Public Notice

IN THE MATTER OF THE ONTARIO HERITAGE ACT

R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER O.18 AND

CITY OF TORONTO, PROVINCE OF ONTARIO

39 WYNFORD DRIVE

(ENTRANCE ADDRESS 41 WYNFORD DRIVE)

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO DESIGNATE THE PROPERTY

TAKE NOTICE that Council for the City of Toronto intends to designate the property, including the lands, buildings and structures thereon known municipally as 39 Wynford Drive (entrance address 41 Wynford Drive) under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.O.18, as amended, as a property of cultural heritage value or interest. 

Reasons for Designation 

Description

The property at 39 Wynford Drive is located on the southeast corner of Wynford Drive and Gervais Drive one block northeast of Eglinton Avenue East and Don Mills Road in the Flemingdon Park neighbourhood. The property contains a 4-storey International-Style commercial office building constructed in 1962 and expanded in 1967.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value 

Design and Physical 

The property at 39 Wynford Drive has design and physical value as a representative example of an International Style commercial office building. Its rectangular plan, flat roof, deep soffits, taut plane exterior walls comprised of full height glazing and panels, and lack of applied ornamentation are hallmarks of the International Style, expressing volume over mass with a clear articulation of structure and proportional relationships.

Historical and Associative

The property at 39 Wynford Drive has value for its direct association with the development of Flemingdon Park as an entirely Modernist master planned community. This is reflected through its Modernist design and deep setbacks from Wynford Drive and Gervais Drive.  

The property has further historical and associative value because it contributes to an understanding of the historical development of Flemingdon Park as an entirely Modernist master planned community. Located within the Flemingdon Park Industrial Area, its International Style design, set back from Wynford Drive on a large, landscaped lot, reflect the community’s development while providing evidence of the original character of the Industrial Area. 

The property also has value for its association with both Peter Dickinson Associates (1958-1961) and the Webb Zerafa Menkes Housden Partnership (WZMH Architects). Founded by prominent Modernist architect Peter Dickinson (1925-1961), during its existence Peter Dickinson Associates was one of Toronto’s most important proponents of Modernism. Founded by four of Peter Dickinson’s associates after his death in 1961, WZMH Architects would complete 39 Wyndford in 1962 and design the 2-storey addition in 1967. WZMH also designed the 1966 Shell Canada building at 75 Wynford Drive and the Bell Canada building at 100 Wynford Drive. One of Canada's leading architectural firms and a leading proponent of Modernism in the 1960s and 1970s, WZMH Architects has contributed many significant buildings to Toronto and Canada. The property’s International Style design exemplifies both firms masterful understanding of Modernist architectural design.

Contextual

Prominently located at the wide curve in Wynford Drive, property at 39 Wynford Drive is important in defining, supporting, and maintaining the Modernist master-planned character along Wynford Drive between Don Mills Road and the Don Valley Parkway. 

Constructed in 1962 as one of the earliest properties in the Flemingdon Park Industrial Area, the property is physically, functionally, and historically linked to its surroundings. This linkage is enhanced by the property’s International Style design which responded to the Modernist design requirements that were part of the master plan for Flemingdon Park as well as its visually prominent location along the broad curve in Wynford Drive.

Heritage Attributes

Design or Physical Value

The following heritage attributes contribute to the design and physical value of the property at 39 Wynford Drive:

• The scale, form, and massing of the structure, including the 1967 2-storey addition, with its rectangular plan, 4-storey height, deep soffits, and flat roof with wide fascia and stepped-back mechanical penthouse
• The exterior walls with their pattern of full height glazing and solid panels 
• The raised offset double entrance on the principal (north) elevation accessed from Wynford Drive 
• The setback, placement and orientation of the building within the landscaped property

Contextual Value 

The following heritage attributes contribute to the contextual value of the property 39 Wynford Drive:

• The scale, form, and massing of the structure, including the 1967 2-storey addition, with its rectangular plan, deep soffits, and flat roof with wide fascia and stepped-back mechanical penthouse
• The exterior walls with their pattern of full height glazing and solid panels 
• The raised offset double entrance on the principal (north) elevation accessed from Wynford Drive 
• The setback, placement and orientation of the building within the landscaped property
• The view west along Wynford Drive of the principal (north) and east elevations of 39 Wynford Drive at the curvature in the road
• The view east from Gervais Drive of the principal (north) and west elevations of 39 Wynford Drive 

Notice of Objection to the Notice of Intention to Designate

Notice of an objection to the Notice of Intention to Designate the Property may be served on the City Clerk, Attention: Registrar Secretariat, City Clerk's Office, Toronto City Hall, 2nd Floor West, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2N2.; Email: RegistrarCCO@toronto.ca within thirty (30) days of August 4, 2026, which is September 3, 2026. The notice of objection to the Notice of Intention to Designate the Property must set out the reason(s) for the objection and all relevant facts.

Getting Additional Information:

Further information in respect of the Notice of Intention to Designate the Property is available from the City of Toronto at:

https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.PH32.14.