Dia Condominiums, 30 Canterbury Pl: TAS Courtyard Tower with Townhomes

Dia at 30 Canterbury Place is one of the more thoughtful buildings from North York’s 2000s tower boom, and most buyers have never heard of it. It was developed by TAS and designed by CORE Architects around a courtyard, and it mixes ordinary suites with lofts and a few three-bedroom townhomes. Prices sit below the Yonge Street towers a block away, and I will tell you whether that is a bargain or a warning. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A developer and architect worth knowing

Dia was an early project for TAS, the Toronto developer now known for its focus on design and community impact. TAS lists it in its portfolio as a 147,000 sq ft, fully residential building of 156 homes, completed in 2007. The architect was CORE Architects, the firm behind several of Toronto’s more distinctive towers.

That pairing matters because it explains why Dia does not look or feel like a standard developer tower. TAS describes the building as organised around a landscaped courtyard with a spa concept, with the aim of bringing light and calm into a dense block. It is a modest 18 storeys, which keeps the scale closer to the side street than to Yonge.

For a buyer, a known developer and architect are useful in a practical way. TAS still operates in Toronto and keeps the project on its portfolio, and CORE Architects remains an active firm, so original drawings and design intent are easier to trace than for buildings whose developer has disappeared. That helps when you are asking how a suite was meant to be laid out or why a detail was built a certain way.

The suite count differs between sources: TAS lists 156 homes and condos.ca lists 151. The difference may come down to how townhomes and lofts are counted, but the status certificate is the place to confirm it.

Suites, lofts and townhomes in one building

Dia is unusual in mixing three formats. Most of the building is one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, but TAS also describes lofts and five three-bedroom townhomes as part of the same project. That is why the size range is so wide: from about 489 sq ft to about 2,594 sq ft.

The townhomes are the rarest product here. A three-bedroom townhome inside a concierge building gives you house-like space with the services of a tower, which suits families and downsizers who want room without a detached house. When one comes up, it should be priced against condo townhouses, not against the tower suites.

The current market here is mostly one-bedroom-plus-den suites. When I checked, four of the five suites for sale were one-plus-dens. If you need two bedrooms, be patient and ready to move.

What the fee covers

Condos.ca lists the fee inclusions as air conditioning, common elements, heat, building insurance, parking and water. Air conditioning in the fee is worth noting, because in many buildings you pay to cool your own suite through your hydro bill. Hydro is not listed, so expect your own meter for lights and appliances.

When I checked, active listings showed fees around $1.16 per square foot. That is above the newest Yonge towers, but once you add back heat, cooling and parking, the gap narrows. Before you compare, line the buildings up on total monthly cost rather than the fee alone.

The fee per square foot also depends heavily on suite size. The smallest one-plus-dens here carry a lower absolute fee, but larger suites and townhomes pay more in total. If you are weighing a townhome, ask for its exact fee and what portion of exterior maintenance the corporation covers, because that varies with how the declaration treats townhome units.

The amenity list includes a sauna, guest suites, party and meeting rooms and a concierge, and condos.ca shows BBQs as permitted, which is a nice extra for suites with terraces.

Living on Canterbury Place

Canterbury Place is a short side street west of Yonge, which gives Dia a quieter setting than the buildings fronting Yonge itself. The shops, restaurants and services of North York Centre are a few minutes’ walk away, and the civic core around Mel Lastman Square is close by. The panel beside this review shows the nearest subway station and the walk.

This part of Willowdale West keeps densifying, with new tower applications on both sides of Yonge. If you are buying for a view, check the City of Toronto development applications map for the blocks around Canterbury Place before you commit.

The side-street location also changes the noise picture. Suites facing Canterbury Place and the courtyard hear far less traffic than the towers that front Yonge, which is a real advantage if you work from home or sleep lightly. The trade-off is a slightly longer walk to the subway and the Yonge shops than from the buildings on Yonge itself.

What Dia costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $663 per square foot. That is noticeably below the newer towers on Yonge, which reflects the building’s age and the fact that its large townhomes pull the average down. For a one-bedroom-plus-den, do not read the average as a discount; compare like with like.

When I checked, five suites were for sale and none for lease. Asking prices across the five ran from $469,000 to $559,000, and four of them were one-bedroom-plus-den suites. Monthly fees on those listings ran from about $620 to about $960.

For what has actually sold, see my building sold report. Townhome sales here are rare, so if you are pricing one, book a call and I will pull wider comparables.

Building specifications

Amenities at Dia Condominiums

The amenities are built around the landscaped courtyard and a sauna rather than a big fitness floor, along with guest suites and a concierge. For daily life, that means a calm building where the shared space is meant for quiet time rather than parties.

Jatin’s honest take on Dia Condominiums

Dia Condominiums — frequently asked questions

Looking at Willowdale, Yonge & Sheppard, Bayview Village and North York Centre more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.