer House (2581 Mindemoya Road), circa 1921, is a gorgeous red brick home tucked behind a copse of trees just east of the Erindale Community Hall.
- The Blair-Burke House (2595 Jarvis Street) – completed in 1835 and believed to be the oldest surviving building in Erindale Village.
- The Taylor-Froebel House (1584 Dundas Street West) – Completed in 1878, this was the home of Emerson Taylor, a local magistrate who also owned the Royal Exchange Hotel.
- The McEwan-Wilkinson House (2537 Mindemoya Road) – Likely constructed circa 1850, this home was expanded in the 1870s and again in the 1950s. It has served many different purposes over the years, including as a hotel and a gatehouse to the Armour Estate.
Credit Woodlands
Drive a bit east from the area along Dundas and you’ll come to The Credit Woodlands, a residential street running through one of Mississauga’s most well-established residential neighbourhoods. This area is perfect for buyers who are looking for well-treed lots with impressive frontage, and its proximity to the nearby Springfield and Woodland Parks is a definite bonus.
Buyers seeking a blend of luxury and scenery also won’t want to miss Credit Heights Drive, where spacious properties back onto the naturally beautiful Culham Trail. Not interested in an older home? There are also some very new detached offerings located along Dundas Crescent, just northwest of where Dundas Street meets The Credit Woodlands.
Erindale Station Road and Beyond
Continuing along Dundas to the east, you will find a tremendous selection of spacious newer communities. The area just to the east of Erindale Station Road offers a healthy blend of home layouts, adding two-storey and semi-detached options to the area’s bungalow-heavy mix. Turn off Dundas at Morrison Avenue, and suddenly you will find yourself surrounded by a cluster of the area’s most contemporary and stylish detached homes.
Buyers seeking a high-rise home in this neighbourhood will find their options limited, but may want to check out the striking mid-rise condominium community on Cedarglen Gate – just south of Dundas east of Erindale Station Road. Smaller square-footage townhomes are available, however, a short distance to the east at 800 and 840 Dundas Street West.
Family Living in Erindale: Parks, Recreation and Schools
One of Erindale’s biggest draws is its abundance of green space, trails and outdoor play areas. The largest and most well-known is Erindale Park, the largest in the city of Mississauga. Formerly the site of a reservoir and hydroelectric station, currently the park is home to picnic facilities, comfort stations, a playground, hiking trails, and more. It’s the ultimate day-trip destination, with all the convenience of a central location just north of Dundas Street West.
To the east, a handful of smaller parks provide some green space for the surrounding neighbourhoods, including Woodlands Meadows Park, Springfield Park, Woodland Park, and Huron Park. To the southeast of old Erindale Village, golf aficionados can enjoy not one but two private golf clubs: the Credit Valley Golf and Country Club, and its scenic neighbour, the Mississauga Golf and Country Club.
In addition to a number of elementary schools including Springfield Public School, Ellengale Public School, The Woodlands Elementary, and McBride Avenue Public School, this area is also home to three highly-regarded secondary schools.
St. Martin Secondary School
Located on Rosemary Drive south of Dundas, St. Martin Secondary School is a 900-student Catholic facility that was established in 1968. A huge range of student extracurricular activities includes innovative choices like curling, and even a St. Martin Drumline team.
St. Martin’s students enjoy solid rankings in math performance, with 92 per cent of academic-enrolled Grade 9 students performing at or above the provincial average in 2012-13 – no small feat when compared against the same year’s province-wide figure of 84 per cent. During the same year, St. Martin students also showed strong performance in English, with 88 per cent of first-time-eligible Grade 10 students earning successful results on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
The Woodlands School
As a Regional Enhanced Learning Centre well-known for its English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, The Woodlands School excels in catering to students from a broad variety of backgrounds. Boasting a healthy selection of arts and sports extracurricular offerings, the facility also includes an elementary school.
92 per cent of The Woodlands School’s first-time-eligible Grade 10 students were successful in completing the 2012-13 OSSLT – a full 10 per cent higher than the province-wide success rate in the same year. Academic-enrolled Grade 9 students achieved solid performance on math testing the same year, with 89 per cent meeting or exceeding Ontario standards.
Erindale Secondary School
Located just west of the neighbourhood, near Erin Mills Parkway, Erindale Secondary School is a great option for families living closer to the University of Toronto campus in Erindale. At Erindale, innovative student programs such as “Get Your Fleece On!” provide opportunities for students to earn valuable business experience.
Erindale’s students tend to perform strongly in mathematics, with 88 per cent of academic-enrolled Grade 9 students meeting or exceeding provincial standards on 2012-13 EQAO testing.
In 2012, the Peel District School Board decided to incorporate the Bring Your Own Device (BOYD) initiativeinto each of its secondary schools. A growing trend in North American education, BYOD is an innovative program that incorporates mobile tablet/smartphone technology into classroom learning.
Buying a Home in Erindale Village
With its long history, charming buildings, and exceptional proximity to the University of Toronto’s Mississauga Campus, Erindale Village is a naturally convenient location for either growing or mature families.
Whether you are looking to purchase a home, townhouse, or even simply to invest in a rental-income unit close to campus, the best way to start your research is by speaking with a real estate professional who brings plenty of experience buying and selling homes in the area. Contact Living Realty’s Mississauga Branch today to be put in touch with a sales representative or broker who can answer your questions about Erindale Village and introduce you to some listings in the area.
