Dufferin Racetrack

Dufferin Racetrack was located on 25 acres, on the westside of Dufferin Street south of Bloor where the Dufferin Mall is now. Charles Leslie Denison, son of George Taylor Denison I, inherited substantial properties from his mother, Elizabeth Caldwell Todd, including this site. On 1884 maps, he is shown as the owner of part of the east half of Park Lot 29 north of Dundas Street in the Village of Brockton. He developed a driving park, which after he died, was purchased by Abe Orpen for $400.000 Orpen developed the Dufferin Racetrack here with a stable for 35 horses. This track was very successful up until the time it was taken over by the Ontario Jockey Club and closed down in 1955. The site was then sold for redevelopment.

This information was obtained from “Glimpse of Toronto’s History,” produced by the Toronto Historical Society and the Maps Project Partners, for the City of Toronto in 2002