Community Profiles / York Region

Vaughn

City offices
2141 Major Mackenzie Dr.
Vaughan 905-832-8585
https://www.vaughan.ca

Vaughan is It is the fifth-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area, and the 17th-largest city in Canada, it is home to more than 300,000 residents.

The city is made up of five major communities. Most residents say that they are from these smaller communities than that they are from Vaughn. These areas are: Woodbridge, Maple, Thornhill, Mackenzie, Concord and Kleinburg. These communities are seen today are extended far beyond their original area boundaries. In addition to those five areas, Vaughan Metropolitan Center, is the name used for the city’s downtown area. Each of the communities within Vaughn have their own personality. Residents enjoy an outstanding lifestyle with a broad range of amenities to choose from. Choices range from the arts and entertainment to shopping and dining choices. In addition, locals enjoy the benefit of being part of an larger urban area. Outdoor activities are plentiful and readily accessible.

As with all Canadians, residents of Vaughn and its communities are avid sports fans. The city is home to several amateur sports teams for a variety of sports, with an organization running a league for each of the four major sports. There are also rep and select levels of these sports where the Vaughan Rangers, Vaughan Panthers, and Vaughan Kings represent the city in youth hockey, the Vaughan Vikings represent the city in baseball, the Vaughan Rebels represent the city in football, and the Vaughan Panthers represent the city in basketball.

Education is important in the city and families with children will find that there are a number of elementary and high schools in Vaughan, which operate under the York Region District School Board and the York Catholic District School Board. There are also some private schools in the city and a Waldorf school, the Toronto Waldorf School, which offers early childhood, elementary and accredited high school programs. Those looking for higher education will find York University in North York, lies on the Toronto side of the Toronto-Vaughan border. It is a major comprehensive university, with more than 43,000 students enrolled through 10 different facilities. The American private Catholic Niagara University runs a campus in Vaughan, its first university in the city.

Markham

City Offices
Markham Civic Center
101 town center Blvd
Markham
https://www.markham.ca

Markham is approximately 30 km (19 mi) northeast of Downtown Toronto. The city is the fourth-most populous community within the Greater Toronto Area after Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton and is York Region’s most populous municipality. It is home to more than 330,000 residents. The city is Markham is made up of more than 40 separate neighborhoods. Which today serve as suburban areas to the city. Many of these neighborhoods were originally settled as their own towns and today some of the town boundary signs can still be seen in the neighborhoods. Until the 1970’s much of the land that make up the city today was mostly farmland and marshland.

Markham offers its residents a wide choice of entertainment and lifestyle venues. The city is home to several local performing arts groups, including: Kindred Spirits Orchestra, Markham Little Theatre, Markham Youth Theatre, Unionville Theatre Company and Markham Concert Band. A major arts venue in the city is the ‘Markham Theatre for Performing Arts’, at the Markham Civic Centre. It is operated by the city.

The downtown area of the city offers residents the opportunity to enjoy all that the city has to offer. The City works to maintain a “walkable” downtown as it allows its residents to enjoy buildings and services being in walking distance of each other. This includes pedestrian friendly areas that make the experience safe and enjoyable. Markham has scenic trails covering over 13 miles. These pathways include 12 bridges allowing walkers, joggers and cyclists to make use and enjoy the what the city has to offer. Markham’s green space includes woodlots, ravines and valleys that are not only enjoyable to its residents but are important for the continued growth of the region’s plants and animals. These natural spaces are the habitats for rare plant and insect species, offering food and homes essential for the survival of different native insects and birds.

For those who prefer shopping to walking trails, the city does not disappoint. Markham is home to several large malls, each with more than 100 stores. These include: King Square Shopping Mall, CF Markville, Pacific Mall, Langham Square, First Markham Place and Woodside Power Center. Many of the shopping centers in Markham are also Asian-oriented. This reflects Markham’s large Asian population. In addition to the mega-malls there are dozens of other smaller shopping centers, boutiques and unique local stores.

Markham has a strong economy that is represented by the more than 1,000 technology and life-sciences companies, with IBM as the city’s largest employer. Several multinational companies also have their Canadian headquarters in Markham, including Honda Canada, Hyundai, Advanced Micro Devices, Johnson & Johnson, Avaya, Motorola, Oracle, Toshiba, Toyota Financial Services, Huawei and Honeywell.

Richmond Hill

City Offices
225 East Beaver Creek Road
Richmond Hill 905-771-8800
https://www.richmondhill.ca

Richmond Hill is home to more than 190,000 residents. The city is home to 13 distinct neighborhoods, each with its own personality and style. And each offering its residents a little something different.

The city is home to 166 parks, under the Town of Richmond Hill Parks Department in the Recreation & Culture Division, of which most are small urban parks and 800+ acres of undeveloped natural area for recreation. The largest park is Richmond Green Sports Centre and Park which includes several baseball diamonds, two ice skating rinks, a 300-person amphitheater and a skateboard park. The City also has a total of 6 public swimming pools, including an indoor wave pool. Each summer, the city features a concert series entitled “Concerts in the Park”, each having a specific theme, such as children’s music and “The Beach Boys” and are held at Mill Pond Park, with some Sunday concerts at Richmond Green Park. The Richmond Hill Heritage Centre serves as a museum of the city’s history. It also runs a variety of programs related to the city’s history. The city is also home to the Richmond Hill Country Club, Summit Golf & Country Club, and the Bloomington Downs Golf Course. Richmond Hill was awarded the National Communities in Bloom award in 2003, with a special mention about the city’s floral displays. Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts is a popular local venue for theater.
Most of the businesses in the city are small businesses, with more than half of all employers in the city having four workers or less. The city is home to the corporate headquarters of Acklands Grainger Inc., Compugen Inc., Compuware, DMC Mining Services, Lexmark, Rogers Communications, BMW Canada, Science & Medicine Canada, and Staples.
Education is well represented with the York Region District School Board operating 27 public elementary schools in Richmond Hill, as well as 5 secondary schools: Alexander Mackenzie High School, Bayview Secondary School, Langstaff Secondary School, Richmond Green Secondary School and Richmond Hill High School.

Richmond Hill has everything that its residents need close to home, but residents also have easy access to all of the regional amenities available in and around the golden Horshoe.