Cliffside was formerly known as Mortlake, in reference to an English hamlet outside London. The Mortlake name came into use with the opening of a post office in the Halfway House Hotel, which was situated on Kingston Road. This hotel was moved in 1962, and now assumes a prominent role in Toronto’s historic Black Creek Pioneer Village, located at 1000 Murray Ross Parkway. 

An enduring Cliffside landmark is the St. Augustine Seminary, which opened in 1910. St. Augustine was the first Canadian seminary for the training of English-speaking clergy. This large edifice, with its Beaux Arts style architecture and soaring dome, is a powerful visual landmark on Kingston Road. 

In the early 1900’s, the land west of the St. Augustine Seminary began to evolve as a summer cottage community. The first year-round residences were built in the 1920’s at the south end of Chine Drive. These charming Arts and Crafts style houses set the tone for the present-day neighbourhood.

Cliffside houses were built mostly in the 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s. These houses include an eclectic mix of architectural styles including Tudor, Cape Cod, Edwardian, Craftsman style bungalows and newer, contemporary homes. 

Chine Drive south of Kingston Road is known for its fine collection of Tudor and Elizabethan style houses that are set back from the road in a forest like setting. Fishleigh Drive, located at the south end of this neighbourhood, offers homeowners magnificent views of Lake Ontario. 

Cliffside is an established, family-oriented neighbourhood located along Toronto’s eastern beaches, next to the majestic Scarborough Bluffs. It has many fine attributes including an appealing mix of older style houses, well treed streets, a vibrant shopping district located along Kingston Road and beautiful waterfront parks.