SLICE OF HISTORY
Son of grocery empire’s co-founder once lived in Etobicoke property
More than 100-year-old ‘Loblaw’ home is up for sale for $11,799,000 in Etobicoke,
Perched on this older subdivision of Etobicoke, the “Loblaw” house shows no sign of Canada’s largest food retailer or the family that founded the grocery empire in 1919.
With its old world charm, large bow window and grand staircase, this 100-plus-yearold property at 66 Burnhamthorpe Rd., was once the family home of Alexander Loblaw, son of Theodore Pringle Loblaw, the co-founder of the thengroundbreaking “self-service” grocery store with friend J. Milton Cork.
Although the Loblaw family had occupied the home for only 32 years, between 1934 and 1966, and their business had long been bought out by the George Weston Ltd. bakery (in the late 1940s), today the house, near Islington Ave. and Dundas St. is still known as the Loblaw house by many including the real estate agent who calls the house a “rare property” and is selling it for $1,799,000.
With the home’s rich history, Denise Harris, chief historian of the Etobicoke Historical Society, agrees it is a real find that Torontonians should treasure.
“There are so few historical homes in a place like Etobicoke. Most have been demolished into new subdivisions in the1950s and 1960s. This is such an elegant house,” said Harris, who grew up in the area and still passes by the home often.
“It still looks the same from its beginning. The property is unique not just because of its original architectural details, but the story behind it, the people who were there and what they did.”
While the Loblaws might be the best known occupant of the house, Harris said the land that the house stands on today had been owned by the Johnston Family, the first permanent settlers in what became the Village of Islington. The Pennsylvanian natives moved to Upper Canada in 1798 and later became apple farmers.
Eventually, six generations of Johnstons would live on the lot with the last piece of land sold off in 1985 by a fifth generation descendant. As of 2016, Harris said, four former Johnston houses still stand in Islington: 1056, 1078 and 1100 Kipling Ave. along with 66 Burnhamthorpe Rd., which was built by Benjamin Johnston Jr. and purchased by Alexander Loblaw in 1934.
Initially, the Loblaw house was named “Valleyview” because it overlooked the Mimico Creek Valley and the presentday Islington Golf Club, said Harris, a retired human resources development manager.
“The house was designed by a well-known architect James A. Ellis. The details of the brick and stone work are so special,” she said.
According to the Etobicoke Historical Society, Alexander Loblaw used his inheritance from his father to buy 66 Burnhamthorpe Rd., which then was situated on a two-acre lot stretching the entire block on the south side of Mattice Rd. A barn and a coach house were located on the side of the property.
“Alexander began working for Loblaws in 1919 as a store clerk, making his way to store manager, then to area supervisor for several stores, and then to head of the buying department at head office,” said researcher Neil Park, who authored an ar- ticle about the Loblaw house’s history for the society.
“He drove every day from Islington to the Loblaw head office at Fleet St. and Bathurst St. When he retired, he was the only employee to have had a 50-year career with Loblaws.”
Park said the house was threestoreys in height with 19 rooms, and the main floor featured a drawing room where Alexander Loblaw’s wife, Isobel Parks, could be found playing piano.
Loblaw also bought 58 Burnhamthorpe Rd. renting out two large apartments to Loblaws employees and their families, Park said. By 1939, the two-acre property was divided into 10 lots of which he kept the largest lot, including the Loblaw house.
“Every house that’s still there is a treasure to the community. We can’t afford to lose any of them,” said Harris. “Whoever buys this house, we hope they would uphold its history.”