The Republic of Rathnelly is one of Toronto's quirkiest neighbourhoods

Located in the South Hill neighbourhood, just below St. Clair along Avenue Road, sits a small tree-lined community called The Republic of Rathnelly.

It began on June 10, 1967, when the residents of Rathnelly Road, consisting mostly of rooming houses, took to the streets for Canada's Centennial, and in a tongue-in-cheek neighbourhood ploy, declared themselves an independent republic.The secession was all fun and games, a family affair, but the wheels for dissent had been set in motion.

They issued passports, drafted a neighbourhood constitution and created a neighbourhood fund. They even elected a queen: Aileen Robertson— a longtime resident of 30 Rathnelly Drive— whose coat of arms included a martini glass.By 1969, they had garnered enough well-repute in the city to send a letter to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, requested foreign aid money to build a playground, to the benefit of the Rathnelly Irregulars.

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