| Clairlea | |
| Settlement Type: | Neighbourhood |
| Pushpin Map: | Canada Toronto |
| Pushpin Label Position: | none |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Toronto |
| Coordinates: | 43.7097°N -79.2908°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Type2: | City |
| Subdivision Name2: | Toronto |
| Established Title: | Established municipality |
| Established Date: | 1850 Scarborough Township |
| Established Title1: | Changed municipality |
| Established Date1: | 1998 Toronto from City of Scarborough |
| Leader Title: | MP |
| Leader Name: | Bill Blair (Scarborough Southwest) |
| Leader Title1: | MPP |
| Leader Name1: | Doly Begum (Scarborough Southwest) |
| Leader Title2: | Councillor |
| Leader Name2: | Vacant (Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest) |
Clairlea is a safe, quiet, middle to upper-middle income neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that features well treed streets and detached homes with large backyards. The neighbourhood is located in east Toronto just east of Victoria Park Avenue.
To the north, it is bounded by Eglinton Avenue and to the south by Taylor-Massey Creek. The neighborhood is well-served by transit including the TTC Warden Subway Station, Victoria Park Subway Station, the soon-to-be completed Eglinton Crosstown LRT, and the Don Valley Parkway. A large portion of Clairlea-Birchmount is taken up by parks and recreation trails, the Eglinton Square Shopping Centre and other large retail developments along Eglinton Avenue East.
The residents of Clairlea enjoy the close proximity to Lake Ontario as Clairlea is situated 5 kilometers north of Silver Birch Beach (located in the Beaches neighbourhood).
The neighbourhood is recently undergoing several changes including new condo developments and major infrastructure improvements. For example, the re-development of Warden Subway Station, which began in November 2023, is a comprehensive urban revitalization plan that will breathe new life into the Warden and St. Clair Ave area. When complete, the station will be transformed into a “state-of-the-art transit hub” with new housing and new public spaces around Taylor Massey Creek.
In the 19th century the intersection of St. Clair and Victoria Park was home to a small village named Moffat's Corners, and the rest of the region was rural. Clairlea was one of the first parts of the former city of Scarborough to be developed as a Toronto suburb, being transformed in the early 1950s. A major employer and landmark is Providence Healthcare, established on St. Clair in 1962. Today, it consists of a hospital specializing in rehabilitation and complex continuing care, a nursing home called the Cardinal Ambrozic Houses of Providence, and Providence Community Centre, which offers clinics and support programs for seniors and caregivers. Today it is a middle to upper-middle income neighbourhood that features many family homes and mature streets.
According to the 2016 Statistics Canada Population Census, the top 4 ethnic origins for Clairlea are: Canadian, Filipino, English, and Chinese. The neighborhood is quite diverse from languages spoken to religions practiced which is typical in the city of Toronto.
Two public school boards operate schools within Clairlea, the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), and the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). TCDSB is a public separate school board, whereas TDSB is a public secular school board.
TDSB operates several institutions in the neighbourhood, including one public secondary school, W. A. Porter Collegiate Institute. In addition to a secondary school, TDSB and the TCDSB also operates the following two three elementary schools:
Because TCDSB does not operate a secondary school in Clairlea, TCDSB students residing in Clairlea attend secondary schools in adjacent neighbourhoods.
The French first language school boards Conseil scolaire Viamonde (CSV) and the Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (CSCM) also serves students residing Clairlea. However, neither school board operates an institution in the neighbourhood, requiring them to attend CSV or CSCM schools in adjacent neighbourhoods.
The Gus Harris Trail (Warden Woods Park) is a landmark of the neighbourhood, offering some downtown nature following Massey Creek east of Pharmacy Avenue to St. Clair Avenue.[1]
Another top attraction is the Detonia Park Golf Course, located on the east side of Victoria Park Avenue, just north of Danforth Avenue. It is a challenging scenic course that is ideal for beginners and advanced players looking to practice their short game.
Warden Hilltop Community Centre holds the distinction of being the first public building in Toronto to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certified. It features a geothermal heating and cooling system, green roof and solar power. The centre includes a double gym, weight room, teaching kitchen and preschool area.[2] The Warden Hilltop Community Centre is named after Hilltop Boarding and Riding Stables, also known as the Three Gaits Stables that was previously on the site.[3]