William Lea and family

William Lea and family Leaside is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The area takes its name from William Lea and the Lea family, who settled there in the early years of the nineteenth century. The area first developed as farmland along with Toronto through the nineteenth century.

It was incorporated as a town in 1913.The town of Leaside, built by Canadian Northern Railway in the late teens and early 1920s, sought to attract investors and homebuyers. A connection over the Don Valley to the town of Todmorden and on to Toronto would provide this. It became known as East York - Leaside Viaduct.

In 1967 Leaside was amalgamated with the township of East York to form the borough of East York. In 1998 it became part of the city of Toronto. It is now a strong real estate market in Toronto.

[Pictured: East York - Leaside Viaduct completed in October 1927. Later known as Confederation Bridge.]

More? See Leaside Tour.


Leaside Toronto Real Estate

John Lea

John Lea immigrated to York, Upper Canada in 1819, coming from Philadelphia. He had come to the United States from England only a year previous. He purchased Lot 13 in the third concession from Alexander McDonnell on January 23, 1820 and settled there with his family.

John Lea had three children - William, John Jr. and Mary. In 1851, William Lea bought land just south of his father's farm, and began constructing a large, octagonal brick house, which he named "Leaside". The house was completed in 1854. The building served not only as a home for Lea's family, but after he became a Magistrate in the County of York, and soon served as a post office as well. The property became the possession of his son Joseph upon his death in 1893.

[Photo: CPR station at Leaside Junction, circa 1899]