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Danforth

The Danforth is the Toronto neighbourhood surrounding Danforth Avenue, east of the Don Valley. Danforth Street is one of the most important commercial streets in Riverdale and has, since the 1960s, increasingly been associated with Toronto's Greek population. This has been in large part due to the popularity of the the "taste of the Danforth" annual festival which is organized by the Danforth's Greektown Business Association and is, according to their website, the largest street festival in Canada.

Greek immigrants have come to Canada for much of the 20th century but their numbers increased most significantly after World War Two up until the early 1970s. When they arrived in Toronto these mid-century Greek immigrants often worked long hours at low-wage jobs. These types of jobs were prevalent in the Riverdale area as were Greek Orthodox churches inspiring many new immigrants to settle in the area. Some were able to start their own businesses as a means to improve their situation and many decided to locate on the Danforth.



Elizabeth Gillan Muir, Riverdale: East of the Don (Toronto: Dundurn, 2014)

Taste of the Danforth Website: http://tasteofthedanforth.com/about/