Wagon Trailway Townhouses, North York: 80 Homes From 1977 in Pleasant View

Wagon Trailway is a street of 80 condominium townhouses in Pleasant View, in the northeast corner of North York near Victoria Park Avenue. Built in 1977, it is the sort of complex families stay in for a long time, which is why so few homes come up for sale. If you are waiting for one, use the wait to study the corporation. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A townhouse street of its own

The homes here are all addressed on Wagon Trailway itself, a residential street of their own rather than a run of numbers on Victoria Park Avenue. That gives the complex a self-contained feel, with traffic that is mostly residents and visitors, which is a big part of why families like this format.

One thing to confirm early is whether Wagon Trailway is a city street or a private road owned by the corporation. If it is private, the paving, curbs, lighting, snow clearing and drainage are shared costs that show up in your fee and the reserve fund. If it is public, the city handles them. The declaration and the status certificate will tell you which, and it changes how you should read the budget.

Condos.ca lists the complex as one storey. That is a quirk of how its database records townhouse complexes, not a description of the homes, which are multi-level.

Pleasant View: what the neighbourhood is like

Pleasant View sits between Highway 404 and Victoria Park Avenue, from Sheppard Avenue north to the hydro corridor beyond Finch. It is largely an owner-occupied area of houses, with some high-rise apartments and condominiums such as The Clippers, and a long-established Italian, Greek and, more recently, Chinese community.

Day-to-day services are local. The neighbourhood has the Pleasant View Community Centre, a Pleasant View branch of Toronto Public Library, and parks including Clydesdale, Muirhead, Old Sheppard and Van Horne. Van Horne Plaza is the neighbourhood strip mall.

For drivers, Highway 404 on the west side and the 401 to the south make this an easy commuting base, which is a large part of its appeal. Victoria Park Avenue also marks the edge of Scarborough, so a home here sits right on the line between the two former cities.

Parking, layouts and the age of the homes

Condos.ca lists a parking garage and visitor parking, and permits barbecues. In complexes of this age that can mean a garage attached to each home or a shared garage. Ask which applies to the home you are viewing and how many spaces it has, because it affects both your winter routine and the corporation’s repair bill.

Condos.ca does not publish a size range for Wagon Trailway. Measure the home and ask whether the listed area counts the basement, which in a 1970s townhouse may be finished, partly finished or bare.

Inside, 1977 homes vary widely depending on what owners have done. Kitchens and bathrooms may be original or redone several times. Ask for a list of updates with dates, and have your home inspector check windows, the electrical panel, plumbing and insulation.

Because condos.ca does not list what the fee covers, budget as if you will pay your own heat, hydro and water until the status certificate says otherwise. Ask the seller for a year of utility bills, and ask whether the furnace, air conditioner or water heater is rented. Rental contracts usually pass to the buyer, and they add a monthly cost that never shows up in the maintenance fee.

Running a 1977 corporation

An 80-home complex is large enough to spread costs reasonably but small enough that a major project still shows up in your fee. At nearly 50 years old, Wagon Trailway is likely on its second round of roofs and possibly windows, with paving, fencing and drainage also on the list.

The reserve fund study is where you see whether the money is there. Read it with the status certificate and the most recent board minutes, and look for planned projects in the next five years. A fund that matches the plan is reassuring. A gap between the two is the warning sign.

Also ask what the corporation maintains and what owners maintain. Older declarations differ on windows, doors, decks and fences, and that split decides what you will pay for directly.

Pricing at Wagon Trailway

At the time of writing there were no homes listed for sale or lease here, and condos.ca did not publish a building price per square foot. There is no active asking range to quote and no clean building average.

With 80 homes and long ownership periods, sales come in ones and twos. Use the recorded sales and leases in the data panel on this page as your starting point, then compare with other 1970s condominium townhouses in Pleasant View and nearby Scarborough, adjusting for size, parking, basement finish and fee inclusions.

The bigger comparison is freehold. Pleasant View is mostly houses, so check what a semi or small detached home nearby costs. If the gap is small, the house may be the better hold. If it is large, a townhouse here is a sound way into the area, especially for a first-time buyer who wants to build equity in a neighbourhood where most people own. My building sold report covers both.

Building specifications

Amenities at Wagon Trailway Townhouses

There is no pool, gym or party room, so your fee is not paying for staff or shared facilities. The amenities that matter here are your own entrance, your parking and a quiet street, with the community centre, library and parks of Pleasant View doing the rest.

Jatin’s honest take on Wagon Trailway Townhouses

Wagon Trailway Townhouses — 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.