Located between Westmount Avenue and Lansdowne Avenue, Corso Italia is a neighborhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Corso Italia-Davenport is a neighborhood that is part of the broader city-recognized Corso Italia-Davenport area.
Numerous cafes, clothes stores, shoe stores, restaurants, food markets, as well as gelaterias and bakeries, may be found in the surrounding area, among other things. After Little Italy on College Street, the community is regarded as Toronto’s second Italian ethnic enclave after that of Kensington Market. In addition, there is a sizable Latin American and Portuguese community in the neighborhood.
Earlscourt is a community located in the eastern side of what was formerly known as Earlscourt. Early settlers included British immigrants, who established Earlscourt in 1906, which was later acquired by the City of Toronto in 1910.
As early as the 1970s, Italian immigrants from Little Italy began relocating northward to St. Clair Avenue and other areas. One of the most memorable celebrations on St. Clair Avenue West occurred when Italy won the 1982 FIFA World Cup, which drew an estimated 300,000 supporters and caused the route to be closed for about 20 blocks between Caledonia and Oakwood Avenues between Caledonia and Oakwood.
In 1981, there were approximately 35,000 Italians living in this area. However, by 1991, the population had plummeted to 20,000 people, a significant decrease. Despite the fact that Corso Italia retains its Italian identity, the demographics of this neighborhood have altered dramatically, with a far smaller Italian population than it had been previously. A significant portion of the Italian population has relocated to the suburbs northwest of Toronto, including the cities of Vaughan, King, and Caledon.
This neighborhood’s history may be traced back to the borders of glacial Lake Iroquois, which formed the Davenport Bluffs during the last Ice Age and dug out a path for ships to sail through. For more than 10,000 years, generations of families have made this place their home. Corso Italia has acted as an entry point into Toronto for thousands of immigrants and newcomers to Canada since the eighteenth century.
Corso Italia is a thriving mixed neighborhood of young families, singles, and retired couples that has grown over the years. Despite the fact that fewer new immigrant families are settling in the neighborhood, more than three-quarters of the population is comprised of first- or second-generation immigrants. Today, Corso Italia is a neighborhood in transition, with a plethora of prospects for both existing and new residents alike. It continues to be a place of welcome and a place of belonging for everyone.
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