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I suspect that picking the name might have been among the last acts of East York Council before amalgamation happened. I agree it's peculiar, given they were paying tribute to the entire municipality with a tiny stub of a street. But I suppose it was what was in front of them at the time.

Couldn't find any specific information, other than this retort from Michael Prue in the August 28, 1999 Toronto Star (it was kind of ignorant of Slinger not to know who Agnes Macphail was):

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City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
==========================================

News Release

May 2, 2017

Cultural Hotspot heats up East York and east-end neighbourhoods

From May through October, the City of Toronto's fourth annual Cultural Hotspot initiative will celebrate and spotlight the arts, artists, culture, food, events and communities of East York and east-end neighbourhoods.

"The Cultural Hotspot program entices residents and visitors to experience the diversity and vitality of neighbourhoods they may not already be familiar with," said Mayor John Tory.

Highlights of this year's Cultural Hotspot program include projects produced in partnership with local community arts groups, such as:

• three new summer community arts festivals: East End Arts' multi-day Main Squared Festival, Danforth Village Fair and the Monarch Park Arts and Music Festival

• Cultivating Community through Mural Arts, a large-scale community-engagement mural project bringing together seven East York groups led by VIBE Arts

• Project Future, an innovative and collaborative project combining permaculture gardening, eco-art installation and theatre led by local Indigenous and Black youth, produced with the Children's Peace Theatre

• exciting community workshops concluding in performances and exhibitions such as Animating Danforth East, Dance with Peacock, Riverside Roots, People and Trees, East York – A Living History

• My City My Six, a participatory public art project in celebration of Canada 150 produced by the City in collaboration with six Local Arts Service Organizations

• a HOT Eats culinary program and contest in collaboration with local BIAs and restaurants, and

• a new East York/east-end edition of the Cultural Loops Guide offering self-guided tours that invite people to continue exploring the area for years to come.

The Cultural Hotspot will hold its signature celebration on June 17 at the East York Civic Centre with performances and family events. Residents should consult the program guide for a full list of events.

More information and the program guide are available at http://www.toronto.ca/culturalhotspot and on social media at http://www.twitter.com/culturalhotspot and http://www.facebook.com/culturalhotspot.

Since the Cultural Hotspot's launch in 2014, more than 60,000 people have attended about 180 projects and events presented by the City and its many partners in North York, Etobicoke and south Scarborough. The program has also engaged hundreds of young people in learning and mentorship since its inception.

The Cultural Hotspot is produced by the City of Toronto in collaboration with local arts, cultural, educational and heritage organizations, community partners and local businesses. It builds on existing community strengths while developing resources outside of Toronto's downtown as recommended by the Creative Capital Gains Action Plan.

Quotes below are from councillors whose wards are part of this year's Cultural Hotspot:

“Ward 29 is thriving with cultural activities and venues. From the newly renovated grounds at the East York Civic Centre to the always dynamic and engaging events at Todmorden Mills and the Evergreen Brick Works. The ward also has very supportive arts, community and civic organizations who animate the area with programs, events and opportunities, like the Don Valley Art Club, DECA, East End Arts, and our valued public libraries. Ward 29 is also home to the second highest concentration of cultural workers in the city! I’m looking forward to the new projects by East York Neighbourhood Initiatives and VIBE Arts, Cosburn Arts Centre, Dreamation, inPrint Collective, Spore Contemporary Art Centre, and of course, the Cultural Hotspot launch at the East York Civic Centre on June 17.”
– Councillor Mary Fragedakis (Ward 29 Toronto-Danforth)

“Ward 30 is home to world-renowned artists and is an epicentre for cultural industries, including film, television and digital media. The new Streetcar Crowsnest Theatre serves the community as a theatre, arts facility and cultural hub. The Carlaw and Dundas area has been become an emerging area of culture and creativity. There are many other gems including local galleries, the Danforth Music Hall, the Opera House, the Riverdale ArtWalk, Red Sandcastle Theatre, the Arts Markets, and beautiful murals that animate our streets. Ward 30 is also home to Shakespeare in the Ruff and the Dusk Dances Festival in Withrow Park, the Beaches Jazz Festival along Queen St. East, the Festival of South Asia along Gerrard St. East, and of course Taste of the Danforth. Ward 30 has many wonderful hotspots for all to enjoy.”
– Councillor Paula Fletcher (Ward 30 Toronto-Danforth)

“I am so impressed by the exciting cultural events that seem to grow every year in the East York and Danforth area. We have so many talented people from all over the world who bring their ideas and creativity to our community. Visual art, music, theatre, dance - it’s all here, and it reflects the richness and diversity of our emerging and engaging arts community. Whether I’m attending a 'Danny' BIA music event in a park, watching a Children’s Peace Theatre production, attending a Bangla festival or taking in the East End Poetry Festival, East York has become a place where the arts and community have come together to create a dynamic home for the arts and its cultural workers. This summer, I’m excited to see so many local artists and arts organizations showcased to a wider audience through the Cultural Hotspot program. I look forward to seeing you there!”
– Councillor Janet Davis (Ward 31 Beaches-East York)

“I am thrilled to be hosting the Cultural Hotspot in the east end this year! Our vibrant communities of Ward 32 work hard to make their neighbourhoods a better place to live, work and play. Down at the beach, we have our annual Winter Stations, which ask local students and professional designers to re-envision lifeguard stands into public art installations. Further north, the Gerrard India Bazaar is home to our fantastic South Asian business community who host the annual South Asian Festival. In nearly all of our parks, we have community-led groups who bring together neighbours to animate parks with events and activities. The Danny is home to the Danforth East Community Association, a resident group who has tirelessly organized to empower residents through community involvement.”
– Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon (Ward 32 Beaches-East York)

This news release is also available on the City's website: http://ow.ly/r3gj30bm8eQ

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. In 2017, Toronto will honour Canada's 150th birthday with "TO Canada with Love," a year-long program of celebrations, commemorations and exhibitions. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TorontoCommsand on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto

- 30 -

Media contact: Shane Gerard, Strategic Communications, 416-397-5711, shane.gerard@toronto.ca
 
Which is one major reason we chose the east end (Riverdale) instead of the Annex when we moved to Toronto. It just seemed less congested.

The map doesn't surprise me. Most of Riverdale was a streetcar suburb, built post WWI, with relatively little row housing and a fair number of detached.

As for East York, so much of it was post WW2. All those little detached bungalows, with decent-sized lots, driveways and, in many cases, garages. I wasn't surprised to learn that the Dairy Queen at the corner of Broadview and Pottery Road was the first in town.

They say that Don Mills was the first planned community but I'd argue that part of East York could be -- certainly that portion north of Mortimer to O'Conner all the way to Coxell and somewhat beyond. All those little strip malls scattered throughout, like at the top of Donlands, or top of Coxwell, or along Cosburn between Greenwood and Coxwell, or on O'Conner at Pape etc. It strikes me as a 1950s car-oriented suburb. There could have been more kids per household back then but now, not so much. Therefore, as much density as any 'burb -- if not less.
 
Ex-Montreal Girl said:
Which is one major reason we chose the east end (Riverdale) instead of the Annex when we moved to Toronto. It just seemed less congested.

The map doesn't surprise me. Most of Riverdale was a streetcar suburb, built post WWI, with relatively little row housing and a fair number of detached.

As for East York, so much of it was post WW2. All those little detached bungalows, with decent-sized lots, driveways and, in many cases, garages. I wasn't surprised to learn that the Dairy Queen at the corner of Broadview and Pottery Road was the first in town.

They say that Don Mills was the first planned community but I'd argue that part of East York could be -- certainly that portion north of Mortimer to O'Conner all the way to Coxell and somewhat beyond. All those little strip malls scattered throughout, like at the top of Donlands, or top of Coxwell, or along Cosburn between Greenwood and Coxwell, or on O'Conner at Pape etc. It strikes me as a 1950s car-oriented suburb. There could have been more kids per household back then but now, not so much. Therefore, as much density as any 'burb -- if not less.
Click to expand...

It is pretty remarkable that you can live in a low density, post-war Levittown block around Greenwood and Mortimer and be at hyper dense Yonge and Bloor in 15 minutes. Why did East York take so long to develop?

The map also demonstrates why there are so many pricey tear downs and second additions in East York - it's remarkably close to transit and the CBD.
 
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Yes, Levittown. Good word for it.

I can't say not having been in TO (or even alive) during the period. But my guesses would include:

(1) The snob factor. I think the "east side" was perceived as the wrong side of the tracks.
(2) There was a lot of poverty. I remember looking at houses in the area -- for some reason Linsmore Crescent sticks out in my mind -- and thinking, somebody built that shack himself (or herself.)
(3) A lot of industrial/farmland still existed. For example, all those highrises on Cosburn -- the only dark blue dense area on the map -- were built over what used to be (I believe) a dairy operation.
(4) Didn't the Church own a fair chunk of the land?
(5) Development must have intensified north-south with the opening of the Yonge line. The Bloor-Danforth line didn't open until 1966, I think. My guess is, because of the DV, it was more difficult until then to move people eastward until then.
(6) The west side (east of the Humber) tends to be older, hence more dense. While the west had the "upper class" Annex, the east had the much less dense Rosedale and Cabbagetown.
(7) It could also be that, post-war, some heavy industry was developing in the NE side. Just look at the area in east Leaside, where Longos etc. are. It would have been easier for commuters with cars to go there from there.
(8) Not that I am much for wandering around north of Eglinton, east of Vic Park or west of Bathurst, it's always been my observation that those big wide killer three lane each way roads are on the east side, not the west.
(9) All the density in the east seems to stem from 60s era highrises...Thorncliffe Park, Flemingdon Park, etc.
 
Ex-Montreal Girl said:
(5) Development must have intensified north-south with the opening of the Yonge line. The Bloor-Danforth line didn't open until 1966, I think. My guess is, because of the DV, it was more difficult until then to move people eastward until then.
Click to expand...

This was my initial thought. The Don Valley chasm isn't as daunting along Queen or Gerrard, but I imagine in the early to mid 1900s crossing the Bloor Viaduct felt like strolling into another reality.
 
mjl08 said:
Why did East York take so long to develop?
Click to expand...

East York developed very quickly once the "Bloor" viaduct (Prince Edward Viaduct) was completed in 1918.
By 1950 EY was a busy, self-sustaining community.
It was, for most, a short walk to Danforth for a great variety of shopping experiences.
As a child, I had many movie houses at my command (within walking distance) for a Sat. matinee.......
......Century, Granada, Odeon, Iola, Palace, Cameo, Allenby, Oxford, Prince of Wales, Community, Donlands
Before the subway opened, it was a common practice to walk a few miles for shopping or entertainment.
Most children walked to school (alone) or used a local bus (Hollinger Bus Lines) on rainy days.
 
Goldie said:
East York developed very quickly once the "Bloor" viaduct (Prince Edward Viaduct) was completed in 1918.
By 1950 EY was a busy, self-sustaining community.
It was, for most, a short walk to Danforth for a great variety of shopping experiences.
As a child, I had many movie houses at my command (within walking distance) for a Sat. matinee.......
......Century, Granada, Odeon, Iola, Palace, Cameo, Allenby, Oxford, Prince of Wales, Community, Donlands
Before the subway opened, it was a common practice to walk a few miles for shopping or entertainment.
Most children walked to school (alone) or used a local bus (Hollinger Bus Lines) on rainy days.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Of course I knew about the theatres, the shopping etc. The streetcar along Danforth must have helped bring a lot of commerce to the area and all those bungalows were likely built post-war and boom! BABIES! and more BABIES! I know a fellow who remembers the old Todmorden Hotel on Broadview and the Taylor mansion where that co-op now at 1050 Broadview stands. He said he and his friends used to play in there when it was abandoned. He grew up in a bungalow on Mortimer and he would be about 65-70. That tells me that the actual new housing development in East York along Mortimer, north and beyond, really didn't kick in until the late 40s.
 
Ex-Montreal Girl said:
Yes, Levittown. Good word for it.

I can't say not having been in TO (or even alive) during the period. But my guesses would include:

(1) The snob factor. I think the "east side" was perceived as the wrong side of the tracks.
(2) There was a lot of poverty. I remember looking at houses in the area -- for some reason Linsmore Crescent sticks out in my mind -- and thinking, somebody built that shack himself (or herself.)
(3) A lot of industrial/farmland still existed. For example, all those highrises on Cosburn -- the only dark blue dense area on the map -- were built over what used to be (I believe) a dairy operation.
(4) Didn't the Church own a fair chunk of the land?
(5) Development must have intensified north-south with the opening of the Yonge line. The Bloor-Danforth line didn't open until 1966, I think. My guess is, because of the DV, it was more difficult until then to move people eastward until then.
(6) The west side (east of the Humber) tends to be older, hence more dense. While the west had the "upper class" Annex, the east had the much less dense Rosedale and Cabbagetown.
(7) It could also be that, post-war, some heavy industry was developing in the NE side. Just look at the area in east Leaside, where Longos etc. are. It would have been easier for commuters with cars to go there from there.
(8) Not that I am much for wandering around north of Eglinton, east of Vic Park or west of Bathurst, it's always been my observation that those big wide killer three lane each way roads are on the east side, not the west.
(9) All the density in the east seems to stem from 60s era highrises...Thorncliffe Park, Flemingdon Park, etc.
Click to expand...

The east side developed later but I'm not sure if "snobbery" had much to do with it. The Junction had a lot of heavy industry and York for instance was always poorer and had more industry than East York.

Also almost nobody thinks of Rosedale as being "east" even if it is east of Yonge. Most of the city's wealthiest CTs are east of Yonge and along Bayview.
 
My dad told me that back in the day, one of the barriers to the east end was hydro. The east end was on 30hz power vs 60hz in the west end. Not sure how true it is, but it was one of those things said about the east end till the grid was upgraded.
 
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