Welcome to the Cities of Durham Region.
The Regional Municipality of Durham, encompassing one-thousand square miles, is comprised of eight area municipalities each with its own elected Mayor and Council from whom are drawn the 28 members of Regional Council. The population is approximately 500,000 in the entire the Region.
Walk through buildings used in the filming of “Road to Avonlea,” and “Anne of Green Gables,” while you peek into the lives of settlers from the 18th century. Stop in for a relaxing dinner at an Uxbridge Hyperlink to town site and open in new window restaurant and experience the flavor of the community. Stay at one of the local bed and breakfasts and discover the rural locations that gave inspiration to the writing of L.M. Montgomery
Sample the fresh taste of fruits and vegetables grown at Archibald Orchards & Estate Winery Same and sample wine or play a round of golf at Cider House Golf Course. Tyrone Mills’ same methods of the last century are still used to produce lumber and apple cider. Purchase some warm apple cider doughnuts. Drop into Brooklin for lunch at one of the local tea houses or restaurants. A quick trip north brings you to Ocala Orchards Farm Winery to sample their award-winning wines.. Enjoy shopping in the Victorian village of Port Perry
From the grand estate of R. Samuel McLaughlin, founder of General Motors of Canada, to The Robert McLaughlin Gallery and the McLaughlin Plaque at the site of the old family homestead, Durham Region truly has a history deeply connected to the automotive industry and the generosity of this well-known family. The Canadian Automotive Museum shows the evolution of the automobile with vehicles dating from 1898 to 1981 on display and is located in an original 1920’s car dealership. Plan to have dinner at Haugen’s Chicken & Rib BBQ in Manchester during one of their regular Wednesday night Class Car Cruises held throughout the summer and be sure to check out the racing schedule at Mosport International Raceway.
Pickering began as a village and grew to be the gateway to Durham Region. There is great Ethnic diversity within the city today. It is a center for living, working and play within the Region.
Pickering has experienced rapid growth in the post-war period. Between 1996 and 2009, the municipality experienced a growth rate of 12 percent (78,989 people to 100,273). Population growth has slowed considerably in recent years, growing only slightly between the 2001 and 2006 census. By 2023, Pickering will be home to nearly 170,000 residents. The province of Ontario has also designated Pickering as one of two municipalities in Durham Region as an urban growth center. With the Go Transit system, the 401 and 407 Highways, Pickering is linked to the GTA.
Pickering is home to the Pickering Nuclear Station Create hyperlink open in new window an eight-reactor facility with a capacity of 4,120 megawatts. The first station, Pickering A, opened with four reactors in 1971. Ontario Power Generation the plants’ operator, is the largest single employer in the city. In 2001, the wind-powered OPG 7 Commemorative Turbine was opened on the generating station site. Create hyperlink, open in new window
A number of manufacturers are also located in the city. Major employers include Yorkville Sound (audio equipment), the Canadian headquarters of Purdue Pharma (pharmaceuticals and health & beauty products), Hubbell Canada (electrical equipment), PSB-Speakers-Lenbrook (stereo equipment) and Eco-Tec Inc. (industrial water purification and chemical recovery systems).
Great Shopping, Hyperlink to Pickering Town Centre, Open in new window Schools, Places of Worship abound in Pickering and it’s location on the shore of Lake Ontario provide great outdoor entertainment. A wide variety of Restuarants, sports facilities and Historic sites round out the activities that Pickering has to offer.
Pickering is a founding member of the Durham Strategic Energy Alliance or DSEA. The nucleus of the DSEA is primarily Pickering businesses such as Ontario Power Generation, Veridian, Wardrop Engineering, AECL, Intellimeter, Areva and Eco-Tec.
Ajax continues to grow at a brisk pace and this small, sleepy town is now a vibrant, diverse community. The population is currently 90,167. Public transportation is well served within this region by both bus and the GO Train system, which travels directly into the heart of the city of Toronto. The neighborhoods consist of post war construction homes and many newer subdivisions as well. An open and inviting lakefront at the foot of Lake Ontario and extensive trail and parks system, historic areas and popular retail operations have blended well to create an attractive location within the Greater Toronto Area. Photo: Carruthers Creek Ajax
Today, Ajax is commonly considered part of the Greater Toronto Area, Hyperlink and open in new window in the eastern part of the Golden Horseshoe Same region.
As is true for most suburban areas in the Greater Toronto Area, Ajax has grown considerably since the 1980s. What was once a small town mostly surrounded by agricultural areas has increasingly become a bedroom community to Toronto and its environs. Many residents commute to work in Toronto or other municipalities in Durham Region. Same
Ajax has so much to offer
- Development in Ajax still principally consists of single-family detached houses on separate lots, and so the fundamental nature of the town seems fixed for the near future.
- Ajax is becoming increasingly multicultural, with many young ethnic professionals FTB LINK moving into the newer northern parts of Ajax.
- The Ajax Spartans Minor Baseball Association and the Ajax Knights Minor Hockey Association call Ajax home.
- Both the Durham District School Board and the Durham Catholic School Board are represented by Five High Schools and several elementary schools.
- Shopping abounds in the centre of town with the Durham Centre offering big box shopping galore.
Whitby (now the Town of Whitby) was named after the seaport town of Whitby, in Yorkshire England. In addition to Whitby, Yorkshire, the Town of Whitby is also officially twinned with Longueuil Quebec and Feldkirch, Austria.
When the township was originally surveyed in 1792, the surveyor, from the northern part of England, named the townships east of Toronto after towns in northeastern England: York, Scarborough, Pickering, Whitby and Darlington. The original name of “Whitby” is Danish dating from about 867 CE when the Danes invaded Britain. It is a contraction of “Whitteby,” meaning “White Village.” The allusion may be to the white lighthouse on the pier at Whitby, Yorkshire, and also at Whitby, Ontario.’ Although settlement dates back to 1800, it was not until 1836 that a downtown business center was established by Whitby’s founder Peter Perry.
Whitby’s chief asset was its fine natural harbor on Lake Ontario, from which grain from the farmland to the north was first shipped in 1833. In the 1840s a road was built from Whitby Harbor to Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay to bring trade and settlement through the harbor to and from the rich hinterland to the north.
Whitby is also the site of Trafalgar Castle School, Hyperlink and open in new window a private girls’ school founded in 1874. The building, constructed as an Elizabethan-style castle in 1859–62 as a private residence for the Sheriff of Ontario County, is a significant architectural landmark and Whitby’s only provincial historic site marked with a plaque. The school celebrated its 125th anniversary in 1999.
Situated on the north shore of Lake Ontario, Whitby is the fastest growing municipality in the Region of Durham. This progressive community of 92,000 offers residents a lifestyle characterized by a small town atmosphere in conjunction with the amenities of a large urban center. The Town of Whitby maintains a strong and diverse industrial base that covers a wide range of industries such as plastics, packaging, automotive, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications.
As Whitby continues to grow, so has “Your Durham Mortgage Solutions Team”. We are a Mortgage force of 11 full-time Licensed Mortgage Agents serving all of Durham Region and the GTA. We are known to have the experience, knowledge and manpower to help everyone who needs financing, whether it’s for a home, a business or a recreational property. We really are your one-stop office when you need a mortgage. Contact us today.
Oshawa, a City of approximately 142,000 people is located 50 km east of downtown Toronto on the shore of Lake Ontario.
Since 1974, it has been part of the Regional Municipality of Durham and is the dominant population and economic centre of this Region. First settled by the French as a Trading Post in 1750, Oshawa grew steadily to the status of a Village in 1850, a Town in 1879 and a corporate City in 1924.
A major event occurred in 1876 when the Mclaughlin Carriage Company as it came to be called was moved to Oshawa from Enniskillen by Robert Mclaughlin, Col. R.S. Mclaughlins father. This company was the forerunner of General Motors of Canada Limited which now has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa and stands as the City’s principal employer and taxpayer.
The importance of the auto industry to the Canadian economy generally, plus the buoyant economy of Southern Ontario and proximity to United States markets, aided in the expansion of Oshawa’s population and economic base. Major employment functions include manufacturing of transportation equipment, primary metals, and metal fabricating, printing and publishing, retail trade and rubber and plastics manufacturing.
Oshawa’s future is bright. The University of Ontario Institute of Technology is now one of Oshawa’s largest employers. Over 5000 Students from around the world attend this state-of-the-art facility. Great changes have been brought to Oshawa’s downtown due largely to the purchase of the Genosha Hotel which is being converted to student housing and numerous other projects. The recent opening of the Consolidated Courthouse has brought a great deal of employment to the City as well.
Similarly, the extension of GO Train (commuter) service to the City, proposed improvements and widening of Highway 401, the planned construction of the new Highway 407 through the City, and the recent modernization of the Oshawa Airport.
Oshawa is moving forward to even greater growth and prosperity, as many families are choosing to take up residence in our city. One main factor is the lower cost of housing than is available in westerly cities of Durham Region and the GTA. “Your Durham Mortgage Solutions Team is helping home buyers settle into the communities of Durham Region and Oshawa more specifically. Let is design the right mortgage solution for your family
Uxbridge is situated in a beautiful valley on the northern slope of the Oak Ridges Moraine, about 64 km northeast of Toronto, Ontario.
The first settlers in the area were Quakers who started arriving in 1806 from the Catawissa area of Pennsylvania. These two municipalities, which share a Quaker heritage, were twinned in 1982, and ongoing friendships have developed.
The Uxbridge Friends Meeting House which overlooks the town from Quaker Hill was built in 1820, and is the community’s oldest building
The Toronto and Nipissing Railroad arrived in Uxbridge in 1871, and for over a decade Uxbridge was the headquarters of the railway.
Uxbridge became a village in 1872, and reached town status in 1885.
In 1954, Uxbridge became the second town in Canada to receive an official coat-of-arms which is displayed on the front of the Music Hall. The latter building has been restored, and is a centre for drama and musical performances.
In 1973, Uxbridge Town became a part of Uxbridge Township, along with Scott Township, in the new Region of Durham.
The Uxbridge Fall Fair takes place each September in Elgin Park, which is situated alongside of Elgin Pond. It was here that Sir John A. MacDonald held the first of his huge picnics when seeking re-election.
Among earlier industries were the Uxbridge Piano and Organ Company, and the Gold Medal Radio and Phonograph Company, Uxbridge is now the home of Glitsch Canada and various other industries.
Uxbridge Public Library was erected in 1887 from funds provided by entrepreneur, politician, and businessman, Joseph Gould. It’s centennial in 1987 was celebrated with the opening of a large addition.
The Uxbridge Arena and Recreation Centre, built in 1978, with a second ice pad added in 1997, is always a hive of activity, and Uxpool provides a host of events for swimmers.
The Town’s population of over 11,000 supports seven very active Churches, and has been served by the Uxbridge Cottage Hospital for about forty years.
The Uxbridge-Scott Museum provides a focal point for the Township’s history. Their annual Steam Threshing Days will be held again this year at the end of August. Dorothy Brown’s Country Heritage Museum is also a popular place for visitors.
The Thomas Foster Memorial Temple, erected in 1935-36 by the former mayor of Toronto, is situated a short distance north of town, as is the former home of L.M. Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables. She lived in the area from 1911 to 1926, and wrote half of her books there.
The surrounding township contains the hamlets of Zephyr, Sandford, Udora, Leaskdale, Sandy Hook, Siloam, Goodwood, Coppins Corners, Glen Major, Glasgow and Altona.
Port Perry’s population has been counted at a little over 9500 and growing. There are over 350 merchants and stores in the town and over 15 bed and breakfasts for travelers looking for that cozy place to stay. There is a cruise boat that will take you on a tour of Lake Scugog and a marina that allows you to park your own tour boat if need be. For the more restless at heart there is a casino just on the outskirts of town a number of pubs to stop in at for a pint and some entertainment. There is also a winery, a town hall and a town ghost. It’s the perfect place to be!
Scugog Shores Historical Museum and Archives is dedicated to preserving the history and pre-history of the Lake Scugog area.
Experience life in an earlier time. Eleven authentically restored buildings in a peaceful rural setting are furnished to reflect mid to late nineteenth century. Realistic displays recreate the lifestyles, commerce and industry of the period. Come tour the village buildings and enjoy a pleasant stroll through our heritage gardens.
Downtown Port Perry is more than shopping – it is an experience; one that attracts thousands of visitors each year. The pristine Victorian architecture is what gives our downtown its unique charm. The historic buildings host an eclectic mix of business including retail merchants, restaurants, attractions, financial institutions and professional services.
Port Perry promises the perfect day trip for anyone looking to indulge in a little shopping or entertainment. One stroll down our Victorian streets lined with beautiful shops overlooking the shores Lake Scugog is all the convincing you’ll need! Port Perry is the perfect escape.
The merchants and businesses located in Downtown Port Perry make up our Business Improvement Area (BIA). This dedicated group of entrepreneurs is committed to making every visit to Downtown Port Perry an experience to remember. From the beautifully appointed facades and window displays to the friendly, personalized service, we savour every moment you spend with us.
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