*Public Service Announcement*- Spadeena, Not Spadeyena

Okay so I need to clear up something that has been confusing this city for ummm approximately a century. This matter has even tested one of my great friendships (thankfully, we were able to get past it- but my friend still insists he's right. He's wrong.)...a Toronto thoroughfare most of us are ever so familiar with- Spadina Rd.-has been mispronounced essentially since its inception.

 

A little background- William Warren Baldwin named his country house "Spadina", derived from the Huron espadinong, which translates as "sudden rise of land" (the house was located on the Davenport Hill). The property was eventually purchased by James Austin, founder of the Dominion Bank (now TD). Austin tore down the existing house and built a larger, more luxurious manor- the present Spadina House (albeit now with some additions and alterations).

Spadina House

ANYWAY, eventually Austin decided to sell much of the land surrounding his house, including a generous amount of the southern portion of his estate. He divided his land into separate plots, and constructed a road leading from the hill all the way to downtown- he named it Spadina Road.

Traditionally, the wealthier, more educated populace resided in the Annex, north of Bloor (think Timothy Eaton), while the lumpen workers resided south of Bloor. Those living on Spadina north of Bloor knew to pronounce the street "SpadEEna", while the simple, impoverished masses simply looked at the word and thought "oh, it's SpadEYEna."

So here's the deal...it has become acceptable to call Spadina south of Bloor "Spadeyena", and north of Bloor "Spadeena". I would like to recommend, however, that from now on we all pronounce the street in its entirety SpadEEna- please, for your own sake, don't catch yourself following in the footsteps of those lumpens of years past.

...Confused?

ALSO: please visit the Spadina Historic House Museum!!