[1] Approximately 40,000 Italians came to Canada during the interwar period of 1914 to 1918, predominantly from Southern Italy where an economic depression and overpopulation had left many families in poverty.

[2] Son to Italian immigrants, Johnny Lombardi was born in The Ward in 1915, and went on to found one of the first multilingual radio stations in Canada, CHIN in 1966, in Palmerston–Little Italy.

The side streets are mostly detached or semi-detached single family homes dating to the early-1900s Edwardian period, with front porches and smaller lots, as was the custom at the time.

Movies filmed nearby include Chloe, Police Academy,[8] Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, The F Word, and The Long Kiss Goodnight.

In December 2013 and 2014 the TV series Beauty & the Beast decorated the corner of College St. and Markham St. with a New York City Subway entrance, emergency vehicles, and newspaper stands.