History of Donalda Club
> Our story begins with the arrival in Canada of the Gray brothers around 1816. Originally from Paisley, Scotland, the brothers; James, Alexander, William, Joseph, Jason and John, drew grants of land on the east and west banks of the Don River. Between the six brothers, they accumulated over 1000 acres.
> The many mills scattered along the Don gave rise to the name "Don Mills". Circa 1840, the Gray brothers built two brick houses, which still stand on the Donalda golf course.
> In 1916, 100 years later, David Alexander Dunlap, a wealthy executive, bought 600 acres along the Don Valley to build a model farm - a farm that would be an example to others, as well as a teaching tool and centre for research into farm management, stock raising, dairying, husbandry and more.
> David Dunlap chose the name "Don Alda Farm" to honour his wife, Jessie Donalda Dunlap. The Dunlaps won almost every agricultural contest they entered. Since the farm was only a country retreat and not a residence, the main home embodied a spirit of rest and recreation in both its furnishings and layout. Designed to cater to both the young and old, the farm included such activities as tennis, badminton, croquet, swimming, golf, canoeing and horseback riding. With a Spanish influence, the house was classically designed using wrought iron and doric columns.
> In 1924, David A. Dunlap died, and after Mrs. Dunlap death in 1946, their son, David Moffatt Dunlap sold the 600 plus acres to Don Mills Developments Ltd., thus starting a new era in the history of the Donalda home.
> A part of the Don Mills community since its origin in the 1950's, as the original base of operations for Don Mills Developments Limited, the grand old home saw a community being born. When Don Mills Developments moved on, Donalda Club's founding executive saw a place where families could play and socialize amidst the warmth and romance of the historic Donalda Farm.
> It's been over 50 years since the opening of Donalda Club and not much has changed. Donalda still prides itself in being both a family Club and a part of the Don Mills Community. The spirit of the past prevails inside with much of the Dunlap home remaining untouched by the years. Members, management and residents of the area look to Donalda as both a sign of the riches of the past and a constant in the future. In a time where family and community are slowly decaying, Don Mills and the Donalda estate bring both of these elements together, making residents proud to call Don Mills and Donalda home.