I’m Peter Sigurdson of PeterSigurdsonRealEstate.com, and I sell homes in Bendale, Cedarbrae, and every leafy street off Lawrence East and McCowan because I love this corner of Scarborough.
This black-and-white photo — the one from the “Scarborough, Looking Back…” group — stops me in my tracks every time. 1953. A two-lane dirt road. The little frame Bendale Post Office on the south side. Trees so thick you can’t see the future. And directly across, the empty field where Scarborough General Hospital would open in 1956.
I’ve walked that exact spot with buyers a thousand times. Today it’s six lanes of humming traffic, the hospital’s circular tower rising like a sentinel, strip plazas, townhouse rows, and — coming soon — the brand-new Lawrence & McCowan subway station.
How did we get here? Come with me. I’ve gathered eight “avatars” — ordinary people who could have lived right here, decade by decade — to tell the story in their own words. Their hopes, their gripes, the municipal drama, the economic waves, the shifting faces on the street. This is the living history of the neighbourhood I’m proud to call home.
1950s – Evelyn Hargrove, 29, farmer’s daughter turned hospital aide
“I still can’t believe Lawrence Avenue is paved. In ’53 it was dust in summer, mud in spring, and the post office was just a little white clapboard box where we picked up mail and gossip. When the Sisters of Misericorde bought twenty-five acres across the road for $30,000 and opened Scarborough General in ’56, it felt like the future had landed. No more driving to Toronto General for a broken arm!
Metro Toronto formed in ’54 and suddenly we had proper roads and sewers. Veterans were buying lots, builders were hammering bungalows overnight. We were still mostly English and Scottish families who’d been here since the 1790s, but you could feel the change coming — cars, babies, optimism you could taste. My only complaint? The dust on my uniform every time the wind blew east!”
1960s – Jack & Mary Sinclair, young parents in a brand-new split-level
“1962. We paid $14,900 for our three-bedroom on a brand-new crescent off McCowan. Lawrence was four lanes now, lined with brand-new plazas. The hospital added its round tower in ’68 and suddenly Bendale had the best emergency care in the east end.
Scarborough became a borough in ’67 — we fought hard for that. We wanted our own council, our own voice. Economy was roaring: GM, de Havilland, every dad had a lunch pail and a mortgage. Saturday nights we’d pile the kids in the station wagon and cruise to the new A&P or the drive-in.
Neighbourhood still felt small-town — one Chinese family, one Italian — but the kids at school were starting to speak different languages at recess. We called it progress.”
1970s – Rajesh “Raj” Patel, 34, new immigrant & corner-store owner
“I arrived from Uganda in ’73 via England. We rented the apartment above the variety store at Lawrence and McCowan — the same corner where that old post office once stood. The store became our life.
Scarborough Town Centre opened in ’73 just up McCowan — suddenly we had Eaton’s and The Bay ten minutes away! But the oil crisis hit, gas lined up around the block, and hydro bills doubled. Still, we worked seven days a week and bought our first house in ’78.
Official multiculturalism policy in ’71 meant we weren’t the only “new” faces anymore — Tamil, Greek, Portuguese families everywhere. The old-timers were lovely, but some grumbled about “too many accents.” We just smiled and kept the store open late. This country gave us a second chance.”
1980s – Aisha Khan, 17, high-school student & future nurse
“The Scarborough RT opened in ’85 and Lawrence East station was our station. I could take the rocket to Kennedy and be downtown in under an hour — mind-blowing!
My family moved from Guyana in ’82. By then Bendale was half new Canadians. The hospital was hiring like crazy; I knew I’d be a nurse there one day.
But the 1981-82 recession was brutal — Dad lost his factory job for eighteen months. Still, we planted roses, joined the mosque on McCowan, and watched the neighbourhood bloom. Strip malls filled with roti shops, dim sum, and Caribbean bakeries. The old farm fields were gone; in their place, townhouses and low-rise apartments. Scarborough felt like the future.”
1990s – Michael O’Reilly, 42, Scarborough city councillor & dad
“Early ’90s recession hit hard. Empty storefronts, “For Sale” signs. But by ’95 the tech and service economy kicked in and houses started moving again.
Then came the big one: 1998 amalgamation. We fought it tooth and nail. “Megacity” they called it. We lost our own city hall, our own police board, our identity. A lot of us felt Toronto proper looked down on us as “the suburbs with the bad transit.”
Yet the hospital kept expanding, Lawrence kept widening, and the demographic tide kept turning — by the end of the decade South Asian and Chinese families were the majority in many blocks. My kids grew up speaking three languages on the playground. I still miss the old Scarborough flag, but I’ll admit the services got smoother.”
2000s – Priya Sharma, 28, first-time homeowner & software tester
“Bought my townhouse in 2006 for $289,000 — laughed at how “cheap” Scarborough was compared to North York. The hospital was now part of the Scarborough Health Network; my aunt worked in the new cancer wing.
BlackBerry boom, then the 2008 crash — we survived. Lawrence was six lanes of traffic, but the 401 was two minutes away and the RT still ran (most days). Neighbourhood felt like the United Nations: Tamil temples, Filipino groceries, Afghan kabob houses.
Socially we were post-9/11 cautious but stubbornly hopeful. Pride in being “Scarberia” turned into quiet pride in being the most diverse corner of the city.”
2010s – Jamal Washington, 35, Uber driver & community association president
“Transit wars defined the decade. Rob Ford killed Transit City, promised subways, then we got years of studies and broken promises. The RT was breaking down constantly — my morning commute became a lottery.
Yet the neighbourhood kept densifying: new condos at Lawrence & McCowan, more townhouses, the hospital adding floors. Food scene exploded — best jamaican patties, Sri Lankan hoppers, and Korean fried chicken anywhere.
Demographically we were over 70% visible minority. Economically, many of us were working two jobs just to stay. But the community spirit? Unbreakable. Block parties, Diwali fireworks, Caribbean Carnival parades down McCowan.”
2020s – Sophia Chen, 31, remote worker & proud new mom
“Pandemic hit and suddenly everyone discovered Scarborough had space, backyards, and the hospital right here. I bought in 2021 — prices had jumped, but still half of downtown. Now the Scarborough Subway Extension is actually happening: the Lawrence & McCowan station will open steps from my front door.
My street looks like the United Nations daycare: strollers in every language. Lawrence is still busy, but the new bike lanes and coming LRT improvements feel like justice after decades of being last in line.
The old 1953 dirt road is unimaginable now, but I love that the hospital still stands as our anchor. This isn’t just a suburb anymore — it’s a city within the city, diverse, resilient, and finally getting the infrastructure it fought for.”
So why do I tell this story to every buyer?
Because when you purchase a home at Lawrence and McCowan, you’re not just buying four walls — you’re buying a front-row seat to one of Toronto’s greatest transformation stories. From Scottish post office to global village. From dirt road to subway stop. From “Scarberia” to Scarborough pride.
The quirks remain: the traffic, the endless municipal drama, the way the neighbourhood still feels like a collection of villages stitched together. But the energy? Electric. The value? Still unbeatable. The future? Bright.
If you want to raise your family where history meets opportunity — where the hospital that opened in 1956 now cares for your kids, and the subway station opening soon will whisk you downtown in minutes — let’s talk.
I’ve got listings in every style and price point, and I’ll walk the neighbourhood with you, pointing out where the old post office stood and where your future is being built.
Welcome to Lawrence & McCowan.
Welcome home.
— Peter Sigurdson
PeterSigurdsonRealEstate.com
Your Scarborough specialist since 2000
P.S. Save that 1953 photo. In twenty years your kids will ask what the intersection looked like “back then” — and you’ll be able to show them the before, the during, and the beautiful now.