Brookbanks, 17 Brookbanks Dr: A 44-Suite Ravine Condo With Hydro Included

17 Brookbanks Drive is an easy building to overlook, and that is a mistake. It is a 1999 eight-storey condo with only 44 suites, sizes that run larger than most new towers, and a ravine park almost on its doorstep. It also has one of the more complete fee packages in this part of North York. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A small building with big suites

Forty-four suites over eight storeys works out to five or six homes per floor. That is a short corridor, a quiet elevator and neighbours you actually get to know. It is a very different experience from the 300-suite towers that dominate much of North York.

Condos.ca lists suite sizes from about 730 to 1,892 square feet. Even the smallest suites are larger than a typical new one-bedroom, and the top of the range is house-sized. That is why this building draws downsizers from the detached streets around it, as well as couples and small families who need a real second bedroom.

A recent rental listing described a two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite of a little over 800 square feet with hardwood floors, a private ensuite off the primary bedroom, a balcony, an in-suite storage room and a fireplace. Features vary by suite, so confirm what the one you are viewing has, but that gives you a sense of how these homes were planned.

Hickorystaff Corporation is the builder on record. I could not find much published about its other projects, so judge the construction on the building itself: ask about any past repairs to windows, balconies and the garage, and look at how the common areas have been kept.

Hydro, heat and parking in the fee

Condos.ca lists common elements, heat, hydro, air conditioning, building insurance, parking and water as included. Hydro and air conditioning are the two you will notice. In most buildings from the 2000s onward, hydro is on your own meter, and in a larger suite with central air that can be a meaningful monthly bill.

So the monthly fee here will look high next to a newer building, and the comparison needs care. Add hydro, cooling and parking back onto the other building and the gap shrinks. The trade-off is that the corporation carries the energy cost for everyone, so the budget is exposed to rate increases and to how efficiently the building runs.

Ask for the current fee for the specific suite and the last two years of the corporation’s financial statements. Look at how the utility lines have moved, and whether the fee has risen steadily or in sudden jumps.

Next to the Brookbanks ravine

The building takes its name from the street, and the street sits beside Brookbanks Park, a branch of the Don Valley ravine system. Deerlick Creek runs through the ravine on its way to the Don River, and the trails connect into the wider valley network.

The ravine has a history most residents never hear about. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, an archaeologist from the Royal Ontario Museum excavated backyards along it and found Early Iroquoian pottery and a stone blade dating to roughly 1000 BC, which suggests people used this valley seasonally for thousands of years.

Day to day, this is a quiet, hilly, residential pocket of winding streets. The Donalda Golf Club is nearby, the Shops at Don Mills is a short drive west, and Highway 401 and the Don Valley Parkway are both close for anyone who commutes by car.

Who runs the building

Condos.ca does not name a property manager for 17 Brookbanks Drive, and a recent rental listing named Realstar. I could not confirm the current manager from a second source, so check the status certificate, which will name the manager and the corporation’s address for service.

Condos.ca lists a security guard, which is unusual in a building of 44 suites. Ask what the coverage actually is, whether it is full-time or limited hours, and how much of the budget it takes, because staffing is often the largest controllable cost in a small corporation.

Governance matters more in a corporation this size. Forty-four owners elect the board, approve the budget and live with the results, and a few engaged owners can make a real difference. Ask how often the board meets, whether recent meetings were well attended, and whether there are any large projects the owners have been debating.

Pricing at Brookbanks

There were no units listed for sale and one for rent when I checked in October 2026, and condos.ca does not publish a building average per square foot. With 44 suites, sales are occasional, so I would start with any sales shown in the panel on this page.

Then widen the comparison to other 1990s and 2000s mid-rise condos in Don Mills and Parkwoods, and to condo townhouses nearby. Adjust for size, renovations, view and whether the suite looks toward the ravine. Large suites in small buildings tend to trade at a lower price per square foot than compact suites in new towers, and that difference is part of the appeal here.

On fees, compare carrying costs rather than headline numbers. Subtract what you would otherwise pay for hydro, heat, cooling and parking, then compare what is left per square foot with other buildings.

Bigger suites also mean a smaller buyer pool when you sell, because fewer people need 1,500 square feet or more. That is not a problem in a neighbourhood full of downsizers, but it can mean a longer wait for the right buyer than a compact one-bedroom would face.

Building specifications

Amenities at Brookbanks

The amenity list is modest, and the ravine is the real one. A gym, party room and security in a 44-suite building cover the basics without the pool and spa costs that push fees up in larger towers.

Jatin’s honest take on Brookbanks

Brookbanks — frequently asked questions

Looking at York Mills, Don Mills, Lawrence Park, Bathurst Manor and midtown-north Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.