economic report development April 2019 · Emerald Hills Golf Club Valley + Parkland Private 1982 6104 69.5 126 56.5 75.6 141 65.4 Royal Stouffville Golf Course Semi-Private 1982 6073

economicdevelopment April 2019

report

From the EditorWhitchurch-Stouffville’s slogan is “Country

Close to the City,” and that exactly describes this place. It is a mere 14 kilometers from the north-ern border of Canada’s largest city - Downtown Toronto can be seen from windows as far north as Bloomington Road.

The community is immediately bordered by municipalities, such as Richmond Hill, Markham, Aurora and Newmarket, that con-tain a population of 715,000 people.

Yet, the landscape of Whitchurch-Stouffville is primarily rural in nature. The Town’s 205 square kilometers blanketed in forests and farms, horse barns and tourist attractions.

Provincial policies and Regional planning have kept growth in Town to a minimum, which in turn rewards the Greater Toronto Area with clean water to drink and fresh air to breath. For many, Whitchurch-Stouffville is the play-ground for corporations and densely packed neighbourhoods - a respite from the congestion of multi-lane highways and shopping centres.

However, do not under-estimate this coun-tryside burg of 45,000 - it is the 4th fastest growing community in Ontario, and the 2nd richest. Whitchurch-Stouffville has enjoyed solid growth year of year, especially in the com-munity of Stouffville, and its prospects appear golden.

The Economic Development Report, 2019 is a living document. We do not intend to touch up or rework these pages annually, but rather we hope to add to it every year until it is measured in volume, as opposed to brevity. At 36 pages, this is not a “community quick facts”. Our goal is simple: to provide the deepest understanding possible of a community we have come to love.

David Tuley, Economic Development Officer Town of [email protected]

GEOGRAPHIC INTEL | Orientation W-SWhitchurch-Stouffville is divided into four geographic areas based on landscape, economics and utility. The character of each area is described with the aid of a map including a discussion of constraints and opportunities.

TOURISM | The Economy of FunWhitchurch-Stouffville provides outdoor fun at all activity levels and tastes. The com-munity boasts 18 golf courses and 11 (known) horse farms. There are summer camps, interactive farms, forest tracts, major tourist attractions and stories to tell.

BUSINESS | The Need to KnowThis section will begin with a State of the Economy report, including facts, figures, accolades, and hunches. Then to resources and assistance for opening a business, or expanding an enterprise, including community supports, such as networking.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Spring forest scene in north Whitchurch-Stouffville.

economicdevelopment April 2019

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GEOGRAPHIC INTEL

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Bethesda Side RdBethesda Sd Rd

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Aurora Rd Aurora Rd

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THE WHITCHURCH FOREST

FUN, FOOD & FARMS

STOUFFVILLE

THE CORRIDORS

Vivian

CedarValley

Ballantrae

Mussleman’sLake

Vandorf

WesleyCorners

Gormley

Bethesda

Lemonville

Stouffville

BloomingtonPreston

Lake

Ringwood

The Geography of Whitchurch-Stouffville is diverse, from urban areas and forests, to industry and farms. Not many places in the GTA are quite like it – being so connected yet shrouded in a veil of rurality. The next 4 pages will focus on each of the regions labeled below.

WHITCHURCH-

STOUFFVILLE

Vandorf Park

VANDORF

GORMLEY

PRESTON LAKE

WESLEYCORNERS

PLEASANTVILLE

Vivian Rd

St. Johns Sdrd

Aurora Rd

Davis DrHw

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Bloomington Rd

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Strawberry Creek Farm Market

Trapper BobFarm

DiversityFarms

W-S Museum &Community Ctr

Station CreekNorth Course

MeadowcreekGolf Club

Bruce’s Mill

TreetopTrekking

404Stone

SentinelStorage

SpringvaleChurch

Cdn BlindMission

CenturyMill

MarkhamLandscaping

TreeValley

Global EMCTim Hortons StructForm

PremierBulk

bizZone CesaroniTechLeona

Stone

McKenzie RV

Mopal Cnstr

404Storage

WilliamsScotsman

Uhaul

Alpa RoofTrusses

RamForest Products

DeepFoundations

LecolSafety

Newtonbrook

OSPCA

Station CreekSouth Course

MeadowSweetFarm

York AutismCentre

J.B.&D.Company

Sunland Landscape& Garden Ctr

CHARACTER“The Corridors” area of Whitchurch-

Stouffville includes Highway 404, Woodbine Avenue and Stouffville Rd. It borders Newmarket, Aurora, and Richmond Hill along the west, the Community of Stouffville to the east and Markham to the south. These lands offer quick connectivity to Hwy. 404, and therefore, excellent access to regional and international markets.

Approximately 33% of all of Whitchurch-Stouffville’s businesses and employment reside in this area, including some of the Town’s largest employers. Businesses in The Corridors represent a diverse mix of

THE CORRIDORS

manufacturers, transportation logistics and large-scale construction firms. Also, within the area is the W-S Museum and Vandorf Park, three golf course, Bruce’s Mill Conservation Area, some farms & tourist sites.

The land is zoned in a variety of ways, from industrial and commercial, to countryside and agriculture. Some of the zoning allows for outdoor storage, which is becoming rare in the GTA. Parcels of land are generally large, measured in many acres. Development charges tend to be reduced in The Corridors, due to the lack of servicing.

CONSTRAINTSOne of the greatest constrains in The Cor-

ridors is a short supply of property listed for sale. Occasionally, a few listings can be found on MLS. Secondly, there are no water or sew-er services available, meaning a reliance on septic and well systems. Many properties have water (w) and/ or holding (h) symbols in the zoning code, requiring additional study.

Outside of Gormley and Vandorf, the avail-ability of broadband internet is limited.

Finally, many lands with The Corridors are zoned as Oak Ridges Moraine, Greenbelt or as Agriculture. These zoning designations create an environment that is difficult for de-velopment.

OPPORTUNITYSearch for property that is unlisted, prop-

erly zoned and/or already developed (devel-oped areas are yellow on map), or search for legal non-conforming sites (purple areas on map). It is possible to reuse non-conforming sites for similar uses, or less impactful uses - check with the Zoning Administrator as a part of due diligence.

One day these lands will be serviced with water and sewer, which will allow for a great-er intensity of development. Although Town

policy makers are advocating the need for services with Province and Regional govern-ments, it is not known when it will happen.

Whitchurch-Stouffville’s largest tract of “development reserve” land is located around Woodbine Ave. and Aurora Rd (blue areas on map). Town policy makers are working on opening these lands for devel-opment; Gormley will probably be serviced first.

INDEX

CHARACTER“Fun, Food & Farms” is an area of

Whitchurch-Stouffville that straddles the Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM) and embraces the moraine slope. It represents our best farm land. Here you will find Tourist At-tractions such as wineries, stocked fishing ponds, mini-putting, treetop trekking, mod-el aviation clubs (2), pick-your-own farms, Christmas tree farms and vegetable stands. There are 14 Golf Courses, including some of the oldest (Meadowcreek & Sleepy Hollow), the largest (Spring Lakes), and the most exclusive (St. Andrews East). Many horse stables and riding schools can be found throughout the area.

Some of the Existing Businesses are shown in black font, but there are few out-side of the colour-coded categories above; however, many home-based businesses ex-ist, though largely invisible to the passerby. Finally, you can find summer camps, public sports fields, a community centre and a con-servation area.

FUN, FOOD & FARMS

CONSTRAINTSOne of the greatest constrains in this area

is the lack of municipal services such as wa-ter and sewer. Broadband internet is sparse-ly available. Provincial policies, the Regional Official Plan and local Zoning Laws favour agricultural uses, and mostly prevents de-velopment in this area in order to protect the Oak Ridges Moraine - a valuable source of ground water for the GTA.

OPPORTUNITYEnjoy the landscape. This should be a place

to purchase food and enjoy structured fami-ly recreation. There are a handful of neigh-bourhoods that predate the protective ORM policies, so you can live here too. There are opportunities to enhance the area: we need more food crop farms, as many farm stands have shut down in recent years due to farmer retirements. In addition, the latest revision to ORM policies are more enabling of diversified

on-farm uses, such as crafting beer and fin-ishing agricultural products. To read more about the plan, visit the Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing website at www.mah.gov.on.ca.

Policies will forever be challenged. If these lands weren’t protected, development would probably have engulfed the area by now. In the meantime, this area should be a go-to place for family activity, food enthusiasts, and aspiring golf pros.

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BLOOMINGTON

BETHESDABethesda Sdrd

Bethesda GrangeGolf Course


Bruce’s Mill

TreetopTrekking

Wilson WaterWells

Rolling HillsChallenge GolfRolling Hills

Classic Golf

StouffvilleBMX

Community Safety Village ROGO Field

Toronto ModelAviation Club

Lionel’s Farm

Snow RidgeCanada

Applewood Farm & Winery

Willowgrove

Spring LakesNorth Course

Spring LakesEast Course

Spring LakesSouth Course

Burd’s FamilyFishing

Willow Springs Winery

GallucciWinery

Timber Creek Golf & Family Fun Centre

Willow Springs Camp Pause Awhile

Equestrian Centre

Sleepy Hollows Golf & Country Club

Horton Magic Hill Tree Farm

On the Hill Horsemanship Ctr

York RidingEquestrian School

St. Andrews East Golf &

Country Club

Royal StouffvilleGolf Course

Royal StouffvilleExecutive Golf

Hat TrickEquine

Emerald HillsForest Course

Emerald HillsParkland Course

Emerald HillsValley Course

Triple S Stables

Esso

K-LineBradstone

Forterra

Bloomington Cove

United Soils

The Farm Rehab

HutchinsonFarm Supply

DeerfieldFarm

MeadowSweet Farm

BethesdaPark

Lemonville CC

OakcrestFarms

Aurora ModelAircraft Club

INDEX

CHARACTERStouffville is the largest population centre

in Whitchurch-Stouffville, and thus contains the bulk of Community Services & Centres. The community is well linked to Toronto, with two GO Train Stations and GO Bus Ser-vice. York Region Transit primarily connects the Town to the Markham-Stouffville Hospi-tal along the Ninth Line corridor.

Stouffville is qualified by many as a safe, quaint, rural centre, and therefore is an at-traction to empty nesters and new families alike. Development over the last decade has heavily emphasized the building of single family homes along winding streets in new neighbourhoods.

New development, especially along West Main Street (Stouffville Rd), is providing for rapid intensification, a diversity of services and new retail. Employment and business growth is consistently 3-5% a year.

Many assisted living complexes are either in construction or the planning stages - totaling to about 1,700 beds altogether. Real estate is being consolidated by developers that propose to build densely placed stacked townhouses and medium rise condomini-ums. Development along West Main is the emphasis, as well as Tenth Line North, where the Lincolnville GO Station is expected to be

STOUFFVILLE

relocated to the southwest corner of Bethesda & Tenth; meanwhile, everything south of the station is expected to densify.

There are high expectations for mixed use development at Main & Highway 48, with Hoover Park & Highway 48 area expected to follow a similar course few years later.

Diversification has accompanied the new growth. Stouffville has one of the largest pop-ulation of Sri Lankan immigrants in Canada, while Chinese Canadians are joining the com-munity as well.

Needless to say, Stouffville has been growing rapidly, but now it has entered the next phase - intensifying rapidly. For now, the Town still has held onto a small town feel.

CONSTRAINTSStouffville is hardly a constrained commu-

nity, being able to connect with Canada’s larg-est city 15 minutes to the south, while enjoying the benefits of forests and farms bordering the Town. However, the last era of development, dominated by single family homes, has proven to be unsustainable - costing the Town more to service than can be collected in taxes. The cur-rent and next phase of development is expect-ed to help level things financially.

OPPORTUNITYBusiness: a lot of home-based & online

storefronts are choosing to operate out of Stouffville, as people seek refuge from urban commutes. In addition, a number of high tech businesses have found Stouffville at-tractive and have moved in; they are finding it easier to attract a workforce that enjoys a “reverse commute”. A dozen new restaurants and as many new service based businesses opened in the first quarter of 2019.

However, there is an inadequacy of office space available in Stouffville. Vacancy rates are averaging below 3%. The community has only one bonified, multiple level office build-ing. Anywhere else in the GTA it would be madness to build a speculative office build-ing, except for Stouffville.

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STOUFFVILLE

Stouffville Rd Main St Main St

Millard St

Park Dr

RINGWOOD

Bethesda Sdrd

Spring LakesGolf Course

DowntownStouffville

MemorialPark

AutoMall

WS TownHall

ClippersComplex

StouffvilleArena

FireHall

StouffvilleReservoir

Timber CreekGolf & Fun Ctr


W-SOperations

Centre

19 On The ParkShopping

Areas

BethesdaSports Fields

WillowSprings Winery

GallucciWinery

ShoppingAreas

Lehman’sPond

INDEX

CHARACTER

“The Whitchurch Forest” extends across the top half of Whitchurch-Stouffville. It is char-acterized by sandy soils, rolling hills, and blan-kets of trees. Here you will find many hiking opportunities and Outdoor Experiences in the York Region Forests (YRF) and Conservation Areas (CA).

The Ballantrae Community Centre and Coultice Park are a couple of Town operat-ed Community Sites. Too, there are many Tourist Sites, including pick-your-own farms and farm stands, summer camps, resorts and art galleries.

Finally, there are many Horse Farms, sta-bles, Christmas Tree Farms and one Golf Course.

CONSTRAINTSOne of the greatest constraints in this

area is the lack of municipal services out-side of Ballantrae, such as water and sewer.

WHITCHURCH FOREST

Broadband internet beyond Ballantrae is sparsely available. Provincial policies, the Regional Official Plan and local Zoning Laws favour passive uses in the forest, and mostly prevents development in this area in order to protect the Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt.

OPPORTUNITYEnjoy the landscape. This is an area for

hiking, adventure, environmental education and unstructured family recreation. The Ballantrae/Musselman’s Lake settlement area boasts a village-sized population in a series of quiet neighbourhoods. A handful of good restaurants compliments living and recreating.

The Ballantrae Golf Course is the only “links” styled course in Whitchurch-Stouffville, fea-turing broad grassy fairways, deep sandy bun-kers, and few trees. The course is public and

manages pace better than most.The Joyous Light Candles shop at the con-

vent is becoming very popular for handmade candles and baked goods. Strawberry picking at Trapper Bob and Strawberry Creek are a must in the spring, while sweet corn is avail-able at Bob’s in the summer, and pumpkins at Strawberry Creek in the fall.

One should make an appointment to see the artist studios at Beke Design and PONDeROSA. For family occasions and private events, con-sider booking The Hartman. For overnight stays, consider camping at Cedar Beach (in season) or renting a dormitory at Shadow Lake (off season).

Food can be sourced from Simpson Produce, King Cole Ducks, Nature’s Gift, and the afore-mentioned pick-your-own farms.

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Vivian Rd Vivian Rd

Cherry St

Jesse Thompson Rd

Faulkner

Lakeshore

Slaters

PINEORCHARD

CEDARVALLEY

VIVIAN

CHURCHILL

PLEASANTVILLE

BallantraeGolf Club

YRFEldred King

YRF Hall

YRF Patterson

YRF Hollidge

YRF North

YRF ClarkeYRF Dainty

YRF Scout

YRF Mitchell

YRF Robinson

YRF Porritt

Pangman Springs CA

Whitchurch CA

Woodland Trails Scout Camp

Strawberry CreekFarm Market

Trapper BobFarm

VivianRidgeFarm

PineOrchardCamp

BrooklinKennel

Vivian OutdoorResource Centre

VivianPlantation

MacPhersonTree Farm

DynamicGreensWheatgrass

MiddletonTree Farm

TuffordsTrees

RoseWoodPet Resort

KingColeDucks

On TheForest Boarding

Bill Fisch Forest Centre

Joyous Light Candles/ Holy Theotokos Convent

“Dog Pond”

PONDeROSAArt Gallery

York CountyBowmen

RH LiveSteamers

Tartan MewsEquestrian

OntarioSPCA

TaborFarms

The Teardrop

Trailer

Maui North

TheHartman

YogaYurt

NonnoCrupi’s

Coach House Pub

Simpson Produce

CountryStop Burgers

Fishboneby the Lake

CedarBeachResort

ShadowLake Camp

Coultice Park

Ballantrae CC

BekeDesign

Hanson’sRestaurant

Nature’s Gift Orchard

Horton HomeTree Farm

Horton KennedyTree Farm

NewmarketMeat Packers

Ovation HallTraining Centre

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TOURISM

The Economy of Fun Whitchurch-Stouffville offers many fine outdoor experiences. Structured fun includes golf courses, the

W-S Museum, 19 on the Park theatre, treetop trekking, fruit & vegetable picking, summer camps, Christmas Tree cutting and mini-putt. While unstructure experiences include art studios, forest hikes, wine tasting and sourcing fresh foods. The following map and resource lists are intended to fuel your adventure.

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BETHESDABethesda Sdrd

Bethesda GrangeGolf Course


Bruce’s Mill

TreetopTrekking

Rolling HillsChallenge GolfRolling Hills

Classic Golf

StouffvilleBMX

Community Safety Village ROGO Field

Toronto ModelAviation Club

Lionel’s Farm

Snow RidgeCanada

Applewood Farm & Winery

Willowgrove





Willow Springs Winery

GallucciWinery

Timber Creek Golf & Family Fun Centre

Willow Springs Camp Pause Awhile

Equestrian Centre

Sleepy Hollows Golf & Country Club

Horton Magic Hill Tree Farm

On the Hill Horsemanship Ctr

York RidingEquestrian School

St. Andrews East Golf &

Country Club

Royal StouffvilleGolf Course

Royal StouffvilleExecutive Golf

Hat TrickEquine

Emerald HillsForest Course

Emerald HillsParkland Course

Emerald HillsValley Course

Triple S StablesDeerfieldFarm

MeadowSweet Farm

BethesdaSports Fields

Lemonville CC

OakcrestFarms

Aurora ModelAircraft Club

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Millard St

Hoover Park Dr.

DowntownStouffville

MemorialPark

WS LibraryLeisure Ctr

Latcham Art Ctr

WS TownHall Clippers

Complex

StouffvilleArena

StouffvilleReservoir

19 On The Park

Main StRINGWOOD

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Vandorf Park

VANDORF

GORMLEY

PRESTON LAKE

WESLEYCORNERS

PLEASANTVILLE

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Strawberry Creek Farm Market

Trapper BobFarm

DiversityFarms

W-S Museum &Community Ctr

Station CreekNorth Course

Station CreekSouth Course

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York

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Cherry St

Faulkner

PINEORCHARD CEDAR

VALLEYVIVIAN

CHURCHILL

BallantraeGolf Club

YRFEldred King

YRF Hall

YRF Patterson

YRF Hollidge

YRF North

YRF Clarke

YRF Dainty

YRF Scout

YRF Mitchell

YRF Robinson

YRF Porritt

Pangman Springs CA

Whitchurch CA

Woodland Trails Scout Camp

VivianRidgeFarm

PineOrchardCamp

Vivian OutdoorResource Centre

VivianPlantation

MacPhersonTree Farm


MiddletonTree Farm

TuffordsTrees

KingColeDucks

On TheForest Boarding


Joyous Light Candles/ Holy Theotokos Convent

“Dog Pond”

PONDeROSAArt Gallery

York CountyBowmen

RH LiveSteamers

Tartan MewsEquestrian

OntarioSPCA

TaborFarms

TheHartman

YogaYurt

Simpson ProduceCedarBeachResort

ShadowLake Camp

Coultice Park

Ballantrae CC

BekeDesign

Nature’s Gift Orchard

Horton HomeTree Farm

Horton KennedyTree Farm

Ovation HallTraining Centre

Vivian Rd

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Slaters

The map below shows Tourism Sites, including pick-your-own farms, vegetable stands, summer camps, model aviation clubs, artist studios and structured family recreation.

There are also Golf Courses, Horse Farms & Stables, Christmas Tree Farms, York Regional Forests (YRF) and Conservation Areas (CA).

Finally, Community Sites include com-munity centres (CC), parks, recreation fields,

and the museum, arena, library, art centre and theatre.

Whatever your itinerary, we can help you package it. Contact David Tuley at: [email protected].

WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE TOURISM MAPTOURISM RESOURCES

ACCOMMODATIONSDays Inn by Wyndham Stouffville38 Ringwood Drive905-642-2929

The Hartman B&BTwo spaces available, can accommodate up to 13 people5725 Davis Drive855-542-6671; thehartman.ca

The Villa at Willow Springs5 bedroom villa can accommodate up to 14 people5572 Bethesda Road905-642-9463; willowspringswinery.com

Cedar Beach ResortCamping/RVing with exclusive access to Musselman’s Lake15014 Ninth Line1-877-588-8828; cedarbeach.ca

Shadow Lake CentreOff-season rentals that can handle a large crowd/reunion15041 9th Line905-640-6432; shadowlakecentre.ca

WINERIESApplewood Farm & WineryFeaturing fruit wines, meades and hopped ciders12416 McCowan Rd905-642-4720; applewoodfarmwinery.com

Gallucci WineryProducing award winning red and white wines13204 Ninth Line905-640-0909; gallucciwinery.com

Willow Springs WineryAward winning ice wines, red wines and white wines5572 Bethesda Road905-642-9463; willowspringswinery.com

FARMSStrawberry Creek Farm MarketPick your own, market, pies, family entertainment17471 Woodbine Ave. (entrance off Davis Dr.)905-868-9996; strawberrycreekfarms.ca

Trapper Bob FarmPick-your-own strawberries, Sweet corn, other vegetables16864 Warden Ave.905-836-6358; trapperbob.ca

Diversity Farms Grass fed beef, farm fresh eggs, free range chickens & turkeys 2572 Vandorf Rd.905-751-1323; diversityfarms.ca

King Cole DucksProducing duck products, specialty store open 7 days15351 Warden Ave905-836-9461; kingcoleducks.com

Nature’s Gift OrchardApples, pies, honey, vegetables14847 Warden Ave416-230-9197; naturesgift.ca

Meadow Sweet FarmBaby leaf and micro greens, organic hops, beef & pork12102 Warden Avemeadowsweetfarm.ca

Applewood Farm & WineryApple, strawberry and pumpkin picking, family entertainment12416 McCowan Rd905-642-4720; applewoodfarmwinery.com

Simpson ProduceSpecializing in root vegetabkes and other veggies 15152 Hwy 48905-640-2657

Dynamic Greens WheatgrassSpecializing in wheatgrass juice16128 Ninth Line9877-910-0467; dynamicgreens.com

TOURISM RESOURCES

TOURISM RESOURCES

ATTRACTIONS19 on the ParkTheatre with comedy, concerts, live theatre, film screenings 19 Civic Ave905-640-2322; www.townofws.ca

Bruce’s Mill Conservation AreaGreen space with hiking & annual Maple Syrup Festival3291 Stouffville Rd416-667-6295; trca.ca/parks/bruces-mill-conservation-area

Treetop TrekkingZip Line & Aerial Game Treks, Treewalk adventure park3291 Stouffville Rd (at Bruce’s Mill)844-369-0009; treetoptrekking.com/parks/stouffville

Lionel’s FarmPetting farm, birthday parties, pony rides, wagon rides11714 McCowan Rd905-640-7669; lionelsfarm.com

Burd’s Family FishingTwo well stocked ponds with Rainbow Trout13077 Highway 48905-640-2928; burdsfamilyfishing.com

Timber Creek Golf & Family Fun Centre37 holes of miniature golf, driving range & batting cages12772 Ninth Line905-642-5174; timbercreekgolf.ca

Stouffville BMX A pro BMX race track; racing events, clinics & practice days 3291 Stouffville Rd (at Bruce’s Mill)416-802-4727; stouffvillebmx.ca

Richmond Hill Live SteamersScale model steam, electric and diesel locomotives15922 McCowan Rdrichmond-hill-live-steamers.tripod.com

York-Durham Heritage RailwayA heritage train the travels between Uxbridge & Stouffville6176 Main St905-852-3696 ; ydhr.ca

Community Safety VillageAnnual events include Halloween and Holidays3291 Stouffville Rd (at Bruce’s Mill)yrp.ca/en/community/special-events

VENUES19 on the ParkGreat Hall and Community Room; up to 20019 Civic Ave905-640-2322 ext 1 ; www.townofws.ca

Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum & Community CentreIndoor/outdoor weddings, corporate, retreats; up to 14014732 Woodbine Ave905-727-8954; www.townofws.ca

Willow Springs WineryWeddings, corporate events, private parties; up to 6005572 Bethesda Road 905-642-9463; willowspringswinery.com

The Hartman Weddings, private dinners, meetings, workshops; up to 120 5725 Davis Drive855-542-6671; thehartman.ca

Emerald Hills Golf ClubOutdoor venues, banquet facilities; up to 20014001 Warden Ave905-888-1100 ext. 2237; emeraldhills.clublink.ca

Rolling Hills Golf ClubBanquet hall venue; up to 45012808 Warden Ave905-888-1955; rollinghills.clublink.ca/events

Sleepy Hollow Country ClubBanquet facilities; up to 17513242 10th Line905-640-2426 x113; sleepyhollowgolf.on.ca

Meadowbrook Golf ClubOffering a variety of rooms; up to 20011939 Warden Ave905-887-5801; meadowbrookgolf.net/HostanEvent

Royal Canadian Legion - Branch 459The Banquet Hall and Boardroom are available for rent150 Mostar St905-640-1714; stouffvillelegion.ca

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SPOTLIGHT series

Drill Deeper Tourism is means many different thing to different people. Despite the availability of maps and resource

lists, sometimes you will find yourself wanting to know more - to drill deeper. The Spotlight Series is intend-ed to provide academic and in-depth knowledge on various subjects, such as history, geology and geography. Having the ability o experience the landscape in multiple “layers” will prove more fulfilling. These articles take much time and effort to thoroughly research. For now, there are only a few Spotlight Series articles, but with time we hope to expand the catalogue. Happy Reading!

THE GOLF COURSES of Whitchurch-Stouffville

midswing is Bob Lean, Director of Golf and CEO at Spring Lakes Golf Club. Spring Lakes is the largest private golf club in Canada, boasting 3 championship 18-hole courses - “and 47 lakes”, says Bob, “but we don’t have a mosquito problem, as the water is moving.” Spring Lakes has 1350 members, including 400 new members since the recent change in ownership. “The ladies tend to like the South Course best, senior men enjoy the North Course, and my wife prefers the East Course”, adds Bob. “I like the 8th hole on the North - it’s the only green that slants towards you like a target. The North Course is quieter and more personal.”

IN

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and over-crowding can turn a short course into a 6-hour slog.

The Spring Lakes East Course is the longest course in Whitchurch-Stouffville at over 6500 yards from the White tee, yet the average pace is just over 4 hours due to good course management practices. St. Andrew’s East - with a control on membership numbers - boasts that NO tee times are required.

Pace is a challenge for every course. Most online negative reviews revolve around the lack of pace policing and bad course conditions. When a course is not maintained very well, there are often obstacles that create slow play for players of all abilities. Take for example a tee box that hasn’t been cut in weeks; or a green that has ball marks, dead areas or even long grass.

Preference & StyleMost W-S golf courses are designed in the “Parkland” style. A parkland course is one that is lushly manicured with plenty of trees, verdant fairways and fast greens. Parkland courses are typically located inland.

Ballantrae Golf Club is the only Whitchurch-Stouffville course that claims to be a “Links” styled course. A links course is usually built on a sandy coastline that is open to the wind with few or no trees, surrounded by plenty of tall grasses. Links courses generally feature large, slow greens, firm and fast fairways, and deep bunkers. The links design is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland.

Non-pro golfers generally fall into two categories: scratch (or par) golfers, and bogey golfers (30+ over par). Typically, scratch golfers are straight hitters. Narrow and long fairways offer little resistance for those that have mastered accuracy and driving power. They prefer big greens – or big targets to hit from a distance. Whereas, bogey golfers do better on wider fairways – there’s less chance of hitting into the trees.

Bogey golfers can’t drive as far; therefore, short courses are easier. Finally, bogey golfers aren’t impacted as much by green size, because they are attacking the green from close range (having taken more hits to get there).

The courses of Whitchurch-Stouffville offer enough variety to make both scratch and bogey golfers happy.

SatisfactionGolfers are known to assess home and away courses differently. Indeed, after a round at home, you’ve got errands to run, or an office to get back to, or a kid’s sporting event to attend – pace is everything. At the home course, the regularity of financial cost

of Canada’s golf facilities are in Ontario and Quebec. There are sixteen 18-hole courses in

Whitchurch-Stouffville, plus two executive 9-holes courses, within 9 golf clubs. Our courses represent varying ages of development, from 1960 to 1999, with the majority being built in the 1970s. All of our courses are located on the Oak Ridges Moraine, with the exception of Meadowbrook Golf Club, which is just south of the moraine. This article is geared to help one avoid the bunkers with the many golf courses of Whitchurch-Stouffville.

Private vs. PublicLess than 10% of golf courses in Canada are membership-based, private clubs; yet almost half of the courses in Whitchurch-Stouffville - or 8 of 18 - are classed as private.

For a sense of intimacy and prestige, consider joining St. Andrew’s East Golf & Country Club – there are only 375 members. Spring Lakes Golf Club, with 54-holes, is the largest private club in Canada; they offer exclusivity at a value price. For those that favour “heritage courses” within mature landscape settings - Meadowbrook Golf Club and Sleepy Hollow Country Club were the first two courses built in Whitchurch-Stouffville (1960).

Admittance to five private courses is enabled with a ClubLink membership: two at Station Creek Golf Club and three at Emerald Hills Golf Club. Emerald Hills Golf Club is unique in that it consists of three 9-holes courses (Parkland, Valley and Forest), yet these are packaged in different combinations to provide three 18-hole experiences, as recognized by Golf Canada.

The public courses in Whitchurch-Stouffville include three at Rolling Hills Golf Club (also ClubLink) and the Ballantrae Golf Club. Rolling Hills boasts a convenient location to major highways. Ballantrae Golf Club has the best reviews regarding pace, which is important – no one desires a 5-hour round of golf or to receive return credits when things go wrong.

Royal Stouffville is the only hybrid course, offering public access and membership at the same time. Royal features some of the narrowest fairways.

The Time FactorIf one wants to get a round in over the lunch hour, the executive 9-hole courses offered at Royal Stouffville and Meadowbrook Golf Club will suit the tight schedule. If the pace is right, all variety of golfers will find a fast game at the two Rolling Hills courses (Challenge and Classic), because these are less complex and are shorter (4884 and 4010 total yards total from White tee). However, poor course management, peak-time play, bad course conditions

follows in a close second place. But if you’re road-tripping with old pals, or a business traveler with time to burn - so what if a round lags a bit or costs more? For the traveler, course conditions, design, and score top the list.

Golf course reviews can be readily found online from a variety of sources, although a comprehensive golf course ranking system does not exist in the same way as for hotels or restaurants. Most negative reviews regarding Whitchurch-Stouffville golf courses would disappear if pace weren’t a factor. Positive reviews focus on friendly staff, value, the ease of booking, good food, refreshment carts and great course conditions.

In general, St. Andrew’s East is reviewed as one of the friendliest courses, while Spring Lakes delivers the best value, and Ballantrae Golf Club provides a well-managed pace.

51%

[ABOVE] Referred to as the ‘Home of Golf’ and one of the oldest golf courses in the world, St. Andrews Links is located in Scotland. The word “links” comes via the Scots language from the Old English word hlinc, meaning “hill”.

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What’s in a Rating?All golf courses in Canada are rated on the level of difficulty. Ratings are available from Golf Canada, and are usually posted on scorecards as well. The course “Rating” is a number that indicates the probable score for a scratch golfer – one whose average game is close to the par for the course. Rating values increase with difficulty. Often, there are three or more values for the course rating; each value corresponds to a different tee, expressed in colours – white box, blue box, etc.

“Bogey golfers” are golfers that average more swings than a scratch golfer. A “Slope” rating is used to assess the average performance of bogey golfers. For instance, a given course may have a rating of 71.0 and a slope of 130 from the White tee box, which would mean that a bogey golfer would need 59 more strokes to play the same course as a scratch golfer. If the rating values were compared on a graph and a line is drawn between the two, a slant or ‘slope’ is revealed, which is where the notion of slope rating comes from; a steep slope means increased difficulty for the bogey golfer.

Therefore, ratings do not provide an exact apples-to-apples comparison between golf courses, whereas the focusing on the difference between the course rating (scratch) and slope rating (bogey) provides greater exactitude. For instance, examine the ratings for Bethesda Grange and Meadowbrook Golf Club for the women’s White tee box:

Bethesda Grange 74.5/124; (difference 49.5)Meadowbrook Golf 71.5/126; (difference 54.5)

RATINGS EXPLAINED

For the scratch golfer, Bethesda Grange is more difficult, by 3 strokes. For the bogey golfer, the opposite appears true – Meadowbrook looks more difficult by 2 strokes. However, when you examine the difference between the ratings, the bogey golfer is in for a surprise – Meadowbrook is a 5-stroke premium over Bethesda; Meadowbrook is clearly more difficult.

Furthermore, this comparison illustrates other points. At 6104 yards (White box), Bethesda Grange is 773 yards longer than Meadowbrook’s 5331 yards, which probably accounts for the extra 3 strokes needed by the scratch golfer. Counter intuitively, something is clearly happening to make Meadowbrook’s shorter course more difficult for the bogey golfer – are the fairways narrower at Meadowbrook? Do ‘accuracy’ hazards exist?

In examining the difference in slope ratings (or the ‘slope’ as intended) of Whitchurch-Stouffville golf courses, female bogey golfers should find the 35-stroke premium above par (33 for men) at Rolling Hills Classic Course to be far easier than the whopping 69 additional strokes required (61 for men) at Sleepy Hollow.

For men and women scratch golfers alike, Rolling Hills Classic requires the least strokes, while Spring Lakes East requires an additional 10-11 strokes. Perhaps the fact that Rolling Hills, as mentioned previously, is the shortest Whitchurch-Stouffville course at 4010 yards, while Spring Lakes East is the longest at 6528 yards. So, is one course more difficult than the other, or is it a matter of length? You be the judge.

18-Hole Golf Courses Status Year Built

Yards (White)

Men's White Rating

Men's White Slope diffM

Women's White Rating

Women's White Slope diffW

Ballantrae Golf Club Public 1999 5982 69.2 129 59.8 75.4 139 63.6Bethesda Grange Golf Course (Rolling Hills G.C.) Public 1970 6104 67.8 116 48.2 74.5 124 49.5Emerald Hills Golf Club Forest + Valley Private 1982 5852 68.5 124 55.5 74.1 137 62.9Emerald Hills Golf Club Parkland + Forest Private 1982 6094 70.0 128 58.0 76.1 141 64.9Emerald Hills Golf Club Valley + Parkland Private 1982 6104 69.5 126 56.5 75.6 141 65.4Royal Stouffville Golf Course Semi-Private 1982 6073 69.5 126 56.5 75.0 139 64Meadowbrook Golf Club Championship Course Private 1960 5331 66.1 114 47.9 71.5 126 54.5Rolling Hills Golf Club Challenge Public 1970 4884 62.8 106 43.2 67.0 112 45Rolling Hills Golf Club Classic Public 1970 4010 59.5 93 33.5 61.3 97 35.7Sleepy Hollow Country Club Private 1960 5734 68.5 130 61.5 73.9 143 69.1Spring Lakes Golf Club East Private 1977 6528 71.0 124 53.0 77.0 135 58Spring Lakes Golf Club North Private 1977 5912 68.2 126 57.8 74.2 134 59.8Spring Lakes Golf Club South Private 1977 5992 69.0 124 55.0 74.1 129 54.9St. Andrew's East Golf & Country Club Private 1989 6198 70.1 130 59.9 76.7 135 58.3Station Creek Golf Club North Private 1972 6025 69.2 118 48.8 74.0 130 56Station Creek Golf Club South Private 1972 6156 70.1 128 57.9 75.7 132 56.3

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BallantraeGolf Club

Sleepy Hollow Golf & Country Club

RoyalStouff villeGolfCourse

St. Andrews East Golf & Country Club

Emerald Hills Forest Course

Rolling Hills Classic Course

Sta� on CreekNorth Course

Bethesda GrangeGolf Course Rolling Hills

Challenge Course

Sta� on CreekSouth Course

Meadowbrook Golf ClubChampionshipCourse

Emerald Hills Parkland Course

Emerald Hills Valley Course




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THERE ARE sixteen 18-hole courses in Whitchurch-Stouffville, plus two executive 9-holes courses, within 9 golf clubs

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It is beautiful spring day. The sun is bright. The course has greened up. Individual golfers are on the putting green, pairs are on the fairway at 7, 9, and 13 - they smile

or wave as we pass. A few small groups are lounging in the clubhouse with a glass of beer, overlooking a panoramic view beyond the outdoor lounge. There are

many reasons to be one of the next 50 people to buy a membership at Meadowbrook Golf Club.

a few - Meadowbrook has just finished in-stalling rated red tees. These are nearer to the green than the white tees, accom-modating a shorter drive without com-promising the enjoyment. In addition, beyond the restaurant, meeting rooms, and banquet space - gender separated men's and women's lounges are available - women golfers sometimes tire of hear-ing the 'pros' (the prose of men). Too, there's space for beginning players, as ju-nior camps make use of the 9-hole course every afternoon.

GEOGRAPHYMeadowbrook is hilly and fringed with just enough canopy to provide definition without limiting the chip out. Bruce's Creek flows through holes 12, 13 and 15 on the Championship Course. Another creek flows through 2, 4, 9, and 10, while forming pond-sized water hazards on 6 and 8. Large picturesque ponds create obstacles on 3 and 12.

A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLEMeadowbrook is not so much a private club, but rather a community of people. With only 48-hours' notice, General Man-ager Angelo Greco and Head Golf Profes-sional Sheldon Friske dropped everything to make time for us. "This is what distin-guishes us," says Angelo, "we are a very good course with an amazing communi-ty." His favorite aspect of the club is that they are true to Meadowbrook's Mission statement: “our passion is to delight our membership and their guests each and every day with great golf, good food and a friendly welcoming environment”.

For more information, visit Meadowbrook Golf Club at 11939 Warden Ave or see meadowbrookgolf.net.

FINANCIALThe dollars-and-cents argument is com-pelling - given that initiation fees are waived for new memberships; this offer-ing is capped at 50 new members. How-ever, Meadowbrook is not driven to be-come a club for bargain hunters.

VINTAGE WITHOUT BEING OLDBeing built in 1960 on farm land owned by Art Latcham, Meadowbrook is one of the two oldest courses in Whitchurch- Stouffville. The trees and landscape speak to a level of bigness. Yet, they've kept up with the times by improving the clubhouse facilities, modifying the course and greens, and maintaining a high rate of standards. Their efforts have been re-warded with hosting major events, such as the Canadian Tour Players Champion-ship, the Toronto Star Women’s Amateur Championship and twice hosting the On-tario Professional Championship.

EQUALLY INCLUSIVE AND EXCLUSIVEThere are a lot of examples, but to name

Golf Pro Sheldon Friske

SPECIAL FOCUS MEADOWBROOK GOLF CLUBSPOTLIGHT on GOLF

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THE WHITCHURCH FOREST

The open fields had become blowsand deserts, drifting sands had blocked roads, the split rail fences were soon buried, and on dry windy days the whitchurch sky was yellow from blowing sand. Drinking water began to dry up and the number of birds, deer, fish, and other animals dwindled. With the top soil gone, there was not enough available nutrient in the soil to support even grass. In hilly areas, the light soils were readily removed by water flow, the ground being gouged into ever deepening gullies. Sand-filled flash flood waters became common for every one downstream in the spring, while the same patch became a parched, waterless bake oven in the summer sun... Whitchurch had become a wasteland...

before

after

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YORK COUNTY FORESTS

Looking Backwards

The “old stories” appear not to be an exagger-ation. On first glance, the drifting sand that is frozen in time on black and white photographs appears to be snow. The black soils were then gone, Whitchurch Township had become a wasteland, especially to the north of Ballantrae.

It only took fifteen minutes in the Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum & Community Centre to dig out prime source material on the subject of deforestation with the help of enthusiastic museum and archival staff.

In the nineteenth century the Whitchurch landscape was subjected to heavy timbering to clear the land for cultivation. Large volumes of Ontario’s softwood forest was shipped to Britain and the United States as square tim-ber. Hardwoods were typically burned in piles to make potash. With the forest cleared, farm-ing could commence.

Most farming activity was supported only for a few decades, the land had given out by the 1890s. Large areas of wasteland were created in the light sandy soils of Whitchurch Township and elsewhere in southern Ontario. The mis-take: to farm the Oak Ridges Moraine.

Realizing the problem, many municipalities like Whitchurch paid landowners 25 cents a tree to start reforesting roadsides and gullies. In 1910 the York County council passed a reso-lution to consider the problem, but not much was done until 1920. By 1924 an agreement was struck between the County of York and the Province of Ontario where the County would purchase land, and Provincial foresters would plant and manage the forest.

The blowsands of Whitchurch in foreground and background look like snow [photo: W-S Museum]


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An ice laden trail and dissipating fog on an early March morning

Reforestation Begins

York County purchased the first property for reforestation in 1922 from Ted Hollidge. It was 197 acres and cost a little more than $4,000. Trees were planted in 1924. Part of the deal was that Ted himself be the first caretaker for the emerging Vivian Forest.

An additional 400 acres were purchased in 1924. By 1930, 710 acres of land had been reforested; by 1938, an additional 1,166 acres. A little more than 60 years after the first purchase, the public forests across York Region (York County became York Region in 1971) totaled 4,900 acres.

The reasons for developing the forest were multi-faceted: the demonstration of wise land use, wood production, a decrease in run-off and erosion, an increase in stream flows during the summer months, and a reduction in stream siltation.

Christmas trees were also planted, main-tained and matured for harvest. First, it was to show local landowners the possibility of a cash crop on poor land. Second, it pro-vided early revenue on recently purchased land. Finally, there were some rather sterile areas which were capable of producing only

rather undemanding Scots pine. This prac-tice stopped by 1960, as private enterpris-es had become established (there are now more than 10 local Christmas tree farms), and it was thought that the government should not compete with private business.

The forests were managed through prescribed cuttings. Generally speaking, a third of the volume of the plantation is removed in the first thinning, and 10 years later it is again thinned. By the time of the final harvest, there are theoretically less than 200 trees per acre out of the original 800 or 1200 planted.

Prior to 1947, cutting resulted in only enough wood for internal needs and to supply a few local markets. For instance, in 1948 only 300 cords, or 25,000 cubic feet of wood were harvested from thinnings. These early sales proved unsatisfactory to the costs incurred. From 1949 onward, sales were in the form of pulpwood to the Ontario Paper Company. Second thinnings produced larger material by 1957, in which sales were focused toward product for pole barn construction. A profit was finally

being realized, 33 years after the first tree was planted

The York Regional Forest

The former York County forests were managed by the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests (now Ministry of Natural Resources) until 1998, when The Regional Municipality of York assumed full management responsibil-ity for the forest. Today, while celebrat-ing Canada’s 150th Birthday, the York Regional Forest system is comprised of 22 tracts totaling over 5,700 acres, in four of the nine towns and cities in York Region. Whitchurch-Stouffville, with 11 public forest tracts including new acquisitions, claims 52% of the forest system, or roughly 3,000 acres.

In the York Regional Forest Management Plan, 1998-2018 (york.ca/forestry) the emphasis seems to have changed from economics to ecological restoration and sustainability as well as education and recreation.

YORK COUNTY FORESTSSPOTLIGHT on FORESTS

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THE YORK REGIONAL FOREST

The Forests Today On a cool March afternoon, we met

Kevin Reese at the Hollidge Tract. He is a Program Manager in Forest Conservation for York Region. Kevin explained that if forest management activities result in rev-enue, these revenues are reinvested in the forest. He said that the long term objective for reforestation is the conversion back to a pre-settlement forest ecosystem.

Kevin enthusiastically told us how the York Regional Forest (YRF) became the first public forest in Canada to be certified to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standard in the year 2000. FSC is an inter-national, membership-based, non-profit organization that supports environmen-tally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. FSC has developed a set of international criteria and regional stan-dards for forest stewardship.

In 2007 the Region conducted a survey to understand the level and types of public use occurring in the forest. The study conclud-ed that the YRF has 600,000 visitors annu-ally, and that dog walking or hiking account for 60 percent of use. It also found that 75 percent of use primarily occurs in five for-est tracts; three of these are in Whitchurch-Stouffville - Eldred King Tract, Hall Tract and North Tract.

There are always challenges in managing a forest. About 10 years ago the red pine in some areas started to die out, generally called Red Pine Decline associated with two pathogens; both are a form of root rot and not easily controlled. The moss covered remains of red pine stumps and trunks are readily seen in areas of the forest.

In recent years, the Region’s ash trees are under threat of being wiped out entire-ly as a result of the Emerald Ash Borer. All untreated ash trees are expected to die as a result of this infestation. Ashes represent 12% of the tree canopy cover in York Region, 8% in Whitchurch-Stouffville - this is devas-tating. Green slashes on trees are abound in

the forest, marking ash trees near the trail that are being removed before they decline and become a hazard. Regional foresters do their best to keep up with the onslaught of new infestations and diseases, but surpris-es comes rapidly with climate change.

A New Crown for Hollidge Appropriately placed in the original

forest tract of Hollidge, the Bill Fisch Forest Stewardship and Education Centre (BFFSEC) has been built nearby the trail access parking lot off Highway 48. Named in honour of a long time Regional Chair, it opened in 2015. It is the first-of-its-kind sustainable building and integrates seam-lessly into the restored landscape.

The space blends an inside-outside expe-rience expertly. The occasional floor-to-ceiling windows provide great views of the

forest. The warm wood tones contrast beautifully against the native limestone and polished concrete.

The new facility replaces and consol-idates former buildings that have been there since the 1940s. The BFFSEC is conceived as a powerful teaching tool and living laboratory. The Centre is intended to facilitate engagement opportunities and visibly integrate nature and innovative sustainable building practice into comprehensive education programming.

In the near future the facility is expected to join a current short list of 12 buildings worldwide, in meeting Living Building Challenge requirements, rec-ognized as one of the world’s strictest environmental certifications.

Forester Kevin Reese inside the Bill Fisch Forest Stewardship and Education Centre


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“Almost every building harms our envi-ronment, whether it is through the use of toxic building materials, the use of energy and water to operate it, or the disposal of materials when it is torn down... We set out to create a building that functions like a for-est ecosystem; to become an integral part of nature and actually enhance its surround-ing environment,” said Craig Applegath, project principal from the architecture firm DIALOG

Although the forest is the real class-room, the Centre will serve to enhance York Region’s educational programming. It will also provide meeting space for the many programs hosted there, and has a boardroom and hoteling stations for York Region staff.

Kevin Reese told us about the Region’s forest education program called Nature’s Classroom and the free public walks and

events held in the York Regional Forest. Nature’s classroom provides group specific programs to various school and community groups as requested. Public forest events include walks and festivals which are held throughout the year. In excess of 2000 peo-ple have participated in these programs annually.

The Centre is a showcase in green design principles. Rainwater is harvested from the roof for use in toilets and urinals, while a system of groundwater wells and UV filtra-tion provides water for sinks and showers. The wastewater treatment system utilizes both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and a bioswale. A roof-mounted solar panel array generates renewable energy, and energy reduction strategies such as heat recovery ventilation and LED lighting. The wood used in the project was sustainably harvested or recycled.

As such, the BFFSEC has become the first LEED Platinum Certified building owned by the Region. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system was developed by the Green Building Council to measure the success of green building systems. Platinum is the highest level of certi-fication. The Centre has received the following awards:

• 2016 Ontario Regional Winner and Technical Award Winner [Canadian Green Building Awards]

• 2016 Project of the Year in the area of Historic Restoration and Preservation [Ontario Public Works Association]

• 2016 Engineering Project of the Year [Professional Engineers of Ontario - York Region Chapter]

• 2015 Green Building Wood Design Award [Ontario Wood Works]

The Bill Fisch Forest Stewardship and Education Centre: a new crown in the Hollidge Tract

THE YORK REGIONAL FORESTSPOTLIGHT on FORESTS

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OAK RIDGES TRAIL

The Trail Captains

On a foggy, cool March morning we met Oak Ridges Trail Association (ORTA) Trail Captains, Noel Bain and Robert Lawrence, at the trail head in the Hollidge Tract. Noel and Robert are passionate volunteers, and as with many volunteers for ORTA, they are retired.

Noel lives in Scarborough. She and her exceptionally behaved golden retriever have been volunteering for ORTA for about 4 years now. She is a retired VON Nurse. Robert is a resident of nearby Vivian. He had been a school teacher at the Sutton Public School, and still substitute teaches on occasion. He has volunteered with ORTA for the past couple of years.

The pair monitor the trail from York Durham Line to Highway 48. Much of this section of trail is on-road, but these sections are still marked with white blazes and must be monitored at least twice a year. In the

forest, Robert and Noel regularly hike and maintain the white-blazed main trail and the blue-blazed side trails. This involves removing fallen branches, re-painting the trail blazes, and annually loosening screws that fix signs to living trees in order to avoid any permanent injury. They also report any larger issues to the managers of the region-al Forest.

The Oak Ridges Trail (also referred to as the Oak Ridges Moraine Trail) is a con-tinuous footpath of over 220 kilometers across the Oak Ridges Moraine; addition-ally there are local side trails. The trail extends from Albion Hills in the west to the Northumberland Forest in the east. 14% or 49 km of the ORT’s total 349 km (including side trails) is in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville.

The route of the Oak Ridges Trail is located on lands owned by multiple levels

of governments, conservation author-ities, NGOs, institutions, and private individuals who have made their prop-erties available to the Oak Ridges Trail Association for the trail.

The concept for a trail grew out of the cooperative effort by the Save the Oak Ridges Moraine Coalition, the Metro Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and Hike Ontario. A group of volunteers pursued the idea of a system of public recreational trails along the full length of the Moraine. In 1992 the group officially organized as Citizens for an Oak Ridges Trail (CORT). The first sections of the Trail were established along existing road allowances in King and Uxbridge Townships. The CORT name was changed to the Oak Ridges Trail Association (ORTA) several years later.

ORTA Trail Captains Noel Bain and Robert Lawrence monitor a trail in the Hollidge Tract. Cut, moss-covered red pine stumps & trunks dot the forest floor, while living red pines can be identified by their reddish bark.


SPOTLIGHT series

The Trail CaptainsThe main objective of ORTA is to develop

a trail along the Moraine, “...thereby pro-moting an appreciation and respect for the Moraine’s ecological, cultural and scenic integrity, with the aim of retaining a trail corridor in its natural state,” (Oak Ridges Trail Guidebook, 2004). The Association now has more than 700 members.

While walking on the trail we cross a clear, bubbling trout stream and admire a little waterfall nearby. Robert points out that this stream would have been a dry swale back in the old days. He also admires an ancient looking white pine; he specu-lates that the pine was spared selective cut-ting because it is (luckily) crooked. Other trees have grown to an immense size in

marshy areas that were not easily accessed by the cutting machines.

Noel explains how the combination of blazes can help one navigate the trail. Some of the forests have so many crisscrossing trails that one can easily become confused.

ORTA has only one paid employee, who is supported through membership and fees associated with the annual race.

Oak Ridges Moraine Adventure Relay The Moraine relay is being offered annu-

ally. An enthusiastic team of volunteers has already started to plan one of the largest events of its kind in Ontario that annu-ally engages 500 canoeists, runners and trail cyclists covering 160 km of the Oak

Ridges Moraine trail. Frank Alexander, a volunteer co-chair for the Whitchurch-Stouffville Chapter of ORTA, explains that they are looking for Ontario residents to create and register teams. Many teams are formed from neighbours and friends in communities all across the Moraine and further afield. The Relay course is from Gore’s Landing on Rice Lake in the east, stretching 160 km westward to King City, and is divided into 14 Relay stages of vary-ing distances consisting of water, road and trail portions. Teams may consist of up to 15 members. Three Relay checkpoints are in Whitchurch-Stouffville. To find out more about the Adventure Relay, see: www.oakridgestrail.org/adventure-relay.

OAK RIDGES TRAILSPOTLIGHT on FORESTS

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Hollidge TractHollidge Tract has 8 km of trails. It is mostly flat terrain with a few hills, a beautiful trout stream, and some marshy areas with boardwalks. Parking is available right off Highway 48. It is a well-used forest, but certainly not crowded. There are enough crisscrossing trails that it is possible to get lost if not paying attention. Plan a half day here.

Dainty and Clarke TractsTogether, Dainty & Clarke have 11.5 km of trails. These tracts are good place to watch a hardwood forest grow and evolve. Ailing pines were removed and replaced with hardwoods in 1985. Make a wide loop in each tract, together making a 7.9 km hike. This mostly flat hike is good for families. These tracts are less well-known, and therefore a bit more secluded. Plan on 2.5-3.5 hours depending upon pace. A parking lot is located along McCowan at Dainty Tract.

Eldred King TractEldred King is popular, but it’s big - 18 km of trails total. If you have a friendly dog, park by the road and enter from McCowan - the lovely “dog pond” is a short walk away. If dogs are not preferred, enter from the parking lot off Highway 48. Bring a good map and make up your itinerary as you go. Make sure not to accidentally walk south into Hall Tract and become disoriented. Eldred King is one of the older forest tracts, so expect large pines mixed with newer hardwoods.

Scout and Mitchell TractsThere 3 km of trails in Scout, 1.5 km in Mitchell. You must approach from Vivian Rd. and drive south on McCowan, as McCowan Rd. is split and dead ends past Eldred King; for this reason, these tracts are less frequented. Park on the side of the road, be respectful of the quiet neighbourhood. A pristine pond is located at the west end of Scout Tract.

North Tract North Tract is by far the largest of the YRF tracts within Whitchurch-Stouffville. It is accessed by a single parking lot on Highway 48, between Vivian Rd. and Davis Dr. North Tract has 20 km of crisscrossing trails. It is reported to be the only spot in York Region to have a pair of breeding ravens. Bring a good map, then go and explore.

ORT: McCowan to Highway 48 Park at the Dainty Tract on McCowan and hike northeasterly along the Oak Ridges Trail (white blazes) to Highway 48. This 11.4 km round trip hike will bisect Clarke, Patterson, Hall, and Eldred King Tracts. Alternatively, park a second car in Eldred King’s parking lot off Highway 48 for a one-way 5.7 km walk. Be extra cautious crossing Aurora Rd, and note that the connection between Patterson and Clarke Tracts (near Hwy. 48), which is Sandy Lane, looks more like a private driveway than it does a road. Allow 4 hours for the round trip at the intermediate pace of 3 km an hour.

Cuisine & Local CommerceIf you are visiting the McCowan side of Eldred King, you’re within a block of a Holy Theotokos Convent; the nuns operate a very nice shop that features hand-made beeswax candles, jams & jellies, and soaps and baked goods. Open 11-7 daily. All are welcome.

Consider stopping at Simpson Produce for local carrots, potatoes and onions, or at DynamicGreens for wheatgrass juice to stock up. Try the world’s best pizza at Nonno Cruppi’s, great Greek food at Country Stop, or an ice cold beer at Coach House. Wok Chef is popular and Fishbone By The Lake is open seasonally.

Hiking PreparednessOn a hot summer day, bring at least one bottle of water for each person for every 1.5-2 hours of hiking. Summer thunderstorms can sneak up on you, especially in the late afternoon. In the fall and spring, pack a jacket just in case the air cools down or rain falls.

Pack your cell phone. Bring maps - look for the York Region Trail Atlas and YRF’s Everyday Guide to the York Regional Forest. The map above is based on these and other sources, but trails can change. Obtain the Oak Ridges Trail Guidebook for ORTA trail alignments. Be cautious at road crossings - some vehicles travel at high speeds on rural roads.


SPOTLIGHT series

SPECIAL FOCUS ITINERARIES

SPOTLIGHT on RINGWOOD

RINGWOODRingwood 1800-1950: this is the story of a community that gained an essential position in history, but is now a forgotten place.

SPOTLIGHT series

SPOTLIGHT on RINGWOOD

Ringwood, 1800-1950The George Fockler family of

Pennsylvania were the first to settle the area of Ringwood in the late 1790s. They built a home at the northwest corner of the intersection of Townline and 8th Concession (present Stouffville Rd. and Highway 48). In those days, Townline formed the boundary between Markham and Whitchurch Townships. Peter Wideman settled the southeast corner of the intersection in 1803. George and Elizabeth Brownsberger moved here from Pennsylvania in 1826. These pioneers began to clear the forest for farms. The first crops were sown and harvested by hand. They grew enough crops and raised enough animals as to be self-sufficient.

Another early resident was George Sylvester from Ringwood, England. He opened a general store on the northeast corner; when he became the first postmaster for the hamlet in 1856 - he named it Ringwood.

In the early days, we had a plank road (a board walk of sorts) that connected Stouffville to Richmond Hill, by way of Ringwood. The stagecoach used to pass

Ringwood School Class of 1925 [courtesy of W-S Museum]

our home. The driver, Mr. Marshall had one of the largest mustaches I have ever seen. We didn’t have much in those days – Silvester’s store, Philip Wideman’s marble shop (grandson of Peter), MacPherson’s wagon shop, and a blacksmith shop. There were only a half dozen houses scattered about.

Our early post office was not in Ringwood, but 2½ miles down 8th concession at Milne’s Sideroad. Newbury Button bought a farm on the west side of town. The Ringwood School was built in 1838, and the Ringwood Christian Church built in 1868. By 1870, the community grew to 100 residents with 21 businesses.

After a few years, a boom stuck. Business flourished, we had everything - 2 hotels, 2 general stores, 2 shoe shops, a harness shop, 2 sawmills, 2 cheese makers, a livestock dealer, 2 blacksmiths, a cider maker, a life insurance office, an auctioneer, a butcher, a shingle mill, 2 carriage makers, a builder, a weaver, and a flourmill.

A bunch of houses were added to Ringwood too. Every family along the

road had 8 to 10 children each. Ringwood’s population grew to around 300 by 1886. The original one-room frame schoolhouse was replaced in 1887 with a red brick school, built northeast of the corners (it is still there today with the signage of a defunct church - “Jesus”).

Ringwood had one of the finest brass bands, with many Lehman boys belonging to it. The brass band supplied the music for the annual Orange Walk. The hotels doubled as a location for auctions: Button’s Ontario House Hotel ended the 1892 year with a sale of 20 first class pregnant ‘milch’ cows, 10 yearling steers and many sheep and pigs.

Stivers’s Hotel began the new year of 1893 with the sale of household furniture and furnishings. For Thanksgiving of 1889, Messers and Brownsberger announced a shooting match to be held at Stiver’s Hotel; about 60 head of turkeys and geese will be the subject of No. 6 shot at a distance of 90 yards. Two of our own – Newbury Button and Jacob Grove were both appointed Justices of Peace for the County of York.

STORY OF A FORGOTTEN COMMUNITY

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An ice laden trail and dissipating fog on an early March morning

Alas, by 1900 the population of our com-munity has fallen to 220, with 14 business-es – a 27% and 42% reduction respectively in just over 10 years. Attending the hockey matches is a great pastime. In 1916 the cost of entry was 15 cents, and presented an opportunity to see the Ringwood boys go head to head with Lemonville, Stouffville, Vandorf, Mt. Albert or Claremont.

The year of 1918 was shocking for the world, because of the war and for local matters. In March, Israel Schell was struck and killed by a street car in St. Catharines; he had been walking on the tracks – on

account of the muddy conditions – and did not hear the car approach, which was reported to be travelling at excessive speed.

Also in 1918, the Spanish Flu, which was killing more people than World War I (an estimated 500 million people died world-wide – about one-third of the planet’s then population), struck the Stouffville area.

Public meetings were forbidden, the library and pool-rooms ordered closed and warnings were made about the risk of Christmas shopping.

The epidemic was serious around Whitevale, Locust Hill, Claremont and here,

with new cases being reported daily, yet only one death resulted prior to Christmas. Most of the annual Christmas activities were cancelled.

1922 has shaped up to be a banner year for Ringwood. First, in June, the Christian Church of Ontario held its annual confer-ence in the Ringwood Church. A visiting reverend from Ohio delivered an awein-spiring sermon. A record audience was in attendance, which taxed the building to its capacity.

Ringwood Hockey Club of 1915 [courtesy of W-S Museum]

STORY OF A FORGOTTEN COMMUNITYSPOTLIGHT on RINGWOOD

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Then in September, Ontario Premier King was met in Ringwood by the 48th Highlanders Band and mounted veter-ans acting as escorts for a 2 mile parade walk into Stouffville. Pupils from all the schools in the neighbourhood fell in with the march. The year ended finely with the annual Christmas tree and concert at the crowded and cheerful Ringwood School.

In 1923 McKenzie, the “canny Scot” and popular garage owner, installed a gen-erator to make his own electricity and light in advance of hydro being available. Ringwood lost to Stouffville in a narrow defeat of 7-8; our hockey hopes were high when we were up by 3 in the first five min-utes, but they couldn’t hold the pace.

The school has been closed for a few days, owing to the measles outbreak, and the annual school concert was duly can-celled. The first sign of Spring came with the opportunity to buy Choice Gladiolus Bulbs from W.J. Jacobs for 25 cents a dozen.

Good news about hydro, its now report-ed that the rates may be as low as $1.90 per month; we were worried about the earlier report of $3, which is very high. Perhaps soon we shall see some of our homes and business places illuminat-ed with the great white current from Niagara. Hugh Boyd almost lost his broth-er Alex of Markham, due to the fact that Alex was driving a truck load of cattle up from Toronto which collided with the Stouffville four o’clock train at Unionville Station; he and the cattle escaped with minor injuries, but the truck was a com-plete wreck.

The ice cream social at the Ringwood School proved to be a good program for all those involved, despite the August heat.

Chickens! F.A. Bruels’ new model brooder stove is capturing all the talk. The larger of the two models has 1000 chick capacity in a mere 52-inch canopy,

burning coal or coke. One of John Fisher’s Plymouth Rocks produced an egg that measures 7 ½ x 9 inches and weighs 5 ½ ounces – it may win largest egg in the province. The chickens were surely shaken by that 9.2 earthquake we felt in March – the dishes were shaking and the pictures swaying.

About 60 from around our burg spent the evening at the home of Mr. Kenneth Campbell. We had a very enjoyable evening of games and music; afterwards, oysters were served.

July brought another sad reminder about the fragility of life when one of our esteemed citizens, Abram Lehman died, at age 76. Mr. Lehman’s parents were one of the early pioneers in this section. He used to run the carriage shop and general store here, before opening an ice cream shop in Stouffville.

The 1925 school year started off with 36 pupils, five being beginners. Our school beat Stouffville in the singing contest at the Stouffville fair. It is reported that a young man from here made his first trip to the Exhibition – he stood so long gazing up at the skyscrapers at King & Yonge that the roof of his mouth got badly sunburned.

Mark this date – February 4, 1926: we now have bus service available 7 days a week from Ringwood to Toronto. After Ringwood, it serves Stouffville too. 10 trips on the Maple Leaf Bus Lines for $7.00. About 25 passengers were onboard today. Many improvements came to our burg this spring: the hotel property was electrical-ly lighted under the management of Mr. Sinclair, Albert Pemberton took over the property and blacksmith business vacat-ed by Ernest Watson, and the Ringwood Garage was renovated again – they now have a washroom for ladies!

L.A. Brownsberger, the fruit expert, pruned 15 acres of orchards. He says there are good prospects for all kinds of fruit. Sad

news came in July – Wellington Stouffer died in the lane from heart trouble while doing his evening chores at his Ringwood barns; few men were more highly regarded in the community.

J.L. Grove and sons have 1300 ducks hatched. Under the Corn Borer Act, all stubble must be destroyed or plowed under by May 20. Another large hole washed in Mr. Jones’s mill race during last week’s flood; we’re looking at buying a boat for getting around Ringwood. J.J Rae’s are advertising a lot of Ringwood Cheese for sale. It has been announced that a gold fish farm is coming to a plot one mile north on the 8th Concession.

McKenzie’s is selling closed cars, 1928 Chevrolets – winter would be easier with one of those to keep you warm. A great number of citizens attended the Royal Fair. Our trappers are busy these days setting traps for the season’s catch of mink. Five of our hunters returned home this week from the Nipissing District, each with a deer.

It is reported that Bruce Stouffer, who went west for the harvest, secured work with General Motors in Regina; he may not be back for a while. The Ringwood Garage is up to 7 hands – it’s a busy corner.

April 11, 1929. Considerable damage was done to Ringwood during Friday night’s storm. We were nearly sub-merged in the flood waters that came from the north. Fences, dams and bridges were wrecked.

Of the hundreds of culverts and roads and lanes in Markham and Whitchurch Townships, 90% are damaged or destroyed. A foot of water flooded the floors of Ringwood Garage, while the furnace pit held 3 feet of water.

SPOTLIGHT on RINGWOODSTORY OF A FORGOTTEN COMMUNITY

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Despite the rains of last spring, the ground is dry in October. The Toronto Gold Fish Company continues the work of sink-ing wells. Both locals and authorities are watching with more than ordinary inter-est, as the new wells are being sunken near the Stouffville town wells – the ratepayers may be injured! The most recent well com-pleted gave a flow better than the previous four, but it was a gusher of short duration. In the meantime, the wells on the Mortson and Sinclair farms have dried substantially. There is no law on statute books to prohibit drilling in wholesale quantities.

With great merriment, about 50 peo-ple gathered for Grandma Hoover’s 90th

birthday. Although she has been confined to a chair for the past years, her mind is very alert and she participated in the enjoyment to the full extent. We understand that 8th concession will be surfaced from Ringwood to Baker Hill with tarvia this summer (a tar and gravel substance). With this section built, Ringwood will boast hard surface roads year around!

The Gold Fish Supply Company has hired Charles Dadson to guard over the fish ponds, against crows, hawks, gutter snipes, and prowling animals that prey on the fish. On the note of birds, Starlings are coming in such numbers as to turn day as overcast, yet you could kill 17,000 and have a

million come to the funeral. They seem to be driving out the good birds that destroy insects and sing songs, such as the morning doves, swallows and wood-peckers. These starlings carry deathly chicken diseases, they eat our fruits and vegetables, and they bring death to the trees where they roost.

Mark this date – January 1939. When winter is at its darkest, the Ringwood School Trustees voted against the installation of electric lights.

One farmer said that he would invest if it was growing and worth fixing up. He said that he pays $1,200 a year for only 13 pupils at the Ringwood School - a weak investment. The trustees also voted down a motion to hire a dedicated music teacher.

The winter of ’42 has proved rough. The February snowstorm brought 10-foot snowdrifts and closed all roads to incoming food supplies. General store owner John Sinclair said that he was preparing to ration his customers. “Our supply of milk was almost exhaust-ed by the time the plows got here,” said Mr. Sinclair.

The former Button Hotel, having operated as the Sinclair Place this past 20 years, has been sold to John Hicks of Niagara. Our population has dropped to about 100. Grove’s Store is about the only business still operating.

Ringwood looking west [left]; Ringwood looking east [bottom][courtesy of W-S Museum]

STORY OF A FORGOTTEN COMMUNITYSPOTLIGHT on RINGWOOD

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SPOTLIGHT on RINGWOODSPECIAL FOCUS RETROSPECT

8th Concession (Highway 48) used to be staggered at Townline (Stouffville Rd.), meaning that vehicles would have to jog east or west in order to continue north or south. The roadway was widened and straightened in 1957 to the current alignment. As a result, one of the hotels, a harness shop, two garages and several homes were destroyed - the four corners of traditional Ringwood were no longer.

The Ringwood School, despite being expanded in 1956 (the addition on the south side), was closed in 1971, along with the schools at Bloomington, Pine Orchard, Lemonville, Pottageville, Shrubmount, Melville and Hagermon. The Ringwood Post Office, serving a reduced population of 40, was closed in 1970; other sources state 1975 for the closure. Further hastening Ringwood’s decline, a farm on the north side of Ringwood became the subject of the largest seizure of hashish ever in Canada in 1971. The Ringwood Christian Church seems to have closed around 1997.

The only remaining retail business in Ringwood, the Ringwood Cafe - reportedly a biker hang out - is now boarded up. Florence (Brownsberger) Yakely, a native of Ringwood, wrote “No longer are weary farmers and teams called from the harvest field by their own dinner bell; no longer are heard the ringing blows of the local blacksmith; and no longer is a honey-pail full of warm milk carried home from Grandma Fockler’s spotted cow. No longer, in 1975 does the green highway sign even mark - Ringwood.”

The biggest question remains - why did Ringwood fail as a community? It would be easy to say: after several property-gobbling road widenings, and after the school, church and post office closed - how could it survive? But this would be short of the reality. Ringwood reached a population of 100 in 1870, peaked at 300 in the mid-1880s, and declined back to 100 persons by 1950. It was a community of 30 years of rapid growth, and 70 years of slow decline.

This is a puzzling riddle - if every family had 8-10 children, population growth should be the result, right? However, it appears the population did grow, but rather in other places. You can see this trend in display advertising in the local newspapers - Ringwood was a powerhouse of business Ads in the Eighteenth Century, but after 1900, mostly Stouffville and Markham advertisements dominated the papers. It was more a matter of migration, rural to urban - from Ringwood to somewhere else.

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, “in 2011, 86 percent of Ontario’s population was urban. By comparison, 160 years earlier, in 1851, the figures were reversed: 86 percent of Ontario’s population was rural. These numbers reflect the fact that, in addition to being the most populous province in the country, Ontario is also the most urban.”

However its current state, Ringwood continues to have an essential position in our area history. A lot of the residents of Whitchurch-Stouffville are descendants of these early pioneers. Ringwood may have died, yet it fueled the growth of Stouffville and other towns in the area. Its blood still flows.

SourcesThe historical information for this article was gathered from 65 articles in a variety of newspapers. And from two white papers found in the Ringwood File at the Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum & Community Centre - one by Fred Robbins entitled “Ringwood Community Heritage Conservation District, 2008”; the other is named “Ringwood” by an unknown author and unknown date, although evidence would suggest that it is written by a daughter of the Brownsberger family named Florence Yakely in 1975.

The Ringwood School of 1887 on Highway 48, defunct as a church [top]Former Ringwood Church of 1868 on Stouffville Rd., converted to residential [middle top]

The Ringwood store & post office, removed for a highway widening in 2009 [middle bottom]A boarded house built in 1870 or earlier, south side of Stouffville Rd. [bottom]

SPOTLIGHT series economicdevelopment

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BUSINESS

State of the Economy The economic well-being in Whitchurch-Stouffville is pretty

good - job growth, business growth, and family wealth are all above average, but at the end of the day - what do you pursue?

If you ask the Town Economic Development Officer, he would make the following points:

• Stouffville has only one bonafied office building. It is fully occupied. Office occupancy rates are way below average. Speculating on office construction could be a good venture here.• We have a lot of children, and more coming - family enter-tainment and tourism businesses ave been rewarded well. • We aren’t recruiting high-tech enterprise, because they are finding us by default. Traffic and congestion has become unruly as far north as Major Mackenzie. Stouffville is a the “yoga” for businesses.• Food security will be the world-wide issue of the future. With development pressure and general insecurity, it is time to embrace micro-farming. We have lots of land and are close to the City. W-S is the place to grow gourmet food crops. • Real estate specialists and business ventures are equally watching the Highway 404 lands, as the Town has made it a priority to open these lands to development and employ-ment. When lands these go, they will go quickly.

Business and Employment Growth

The numbers are showing well, business and employment growth are a solid 5% year-over -year; see info-graphic from York Region below.

Looking at historical employment numbers, 2008-2018, growth is steady in Whitchurch-Stouffville (below).

PLANNING | [email protected] | 1-877-464-9675, Extension 71508

EMPLOYMENT SURVEY RESULTSWHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE

13,520J O B S2018 Surveyed Employment

912BUSINESSES SURVEYED

in 2018

5%EMPLOYMENT G R O W T H

340 JOBS2017 to 2018

6.9%Average AnnualEMPLOYMENTG R O W T H

2008 to 2018

5.1%Average AnnualBUSINESSG R O W T H

2008 to 2018

Historical Surveyed Employment, 1998-2018

Distribution of Employment by Sector, 2008 and 2018

‣ The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville has added 7,980 jobs to its employment base since 1998

‣ Over the past ten years, the construction sector was the primary driver of growth increasing by almost 1,100 jobs

‣ Between 2017 and 2018, the educational services sector experienced the highest growth adding over 250 jobs, followed by the wholesale trade sector which grew by 240 jobs

‣ Service-oriented jobs accounted for 74 per cent of the Town’s total surveyed employment

‣ The construction, retail trade and manufacturing sectors held the largest shares of employment in 2018





in 2018


340 JOBS2017 to 2018


2008 to 2018


2008 to 2018












in 2018


340 JOBS2017 to 2018


2008 to 2018


2008 to 2018








Type of EmploymentThe numbers from 2008-2018 reveal that certain sectors

are growing faster in Whitchurch-Stouffville than others, such as Construction (almost doubling), Education (tripling), Health Care, and Retail Trade (see below).

Business SizeStatistics indicate that the majority of businesses within

Whitchurch-Stouffville are small, 1-19 employees. These account for 83% of the economy, while businesses with 20-99 employees amount to 14%, and Large Employers make up a mere 3%. The Town celebrates this fact, as our economy is more resilient and less reactive - the downward trend of a single industry will not impact us like that of the auto or oil producing regions, and statistics show that small business has a greater positive impact upon the local economy.


EMPLOYMENT SURVEY RESULTS | WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE

Employment by Type of Worker, 2008 and 2018

Surveyed Businesses by Size, 2018

Share of employment by Services-Producing and Goods-Producing Sectors, 2008 and 2018

Since 2008, full-time employment in the Town grew by approximately 1,300 jobs and accounted for 55 per cent of the Town’s employment in 2018

The share of part-time employment experienced an increase from 18 per cent in 2008 to 22 per cent in 2018 while the share of contract/seasonal/temporary workers grew from 17 per cent to 23 per cent

Since 2008, the number of surveyed businesses has grown by 33 per cent or approximately 230

In 2018, small firms accounted for the largest share (83 per cent) of businesses in Whitchurch-Stou�ville

Since 2008, the share of large sized businesses has remained stable and accounted for a 3 per cent share of the Town’s businesses in 2018

Numbers contained within this profile include surveyed data collected from the 2018 Employment Survey. The 2018 survey was a comprehensive Region-wide survey of all businesses with a physical location across York Region and excludes farm and home-based businesses. Farm and home-based employment data is reported in the 2018 Employment and Industry Report.

BUSINESS

State of the Economy Home Sales

Home sales are robust in Whitchurch-Stouffville. On average 141 homes were sold in each quarter of 2018, for an average sale price of $912,000. Although, this is down from the overly hot market of 2016-2017 that produced an average of 179 home sales per quarter at an average sale price of $1.06M.

For comparison, in 2015 the average home sale in Whitchurch-Stouffville was $790,000.

PopulationWhitchurch-Stouffville has grown rapidly over the last 20

years, especially in the Community of Stouffville. Projecting population into the future is difficult, because there are many unknowns, like “will there be enough water capacity to support growth at the current rate?”

Many projections have been made by consultants, Regional and Local Government, and by sources like Statistics Canada. For the below graph, all projections were simply averaged and generalized in order to produce ‘an unreliable truth’, or rather a guesstimate.

This graph depicts a steady growth rate over the next 20 years, culminating to a population of 74,000 in 2041.

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

2016

2021

2026

2031

2036

2041

Population of Whitchurch-Stouffville, 2016-2041

Generalized ProjectionNumbers are not reliable

$200K

$400K

$600K

$800K

$1.0M

$1.2M

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Average Home Sales Price

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board

MoneySense Magazine’s Best Places to Live 2018Every year MoneySense Magazine comes out with their

“Best Places to Live” in Canada ranking. They rank 415 Canadian cities from Salt Spring Island, B.C. to Conception Bay South, Nfld., using the following methodology:

“We rank how each city measures up in 10 categories: Wealth and economy, affordability, population growth, taxes, commute, crime, weather, access to health care, amenities and culture. We give each category a weight out of a total of 100 possible points, making categories we think are most important to average people worth the most points.”

From 2017 to 2018 Whitchurch-Stouffville rose 234 ranks to 48th in Canada. How come? We think that the overheated housing market of 2016-2017 caused Whitchurch-Stouffville to drastically drop in the ranks due to inaffodability. As you can see in the MoneySense graph below, Economy and Affordability are give the most weight.

Of more interest in is MoneySense’s “Fasting Growing Cities” ranking. Whitchurch-Stouffville ranks 14th in Canada, and 4th in Ontario, behind only Milton, King, and West Gwillimbury.

A more remarkable measure is “Canada’s Richest Places”. Whitchurch-Stouffville ranks 8th in Canada, and 2nd in Ontario, behind only King.

#48Best Places to Live in Canada

#14 Fastest Growing Cities in Canada

#4 Fastest Growing Cities in Onatrio

#8 Canada’s Richest Places

#2 Ontario’s Richest Places

BUSINESS

Business Assistance SITE SELECTIONEconomic Development OfficerThe Economic Development Officer is tasked with keeping track of business trends, real estate matters and properties that may be coming or are on the market. Reach out for more information.

CONTACTDavid Tuley, Economic Development OfficerTown of [email protected] x2262

Realtor.caProperty searches can be done online at Realtor.ca. Make sure that you select the “Commercial” tab towards the top of the page, then the “Search” icon. Finally, under “City”, type Stouffville.

CONTACTCanadian Real Estate Associationrealtor.ca

Real Estate AgentsRealtors can help with property searches. In the Gormley and Ram Forest area, look for commercial “for sale” signs. Many can be seen from Highway 404, and many of the realtors are based in Toronto. However, in the community of Stouffville, contacting a local commercial realtor is probably the best bet.

START-UP ASSISTANCEYork Small Business Enterprise Centre (YSBEC)YSBEC is managed by the Regional Municipality of York’s Economic Strategy Branch in partnership with the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. YSBEC pro-vides support to both new startups and existing small business-es in their communities.

YSBEC offers a full spectrum of services entrepreneurs and small business owners need to launch and grow their compa-nies. YSBEC offers free business plan reviews to get you headed in the right direction. They can assist you with several startup and small business challenges including: Financial sources, Financial management, Business planning, Market research, Legal issues, Importing and exporting, Patents, copyrights, and trademarks, Marketing, E-commerce and Human resources.

YSBEC offers free seminars, webinars, and can help business-es get involved with conferences. Small Business Consultant Daniela Mazzaferro serves Whitchurch-Stouffville by offering one-on-one business consultations, group consults, and can link small businesses to special programs.

CONTACTDaniela Mazzaferro, Small Business Consultant1-877-464-9675 ext. [email protected]

SUPPORT FOR EMPLOYERS & JOB SEEKERSyorkworks Located in the Municipal Offices at 111 Sandiford Drive, this bus-tling centre is staffed with professionals whose commitment is to provide services and tools for employers and jobs seekers alike to build a vibrant local economy. yorkworks is funded by Employment Ontario through the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, and all services are free.

For job seekers, they provide a full suite of services that include: one-on-one consultation with an employment professional, resume development and critiquing, career planning diagnos-tics, and a whole host of workshops. A popular workshop is “Networking with LinkedIn”, an illuminating session where job seekers discover the networking power of the social media giant.

For employers, yorkworks can provide wage or training incen-tives to employers to help create employment opportunities. They can post your job opportunities on their website, host a job fair for you, or you can be an exhibitor at yorkworks job fairs and meet prospective employees. Downsizing? Restructuring? yorkworks offers mobile services to help laid-off clients kick start their road to re-employment.

Often, yorkworks connects employers and job seekers to the lat-est government loan, grant or business assisstance programs. They are a valuable resource to be in touch with.

CONTACTyorkworks905-640-2352 ext [email protected]

BUSINESS

Business ResourcesRESOURCESWhitchurch-Stouffville Public Library

Whether you are looking for information on how to get started on writing a business plan, guidance on putting together a mar-keting campaign, or the many facets of managing employees, the library has resources that can help you with your knowledge needs.

A library card doesn’t cost you anything, and yet opens the door to resources that you would otherwise have to pay for. Library databases give you access to industry and trade journals, sample business plans for a wide range of businesses, and train-ing on everything from web design and network administration to project management and inside sales. Magazines and journals range from management advice in the Harvard Business Review to the latest trends in Fast Company, from entrepreneurial know-how in Inc. to policy in the CCPA Monitor.

Books in our collection cover the gamut of topics: specific guides to software like QuickBooks, Tableu or PowerPoint; lead-ership; mentoring; financial management; grant application; marketing; interviewing and hiring; branding; presenting; sales; customer relations; business plans; and project management.

Library staff have the search skills and experience to guide you on the path to finding the information, whether it be on a website, in a book, on a database, or in a specialized journal. CONTACT

Whitchurch-Stouffville Public Library2 Park Drive 905-642-7323wsplibrary.ca

Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) TREB tracks all the real estate transactions in the Greater

Toronto Area. With this information, TREB creates statistical reports regarding various sectors. For Whitchurch-Stouffville, one of the most useful tools is TREB’s quarterly Community Reports, see: trebhome.com/index.php/market-news/commu-nity-reports. Also, the TREB Market Year in Review & Outlook Report can provide greater insights, see: trebhome.com/index.php/market-news/treb-market-year-in-review.

York LinkYork Link is York Region Economic Development’s presence

online. Loads of marketing and statistical information is avail-able, including infographics, videos and sector profiles. The following links will get you to some special areas within York Link’s website.

The Data Centre contains resources such as statistical information from Census Canada, Year in Review docu-ments, and economic development reports, see: yorklink.ca/york-region-data-center.

In the Business Investment & Expansion Services section of York Link, services and assistance programs are outlined, see: yorklink.ca/york-region-business-services.

CONTACTYork Link – Markham Office 169 Enterprise Boulevard [email protected] yorklink.ca

ventureLABventureLAB has helped over 2,000 tech companies do just

that. Through our tailored programs focused on capital, talent, technology, and customers, we work with our partners, innova-tors, and tech leaders to help companies build globally competi-tive businesses. To work with ventureLAB, your company must meet our criteria: Align with one of their key sectors: Digital Media & ICT, Digital Health & Devices, FinTech, or Advanced Manufacturing (including Environment & Clean Tech); be an incorporated company in Canada; and have a business (CRA) number.

If you fit ventrueLAB’s criteria and are interested in becom-ing a client, join them at an orientation session, held every other Friday. Once they meet with your company, they will recom-mend you to the program(s) and resources that best suit your company’s stage and needs.CONTACT

[email protected]

BUSINESS

Business Networking NETWORKINGStouffville Chamber of Commerce

Their mission is to attract, promote and improve trade and commerce for the Whitchurch-Stouffville community. Since 1977, the Stouffville Chamber has been the Town’s main con-nector of people, ideas and actions. As a non-partisan organi-zation, they have facilitated meetings, debates and gatherings with some of the brightest business and political minds in our community.

The Chamber has grown and evolved into a vibrant organi-zation focused on business excellence and growth. A strong membership roster will not only influence the decisions of our local and regional leaders but will also ensure that Stouffville is a great place to grow.

The Chamber hosts networking, training, social and annual events. The organization is managed by paid staff in a perma-nent office, with the oversight of elected Directors. A member-ship costs between $190-500 annually.

Chamber Members can access group insurance benefits, variouse discounts on merchant systems and processes, and discounted rates for advertising on the Chamber’s digital mes-sage board in Downtown Stouffville. As well, they receive a York Region Ultimate Networking Card. Holders of the card are enti-tled to attend any event scheduled by each of the nine different Chamber groups in York Region, at member pricing.

CONTACT6176 Main Street 905-642-4227stouffvillechamber.ca

Business Women’s Network of York Region (BWNYR)BWNYR is a women’s networking business group that helps

make new social & business contacts, meet like-minded busi-ness women, enjoy informal social occasions, and stay current on local & community issues. The Business Women’s Network of York Region was created to bring business women together.

BWYNR has 10 free Members Events a year, 5 Main Public Events with a Guest Speaker and an Annual Awards Gala. Women business owners learn how to strengthen their networking skills and share best business practices. Member-ships are $75-100 annually.

[email protected]

Stouffville Networking Professionals (SNP) SNP is a small group of energetic and dedicated small business

owners from a wide variety of industries. SNP says that building relationships with their fellow members is crucial, the sole rea-son they meet is to generate business for the members. They work with new members to help them understand the network-ing process, how they can best represent their business, and how they can help fellow members. Members are each other’s ‘sales force’: they represent each other outside the meeting so that they can tap into each other’s existing network of business contacts.

Lunch meetings are monthly. The membership fee is $375 for the first year, then $250 for the second year and subsequent years.

CONTACT647-200-6664stouffvillenetworking.comstouffvillenetworking@gmail.com

Rock Your Biz Rock Your Biz is an exclusive women’s networking business

group. Rock Your Biz is all about women making a connection, benefitting from education, and having the opportunity to mar-ket themselves, their products and their businesses.

Memberships range from $40-140, but the best value for $100 annually is the ELITE Membership gives you a few extra perks including:

Advertising and Vendor Discounts with Ladies Lounge and Rock Your Biz in their events such as: Spring Networking Showcase, Rock Your Biz Expo, Rock Your Biz Workshops/Seminars, Rock Your Biz Holiday Showcase, Women and Wellness Expo, Snowflakes & Memories, Mom2Mom Sale, etc. It also includes an opportunity to provide inspiration, education and promotion in their Facebook Group on member posting days Opportunity to be showcased for a dedicated week in the Facebook Group including; postings, promotions, and a cover image for your business.

CONTACTladieslounge.ca/rock-your-bizfacebook.com/RocknYourBiz

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Documents

economic report development April 2019 · Emerald Hills Golf Club Valley + Parkland Private 1982 6104 69.5 126 56.5 75.6 141 65.4 Royal Stouffville Golf Course Semi-Private 1982 6073