85 Merrick St
85 Merrick St is in High Park-Swansea. There is 1 planning proposal within 250 m. Streetcars stop 96 m away.
Data as of Nov 8, 2026 · Every item lists its source
- 5 building permits in the last 5 years.
- 1 planning proposal within 250 m: one in progress.
- Streetcar 501 stop 96 m away; the nearest subway is 1.8 km.
- The nearest elementary school is Garden Avenue Junior Public School, 384 m away.
01What’s planned near 85 Merrick St
1 planning proposal within 250 m (about a 3‑minute walk): one in progress. That's about typical for Toronto (the typical address has 1).
In progress
- 1Garden suite81 Indian Rd · 223 m awayCommittee of Adjustment · Minor variance: permission to bend a zoning rule, such as height, size or setbacks
The hearing was postponed. A new date hasn't been published yet.
To alter the existing one-storey detached ancillary building (garage) by constructing a complete second storey addition (containing two parking spaces and storage on the ground floor with one garden suite on the second storey, the second…File A0725/26TEY · submitted Oct 15, 2026
Development Applications and Committee of Adjustment Applications, City of Toronto. A proposal that covers several addresses is listed once. Decided: development files submitted in the last 4 years; Committee of Adjustment decisions in the last 2 years.
02Safety near 85 Merrick St
Police recorded 71 major crimes within 500 m of this address from Oct 2025 to Sep 2026. That's more than at most Toronto addresses (the typical address has 40). The table compares the neighbourhood's rates with Toronto's.
| Major crime | Near this addressreported within 500 m, last 12 months | High Park-Swanseaper 100,000 residents, 2025 | Torontoper 100,000 residents, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assaults | 53 | 466 | 768High Park-Swansea is lower |
| Break-ins | 14 | 229 | 190High Park-Swansea is about the same |
| Car thefts | 2 | 89 | 225High Park-Swansea is lower |
| Robberies | 0 | 47 | 79High Park-Swansea is lower |
| Thefts over $5,000 | 2 | 23 | 61High Park-Swansea is lower |
Thick bar: High Park-Swansea. Thin grey bar: Toronto. Source: Toronto Police Service Public Safety Data Portal, Major Crime Indicators (Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026) and Neighbourhood Crime Rates. Reported incidents only; police place each incident at the nearest intersection. Five-year trends for High Park-Swansea
03Getting around from 85 Merrick St
The nearest subway station is Keele Station (Line 2), about a 28‑minute walk (1.8 km). Within a 5‑minute walk there are 7 TTC stops served by routes 501, 504 and 80, with about 1,111 departures on a typical weekday. The nearest GO train station is Bloor GO, 1.8 km away, with 68 train stops on a weekday.
Source: TTC · Line 2 · about 28 min walk
Nearest stop: The Queensway at Glendale Ave - St Joseph's Health Centre, plus 2 more stops for this route within 250 m.
Nearest stop: Parkside Dr at The Queensway North Side, plus 2 more stops for this route within 250 m.
Nearest stop: Sunnyside Loop.
Source: GO Transit · 68 train stops on a weekday
TTC and GO Transit schedules for a typical weekday (Nov 11, 2026). Walking times are estimates.
04Schools and child care near 85 Merrick St
These are the closest public and Catholic schools by distance. They may not be the schools assigned to this address: school boards set their own attendance areas, so check with the Toronto District School Board or Toronto Catholic District School Board.
Elementary schools
Share of Grade 6 students meeting the provincial standard. Toronto: 87% reading, 54% math.
Secondary schools
Share of students who passed the Grade 10 literacy test on their first try. Toronto: 84%.
The red tick on each bar is the Toronto average. Private schools within 1 km: Mary Mother Of God School. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education (2026), EQAO results.
Within 500 m (about a 6‑minute walk): two licensed child care centres, no EarlyON centres, no privately owned public spaces and one shelter or respite site.
123 Glendale Ave · 51 spaces · toddler, preschool · in the $10-a-day program
225 Garden Ave · 193 spaces · toddler, preschool, kindergarten, school age · in the $10-a-day program · fee subsidies
Source: City of Toronto Licensed Child Care Centres and EarlyON Child and Family Centres.
05The building at 85 Merrick St
Source: Building Construction/Demolition Violations
5 building permits in the last 5 years, for 2 projects. Together they added 1 new home. For comparison, about 1 in 10 Toronto addresses had any permit in that time. Permits show work the City approved; they don't show work done without a permit.
Source: Building Permits · 5 on record
It isn't listed or designated on the City's Heritage Register.
Source: Heritage Register
Permit history: 2 projects from 5 permits
- Back Water Valve (Sewer only) · inspection · issued Jul 30, 2024
Proposal to install a backwater valve · Permit 24 188331 - Addition(s) · completed Oct 2, 2025
Proposed garden suite over existing garage, retaining wall repair and addition. · 4 permits in this project (such as building, plumbing and heating) · Permit 23 219551
06Around the block
Stays of less than 28 days, like Airbnb. That's more than at most Toronto addresses (the typical address has 2).
Houses that rent individual rooms with shared kitchens or bathrooms. The City licenses them to enforce safety standards.
Second Cup (take-out or food shop).
CONC West End Hotel Program (459 m).
Source: Short Term Rentals Registration, Multi-Tenant (Rooming) House Licences, Business Licences and Permits (storefront types; owners’ personal names are never shown), POPS, and Daily Shelter Occupancy (Nov 6, 2026). Confidential shelter locations are not published.
07Risks and environment at 85 Merrick St
TRCA's maps show this address is outside the areas that could flood from rivers in a major storm (TRCA plans for a storm like Hurricane Hazel in 1954) and outside lake shoreline hazards. Basement flooding from overloaded sewers can still happen anywhere in the city.
Source: TRCA Regulation mapping 2025
In postal area M6R, 7 of 472 home tap-water samples (1.5%) tested above Ontario's limit for lead (10 micrograms per litre). Across Toronto, 2.0% of samples did, so M6R is about the same as the city overall. Health Canada recommends a stricter limit of 5 micrograms per litre: 22 samples here (4.7%) were above it. These are voluntary tests, mostly from older homes, so they don't tell you about this house. Lead comes from old pipes and plumbing, not the City's treatment plants. If your home was built before the mid-1950s, you can get a free test kit by calling 311.
Source: Non Regulated Lead Sample · 472 tests, Jan 28, 2014 to Sep 15, 2026
Air Quality Health Index from Environment and Climate Change Canada's Toronto Downtown station, 5.9 km away, measured 5:00 PM EST Sunday 8 November 2026. Forecast high for the next 24 hours: 2 (low risk). The scale runs from 1 to 10+; 1 to 3 is low risk.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada · hourly
TRCA mapping is for screening, not site-specific decisions. Lead results are voluntary samples from homes in the postal area, not this address.
08The neighbourhood: High Park-Swansea
High Park-Swansea had 22,665 residents in 2021. The median household income was $101,000, higher than the typical Toronto neighbourhood ($85,000). 40% of households rent (typical neighbourhood: 46%). 38% of renters spend 30% or more of their income on housing. 26% of workers commuted by transit and 14% walked or cycled (typical neighbourhood: 26% and 5%). The most common first languages other than English and French are Polish (3.2%), Spanish (2.4%) and Russian (1.7%). Source: 2021 Census; the next census was taken in 2026.
In October 2025, the average rent for a two-bedroom in a purpose-built rental building in the former City of Toronto was $2,457, up 6% from a year earlier. Across Toronto: $2,055. 3.2% of these apartments were vacant. These are averages paid by all tenants, including long-term ones, across a large area; new listings usually cost more.
| Average rent, October 2025 | Central Toronto | Change in a year | Toronto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,526 | +2% | $1,499 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,914 | +4% | $1,763 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,457 | +6% | $2,055 |
| 3 bedrooms or more | $3,195 | 0% | $2,361 |
Source: CMHC, Rental Market Survey (October 2025), purpose-built rental apartments, central Toronto (the old City of Toronto, before the 1998 amalgamation). CMHC doesn’t publish rents for single neighbourhoods. Adapted by My Address in Toronto.
How High Park-Swansea compares with Toronto’s 158 neighbourhoods →Archive photos from near this address: myaddressintoronto.com/address/85-merrick-st#sec-history
