Snelgrove, Brampton Neighbourhood Guide: The Green Side of Brampton

This community has an excellent mixture of residences, commercial areas, and preserved parkland. The homes here are mainly spacious two-storey houses on generously sized lots. This neighbourhood is close to many grocery stores and plazas with a variety of stores. One of the highlights of living in Snelgrove is its proximity to several natural areas like Conservation Drive Park and Heart Lake Conservation Park. This is perfect for people who enjoy the outdoors or kids who need a place to play and explore. Another bonus of living in Snelgrove is nearby Highway 410, making it easy for residents to travel out of Brampton.

This community was a hamlet before it was incorporated into the city of Brampton in 1974. It was formerly known as Edmonton before a renaming by the Canadian Pacific Railway to avoid confusion with the city of the same name in Alberta. The Snell family were some of the first settlers in the area. They raised pigs and farmed along with other hamlet inhabitants. Before its incorporation into Brampton, the hamlet was part of Chinguacousy Township. This community was formed by a successful group of farmers who prospered throughout the 1800s. In 1974, Chingaucousy Township was divided between Brampton and Caledon.

One of the oldest buildings in Snelgrove is a church. Once known as Snelgrove Baptist Church, the building is now a Coptic Orthodox Church. The red-brick, Victorian-style building constructed in 1904 has a round window facing Hurontario Street and once had a bell tower. Many of the homes in Snelgrove are two-storey, detached houses with double garages and trees on the front lawn. Most of the homes have brick or stone facades and reflect a variety of architectural styles, such as Victorian and Georgian. The neighbourhood is marked to the north by Etobicoke Creek, a long and winding waterway extending into Conservation Drive Park to the southeast.

One of the closest museums to Snelgrove is the Great War Flying Museum northwest of the neighbourhood on McLaughlin Road. This museum has a collection of airplanes, period uniforms, personal letters, and artifacts from The Great War. There are five aircraft on display in the hangar, which includes a display recreating the experience of working as a plane technician from the early 1900s. Another museum close to Snelgrove is Historic Bovaird House. The Georgian-style farmhouse from the 1850s gives tours through its captivating rooms outfitted with original furniture and home decor. The tours are run by costumed guides who recreate the experience of living in the 19th century.

The nearest commercial area to Snelgrove is Mayfield Plaza at the intersection of Hurontario Street and Mayfield Road. This plaza has a Sobeys for groceries and several other stores, such as Shoppers Drug Mart and Wine Rack. The next closest shopping area is southeast of Hurontario Street near the intersection with Wanless Drive. Here you can find Global Pet Foods, Bulk Barn, Dollar Blitz, and Food Basics. Another store here is Got the Goods Nutrition where you can purchase nutritional supplements and health foods. Sandalwood Place is the closest mall to Snelgrove. This mall has most of Canada’s banks, a grocery store, and many other shops.

There are a handful of restaurants near Mayfield Plaza on Mayfield Road. One of these is Antica Osteria Italian Ristorante. This restaurant has a rustic, old-world feel and serves Italian favourites such as linguini, fettucini, pizza, and a variety of seafood. Next door, you will find Indian Delights, a takeout spot where you can order from a wide menu of curries, wraps, kebabs, and noodle dishes. Further down Mayfield Road, you will find Don’s Caribbean Jerk Restaurant, serving spicy plates of jerk chicken with rice and peas among other meals. Don’s is right next to Noodle To Go, a takeaway Chinese restaurant.

Conservation Drive Park is an expansive natural area encompassing a large portion of the Snelgrove community. This park has a winding trail running alongside Etobicoke Creek through wetlands and forests. The park has two baseball diamonds and a parking lot next to where it intersects with Conservation Drive. The trail running through this park, Etobicoke Creek Trail, extends past the northern border into Stafford Woods. Summer Valley is another natural area north of this park. It consists mainly of wetland and small ponds and features an extension of Etobicoke Creek Trail.

Heart Lake Conservation Park is another large natural space near Snelgrove where you can rent boats for fishing. This park also has a pool and a splash pad for cooling off in the hot summer months. The trails at Heart Lake Conservation Park are excellent for hiking, mountain biking, or walking your dog. The closest community centre to Snelgrove with recreational facilities is Southfields Community Centre. This building has a two-tank swimming pool, a fitness centre, an aerobics studio, and one of Caledon’s public libraries. The centre also has multi-purpose rooms with programs available for people of all ages.

The drive to downtown Toronto starts by accessing Highway 410 north of Snelgrove. Go south on the 410 for around 15 minutes before merging onto Highway 427. You will eventually hit an interchange where you will get onto the Gardiner Expressway. Follow the Gardiner for around 20 minutes and then exit off York Street. This will take you north into downtown Toronto. The route by public transit involves a bus ride from Snelgrove Community Centre to downtown Brampton where you will transfer onto the GO Transit system. Another bus ride will take you to Yorkdale Bus Terminal, from where you can ride the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line into downtown Toronto.

Far from the busy streets of downtown Brampton, this is a great place to raise a family, retire, or commute to downtown Toronto. The neighbourhood has large homes and is close to many natural spaces. There are also plenty of grocery stores in this area, and Sandalwood Place is only a short drive away for people who need more shopping variety. Southfields Community Centre is a modern building with plenty of recreational facilities as well as a public library. This area also has a great selection of restaurants including Italian, Caribbean, and Indian eateries.