The History of Koreatown

The story of Toronto’s Korean community weaves back to the history of Canadian religious missions to Korea, led by Canada’s largest religious and cultural institutions, the United Church of Canada and the Presbyterian Church of Canada.  The formation of the first Canadian Christian missions in Korea after a period of war and unrest established the foundation for the eventual migration of Koreans to Canada.  The first half of the twentieth century proved largely unstable for the Korean people due to the Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945 and then World War II. The Canadian missionaries were viewed as a source of stability during this time.

Several years after the end of World War II, a mission-sponsored student became the first permanent Korean immigrant in Canada. Many other students followed in his footsteps. In addition to these students, a small number of independent immigrants from Korea made their way to Toronto by the 1960s who were, directly or indirectly, missionary connected people. The mass Korean immigration to Canada in the late 1960s and early 1970s was encouraged and initiated by this early group of Korean immigrants who were referred to as “the Canadian Christians.” In 1966, about one hundred Koreans had settled in the Toronto area, but a year later the community had more than doubled in size; this was the largest group of Koreans in Canada at the time.  The Alpha Korean United Church was formed in 1967, and became a key centre of community and faith.

This earlier community had its origin in the missionary experience, but the later mass migration included Koreans of a broader range of backgrounds. The president of the Korean Canadian Association of Toronto estimated that around ten thousand Koreans lived in the Toronto area in 1975. The emergence of a visible Korean neighbourhood on Bloor can be traced back to approximately this same time period.

The adoption of a more liberal immigration policy by the Canadian government in 1967 led to an influx of Korean immigrants, many of whom settled in the Toronto area. Many of them settled in the Bloor and Bathurst area, with a small Korean business neighbourhood developed along Bloor Street, centred on the intersection of Bloor and Manning Avenue. Restaurants, bakeries, gift shops, grocery stores, and travel agencies began to open up, most of which catered to the Korean-Canadian community 

Many of the original Korean immigrants began moving away from the city and into North York, and new immigrants seemed to follow them.

Willowdale has become known for its Korean population, and a stretch of Yonge St. between Sheppard and Finch is now commonly known as Koreatown North.

While Koreatown might not be the same as it was back in the 1970s, it still remains a great display of Korean culture.

Koreatown Today

Over the next few years, some say this area will become the next it spot. In fact, hints of this are already popping up with hipster restaurants, coffee shops, bars and board game cafes.  

What drives the gentrification of this area most is the massive redevelopment of Honest Ed’s and Mirvish Village. This large piece of land was purchased several years ago and construction is well underway here. You can expect this corner to revitalize with 800 new rental units, parkettes, restaurants, galleries, and shopping. This will no doubt be a game changer for the entire area.  

On the other end of Koreatown towards the west is Christie Pitts. The large park has ice rinks, baseball diamonds, and a community centre. Christie Pitts is also home to the Toronto Maple Leaf Baseball Club and an outdoor film festival of critically acclaimed short films. Some believe that Christie Pitts has the potential to become the next Trinity Bellwoods Park. As the area continues to gentrify with greater density, expect to see more people looking to take advantage of one of the city’s most underrated parks.

The Future of Koreatown

As the city begins to encourage mid-rise residential development along downtown transit corridors, it is anticipated that this pocket of Bloor will be getting a lot more attention from the development community.

Five years from now, Koreatown is going to look and feel a lot different than it does today. With greater density, gentrification and better retail, higher real estate prices will inevitably follow.

Koreatown Real Estate

With the Annex to the South and Seaton Village to the North, some of the most beautiful and sought-after residential streets in Toronto surround the short span on Bloor. Running directly above the Bloor West subway line and Koreatown bookended by Bathurst and Christie subway stops, this area is highly accessible and central. In fact, it’s far more so than Ossington, Parkdale, and Dundas Street West.