Details of Site Location: On both sides of Old Kingston Road at Highland Creek west of the intersection of Military Trail and Morrish Road.
Boundary History: The Helliwell properties consisted of parts of two Farm Lots (each 200 acres), 7 and 8, Concession 1, Scarborough Township. The blocks adjoined each other at Highland Creek, both south and west of Old Kingston Road and the Old Danforth Road. The property began as 60 acres.
Current Use of Property: Much of it is parkland today, with part of it the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus.
Historical Description: Born in England in 1811, William Helliwell arrived in the Toronto region with his father in 1821. The Helliwell family settled at Todmorden and began a milling business. William’s father, Thomas, also purchased Lot 7, Concession 1 at Highland Creek. When fire destroyed the family’s mills at Todmorden in 1847, William purchased a block of 60 acres from his father’s land at Highland Creek. There he found the remains of an old dam that had been built by William Cornell. Helliwell built a grist mill on the south side of Kingston Road near the Highland Creek bridge. When it was destroyed by fire in 1880, it was replaced with a cider and chopping mill. Helliwell was an enterprising man determined to succeed. He built a hotel, founded a wharf company and built a wharf at Port Union, built a boat for shipping on the Great Lakes, and built a house for his huge family. Twice married, he had 17 children to support. He had built his house near one of his two mills, and when the complex was destroyed by fire, the Helliwells simply moved into the hotel. Other business interests were in a cooperage, a boot and harness shop, and oil drilling near one of his mills. Helliwell was a captain in the militia, a Justice of the Peace, a member of the township Council during the 1850 to 1862 period, and Fishery Commissioner for York County. In 1896 he served on the Scarborough Centennial Committee. In writing down the first history of Highland Creek, also wrote the first history of Scarborough. His first hotel was built in 1847, and the second in 1865. At the age of 53, William retired from politics, but carried on his various interests until his death in 1897. He was the primary influence on the development of Highland Creek, and his influence extended to Port Union.
Relative Importance: With his various business interests, William Helliwell provided the basis for Highland Creek’s development as well as much employment for the region. As one writer said, “William Helliwell was to Highland Creek what E.P. Taylor is to racing.” The fact that the railroads altered Highland Creek’s future takes nothing away from Helliwell’s accomplishments.