Pickering, Ontario
Encyclopedia : P : PI : PIC : Pickering, Ontario
| Pickering, Ontario | |
 | |
| Land Area¹ | 231.58 km² ¹ |
| Population (2001) % change since 1996 | 87,139¹ 10.3%¹ |
| Latitude and longitude | 44°N, 79°W1. |
| Altitude: | ??? |
| Time zone | 'Eastern': UTC -5(-4 DT) |
| Dwellings: | 26,946¹ |
| Postal code: | L0H, L1V, L1W, L1X, L1Y |
| Area code: | 905, 289 |
| Mayor | Dave Ryan |
| MPs | Dan McTeague (Liberal) Mark Holland (Liberal) |
| MPPs | Wayne Arthurs (Liberal) |
| External link: * [City of Pickering, Ontario website] | |
| ¹ According to the 2001 Statistics Canada census | |
Pickering (2005 population approximately 94,000) is a city located directly to the east of Toronto in Durham Region, Ontario, Canada.
Background
Pickering is well known for the Pickering nuclear power plant, and the adjacent OPG 7 commemorative turbine. Several other manufacturing and high-tech firms are located in the city. It borders on Toronto and is economically part of the "Greater Toronto Area" (GTA).The name Pickering is taken from "Pickering Township", the name of the geographic and political area until the establishment of regional government in 1974. At that point the area (with the exception of what became the Town of Ajax) took the name "Town of Pickering". It was changed to "City of Pickering" in 2000. Awkwardly, the community that was known by the name Pickering before 1974 is now located in the Town of Ajax, and is commonly referred to as "Pickering Village". Before 1974, the suburban areas south of Highway 401 were generally known as "Bay Ridges", and the area north of Highway 401 as "Dunbarton".
While much of Pickering is still farmland or wild lands, it is one of the fastest growing regions in Canada. Its proximity to the adjoining City of Toronto makes it a very desirable real estate market. Highway 401, Canada's busiest expressway, travels through southern Pickering parallel to Lake Ontario. Most of the western fringes of Pickering are part of the Rouge River park system; the largest urban park in North America.
A proposed Pickering Airport is set to begin construction in 2010.
As the gateway city to the east GTA, the City of Pickering is one of the most diverse cities in Canada. It has been designated by the Province of Ontario as an emerging growth centre in its draft Places to Grow Act and is expected to lead the nation in business and residential growth over the next 10 to 20 years. Currently, the City of Pickering and the Province of Ontario are discussing plans for development in the Seaton and Cherrywood areas of central Pickering. According to the Region of Durham, the population of Pickering is expected to reach 215,235 in 2031¹. By 2031, Pickering will become the most populous municipality in Durham Region¹.
¹ Durham Region Transit Improvement Plan, 2003. http://www.region.durham.on.ca/departments/planning/RTTFFinalReport.pdf
Communities and Hamlets
The City of Pickering consists of several communities and rural hamlets. The communities of Southern Pickering are:- Amberlea
- Bay Ridges
- Duffin Heights
- Dunbarton
- Liverpool
- Major Oaks
- Maple Ridge
- Rougemount
- Andrewville
- Rosebank
- Village East
- West Shore; and many others.
- Balsam
- Brougham
- Cherrywood
- Claremont
- Green River
- Greenwood
- Seaton
- Kinsale
- Whitevale.
Municipal Government
- Mayor - Dave Ryan
- Regional Councillors
- *Ward 1 - Maurice Brenner
- *Ward 2 - Bill McLean
- *Ward 3 - Rick Johnson
- City Councillors
- *Ward 1 - Kevin Ashe
- *Ward 2 - Doug Dickerson
- *Ward 3 - David Pickles
Demographics
Ethnicity
The racial makeup of Pickering is:- 73.5% Caucasian
- 10.7% Black
- 7.0% South Asian
- 2.1% Filipino
- 2.0% East Asian
Source: Statistics Canada 2001 Census [link]
22.8% of Pickering's population is under the age of 14. Those between the ages of 15 and 64 makeup 69.7% of the population. Only 7.6% of Pickering's residents are over the age of 65¹. The average age of the population is 35.6 and the unemployment rate of the city is 4.9%, which is below the national unemployment rate¹.
¹ Statistics Canada 2001 Census [link]
Religion
- 33.4% Catholic (Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, Old Catholic)
- 37.5% Protestant
- 3.5% Christian Orthodox
- 3.9% Muslim
- 2.4% Hindu
- 0.4% Sikh
- 0.1% Jewish
- 14.9% No Religious Affiliation
Famous people and groups
Illustrated war veterans S.Sgt. Graham Booth and Lt. Corbin Albani reside in Pickering. These two were heralded as heroes for their bravery during the Boer War, and their war cry of "All the way!" is still very popular slogan for Canadian soldiers.Glenn Healy; NHL goaltender
Perdita Felicien; Athens 2004 Olympic 100m Hurdler
Trivia
- The CBC/Hollywood production of the classic tv show "Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans" was filmed in Pickering at the corner of Valley Farm Rd. and 3rd Concession. There was a farm there owned by Mr. Arthur Gottlieb, which is now a residential area.
External links
- [Maps and aerial photos]
- * Satellite image from [WikiMapia] or [Google Maps]
- * Street map from [Yahoo! Maps] or [GlobalGuide]
- * Aerial image from [TerraServer]
- [City of Pickering Website]
- [Pickering Public Library Website]
- [Pickering Ajax Digital Archive Website of Local History]
| Uxbridge, Scugog |
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| Ajax, Lake Ontario |
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