Guildwood Village
Opened in 1957, Guildwood Village was the dream of Rosa and Spencer Clark, founders of the Guild of All Arts in 1932 and later, of the Guild Inn. The Clarks planned the transformation of 202 ha of their rural land into an idyllic "garden community" for about 7,000 residents, complete with schools, community centres, churches, and shops.
The Clarks directed Dr. E.G. Faludi, one of Canada's leading town planners, in the creation of a master plan. Designed to calm traffic, winding and secluded streets retained many mature trees, and were free of overhead wires. Rear-lot parks were modelled after English footpaths as walkways within the community. The Clarks saved the 1839 iron gates of Toronto's Stanley Barracks and placed them at the entrance to Guildwood Parkway.
In August 1957, the grand opening of the first phase of Guildwood Village featured the Avenue of Homes, a street of twelve unique, furnished, architect-designed homes. It attracted 25,000 visitors on the first weekend alone, and was dubbed "the largest display of its kind ever presented in Canada."
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Toronto Plaques. Full page here.