By Deborah Sacrob, NYHS Board member

 

There is a condominium development just south of Sunnybrook Hospital called Kilgour Estates. Joseph Kilgour owned Sunnybrook Farm. The first Provincial Plowing Match was held in 1913 at Sunnybrook Farm which happens to be the current site of Sunnybrook Hospital. In 1928 the Kilgour Estate deeded Sunnybrook Farm as a park to the City of Toronto. The park opened in September of 1928. It covered 380 acres of fields, woods and ravines and was a popular picnic ground.
The land was purchased by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs at a cost of fourteen million dollars. Sunnybrook Veterans’ Hospital opened there on September 26, 1946. It served the Canadian Armed Forces until 1966 when it was opened to the public.

Sunnybrook Park  (1930) – Toronto Public Library Digital Archives, photographer unknown