Unionville, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located 33 km northeast of downtown Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and 4 km east of southern Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Richmond Hill is a town located in Southern Ontario, Canada in the central portion of York Region, Ontario. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, being located about halfway between Toronto and Lake Simcoe...
. Unionville is located between Woodbine Avenue as the western limit, alongside the Rouge River
Rouge River (Ontario)
The Rouge River is a two river system. Little Rouge and Rouge River are in the east and the northeast parts of Toronto and begin in the Oak Ridges Moraine in Richmond Hill and Whitchurch-Stouffville...
leading to McCowan Road as the eastern limit, Major MacKenzie Drive as the northern limit, and Highway 407 as the southern limit. Main Street
Main Street Unionville
Main Street Unionville is a collector route that runs through the historical suburban community of Unionville, Ontario. Like most other Main Streets, the street serves as an important road for local tourism development. All along the road, the street has structures that are virtually unchanged from...
, which was Kennedy Road in the mid-to-late 20th century, runs through Unionville while the new Kennedy runs 300 m to the east.
The population of Unionville is about 30,000. Unionville is composed of many neighbourhoods including Olde Unionville, South Unionville, Angus Glen
Angus Glen, Ontario
Angus Glen is a community in the north part of Markham, Ontario, Canada, and is part of Unionville...
, Cachet
Cachet, Ontario
Cachet is a community within north-central Unionville, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by 16th Avenue to the south, Major Mackenzie Drive to the north, Warden Avenue to the east and Highway 404 to the west....
and Berczy Village
Berczy Village, Ontario
Berczy Village is a residential community located in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded to the north by Major Mackenzie Drive, to the east by McCowan Road, to the south by 16th Avenue, and to the west by Kennedy Road. This area is part of Unionville, Ontario. The community is named after the...
. Unionville is said to be one of the most affluent areas in the Greater Toronto Area with an average household income of $127,900. Rouge River runs north of the central part of Unionville and to the southeast. Highway 404 is to the west, the nearest interchange with the Highway 407 is 2 km south on Kennedy Rd. The population lives in almost all parts of Unionville except in the industrialized south-central area. The railway line which links the area to Toronto via GO Train service once ran as far north as Lindsay
Lindsay, Ontario
Lindsay is a community of 19,361 people on the Scugog River in the Kawartha Lakes region of south-eastern Ontario, Canada. It is approximately west of Peterborough...
.
Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is a major part of Unionville's economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
. The historic village or downtown section of Unionville is typical of a small town that developed over a century or so starting in the early 1840s (when Ira White erected his Union Mills) through the middle to late 20th century. The historic Main Street Unionville attracts thousands of visitors each year — as of 2006 it boasted 9 restaurants, including 3 pubs. Main Street (originally the laneway from the village's first grist mill) also has a number of "century homes" dating back to the 19th century. Each year, thousands visit Unionville during the Unionville Festival.
The main street has been used as a stand-in for fictional Connecticut town Stars Hollow
Stars Hollow
Stars Hollow is a fictional small town in Connecticut featured on the television show Gilmore Girls. It is depicted as a close-knit small town with many quirky characters, located roughly thirty minutes by car from Hartford...
during the first season of Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
television show, as well as other television and movie backdrops.
Most of the historic buildings in Unionville are included in List of historic buildings in Markham, Ontario.
Geography
Once surrounded by farmlands, the village is now surrounded by suburban housing tracts. During the revival period in the 1970s a ban was placed on development for 25 years, but that time has now passed.There is concern about how the village is now turning into a city, with all the new homes being built on farm lands, and heritage buildings being knocked down for new homes. Today Unionville has less than 10% of farm lands as there was in the mid-1990s.
Recent history
Walking paths through the local conservation lands connect directly to the village roads. One of the most used being the path around Toogood Pond, the mill pond from the 1840s that powered the grist mill. In the early 20th century the pond was called Willow Pond or Willow Lake and was the home to several small summer cottages on north Main Street. Some had been cottages, for grist mill workers, in their earliest incarnation. Those cottages evolved into homes by the middle of the century, but are almost all gone now being replaced by large spacious expensive homes.
The Varley Art Gallery
Frederick Horsman Varley Art Gallery
Frederick Horsman Varley Art Gallery is an art gallery in Town of Markham, Ontario. The art gallery is named after an artist from the Group of Seven, Frederick Varley. The gallery is located on Unionville Main St. The gallery, which spans 13,935 m2 and includes over a hundred pieces by Frederick...
now stands at the north end of the commercial Main Street and is rapidly becoming a gallery of wide renown. It was started with the contributions of Mrs. McKay, who had supported Group of Seven
Group of Seven (artists)
The Group of Seven, sometimes known as the Algonquin school, were a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920-1933, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael , Lawren Harris , A. Y. Jackson , Franz Johnston , Arthur Lismer , J. E. H. MacDonald , and Frederick Varley...
artist Fred Varley for the later part of his life. Living in her home on Main Street Unionville, he did several paintings that are now part of the Art Gallery collection and the home is now part of the Art Gallery's holdings, being used for small art shows on a regular basis.
In the mid-1990s until the summer of 1999, Highway 407 was under construction. It is Ontario's first toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
and was first opened the summer of 1998 at McCowan Road. It was later extended to Brock Road.
The Unionville Arms, a well known pub, burnt down on November 30, 2007. It had been in business for 19 years prior. The building itself was over a century old. The legendary building caught fire in the morning and the fire was put out 3 hours later. No one was hurt. The Arms reopened in very much its original appearance, towards the end of December 2008.
The Unionville (Markham) Public Library, completed in 1984, serves as a major cultural facility in the historic village center. The 14,000 sq.ft. library plan is based on a traditional village square surrounded by eight houses of books expressed on the exterior as postmodern Victorian dormers. The library, which contains approximately 100,000 books and audiovisual materials, was designed by architect Barton Myers
Barton Myers
Barton Myers, FAIA is an American and Canadian architect and president of Barton Myers Associates, Inc. in Los Angeles, California....
.
Culture
The Unionville Festival was first organized in 1969 to raise awareness and money to fight the provincial plan to run a four lane road up the middle of the town and thus destroying it. An interest in history, spurred by the Canadian Centennial Year in 1967, awoke the long time residents and the new subdivision residents. Slowly, local politicians got on board, and a plan was drawn up to divert the road to the east of the historic town center (now known as Kennedy RoadKennedy Road
Kennedy Road may refer to:*Kennedy Road *Kennedy Road, Durban*Kennedy Road, Hong Kong*Kennedy Street, Istanbul*Kennedy Street, Ankara*Kennedy Expressway in Chicago, Illinois*Kennedy Highway in Queensland, Australia...
). Today the festival continues to offer visitors access to handcrafts, small vendors and community groups. Virtually none of the businesses from the mid-20th century still exist, having been replaced by restaurants and tourist outlets.
The Unionville Business Improvement Area and its merchants, organize and operate numerous, year-round, admission free, festivals and events. The Merchants of Main Street Unionville BIA is the business association on Main Street Unionville, composed of volunteers from the business community, who work to preserve and promote the historical village of Unionville.
The Unionville BIA's Heritage Committee has seen its volunteers research and produce a self-guided walking tour. They also offer the official walking tours of Main Street Unionville.
Politics
Unionville is currently a part of the following districts:- Ward 3, represented by Councilor Don Hamilton
- Markham—UnionvilleMarkham—UnionvilleMarkham—Unionville is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-Boundaries:...
, provincial electoral riding, represented by Michael ChanMichael Chan (Canadian politician)Michael Chan is a Canadian politician. He is the Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament for the Ontario provincial riding of Markham-Unionville and Minister of Tourism and Culture in the provincial Liberal government headed by Dalton McGuinty...
(Liberal) - Markham-Unionville, federal electoral riding, represented by John McCallumJohn McCallumJohn McCallum, PC, MP is a Liberal Canadian politician, economist and university professor. Following the 2006 Federal Election, he became the Liberal Finance Critic in the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet...
(LiberalLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
)
Education
- Buttonville Public SchoolButtonville Public School|schoolboard= York Region District School Board|affiliation = none|superintendent= Gayle Brocklebank-Vincent|trustee= Ada Yeung|principal= Bob Sandiford|viceprincipal= Paul Obael|fundingtype = Public|schooltype= Elementary school...
- Bill Crothers Secondary SchoolBill Crothers Secondary SchoolBill Crothers Secondary School is an athletic based High school in the community of Unionville in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is the newest secondary school in the York Region District School Board. Named for former Olympic athlete and Chair of the York Region District School Board, Bill Crothers,...
- Coledale Public SchoolColedale Public SchoolColedale Public School was founded in 1988 in Markham, Ontario, Canada. The school was named for the road it was built on. Coledale Public School's mission is to help foster high standards of academic excellence grounded in development of responsible and respectful citizens dedicated to making...
- Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys French Catholic Elementary School
- Markville Secondary SchoolMarkville Secondary SchoolMarkville Secondary School is a public high school located in the town of Markham,Ontario, Canada. It is known for its exceptionally high academic standards, with consistently high rankings on standardized provincial tests.It is one of 32 high schools administered by the York Region District...
- John XXIII Catholic Elementary School
- Parkview Public School
- St. Matthew Catholic Elementary School
- St. Justin Martyr Catholic Elementary School
- Unionville High School
- Unionville Meadows Public School
- Unionville Public SchoolUnionville public schoolUnionville Public School is an elementary school located in Unionville, Ontario, Canada and is part of the York Region District School Board. It is a feeder school of Markville Secondary School.-History:...
- William Berczy Public SchoolWilliam Berczy Public SchoolWilliam Berczy Public School is a public elementary school in the town of Unionville, Ontario, Canada. It is a public school in the York Region District School Board. The school's name comes from William Berczy, who founded the town in which the school is located...
- St. Augustine Catholic High School
Events
- December 2–4 - Olde Tyme Christmas
- December 15 - 23 - Late Night Shopping in Unionville
- December 26 - 31 - Unionville Boxing Week
- June 3–5 - Unionville Festival
- July 10 - Unionville Celtic Festival
- August 14–16 and 21-23 - Unionville Jazz Festival
- September 1 - Movies on Main
- October 2 - Plein Air Unionville
- October 8 - Unionville Oktoberfest & Thanksgiving Weekend
- October 30 - Unionville Halloween on Main
- November 11 - Unionville Remembrance Day Service
Transportation
-
Highway 407 ETR - York Region TransitYork Region TransitYork Region Transit is the public transit operator in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are in Richmond Hill, at 50 High Tech Road....
- VivaViva (bus rapid transit)Viva is a bus rapid transit service operating in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Viva service is integrated with York Region Transit's local bus service to operate as one regional transit system providing seamless transit service across York Region and connections to northern Toronto.Viva was...
- GO Train/Bus
-
Highway 7 - Toronto Transit CommissionToronto Transit Commission-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
Notable residents
- Hayden ChristensenHayden ChristensenHayden Christensen is a Canadian actor. He appeared in Canadian television programs when he was young, then diversified into American television in the late 1990s. He moved on to minor acting roles before being praised for his role of Sam in Life as a House, for which he was nominated for a Golden...
of Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
fame attended Unionville High School. - Emmanuelle ChriquiEmmanuelle ChriquiEmmanuelle Sophie Anne Chriqui is a Canadian film and television actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on HBO's Entourage as Sloan McQuewick, as well as the love interest of Adam Sandler in the movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan...
- Canadian actress currently of Entourage (TV Series)Entourage (TV series)Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
fame and who also appeared in On the LineOn the Line (film)On the Line is a 2001 American romantic comedy film starring Lance Bass and Emmanuelle Chriqui. The film was directed by Eric Bross and was written by Eric Aronson and Paul Stanton, based upon their short film of the same name.-Plot:...
, Snow Day, and In the MixIn the Mix (film)In the Mix is a 2005 American crime-comedy film starring R&B/pop singer Usher. It was released in the United States on November 23, 2005, the film being targeted at the traditionally large Thanksgiving weekend audience....
. - Anna RussellAnna RussellAnna Russell, née Anna Claudia Russell-Brown was an English–Canadian singer and comedienne. She gave many concerts in which she sang and played comic musical sketches on the piano...
- EnglishEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
–CanadianCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
singer and comedienne - Anna Russell Way is named after her. - Steven StamkosSteven StamkosSteven Stamkos is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, an alternate captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Stamkos was the first overall pick in the 2006 OHL Entry Draft, from the Markham Waxers of the OMHA. Playing with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey...
a Canadian ice hockey player of the Tampa Bay LightningTampa Bay LightningThe Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
. - Paul PoirierPaul PoirierPaul Poirier is a Canadian ice dancer. He skated with Vanessa Crone from 2001 to 2011. They are the 2010–2011 Grand Prix Final bronze medalists, 2011 Four Continents bronze medalists, 2011 Canadian champions, 2009 & 2010 Canadian silver medalists and 2008 World Junior silver medalists...
a figure skater. Competed in 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. - Howie LeeHowie LeeHoward Stewart Lee is a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1956 Winter Olympics.Lee was a member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen who won the bronze medal for Canada in ice hockey at the 1956 Winter Olympics....
a Canadian ice hockey player who was a member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen who won the bronze medal for Canada in ice hockey at the 1956 Winter Olympics. - Joe BowenJoe BowenJoe Bowen , is a Canadian sportscaster. He is known as "The Voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs", having broadcast over 2,100 Leaf Games. He started calling games for the Leafs in 1982, after calling games for the Nova Scotia Voyageurs.Bowen's catchphrase is "Holy Mackinaw!", typically used when an...
- Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
broadcaster. - James DuthieJames DuthieJames Livingstone Duthie is a former field hockey player, who won the bronze medal with the British squad at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He played club hockey for Southgate.-References:*...
- TSN Hockey analyst. - John Paul MorrisonJohn Paul MorrisonJohn Paul Morrison is a British-born Canadian computer programmer, and the inventor of flow-based programming . He is the author of the books Flow-Based Programming: A New Approach to Application Development and Flow-Based Programming, 2nd Edition: A New Approach to Application Development...
- inventor/discoverer of Flow-based programmingFlow-based programmingIn computer science, flow-based programming is a programming paradigm that defines applications as networks of "black box" processes, which exchange data across predefined connections by message passing, where the connections are specified externally to the processes...
. - Ken PereiraKen PereiraKenneth Pereira is a field hockey midfielder from Canada. He was a member of the Canadian field hockey team at the Summer Olympics in 2000 and 2008. Pereira has also been on several Commonwealth Games and Pan American Games teams, winning two gold medals in the latter competition in 1999 and 2007...
- field hockey midfielder. - Bob BeckettBob BeckettRobert Owen Beckett is a former Canadian ice hockey centre. He played for the Boston Bruins.-External links:...
- former Canadian ice hockey centre. - Andrea BeckAndrea BeckAndrea Beck is a Montreal-born author living in Unionville, Ontario, who is best known for her Elliot Moose books.* Elliot's Emergency, Kids Can Press, 1998. Preschool-grade 3.* Elliot Bakes a Cake, Kids Can Press, 1999. Preschool-grade 3....
- MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
-born author best known for her Elliot Moose books. - Donald DeaconDonald DeaconDonald MacKay Deacon, OC, O.PEI, MC was a Canadian politician, businessman and volunteer.Deacon was born and raised in a family of ten children in Toronto, Ontario. In 1942, he volunteered to serve in the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II, rising to the rank of Captain...
- Deacon, OCOC-Language and country:* Root of the name for the Occitan language or for its territory, Occitania.-People:* O.C. , an American rapper* the Officer Commanding a military unit* Officer Candidate in the United States Navy's STA-21 program...
, O.PEIOrder of Prince Edward IslandThe Order of Prince Edward Island is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. Instituted in 1996 by Lieutenant Governor Gilbert Clements, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Catherine Callbeck, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is...
, MCMilitary CrossThe Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(1920 - 2003) was a Canadian politician, businessman and volunteer. He was made an officer of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 2003. - Marc BendavidMarc BendavidMarc Bendavid is a Canadian film, television and stage actor.He was born in Toronto, Canada to immigrant parents. His mother is Belgian of Flemish descent and his father is from Casablanca, Morocco...
- Canadian film, television and stage actor. - Gillian AppsGillian AppsGillian Mary Apps is a women's ice hockey player. She is the granddaughter of Hockey Hall of Fame member Syl Apps and the daughter of former National Hockey League player Syl Apps, Jr...
- women's ice hockey player. She is the granddaughter of Hockey Hall of Fame member Syl AppsSyl AppsCharles Joseph Sylvanus Apps, CM of Paris, Ontario, was a Canadian pole vaulter and professional hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1936 to 1948 and a Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario.-Athletic career:Apps was a strong athlete, 6 feet tall, weighing 185 pounds,...
and the daughter of former National Hockey League player Syl Apps, Jr.Syl Apps, Jr.Sylvanus Marshall Apps, Jr. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins.-Playing career:...
and his wife Anne. - John ArmstrongJohn Armstrong (ice hockey)John Armstrong is a Canadian ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Abbotsford Heat of the AHL, top minor team for the NHL's Calgary Flames...
- Canadian ice hockey centre.
Nearest communities
- ButtonvilleButtonville, OntarioButtonville is a suburban community part of Unionville within the Town of Markham in York Region, directly north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the western part of Unionville. The population is presently about 30,000. Rouge River is to the northeast and Buttonville Airport is...
, west - Stouffville, north
- MarkhamMarkham, OntarioMarkham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
, east - ScarboroughScarborough, OntarioScarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
, south