A farming hamlet developed by 1870 at the crossroads of Finch Avenue and Weston Road, named Dayton. A Dayton railway station at Finch Avenue and a Dayton post office were opened around that time. It was changed to Emery. One reason suggested for the change was to avoid confusion with Dayton, Ohio.[1] By 1960, the area started being converted to urban uses, as part of North York.
The neighbourhood has since developed into a suburban low-density neighbourhood primarily consisting of semi-detached homes, although some high-rises on the southwest corner of Finch and Weston Road were also built. On the south-east corner is site of the former Finch West Mall. There is an industrial area along the rail lines, extending east to Highway 400.
TCDSB does not operate a secondary school in the neighbourhood, with TCSDB secondary school students residing in Humbermede attending institutions in adjacent neighbourhoods. The French first language public secular school board, Conseil scolaire Viamonde, and it separate counterpart, Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir also offer schooling to applicable residents of Humbermede, although they do not operate a school in the neighbourhood. CSCM and CSV students attend schools situated in other neighbourhoods in Toronto.
Demographics
Humbermede is ethnically one of the most diverse neighbourhoods in Toronto, with one of the highest proportions of Latin Americans in Canada.
Italics indicate neighbourhoods now defunct. For information on the evolution of each neighbourhood in general, see History of neighbourhoods in Toronto.