History of Neighbourhoods in Toronto - Postal Districts

Postal Districts

By the 1920s, most the neighbourhoods of old Toronto had been established. In a non-comprehensive list a 1925 writer to the Toronto Star listed Rosedale, Riverdale, Parkdale High Park, Junction, Danforth, Earlscourt, Wychwood, Willowvale, North Toronto, Beach, and Leaside. All of these neighbourhoods are still commonly used today, with the exception of Willowvale, which is now known as Christie Pits, the name of the park it surrounds having been changed the same way.

In 1925, the Post Office divided Toronto into ten postal zones (see map), in an effort to facilitated mail sorting in an era before postal codes. There was no obligation to use the zone numbers, and were originally not widely adopted. After the Second World War, the zone numbers did begin to be used extensively. The postal districts became one of the primary ways of dividing up the city. Residents frequently described themselves as living in Toronto 2 or Toronto 10. The system was retained until 1971, with gradual modification. New zones were added as the city expanded outwards and downtown zones were subdivided as the number of homes and businesses in the core increased. By 1966, the urban areas of the city were covered by 19 zones, while more distant areas had one-letter codes, such as R for Rexdale and W for Willowdale.