Golden Gate, 44 Longbourne Dr: 1971 Richview Condo With Hydro and AC In

Golden Gate at 44 Longbourne Drive is a quiet 1971 building with just one suite on the market when I checked, and the fee is what buyers ask about first. It covers almost everything: hydro, heat, air conditioning, cable, water and parking. In a few years it will also sit closer to rapid transit than it ever has. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A fee that covers nearly every bill

Most buildings list three or four fee inclusions. Golden Gate lists eight: common elements, heat, hydro, air conditioning, cable TV, building insurance, parking and water. In practical terms, the only household bills left for you are internet, phone and contents insurance.

That means your monthly cost of owning here comes down to three lines: mortgage, property tax and the fee. For a retiree or anyone on a fixed income, that predictability is worth a lot, because a cold January or a hot July does not change what you pay that month.

The catch is that you share the building’s energy risk. When gas, electricity and insurance costs rise, the corporation’s costs rise, and the fee follows. You cannot lower it by turning the thermostat down, so ask for the fee history over the last five years to see the trend, not just today’s number.

Bundled hydro also removes the individual incentive to conserve, which can push the whole building’s energy bill up over time. Ask whether the board has looked at energy retrofits, newer equipment or submetering, and read the budget lines for utilities across several years.

Cable TV in the fee is a mixed blessing. It is useful if you watch it, but you will still pay separately for internet, so check which providers serve the building and whether the bulk cable contract is up for renewal.

One of Toronto’s earliest condominium corporations

YCC-29 was registered in January 1971, only a few years after Ontario introduced condominium ownership. That low number places Golden Gate among the earliest condominium corporations registered in the Toronto area. Condos.ca credits Car Allen Investments as both developer and builder.

At 12 storeys and 141 suites, it is a mid-sized tower by the standards of its time. The fee inclusions point to a central heating and cooling plant, which is typical of the period and expensive to replace when it reaches the end of its life.

Older buildings can be very good buildings. The difference between a well-kept 1971 corporation and a neglected one is enormous, and it shows up in the reserve fund study long before it shows up in the lobby.

Inside the suites: condition is everything

The building includes two-bedroom-plus-den plans, a layout that is hard to find in newer towers at any price. Expect suites of this era to be generous by today’s standards, but confirm the actual square footage on each listing rather than relying on the brochure.

In a 1971 building, condition varies widely from suite to suite. Some will have original kitchens, bathrooms and windows; others will have been fully renovated. Ask specifically about the electrical panel, plumbing, and the in-suite heating and cooling units, since the building supplies air conditioning and the equipment inside your suite may be your responsibility to maintain.

Renovation rules matter too. Ask management for the corporation’s requirements on flooring underlay and plumbing changes before you plan any work.

Richview and the Eglinton extension

Longbourne Drive sits in the Richview area of central Etobicoke, a settled pocket of post-war houses, apartment towers and parkland near Eglinton Avenue and Martin Grove Road. It is a car-friendly location, with Highway 427 and the airport a short drive west.

The change worth watching is the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension. Metrolinx describes it as a 9.2-kilometre extension of Line 5 from Mount Dennis to Renforth Drive, running mainly underground, with construction underway. Line 5 itself opened for service in February 2026. When the extension opens, this part of Etobicoke gets rapid transit along Eglinton for the first time.

Transit projects take longer than promised, so I would not pay a premium today for a station that is still years away. But for a buyer planning to hold for a decade, it is a real tailwind.

Pricing and buying when few suites come up

Only one suite was listed for sale when I checked, so I am not going to quote an asking range. A single listing is not a market, and in a 141-suite building, sold data is the better guide.

Fee comparisons need care here. A fee that covers hydro, heat, air conditioning, cable and parking will always look high next to a newer building’s fee, which typically covers only the common elements, insurance and water. Compare total monthly housing cost, not the fee line alone.

For what suites have actually traded for, check the sales panel on this page or my building sold report, which gives aggregates over the past year.

When a building has only one or two listings at a time, preparation wins. Set up an alert for the building, and if you are serious, look at a recent status certificate from any listing so you understand the corporation’s finances before the suite you want appears.

Have your financing ready, too. Lenders and appraisers look at recent comparable sales, and in a smaller building there may be only a few. Older all-inclusive buildings can also take extra explaining to an appraiser, so work with a lender who knows this kind of building.

Building specifications

Amenities at Golden Gate Condos

An indoor pool and sauna make this a year-round amenity building, which is rare at this size and age. A meeting room and bike storage round it out; ask about pool hours and whether the pool has had any extended closures.

Jatin’s honest take on Golden Gate Condos

Golden Gate Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at Downsview, Weston, York University Heights, Rexdale and northwest Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.