Bendale, also called Cedarbrae, is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Bendale is located in the eastern part of Toronto, Scarborough. Formerly the Borough of Scarborough, and later the City of Scarborough, it was merged with five other municipalities and a regional government to form the new "City of Toronto" in 1998.

A section of the neighbourhood is known as the "Ben Jungle", located north of Lawrence Avenue between McCowan and Bellamy Roads, where all the street names begin with Ben. Examples include:

• Benleigh and Benshire Drives
• Benfrisco, Benhur and Benorama Crescents
• Benadair and Benprice Courts
• Ben Stanton and Ben Doran Boulevards.

History

About 1799, David Thomson, and later his brother Andrew, built log homes on their 100 acre properties on the banks of the Highland Creek. Neither structures has survived, but David's son William built a fieldstone house in 1848, just north of the creek. To differentiate between himself and cousin also named William, David's son became known as "Stonehouse Willie". His house, renovated early this century, still stands at One St. Andrew's Road at Brimley. Andrew's son James built a brick house in 1840 overlooking a field and spring-fed creek. He became known locally as "Springfield Jimmie". A daughter, Agnes, married the famed Alexander Muir, composer of the Maple Leaf forever. Springfield Farmhouse is located just west of McCowan Road on the north side of St. Andrew's Road.

Between the two Thomson homes, on the south side of St. Andrew's Road, stand St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, the sexton's house, and the Scarborough Centennial Memorial Library. All five of these 19th century buildings have been designated under the terms of the Ontario Heritage Act.

In 1819, on land donated by the Thomson family, St. Andrew's Church was erected, later to be replaced in 1848 by the present brick church. The church's cemetery has burial monuments of many of Scarborough's early settlers including many of the Thomsons. Nearby the church, Scarborough's first public library was founded in 1834. The original frame library building was replaced in 1896 as a Centennial project. The old Canadian Northern Railway bisected the Thomson farms from 1910 until 1917 when the line went bankrupt. Parts of the old railway right-of-way and its embankment, can still be found in the area.

The community was initially given the Scottish name, Benlomond, in 1878, when a post office opened on the south-west corner of what is now Lawrence Avenue and McCowan Road in William Forfar's General Store. However, as that name was already in use elsewhere, in close proximity to Scarborough, the post office was formally renamed Bendale in 1881. The name refers to topography of the area, the hills and valley which make up this part of Scarborough. A major business in the area was John P. Wheler's Grist and Saw Mill, on Bellamy Road just south of Lawrence Avenue.

While the post office closed in 1913 as rural mail delivery was introduced to Scarborough, the name Bendale has been used in three schools, a library, a church, a senior citizens apartment and several businesses, as well as the Bendale and North Bendale communities.

The southern part of David and Mary Thomson's farm now forms a permanent community facility known as Thomson Memorial Park to honour their contributions.
 

Schools in the area include:

Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6

(Public) Bendale Jr., 61 Benshire Dr., (416) 396-6045

(Public) North Bendale Jr., 29 Aveline Cres., (416) 396-6495

(Public) Donwood Park Jr., 61 Dorcot Ave., (416) 396-6201

(Public) Hunters Glen Jr., 16 Haileybury Dr., (416) 396-6430

Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8

(Public) St. Andrews Jr., 60 Brimorton Dr., (416) 396-6545

(Public) Edgewood, 230 Birkdale Rd., (416) 396-6215

Grade 7 to Grade 8

(Public) Charles Gordon Sr., 25 Marcos Boulevard, (416) 396-6130

Grade 9 to Grade 12

(Public High school) Bendale P.T.I, 1555 Midland Ave., (416) 396-6695

(Public High School) David and Mary Thompson C.I., 2740 Lawrence Ave.,W. (416) 396-5525

(Catholic) St. Victor, 20 Bernadine St., (416) 393-5338

*** To find the specific school that serves your residential address for regular
programs, use the TDSB Street Guide .***