Clairlea
Clairlea is a neighbourhood of Scarborough, in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The neighbourhood is located in the western part of Scarborough just east of Victoria Park Avenue. To the north it is bounded by Eglinton Avenue and to the south by Taylor-Massey Creek and the railway tracks. The neighborhood is served by Warden station and the Don Valley Parkway. A large portion of Clairlea-Birchmount is taken up by shopping centres, the Eglinton Square Shopping Centre and other large retail developments along what was once Scarborough’s old Golden Mile of Industry on Eglinton Avenue. History . 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 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 income neighbourhood that features many affordable homes and mature streets. Demographics. There is a large Filipino contingency in this neighbourhood, at least compared to the rest of the city (8%) and a correspondingly large number of residents who speak Tagalog. Filipino born individuals accounted for 2% of this census tract population in 2006, in 2011 Filipino born dwellers made up 9.9% of the total CT population. This is not surprising as in 2011, Philippines went from third most common Place of Birth in Canada to first most common (Census Canada, 2006, NHS , 2011). The second most notable demographic in Clairlea-Birchmount is the Bangladeshi community, which accounts for less than 10% of the total CT population. The neighbourhood is quite diverse from languages spoken to religions practiced which is typical in the city of Toronto. Education. 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. Recreation. The Warden Woods ravine is the landmark of the neighbourhood, offering some downtown nature following Massey Creek east of  Pharmacy Avenue to St. Clair Avenue. 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. 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.