Victoria Day 2025…  A Tribute!

“Victoria Day in Thorncrest Village!“

I grew up in Thorncrest Village in the 1950’s. It was a wonderful place to live and grow up in. One of my favourite memories is the village Victoria Day celebrations. The whole village came out to celebrate. During the day there were lots of activities for kids, including a dance around a Maypole. Everyone joined hands, grabbed a ribbon and started to dance around the Maypole. There was lots of laughter and singing! In the evening, we were allowed to stay up and watch the fireworks. This article is a tribute to Thorncrest Village and its Victoria Day celebrations.

Note: The last photo is in memory of my childhood friend, Richard Lambert, who passed away from cancer several years ago. This is house where he grew up in.

Spring and Victoria Day in Thorncrest Village: Life in a 1950s Suburban Dream

In the fresh, hopeful mornings of the 1950s, Thorncrest Village in Etobicoke stood as a model of modern Canadian suburbia. Conceived and developed by visionary Marshal Foss in 1946, this carefully planned neighbourhood wasn’t just another postwar housing development, it was a thoughtful experiment in community living. And nowhere did that vision shine brighter than during the spring.

A tribute to Marshall Foss the developer of the village

A Suburb Like No Other

Unlike the rigid grids of typical city suburbs, Thorncrest Village was designed with no sidewalks and no fences. Instead, it embraced wide, curving roads and open lawns that flowed seamlessly into one another. Homes were set on large lots surrounded by mature trees and generous gardens. The effect was that of a natural park woven with modern architecture, an ideal environment for raising families and forging friendships.

Spring was when this setting truly came alive. As the snow melted, crocuses and daffodils appeared like magic. Crabapple and cherry trees bloomed along the winding streets, and families emerged with rakes and garden shears in hand. It wasn’t just about tidying up, it was about reconnecting with neighbours, preparing for a season spent outdoors, and sharing in a collective pride for their village.

Thorncrest Village developed in 1945, we moved there in 1949

Daily Life and Community Rhythms

Without a local subway or train station, most Thorncrest men carpooled or drove to downtown Toronto for work. Mornings began with the sounds of car engines warming up and friendly waves exchanged between neighbours. Mothers remained at home managing households and children, often gathering for morning tea at the Thorncrest Clubhouse, the community’s social hub.

The streets wound their way around the village

Children walked or biked to Rosethorn Public School, weaving along quiet road shoulders with no sidewalks in sight. Afternoons brought games of tag and hopscotch, impromptu baseball matches, and the hum of lawnmowers. There were no fences to separate friends or conversations, just wide, open yards filled with laughter and life.

Rosethorn Public School, my first school

The Clubhouse in Spring

By April, the Thorncrest Clubhouse came alive with activity. From Easter egg hunts to spring socials and Women’s Institute luncheons, it was the heart of community life. Bulletin boards listed bake sales, garden competitions, and upcoming tennis registration. Plans for the June pool opening buzzed in conversation, and the first pitchers of lemonade marked the unofficial start of the season.

Village clubhouse and pool

Weekends meant family drives along Royal York Road or The Kingsway, with Bing Crosby or Doris Day on the radio and children pressed to the windows, pointing out newly planted gardens and baby animals in roadside pastures. Back home, barbecues appeared, smoke curling gently above unfenced lawns as fathers grilled hot dogs and mothers arranged bowls of fruit salad on picnic tables.

Village shopping plaza, one of the first in Canada

Victoria Day in Thorncrest Village

As spring reached its crescendo in May, Victoria Day was the community’s most anticipated celebration. While the holiday was national in scope, it felt deeply personal in Thorncrest. It was the day when everything residents loved about their village, its openness, its togetherness, its pride, came into focus.

The village’s main park, our home was right across the street

The day began with the waving of Union Jacks and the singing of “God Save the Queen.” Neighbours gathered on the clubhouse lawn, children clutching paper flags as a few words were spoken about Queen Victoria and the enduring values of tradition and community.

Tennis Courts where we danced around the Maypole

A Touch of Old England: The Maypole Dance

In honour of their British roots, the village embraced a Maypole dance as part of the festivities. A tall pole decorated with spring flowers and colourful ribbons stood in the centre of the green. Children dressed in white, many wearing flower crowns, carefully danced around the pole in rhythm, weaving the ribbons into a cheerful spiral while parents clapped along and took photos with box cameras.

We would all hold hands and dance around the Maypole

An Afternoon of Fun and Friendship

Following the ceremony, an informal parade rolled through the neighbourhood. Veterans marched with pride, children rode bikes decorated with crepe paper, and someone’s uncle might drive a classic convertible, waving like royalty. It was simple but heartfelt.

The afternoon unfolded with egg-and-spoon races, sack races, and garden games. The Women’s Committee hosted a pie-baking contest while families enjoyed sandwiches, lemonade, and cookies beneath blossoming trees. The Clubhouse buzzed with music from a portable record player, and laughter echoed across open lawns.

We would dress up our bikes for the Victoria Day parade

A Dusk to Remember

As dusk fell, families returned to the clubhouse field with blankets, picnic baskets, and wide eyes turned skyward. With no fences to block the view, everyone had front-row seats to the village’s modest but beloved fireworks display. Roman candles, sparklers, and bright bursts filled the air as neighbours ooh’d and aah’d together under a canopy of stars.

Fireworks at the end of a fun day!

In Thorncrest, Victoria Day was more than a patriotic observance. It was a celebration of community life at its finest, a tribute not only to Canada’s royal roots but to the power of thoughtful planning, friendship, and the gentle rhythm of suburban spring.

This is the house that my friend Richard lived in.