Our History 

The original concerned activity of the homeowners in this area started with residents along Bowerbank and Bishop being upset and alarmed by the Subway parking lot development in the Hydro right-of-way and how it might infringe upon their comfort and living standards. This simple concern and activity was a leading factor in the formation of the “Silverview Homeowners Association” on 1974 and was incorporated in 1976. The original Association was concerned primarily with “homeowners” and their property valuations as construction and the Yonge Street development exploded upon the community. Many of the original members had children in the Silverview Elementary School at 24 Silverview Drive and this provided an even stronger community involvement.

As the years and experience grew, the executive of the Association realized that the community had changed a great deal – many of our residents were not homeowners, but were renters and tenants. This mix is our current community. In order to better recognize that homeowners, renters and tenants are now the residents in what was once a “single unit” home community, we changed the name to the Silverview Community Association. This short tale brings us to being the current SCA. This is the Association that we want to make vibrant in our community and to have stronger community participation.

Some of our Past Activities:

• The residents along Bowerbank were successful with their first venture into community politics – the fence and green space still protects their backyards.
• The Association joined the Yonge Street Ratepayers Association (YSARA) and even co-chaired the organisation. Through this joint effort of 8 Associations along Yonge Street we were able to modify the North York Plan and control heights and densities to more reasonable levels. All high rise condominiums along Yonge Street and North of Finch came under our careful examination and all were adjusted to better fit with the adjacent community. The Turnberry Court turned out to be one of the better community-compatible developments along Yonge Street.  YSARA has ceased its function, but a loose coalition of some members still meets.
• We were able to get a small park in the Bishop, Kenneth, Pemberton area that gives residents in that area a little touch of greenery in a mass of concrete to the west.
• Toronto Community Housing Corporation had intended to sell the land at Willowdale and Cummer to erect townhouses which would have boxed in the Seniors at Willowdale Manor.  Bill West, an SCA Past-President, successfully spearheaded an 18 month battle to preserve the green space for Seniors and local residents.
• Your Association has been active in control of parking difficulties along Silverview Drive, Cushendale, Deering and Bowerbank – much of which was brought on by increased activities and meeting at the Griffin Centre. We were also able to have the City prohibit parking on our streets closest to Yonge Street on weekdays to discourage many non-residential commuters from leaving their cars in our area and walking to the subway.
• Interested in reading more about “Newtonbrook”?  Check the information on Wikipedia.
• Lester B. Pearson Place: Located at 45 Cummer Avenue, near Newtonbrook United Church (NUC) and its sister congregation the Taiwanese United Church in Toronto (TUCT), Lester B. Pearson Place is operated by the NUC-TUCT Non-Profit Homes Corporation. This project which is an affordable rental apartment building of 53 units is the culmination of years of planning. A number of meetings were held with the community to respond to initial objections and misunderstandings but finally the development was approved by the City and it opened in July of 2006.