The camp ceased operations after the summer of 1993. In 1995, the city demolished many of the camp buildings and features.
The pools were excavated and removed rather than filled in.
The following buildings were demolished:
Kitchen, Outdoor Patio, Nurse’s Building, Locker Room, all pool buildings, all cabin buildings – except one in each unit area, Garages, Jr. & Sr. A&C, Pottery, Photography, Nature.
The following features were demolished:
All treehouses, all playground equipment (except one swing set in the Muppet area) Mini-Golf. the Tennis and Basketball Courts, Outdoor Stage, Baseball Fence.
Remaining Buildings & Features:
Both A-Frames, commando course, paddleball wall, 3 cabin buildings
By 1990, when these photos were taken, the pools were showing their age. Each year there were repairs required to the concrete structure. Since the pools were not covered during the winter they had to be drained and cleaned each spring. Most years the pools were also painted.
The photos below show the pools in spring 1990 and the work required to prepare them for the summer.
2017 Note: This page started as a small reference to the plaza where Bathurst Manor / Forest Valley Day Camp purchased many daily supplies. It has developed into what appears to be the only comprehensive source of information about the plaza.
History
A frequent destination for camp purchases, Bathurst Manor Plaza (a.k.a. Wilmington Plaza) was built in 1957 during the development of the area. Throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, it was a bustling community destination with a wide variety of stores and services.
This sign introduced the plaza to the neighbourhood:
Opening Advertisement:
During Construction. The 2-storey south section and the Dominion (later Sunnybrook) store were built first. 1957:
Plaza 1957
Additional stores and a gas station were added in 1961:
1961 plaza
An addition was built in 1984:
1985 plaza addition
A third addition was added later for “Edith’s Fashions.” This building was spared from demolition in 2017 – likely to be used as a sales office for the new development:
The plaza was original referred to as “Bathurst Manor Plaza”. Later, it became know as “Wilmington Plaza”
Partial List of Stores
Abie’s Restaurant Ann Biederman Frocks Bagel Nook (The) Barber Shop (Roger Williams) Bathurst Manor Cleaners Bathurst Manor Food Centre Bathurst Manor Fruit Market Brody’s Jewelers Clover Printing and Labels Country Style Donuts (Kosher) Demi’s Restaurant Dollar Guys (Ali) Edith’s Fashions Fressor’s Restaurant Fagot’s Hardware (Later, Metro Hardware) Aby Moses & Family Fisherman’s Table Restaurant Focus Optical Gary’s Sports Cards GoGo Luggage & Leather Goodman’s China Hopedale Drugatieria (Later Shoppers Drug Mart) Fred Stall/Harvey Pearlston Isaac’s Bakery Israel’s Judaica King David Pizza (Uri Hazan) Knights of the Campus Boys Wear LCBO The Leather Mart Lisary Bags & Luggage Little Caesar’s (Before King David Pizza) Louis’ Bakery Man About Town (Alessandro DeRosa) Meat/Poultry Shop Optometrist P.F. Travel Rachel’s Catering Red Ruby Restaurant Ronit Originals – Unisex Italian Leather Fashions Shoe Repair Shoppers Drug Mart Sunny Gym Sunnybrook (formerly Dominion) Tony’s Hairstyling Toy Store Variety Store / Smoke Shop / Krivy’s Cigar Store Video Break Wilmington Convenience & Produce (Terry Kim)
Bathurst Manor Service Centre (Morris & Alex) Originally Shell. Later Pioneer. Owned by Mr. Pasternack
At one time, a guy named Rocco took care of the plaza.
Partial List of Office Tenants:
110 – 120 Overbrook Place
MCI Medical Clinics Dr. Irving Zelcer Dr. Harriet Train Dr. Alan Sandler Dr. Gerry Cohen Dr. May Cohen Dr. Grey Riaboy & Anic Engineering Ltd New Fraternal Jewish Association Terry Leuty Real Estate (Harold “Husky” Goldkind) Beth Meyer Overbrook Medical Centre
A video of the plaza. ca. 1990:
Advertising
A collection of ads from local newspapers.
April 9, 1987
December 6, 1974
December 5, 1975
Wed,12-07-16 8-26-39 PM
April 12, 1968
May 19, 1988
May 7, 1992
May 7, 1992a
May 11, 1989
September 18, 1986
September 15, 1988
October 12, 1989
May 7, 1987
September 26, 1985
Decline
Following the closure of Sunnybrook in the mid 1980s, business declined in the plaza. Many stores closed. Some new tenants moved in, but did not stay long. In the early 2000’s, major tenants like CIBC, LCBO, & Shoppers Drug Mart left the plaza. Without these core tenants to draw traffic, the remaining stores struggled to survive.
Photos from the 2000s:
The phone numbers for the 2 pay phones:
416-633-0711
416-633-0860
Closure In July, 2016, the plaza closed. It was boarded up in November 2016.
Several news articles about the closing.
Demolition
Demolition of the plaza began in February 2017. The building formerly used by Edith’s fashions (facing Wilmington) looks like it will be retained – likely to be used as a sales office for future development:
10 thoughts on “Bathurst Manor PlazaThe Most Comprehensive Historyon the Internet!”
LisaSo sad that this plaza couldn’t be revitalized and used by the community. It was just sitting around, decomposing for years. I’ll always have fond memories of Isaac’s Bakery and Sunnybrook. Reply
Michael GilbertMany great memories .. The convenience store for chocolate bars, drinks, comic books… Shoe store when I was in grade 6 PF Flyers running shoes with a free decoder ring ! The CIBC bank at the far end of the plaza .. Scar driving through the glass window ! The barber shop where I had brush cuts for the summer .. Also a stick of wax to stick up the front hairs .. Fagot & Sins Hardware. The drug store where Mr.Fred Stall was the pharmacist . Rides in the parking lot ! Wow so many memories !Reply
Phillip PearlstonThe drug store was Hopedale Drugatieria. Fred Stall and my father Harvey Pearlston were partners. Shoppers took over the store after they bought out Hopedale.Reply
MelDo you have any photos of Sunnybrook Food Mart? Such fond memories. Sad to see it boarded up, I truly wish it had been maintained and revitalized for the community.Reply
DaveA few to add to the list:– Fressor’s Restaurant – Gary’s Sports Cards (originally on the corner of the 80s section facing Sunnybrook, then moved into a larger space by the Focus Optical) – Little Caesar’s (only for about a year in mid-90s, before King David moved in) – Also, whatever that video store was that faced the Wilmington side of the 80s section for many years. Wasn’t video break but I’m totally drawing a blank.Memories: – Watching cartoons in a little coin-operated booth near the checkout at Sunnybrook – Candy, baseball cards and stickers from the Cigar Store – The elevator music. Oh, the elevator music. All day, every day.Reply
Marty RosenThe store list is not a list without the Red Ruby Resturant. Oh the memories, few of which I would dare share in a public forum. Reply
VitoThere was also Abie’s restaurant in the late 70’s. Among, the regular Canadian style menu, they also served Falafels, hummus, techina(tahini), etc.Reply
Vito……P.s., Hopedale drug mart in the early 70’s before becoming SDM.Reply
Lynda Frappier (Ross)Remembering the amazing pizza bagels at louis’ bakery, the midway that would herald the arrival of spring, “spinny” lusthouse who worked at the gas station (RIP), the old shoe store between Dominion and Fagot’s hardware store. Good times.Reply
Forest Valley provided clean white towels to campers for each swim – twice daily. Keeping these towels clean was a major endeavour. Laundry trucks made twice-daily visits to pick up and return towels.
Towels were given to campers before each swim and were to be placed into steel baskets after use. (below)
The maintenance staff collected the towels from the various locations and placed them into large bins for pick-up.
Brighton and Admiral were the laundry services used during the 70s and 80s:
Lisa
Michael Gilbert
Phillip Pearlston
Mel
Dave
Marty Rosen
Vito
Old Guy
Lynda Frappier (Ross)
Forest Valley Day Camp 1956 - 1993 
