York Region has a population of over 870,000 people and covers an area
of over 1,750 square kilometres. Sitting between Peel Region in the West
and Durham region in the east, York Region consists of the Cities of
Markham and Vaughan, with the townships of Aurora, East Gwillimbury,
King, Newmarket, Richmond Hill and Whitchurch-Stouffville.
The two main population centers are the Cities of Markham and Vaughan.
Both Cities have average populations with Markham being the largest in
the Region with over 220,000. Markham is renowned for being the Hi Tech
capital of Canada with several high profile corporate head offices
making the city their home. The city is modern with excellent healthcare
and schooling. Vaughan has one particular claim to fame in being
directly north of Toronto, making them ìaboveî the main city. This too
is a rapidly expanding city with great facilities and plenty of new
communities springing up.
The York Region is host to over 25,000 businesses which provide 400,000
jobs - a number that is growing by approximately 20,000 per year at
current rates. With close proximity to the Pearson International airport
and a young, well educated workforce, York Region is one of the fastest
growing regions of the GTA and is very popular with Immigrants. The
York Region Transit system connects most communities within the Region
to each other and the Toronto GO Transit system to give a very effective
public transport network.
The Region administers the Healthcare and Education following the
Provincial guidelines. The York Region District School Board and the
York Region Catholic District School Board are responsible for the day
to day operations of the Region's schools - all of which can be
contacted via these sites.
The Town Of Aurora - With a population of over 43,000, the Town of
Aurora is another rapidly expanding town. The population is young and
has a high average income (compared to most Canadian towns) of around
$110,000 per household. The housing is fairly expensive though with an
average price of a single family detached home being over $370,000 two
years ago!
There is a large variety of employers in the town and it is also
commutable to the Toronto downtown core. This gives a low unemployment
level of 4% in 2001 with the majority of employment in
management/business, finance and sciences/technology. Manufacturing and
retail are the other big areas of employment. To research all the
businesses currently operating in the town go to the chamber of commerce
site via the towns Economic Development Division page on the Town
website.
The town itself is a historical place with plenty of old buildings with
lots of character. With close proximity to both the big city of Toronto
and the rural areas, Aurora provides excellent recreational
opportunities to its residents. This ranges from parks, playgrounds and
pedestrian trails to championship golf courses, fine dining and theatre.
A full recreational program is offered in the Town which will soon be
augmented by a new state of the art Recreation Centre.
The Town Of East Gwillimbury is a semi rural area located only half an
hours drive from Toronto. Another historic area with settlement dating
back to the 1700's, the population is now over 20,000 and growing.
Again, East Gwillimbury has an excellent array of recreational
facilities including arena's, trails, play parks and over 135 acres of
parkland. There are ice rinks, outdoor sports pitches, the usual golf
courses and for the less active a 16 screen movie theatre.
There are a wide variety of employers in the town providing ample
employment and the new GO Transit station gives good access to the city.
The population also enjoys an above average household income.
The Town Of Georgina is the most northerly area of the York Region and
is made up of several smaller communities. Situated on the South eastern
shores of Lake Simcoe, the communities of Georgina have plenty of
beaches and open space - especially with the area being known as
"Getaway Country".
The lake offers up year round recreation including swimming, boating,
canoeing, fishing and ice fishing to name a few. On top of this the
great outdoors is all around and the communities have good facilities.
Some of the more prominent communities are Keswick, Sutton, Udora,
Jacksons Point and Port Bolster.
Most employment seems to be in the local services and tourism sector
though full research can be carried out through the chamber of commerce
website.
The Township Of King is home to around 20,000 people and is a fairly
rural area. Famous for the Holland Marsh - a fertile area that produces
most of the Provinces fresh vegetables - most industry is based upon the
support of agriculture. There are a lot of Horse breeders in the area
along with livestock and dairy farms. There is some light industry and
the Seneca College campus is located on the former Easton estate.
As with most Canadian towns, King has good sporting and leisure
facilities including golf courses, trails, parks and 3 arena's. Most
facilities are pay as you use - more details can be found on the
township website. The Township has a rich history dating back to the
aboriginal peoples and then the western settlers in the late 1600's. A
museum is now dedicated to the area's history and will be well worth a
visit.
There are excellent transport links to Toronto and it's only around 40
minutes to drive to Pearson International airport (south). A prosperous
town, the average income back in 1996 was over 97,000 with an
unemployment rate of 5%. In the 8 years since I can only see that the
average income would rise to over $100,000 per household.
The Town Of Newmarket is another large town with a population of over
73,000 that is growing fairly quickly. Over 70% of the population are
under 45 years old. With all the amenities you would expect for a big
town, Newmarket is home to the York Region Administrative Headquarters,
the Provincial Court and the District 1 Police HQ.
The Southlake regional health centre is a fully equipped modern hospital
with plans for expansion. These combine to make local government the
highest employer in the area. On top of this, the local business
community is growing at over 3.5% each year with retail stores and
manufacturing companies having a large presence. Use the links on the
town site to go to the Chamber of Commerce site for the full listing of
businesses.
For recreation purposes there is a full program of sports and activities
with the new Ray Twinney Rec. centre having two arena's and an indoor
pool. There are several other arena's, pools and rinks in the town as
well as a youth centre with a fully equipped skatepark. All the usual
outdoor activities are available in the area including hiking, cross
country skiing and golf. For the less energetic, the Upper Canada Mall
is an impressive 1 million square feet of shops which should pacify even
the most hardy shopper!
House prices are reasonable for Ontario with the average in 2001 being
$242,000 for a single family detached home. Being located close to
Toronto brings obvious benefits with great transport links including the
GTA GO Transit system. The York Region Transit system also operates in
the town. Highway 404 will direct you to the downtown area of Toronto in
around 30 minutes and Pearson International airport is only an hour
away. Buttonville airport in nearby Markham is useful for lighter
regional aircraft.
The Town Of Richmond Hill is one of the fastest growing large
municipalities in Canada and has a population of over 158,000. Situated
directly North of Toronto, (between Markham and Vaughan), Richmond Hill
is ideally located for commuting and access to the city for recreation
or onward travel. As with the other municipalities, Richmond Hill has
the York Transit, Toronto Transit Commission and the GTA GO Transit
networks providing great options for transport.
Richmond Hill is renowned for its world class high tech manufacturing
and research companies with the lowest R&D taxes in the G7 group of
countries. Major international IT companies like Lexmark and Compaq are
headquartered here along with MGI software and Shaw Communications. The
young population provide a well educated workforce and with the average
cost of housing lower than most other areas of the GTA is a popular
place to settle.
Recreational opportunities are plentiful with Lake Wilcox providing
aqautic fun along with the Lois Hancy Wave Pool and over a hundred parks
for jogging, cycling and hiking. Golfers are well catered for and there
are movie theatres, the enormous central Library and the David Dunlop
Observatory for the less active.
The Town Of Whitchurch-Stouffville is a collection of smaller
communities and rural areas and was established in 1792. Located some 24
Km North of Toronto it is on the Eastern/Central side of York Region.
There is a population of around 24,000 who enjoy pleasant countryside
with farms and equestrian facilities along with the small urban centres.
The area has good transportation links with the York Region Transit and
the GTA GO Transit networks. Only 30 minutes from Pearson and 15 to
Buttonville airports means you can soon be on your travels.
The major employers are in the Business and personal services sector
with the area experiencing a healthy 8.5% growth rate. Only 3% of the
population remains unemployed.
A modern Hospital opened in 1990 and with good schools, a library and
Museum there are plenty of facilities. The York-Durham heritage railway
runs through the area with several stops and there are plenty of golf
courses and recreational programs.
For more detailed information and great links please go to
http://worlddiscounthotels.com
