Markham is a town in York Region, directly north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Markham is the largest incorporated town in Canada and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Motto: Ontarios Rising Star Area: 1,761. ... Motto: Diversity Our Strength Map of Ontario Counties, Toronto being red Area: 641 sq. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Area 1,076,395 km² (4th) Land 917,741 km² Water 158,654 km² (14. ... The Greater Toronto Area (called the GTA by local residents) is the largest metropolitan area in Canada and is centred around the fifth largest city in North America, Toronto, after Mexico City, New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. ...

Introduction

Markham was first surveyed as a township in 1793 by William Berzy (Johann Albrecht Ulrich Moll 1744-1813), first settled in 1794 and incorporated as a town in 1972. Markham is twinned with Nördlingen, Germany. The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. ... 1793 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Johann Albrecht Ulrich Moll (1744-1813), who changed his name to William Berzy, was a Canadian pioneer. ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... A street in Ynysybwl, Wales, relatively stereotypical of a small town A town is usually an urban area which is not considered to rank as a city. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... This article is about partnerships between towns distant from each other; see Twin cities for the unrelated concept of physically neighbouring cities. ... Nördlingen is a town in Bavaria, Germany. ...

Geography

Markham is bounded by the Town of Richmond Hill and the City of Vaughan to the west, Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville to the north, City of Pickering to the east and City of Toronto to the south. It is at 43°53′ N 79°15′ W. Richmond Hill (population 159,864 as of June 30, 2004) is a town in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Vaughan (2001 population 182,022)[1] is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Whitchurch-Stouffville, town in south-central Ontario, in the Regional Municipality of York in the Greater Toronto Area. ... Pickering (2003 population approximately 92,000) is (as of 2003) a city located east of Toronto in Durham Region, Ontario, Canada. ... Motto: Diversity Our Strength Map of Ontario Counties, Toronto being red Area: 641 sq. ...

Community profile

According to the Canada 2001 Census: The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. ...

Demographics

Racial make-up One of the places where Whites are a minority in the country. Others are Scarborough, Ontario and Richmond, British Columbia. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The definition of a minority group can vary, depending on specific context, but generally refers to either a sub-group that does not form either a majority or a plurality of the total population, or a group that, while not necessarily a numerical minority, is disadvantaged or otherwise has less... {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: {{Canadian City/Location Image is:{{{Location Image Type}}}|[[Image:{{{Location Image}}}|thumbnail|center|250px|City of Scarborough (Dissolved), Ontario, Canada location. ... Richmond is an incorporated city on the Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada. ...

• White: 44.3%
• Chinese: 30.0%
• South Asian: 12.7%
• Black: 3.8%
• Filipino: 2.5%
• West Asian: 1.1%
• Korean: 1.1%

Religious make-up

• Catholic: 25.5%
• Protestant: 20.6%
• Christian Orthodox: 4.9%
• Other Christian: 4.3%
• Hindu 5.7%
• Muslim: 5.7%
• Jewish: 5.3%
• Buddhist: 3.4%
• Sikh: 1.6%
• No religion: 23.1%

Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... A Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural system of India (Bharat). ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is an adherent of Islam. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... A Sikh man wearing a turban A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism, a religious faith originating in the Punjab. ...

History

See separate article on History of Markham, Ontario. When Upper and Lower Canada were established in 1791, Colonel John Graves Simcoe was appointed the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada. ...

Government

The Markham Town Council consists of the Mayor, four Regional Councillors and eight Councillors each representing one of the town's eight wards (The current Mayor of Markham is Donald Cousens, former PC MPP for Markham and presbyterian church minister). The Mayor and four Regional Councillors are elected by the community to represent the Town of Markham at the regional level. W. Donald Cousens (born July 20, 1938 in Vankleek Hill, Ontario) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ...

The members of council, called councillors, are elected by the municipality's voters. Council members are paid by the municipality for their services, but in many municipalities, members of council usually serve part-time and work at other jobs as well.

Municipal elections are conducted every three years, and members of council are elected by the residents to a three-year term of office. The selection of members for the offices of Mayor and Regional Councillors are made Town-wide, while Ward Councillors are elected by individual ward.

The town offices are located at the Markham Civic Centre at Highway 7 and Warden Avenue. The previous offices on Woodbine Avenue have disappeared (a funeral home is on the site), but the historic Town Hall on Markham Main Street is now a restored office building. Ontario provincial highway 7 is one of the Kings Highways in the province of Ontario, Canada. ... Woodbine Avenue is a north south route in Toronto and Markham. ... Markham Road is a north-south route in Markham and Toronto. ...

Current Town Council (2004): List of Councillors for the Town of Markham, Ontario Town Council as for 2003-2004 Mayor - Don Cousens Councillors Stan Daurio - Ward 1 Erin Shapero - Ward 2 Joseph Virgilio - Ward 3 George McKelvey - Ward 4 John Webster - Ward 5 Dan Horchik - Ward 6 Khalid Usman - Ward 7 Alex Chiu - Ward 8 (former Councillor for Ward 7) Regional Councillors Frank...

Also see List of mayors of Markham, Ontario. This is a list of mayors of Markham, Ontario. ...

Provincial Representation

• Tony Wong, Liberal MPP for Markham
• Mario Racco, Liberal MPP for Thornhill
• Frank Klees, P.C. MPP for Oak Ridges

Federal Representation Tony Wong is a politician in Ontario, Canada. ... Mario Racco (born in 1955) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. ... Frank Klees (born March 6, 1951 in Stuttgart, West Germany) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. ...

• John McCallum, Liberal MP for Markham - Unionville (and Minister of National Revenue), former Minister of National Defence, Minister of Veterans' Affairs, and Royal Bank Economist
• Lui Temelkovski, Liberal MP for Oak Ridges - Markham
• Susan Kadis, Liberal MP for Thornhill

Professor The Honourable John McCallum PC, MP (born April 9, 1950) is a Canadian politician and economist. ... Lui Temelkovski (born November 4, 1954) is the Canadian Member of Parliament for the Ontario riding of Oak Ridges-Markham, representing the Liberal Party of Canada. ... Susan Kadis (born January 11, 1953) is a Canadian Member of Parliament. ...

Law and Order

There are no courts in Markham, but is served by a court in Newmarket. Policing is provided by York Regional Police at a station near McCowan Road and Highway 7. Map showing Newmarkets location in York Region Newmarket is a town located approximately 45 km north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has an area of 38. ... McCowan Road is a north-south street in Scarborough in the City of Toronto, and in York Region in Markham, Whitchurch-Stouffville, East Gwillimbury, and Georgina . ... Ontario provincial highway 7 is one of the Kings Highways in the province of Ontario, Canada. ...

Town Issues

Like most cities and towns in the Greater Toronto Area, Markham has a number of issues to deal with:

Urban Growth

There is a desire by the Town to control urban sprawl by requesting higher density for new development. The town plan calls for more growth along Highway 7 and less towards the farm land to the North. A similar development in Cornell promotes the need for a services to be closer to residences.

Transit Plan

Linked to the concern of urban growth, Markham through York Region Transit (YRT) is developing a new transit plan to ease strain on the region's congested roads. Even with Highway 407 and widening of other roads have not lead to less traffic, but encourage residents to drive. York Region Transit (YRT) is the public transit authority for York Region and headquarters is in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada (50 High Tech Road). ... This article or section should include material from 407 ETR International Highway 407 as part of the 400-series network Highway 407, officially called 407 ETR, is a pay-per-use freeway located in south-central Ontarios Greater Toronto Area. ...

Markham's Neighbourhoods and Communities

Markham is made up of many communities, each with a distinctive character:

• Armadale
• Berczy
• Box Grove
• Buttonville
• Cornell
• Crosby
• Markham Village
• Milliken Mills
• Unionville
• Thornhill

Buttonville is a suburban community that is located 9 km west of Markham, 29 km NE of Toronto, south of Lake Simcoe and 9 km SE of Richmond Hill. ... Unionville (from union + ville) is a suburban community that is located 4 km west of Markham, 33 km NE of Toronto, south of Lake Simcoe and 13 km SE of Richmond Hill. ... Thornhill is a former village in Ontario, directly north of Toronto, and is currently shared by two municipalities, the city of Vaughan having the portion west of Yonge Street and the town of Markham having the eastern portion. ...

Parks

Here is a list of parks in Markham: List of parks in the Town of Markham Parks in the Town of Markham, Ontario are maintained by the Parks Department. ...

Culture

Until the 1970s, Markham was mostly farmland and marsh, which is still reflected in events like the Markham Fair. The community with Markham boasts a very diverse, multicultural population, with large Chinese and South Asian communities. Multiculturalism or cultural pluralism is a policy, ideal, or reality that emphasizes the unique characteristics of different cultures in the world, especially as they relate to one another in immigrant receiving nations. ...

Today Markham is known for its love of performing arts demonstrated most profoundly in the critical and audience acclaimed Markham Little Theatre [1]. Thriving for the last 40 years and presenting over 100 plays, Markham Little Threatre's performances draws audience members from residents and those of neighboring communities.

Economy

In the 19th Century Markham out was a vibrant independent community with distilleries and brewerys around the Highway 7 and 48 intersection. The Spate Wagon Works exported products around the world, and it was said that Markham was more active than York was early on.

Today, Markham is known as Canada's Hi-tech Capital with a number of key companies and stores in the area.

Athletics

Most sports in Markham, Ontario are amateur or recreational: The word amateur has at least two connotations. ... Tigers playing in the water Girl playing on tyre swing Adults enjoying the day. ...

Teams

• Markham Junior Hockey Club
• Markham Mariners - Markham District Rep. Baseball
• Markham Raiders - Markham Minor Football Association
• Markham-Stouffville Stars
• Markham Pioneers - Markham Men's Baseball
• Markham Thunder - Markham Minor Lacrosse
• Markham Waxers - Ontario Junior A
• MUMBA Meteors - Markham-Unionville Minor Basketball Association Rep. Program

Leagues

• FCCM Basketball Division

• Markham District Baseball Association
• Markham Men's Recreational Hockey
• Markham Woman's Slo-Pitch League
• Markham Unionville Minor Basketball Association (MUMBA)
• Unionville Minor Hockey Association
• Unionville Minor Softball Association
• Unionville Men's Slo-Pitch League
• Unionville Mixed Slo-Pitch League
• Unionville Ladies Slo-Pitch Baseball

Clubs

• Armadale Tennis Club
• Markham Cricket Club
• Markham Lawn Bowling Club
• Markham Soccer Club
• Markham Tennis Club
• Unionville Curling Club
• Unionville-Milliken Soccer Club
• Unionville Tennis Club

Due to the large areas of undeveloped land, Markham boast a number of golf courses:

• Angus Glen Golf Club
• Bayview Country Club
• Parkview Golf Club
• Buttonville Fairway
• Cresthaven Golf Club
• Golf Dome At Markham
• Mandarin Golf and Country Club
• Markham Green Golf Club
• Unionville Golf Centre Inc
• Uplands Golf & Country Club
• York Downs Golf & Country Club (Private)

Attractions

Markham has retained its historic past in part of the town. Here a just few places of interest:

• Frederick Horsman Varley Art Gallery
• Heintzman House - Home of Colonel Crookshank, Sam Francis and Charles Heintzman of the Heintzman Piano Company
• Markham Museum
• Markham Museum & Historic Village
• Markham Village
• Reesor Farm Market
• Thornhill

Heritiage streets preserve the old town feeling:

• Main Street Markham (Markham Road/ Highway 48)
• Main Street Unionville (Kennedy Road)

There are still farms operating in the northern reaches of the town, but there are a few 'theme' farms in other parts of Markham: Markham Road is a north-south route in Markham and Toronto. ... Ontario provincial highway 48, or Kings Highway 48, was a secondary highway that ran from Scarborough to south-eastern edge of Lake Simcoe. ... Kennedy Road is a north-south street in Scarborough, Ontario, which is part of Toronto. ...

• Devonshire Stables & Country Bumpkins Pony Farm
• Galten Farms
• Whittamores Farm
• Forsythe Family Farms

Performing Arts

While no match to Toronto's arts scene, Markham is home to local oriented performing arts:

• Markham Concert Band
• Markham Little Theatre
• Markham Theatre For Performing Arts
• Markham Youth Theatre
• Unionville Theatre Company
• York Symphony Orchestra

A key arts venue is Markham Theatre, at the Markham Civic Centre.

Annual Events

Events taking place annually include:

• Markham Youth Festival
• Unionville Village Festival
• Markham Village Music Festival
• Markham Jazz Festival
• Milliken Mills Children's Festival
• Thornhill Village Festival
• Markham Fair
• Markham Festival of Lights
• Markham Santa Claus Parade
• Olde Tyme Christmas Unionville

Shopping

There is only one major mall in Markham, due to proximity to higher profile malls in Toronto and elsewhere in York Region:

• Markville Mall (by far the largest, with over 250 stores)
• Woodside Mall - Outlet type

Markham is also home to a few Chinese theme malls, due in part to a sizeable Chinese community:

• Pacific Mall
• Market Village Mall
• First Markham Place
• Peachtree Centre
• Metro Square

Pacific Mall (Chinese: 太古廣場, Cantonese (Yale): taai3 gu2 gwong2 coeng4) is a shopping centre located in Markham, Ontario, Canada. ...

Educational Institutions

Markham has no post-secondary institution, but is served by satellite sites:

• Seneca College - Highway 7 and 404 site (formerly Allstate)
• Seneca College - Buttonville Airport

Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology has approximately 90,000 part-time and 17,000 full-time students. ... Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology has approximately 90,000 part-time and 17,000 full-time students. ...

Local Media

• The Liberal - serving Thornhill and Richmond Hill
• Markham Economist and Sun - local paper owned by Metroland
• The York Region Business Times - business news
• York Region News Group - Online news
• North of the City - magazine for York Region
• Rogers Cable 10 - local community TV station for York Region and owned by Rogers Media

Hospitals

• Markham-Stouffville Hospital
• Shouldice Hospital

Markham-Stouffville Hospital is an acute care (215 beds) and community hospital serving south-east York Region. ...

Transportation

• Major highways include Highway 404 (from Toronto to Newmarket) and Highway 407
• Rail connects Markham with downtown Toronto through the Stouffville commuter rail service with stops at Unionville (GO Station), Centennial (GO Station) Markham (GO Station), and Mount Joy (GO Station).
• York Region Transit connects Markham with surrounding municipalities in York Region, and was created in 2001 from the merger of Markham Transit with Richmond Hill Transit Newmarket Transit, and Vaughan Transit. There is a plan by YRT to create a link to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) by way of Bus Rapid Transit along Highway 7 and Yonge Street, and construction has commenced to make this happen, first services on Vivayork to begin in September 2005.
• The TTC also provides service in Markham on north-south routes, such as Warden Avenue, Birchmount Road, McCowan Road, and Markham Road.
• Buttonville Municipal Airport, one of Canada's top ten airports; the airport caters to general aviation and business commuter traffic to Ottawa and Montreal. Operators at Buttonville include:

• NexJet Aviation Inc
• Million Air
• Executive Edge Air Chapter
• Aviation Limited
• Canadian Flyers International

Highway 404 as part of the 400-series network Highway 404 is an Ontario 400-Series Highway that runs from the junction of Highway 401 and the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto to its northern terminus at Green Lane/Herald Road in Newmarket. ... Map showing Newmarkets location in York Region Newmarket is a town located approximately 45 km north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has an area of 38. ... This article or section should include material from 407 ETR International Highway 407 as part of the 400-series network Highway 407, officially called 407 ETR, is a pay-per-use freeway located in south-central Ontarios Greater Toronto Area. ... }|135px|City of Toronto, Ontario Official Flag]]|Coat Image=[[Image:{{{Coat Image}}}|135px|City of Toronto, Ontario Coat of Arms]]}} {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Diversity Our Strength {{Canadian City/Location Image is:{{{Location Image Type}}}|[[Image:{{{Location Image}}}|thumbnail|center|250px|City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada... Stouffville is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. ... The Unionville GO Station is a train and bus station in the GO Transit network located in Markham, Ontario in Canada. ... The Centennial GO Station is a train and bus station in the GO Transit network located in Markham, Ontario in Canada. ... Markham (GO Station) - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... The Mount Joy GO Station is a train and bus station in the GO Transit network located in Markham, Ontario in Canada. ... York Region Transit (YRT) is the public transit authority for York Region and headquarters is in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada (50 High Tech Road). ... Markham Transit Logo before amalgamation into the YRT Markham Transit was created in 1973 and operated by Travelways and Miller Transit Limited on behalf of the Town of Markham. ... Richmond Hill Transit, created in 1960, was initially operated by Trailways of Canada Limited, then Travelways starting in 1976 and Laidlaw in the 1980s. ... Newmarket Transit was the mot northerly transit system in York Region and one of the smallest. ... Like Markham, Vaughan Transit began in 1973 to provide service in southwest York Region. ... The Toronto Transit Commission, or TTC, is a public transport authority that operates buses, streetcars, and rapid transit lines in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Silver Line in Boston Bus rapid transit (BRT) is a broad term given to a variety of different transportation systems which attempt to use bus to provide a high-quality service through a set of various improvements to the bus line. ... Vivayork began service on September 4, 2005 as a bus rapid transit system in York Region, Ontario, with connections to northern Toronto. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with 30 days. ... 2005(MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Toronto Transit Commission, or TTC, is a public transport authority that operates buses, streetcars, and rapid transit lines in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Birchmount Road is a north-south road in Scarborough in Toronto. ... McCowan Road is a north-south street in Scarborough in the City of Toronto, and in York Region in Markham, Whitchurch-Stouffville, East Gwillimbury, and Georgina . ... Markham Road is a north-south route in Markham and Toronto. ... Buttonville Municipal Airport is a small private airport in the north-west corner of Markham, Ontario, Canada. ... {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Advance Ottawa/Ottawa en avant City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada location. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

External links

• Town of Markham Official Site
• Your Online Information Directory to Markham, Ontario, Canada
• Community of Cornell, Markham
• Angus Glen Golf Club
• Markham District Baseball Association
• Markham Men's Baseball Team - Markham Pioneers
• Markham Unionville Minor Basketball Association
• Unionville Tennis Club

Whitchurch-Stouffville, town in south-central Ontario, in the Regional Municipality of York in the Greater Toronto Area. ... Richmond Hill (population 159,864 as of June 30, 2004) is a town in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Vaughan (2001 population 182,022)[1] is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Richmond Hill (population 159,864 as of June 30, 2004) is a town in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Pickering (2003 population approximately 92,000) is (as of 2003) a city located east of Toronto in Durham Region, Ontario, Canada. ... Uxbridge, township in south-central Ontario, in the Regional Municipality of Durham in the Greater Toronto Area. ... Motto: Diversity Our Strength Map of Ontario Counties, Toronto being red Area: 641 sq. ...