The Old Toll Gate House

Photos by Alan L Brown - Posted September, 2006

Time to pay that toll! Yes, many of early Toronto's streets had toll houses. Money raised was used to pay for improvements to the road. This 1998 plaque, erected by the York Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee on the south side of Dundas Street West just east of Scarlett Road, gives us some information:

Plaque coordinates: 43.665489 -79.498218

Established as a toll road under the Turnpike Act of 1833, this road, now Dundas Street, was the primary route for commerce and stage coach travel between Toronto and South Western Ontario. Money paid by travellers was to pay for the upkeep of the road.

This was the site of Toll Gate House number Five.

Tolls were charged for each horse and rider, hog, cow or sheep driven along the road, and each wagon depending on the load and whether drawn by one horse or two. There was no charge for funerals or going to church on Sunday and no toll for the military.

vehicle drawn by one horse 1 pence
vehicle drawn by two horses 1½ pence
20 sheep or 20 hogs ½ pence
horse and rider or led horse ½ pence

Located here from 1857, the toll gate house was subsequently used as a dwelling unit until it was demolished in 1858 to make way for a gas station.

Related web page
Dundas Street

More
Transportation
York plaques

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