Wwii Era

Toronto’s Roncevalles Village a Delightful Community

It carries a name that historians know well.  Roncevalles Village, in Toronto, was named after the gorge in which Colonel Walter O’Hara fought during the Battle of the Pyrenees in 1813.  The Colonel provided much of the land for what is now referred to as “Little Poland” by long time residents, and “Roncey” by later generations.

Roncevalles Village offers many faces to visitors and residents alike. 

Roncylicious – the annual local celebration of food and entertainment – defines the area during August, with great deals on meals at such diverse restaurants as Abstract Tea, The Dizzy Gastro Sports Pub, Sweet Thrills and Papazee’s.  Alongside such contemporary offerings, participants can find authentic Polish butcher, bakeries and restaurants, in addition to vegan foods and fair trade coffees. But Roncylicious is a “giving” food experience, as well.  Food drives offer small discounts in exchange for food bank contributions.

Nostalgia is fed well in Roncevalles Village.  The revitalized Revue Cinema, designated as an historic site after a determined fight by local residents, and the historic Palais Royale offer second-run and contemporary movies and performances by artists and musicians.

Every year, the Roncesvalles Village Polish Festival celebrates the cultural contributions of the areas Polish community.

With residential homes emerging in the area in the early 1900s, Roncevalles experienced the impact of Toronto’s massive building boom at that time.  While most of the early residents were of British origin, the post WWII era saw a large number of Polish immigrants calling the community “home.”  Today, Roncevalles is a diverse community, with people of a wealth of ethnic backgrounds and range of ages intermingling and enjoying all that the region offers.

For today’s families, education choices include three public elementary schools, Catholic private schools, and high schools or technical programs that include Humberside, Western Tech and West Toronto.

Roncevalles Street, too, has its own history, being part of the oldest division of the Toronto Transit Commission, and being built by the Toronto Railway Company in 1895. Roncevalles currently serves as the final leg of the 504 King Street streetcar line.

If you think that the community is ordinary, it definitely hosts a different breed of cat!  The Sphinx cat, made famous in the Austin Powers movies, actually had its origins in the back alley behind Roncevalles.

The community can thank the energy and commitment of its residents for its storied past and vital future.  Three residents’ associations, along with the Roncevalles Business Association, advise the city on renewal and reconstruction plans.  A group of West Side property owners have launched a program that will see the west side of Roncevalles with a canopy of trees, to match the program that enabled east side tree planting.

It is unlikely, then, that the August 6 Globe and Mail tongue-in-cheek “future news stories” article declaring that “Roncevalles Village” changes its name back to North Parkdale will ever see the light of day.  North Parkdale (sorry, I mean Roncevalles Village) has a past and a future that no resident or visitor can ever overlook.

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WWII Jeep camping trip