History of Newtonbrook

Newtonbrook is located at the north end of the City of Toronto. It is situated between the east and west branches of the Don River Valley, which serve to provide an attractive natural backdrop for this neighbourhood in addition to providing residents with plenty of recreational opportunities.

Newtonbrook's most famous native son is the late Lester B. Pearson who became Prime Minister of Canada in 1963 and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in diffusing the Suez Canal crisis. The local Lester B. Pearson school is named in his honour.

Newtonbrook was first settled in the early 1800's. This hamlet revolved around saw and grist mills that operated on the east and west branches of the Don River. The spiritual centre of this hard working pioneer community was the Newton Brook Wesleyan Church which was named after Reverend Robert Newton. One of Newtonbrook's earliest settlers was Lieutenant Colonel William S. Durie of the Queens Own Rifles. Durie subdivided part of his Newtonbrook property in 1847 creating what is now known as Drewry Avenue. At first Drewry Street was given the name "Pope's Lane" because so many Roman Catholics built houses here. The "Rueter House" at 270 Drewry is the only house still standing from this early Newtonbrook subdivision.

When Newtonbrook was subdivided for large scale residential development in the 1950's most of the former village landmarks were demolished. The two notable exceptions are the Newtonbrook Schoolhouse, circa 1878, located at 43 Drewry Avenue and the second Newtonbrook General Store, circa 1907, located on the north-west corner of Yonge Street and Drewry Avenue.