Illustration: Marlena Zuber

The Bain Co-operative is a charming enclave of low-rise buildings, nestled in the heart of Riverdale. The apartments, originally named Riverdale Courts, were built between 1913 and 1925 by the Toronto Housing Authority, an organization of local philanthropists, businessmen and politicians. The Bain was designed in the Arts and Crafts style by Ralph Eden Smith, an architect of numerous churches, libraries and private homes throughout the city. The layout of the property was greatly influenced by the Garden City movement, which began in England as a response to the over-crowded and unhealthy conditions of working-class housing. A key concept of the movement was the inclusion of green space into urban areas through proper site planning.

Walking along the narrow sidewalks that connect the property's many courtyards, it’s easy to feel as though you have stepped into an earlier time. Flowers spill onto sidewalks, cats lounge on stairways, clotheslines arch from balcony to balcony, and grand trees tower above. Yards are small, and residents share the common spaces. Much of the Bain's appeal is in the colourful gardens that grace the courtyards, a result of the hard work of committed members. The success of their work cannot be overstated considering that for the first seven decades, the courtyards were almost entirely grass with only the occasional tree. It is its eccentricity, enlivened by its human, animal, and plant residents that make the Bain such an inviting place to live and visit.

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Tour stops

1. 1White pine memories
2. 2The silent sentinels
3. 3Towering Carolina poplar
4. 4Staghorn sumac with tire
5. 5The Healthy House
6. 6Golden weeping willow
7. 7The uninvited guests
8. 8The next generation
9. 9More dangerous than it looks
10. 10A wind-seeded Siberian elm
11. 11Bigger is not always better
12. 12American elm against the wall
13. 13Pagoda dogwood
14. 14The travelling redbud
15. 15One man's weed . . .

Contributors

Writing: Todd Irvine

Photography: Michael Pereira

Local history provided by: Dagmar Baur, Helen Mills, Terry Fahey

Community Partners

Bain Apartments Co-operative