Swansea

Swansea, also known as Swansea Village, is a charming residential neighbourhood peppered with storybook houses just west of High Park. 
 
The rolling hills and topography of Swansea are likely the main reason for it being named after the town of Swansea in Wales. 
 
Swansea is one of Toronto's oldest inhabited areas and still has its own community-run Town Hall. In 1967, Swansea Village joined Forest Hill Village as one of the last two independent villages to be annexed by the City of Toronto.
 
From 1935 until her death in 1942, Lucy Maud Montgomery lived at “Journey’s End”, located at 210 Riverside Drive. 
 
Geographically Swansea is also unique with a lake, a river, and a pond as its natural boundaries. 
 
First Nations, dating back over 10,000 years, including the Mississaugas, Seneca, Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat, inhabited this area. The nearby Humber River was a natural route travelled by First Nations people between Lake Huron and Lake Ontario, where they would trade. In 1615 Etienne Brule was the first European to view Lake Ontario from this spot.
 
Catfish Pond, featured in this design, is a wildlife oasis at the south end of Rennie Park. Keep your eyes open for caiman (a cousin of the alligator), as back in 2014 one was spotted and relocated to a nearby reptile zoo.