Summary
The Great Western Railway was built through the south end of Parkdale in 1855 while its branch line to Toronto was nearing completion. A station was not built here initially, but the growing population of Parkdale prompted the Great Western to do so over two decades later in November 1879. It was located at the foot of Close Avenue halfway between Jameson and Dunn Avenue. It was a small rectangular structure with a pair of gables at its west end, a Jerkinhead roof at its east end and a large chimney protruding from the top. Unfortunately, the lack of up-close images of this station make it difficult to determine the minute details of its architecture. The Great Western Railway was acquired by the Grand Trunk Railway in 1882. A total of ten trains stopped at South Parkdale on a daily basis by 1888, eight of which were Toronto-based suburban trains.
During the early 1900’s the Grand Trunk sought to eliminate a steep hill near South Parkdale as part of a project to widen the right-of-way from two tracks to four. The result would be that several roads nearby would pass over the rails instead of crossing them at grade, which had the added benefit of increased safety for pedestrians. This project would involve the closure of two stations, South Parkdale and Swansea, with a new station opening halfway between them at Sunnyside as a replacement for both. The project was approved by Toronto City Council on December 8th, 1909 and work began the following year. A temporary station at South Parkdale was built on the opposite side of Jameson along Springhurst Avenue in 1911, and the former Great Western station was closed to the public on December 1st of that year. It was subsequently demolished to make way for a deep trench where the new tracks were to be laid. The temporary station remained open until service was moved to yet another temporary station at Sunnyside in 1912.
The earliest known photo of South Parkdale Station, as seen from Dunn Avenue looking west on October 6th, 1904. The station is the small building at about center frame. Courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives. 
This image from August 4th, 1910 shows the station when looking east from Jameson Avenue. The photographer is standing on the crossing, which was supervised by the watchman seen in the tower on the right. Courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives. 
This photo from February 9th, 1911 provides a slightly closer view when looking west, seen just before the station’s demise. Courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives. 
This closeup image shows the temporary South Parkdale Station not long after opening to passengers. Courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives. 
The dramatic difference between the old and new grades is evident in this image dated June 28th, 1911, showing the temporary station at left. Courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives.
Condensed Station Info:
| Location: | Served By: | Current State: | Date Built: | Date Demolished: |
| Jameson Avenue and Springhurst Avenue | Great Western (1879 – 1882) Grand Trunk (1882 – 1911) | Demolished | 1879 (First) 1911 (Second) | 1911 (First) 1912 (Second) |