Derek E. Silva

Spreading knowledge & understanding

Hyde Park Was a Quaint Village

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I recently read a story in the London Free Press about how the citizens and businesses of Hyde Park are disappointed about the “progress” taking place in Hyde Park. And Monday night the city planner’s recommendations were ignored by the planning committee, obliterating the fact that Hyde Park was once a quaint village. My bus used to go through it everyday when I was in high school, and I got that village vibe then.

Councillor Matt Brown, who represents Hyde Park, knows what used to be, and what was supposed to happen. Beyond the massive plaza at the corner of Hyde Park Rd and Fanshawe Park Rd W (Walmart, HomeSense, Canadian Tire, Future Shop, etc.), I felt the space between Sarnia Rd and Seagull Rd was being used reasonably well. A nice mix of housing types have been built including townhouses, a high-rise condo building, and of course single detached homes. That’s all been well and good, fully introducing the concept of being able to live in the same neighbourhood your entire life.

Unfortunately, the rest of the land that was previously set aside for additional residential use has now been re-zoned for commercial use at the behest of Kenmore Homes.

A lot of people like to say, “Well, we need jobs!” Yes, you’re right, we do. But unless this commercial space is mostly turned into offices, these are not going to be the well-paying jobs that most people need and want. Another retail location is simply another barely-more-than-minimum-wage (if that) job that barely keeps the employee above the poverty line. Strong nations and communities are not built on a strong retail sector.

And while Joe Swan may have recently driven through the area and not felt that “quaint village that they talk about,” that’s because he’s about 10 years too late. It did feel like a quaint village at one point, and many things could have been done to keep that feeling. Instead it’s starting to feel like the corner of Dundas St E and Clarke Rd, where residential and commercial collide in the most heinous way possible.

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3 responses to “Hyde Park Was a Quaint Village”

  1. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Riding a bus up Hyde Park Rd when you were in high school does not make you an authority on Hyde Park.  Your comments seem to be one sided.  My suggestion to you would be to speak to people whom operate businesses, have worked to build the Hyde Park area, and rely on the Hyde Park Area. Stating that the Hyde Park Area is starting to look like Clarke and Dundas is a slap in the face to all businesses in Hyde Park that have been improving and updating the buildings over the years. 

    1. Derek Silva Avatar
      Derek Silva

      Hi Adrian, I think we’re actually on the same page, but perhaps I could’ve been clearer. When I compare the Hyde Park area to Clarke & Dundas, I’m actually referring to the corner of Hyde Park Rd & Fanshawe Park Rd W… the one with the Walmart, Canadian Tire, Dollarama, etc. I quite like the corner of Hyde Park Rd & Gainsborough Rd, and my favourite business there is One Diva & A Cupcake.

      Again, sorry for the confusion. But thanks for your tenacity. 🙂

  2. Rockinon_Ldn Avatar
    Rockinon_Ldn

    Mr. Silva:

    I like a lot of your writing so please do not take offence, but I think our ideas about quaint villages are quite different. Back in the mid ’80s while working for The London Free Press I used to cruise about the countryside outside the city looking for pictures and stories. I recall doing one on the last general store in a dying “quaint village.” When I was a teen (in the ’60s) I used to like to travel by motorcycle or British roadster and stay in the “quaint villages” of the time. Such places had a general store, a small gas station, a small, aging hotel, a locally-owned restaurant, and maybe a few more small stores — like a drugstore perhaps. To the best of my knowledge, not one of those truly quaint villages still exists today. I know many would disagree with me but not Hyde Park, nor Wortley Village, nor Byron are quaint villages in my estimation, although I can say good stuff about all three. To me, these are simply neigbourhoods within the City of London.

    Oddly enough, to find a quaint village atmosphere within a larger city I think of a place like Montreal. Montreal has some absolutely wonderful neighbourhoods with histories going back more than a hundred years. If London is to have such places, London must build them today and then protect them and allow them to age like fine wine.

    Single purpose, box store developments do not cut it.

    Cheers!

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