Our History
The Beauty of Highland Creek
In the 1850's, Highland Creek was the largest residential and business centre in the former Township of Scarborough. Highland Creek was officially recognized as a community in 1852, when it was granted its own post office. Highland Creek also had its own school, Presbyterian, Catholic, and Methodist churches, and a number of general stores, blacksmith shops and hotels that catered to the travellers along Kingston Road.
During the depression merchants often had to wait for two months for money, and cash flow was difficult. Rationing of sugar, tea, butter, coffee, and meat came after the war in 1939, and Sundays were spent sticking hundreds of ration stamps to gummed sheets.
Highland Creek remained a rural farming community right up until the 1950's, when the present day neighbourhood was developed.
In the early 1970’s, as new housing developments sprang up, two ratepayers groups were formed in the Highland Creek community area. The East Highland Creek Community Association and the West Highland Creek Community Association, both being non-incorporated entities representing the eastern and western halves of the community, with Morrish Road being the dividing line.
In 1980, the East Highland Creek and West Highland Creek groups, recognizing that they had common goals and faced common challenges, merged to form the Highland Creek Community Association. The HCCA was incorporated in 1984 as a non-profit, non-shareholding Ontario corporation.
Highland Creek's historical landmarks include the "W.J. Morrish General Store," circa 1891, situated on Kingston Road, the third Highland Creek Public School, circa 1918, located on Military Trail, and the "Miller Lash/McLean Estate," circa 1914, which is situated on the University of Toronto's Scarborough College campus.
Morrish Store
At the corner of Meadowvale and Old Kingston Road is a beautiful old building. This was the finest store in the district when it was built in 1890 and owned by William J. Morrish. William was the first surviving son of John Morrish, who was born in Ohio. At the time, Highland Creek was a farming community and the Morrish building provided space for living, sales and storage. The Morrish business included hardware, dry goods, boots, shoes, farm machinery and groceries with flour, sugar, tea and salt being a small part of the business.
By 1914, William Morrish installed a fuel pump when the automobile started to replace the horse as a means of transport. This was the only pump between Toronto and Whitby. Gas was 17 cents a gallon. The retailer profited by 3 cents.
William turned the business over to his sons, Roy and Charles. William Morrish died in 1924. Roy left to open his own business and Stuart and Florence with their 3 children moved in and ran the store until 1967.
