In 1847 following building of a wharf at the foot of Port Union Road, the Port Union area entered a golden age of growth as a shipping port. Arrival of the The Grand Trunk Railway in 1856 boosted the area as a shipping and rail hub. Port Union was born.
How Centennial got it’s name
Since much of the community planning and construction took place in 1967, many streets were named in honour of the 100th anniversary of Canada’s Confederation and recognize several of Canada’s 1867 Fathers of Confederation.
However, Centennial Road was actually named in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the death of John Wesley in 1891. Wesley founded the Wesleyan Methodist Churches and the “Centennial” Wesleyan church at Kingston Road and Centennial Road North was built in 1891. The church was named to honour its founder and Centennial Road named after the church.
In 1974 a municipal boundary change occurred whereby land west of the Rouge River was assimilated by Scarborough, the old Port Union was divided into Centennial, west of Port Union Road and West Rouge, east of Port Union Road. The Centennial community was named after it’s central north, south thoroughfare, Centennial Road.
About Centennial
Nestled south of Highway 401, east of Highland Creek, west of Port Union on the shores of Lake Ontario, the Centennial community is a wonderful place to live, work and play. It has a beautiful waterfront trail for walking and cycling, as well as an abundance of parks including Colonel Danforth Park, Adams Park, and the Port Union Village Common Park. There are also numerous hiking trails in the immediate area.
Riding of Scarborough–Rouge Park
The former federal riding of Pickering-Scarborough East was dissolved in 2012, new boundaries were drawn and Scarborough–Rouge Park was created. With a diverse population of 102,275 (according to the 2016 census), it stretches from Steeles Ave. in the north, to the Scarborough-Pickering border in the east, to Lake Ontario in the south, and Morningside Ave./Highway 401/Neilson Road/Rouge River in the west.
Scarborough–Rouge Park, which is also our provincial riding, includes the communities of Centennial, West Rouge, West Hill, Highland Creek, Morningside Heights and Rouge Park. The University of Toronto Scarborough is located here and so is the Toronto Zoo.
City of Toronto Ward 25
Municipally, Centennial is part of Ward 25 – Scarborough-Rouge Park, which covers the same area as our federal and provincial ridings. Details about our ward from the 2016 census can be found in the neighbourhood profile on the City of Toronto website.
Services and Organisations
The Port Union Community Centre is a wonderful recreation centre right in the heart of the Centennial community. Located at 5450 Lawrence Ave. East, this centre offers a wide variety of programs for ages ranging from pre-school to older adult. Fitness classes, art classes, dance classes, music classes – you name it, Port Union has it ! Talk about convenience, the Port Union library branch is located within the Port Union Community Centre. The building also has a fitness centre with change rooms, saunas, cardio equipment and free weights. For more information please call 416-396-4031.
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