| Town of East Gwillimbury | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Town — | |||
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| Motto: Our Town, Our Future![1] | |||
| East Gwillimbury location within York Region | |||
| Country | Canada | ||
| Province | Ontario | ||
| Regional Municipality | York Region | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Municipality | ||
| • Mayor | Virginia Hackson | ||
| • Councillor | Marlene Johnston Cathy Morton John Eaton Tara Roy-Diclemente |
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| Area | |||
| • Total | 206.74 km2 (79.8 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| • Total | 21,069 | ||
| • Density | 86/km2 (222.7/sq mi) | ||
| • Growth | +2.5% (2,001-2,006) | ||
| From Statistics Canada | |||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| Area code(s) | 905 | ||
| Website | www.eastgwillimbury.ca | ||
East Gwillimbury is a town on the East Holland River in the Regional Municipality of York. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area of south-central Ontario, in Canada. It was formed by the amalgamation of the Township of East Gwillimbury with all the previously incorporated villages and hamlets within the township. The main centres in East Gwillimbury are the villages of Holland Landing, Queensville, Sharon, and Mount Albert. The Civic Centre (municipal offices) are located along Leslie Street in Sharon. The northernmost interchange of Highway 404 is at the south edge of East Gwillimbury; though at present, is currently being extended north to Ravenshoe Road in Georgina along East Gwillimbury's most northern border.
East Gwillimbury takes its name from the family of Elizabeth Simcoe, née Gwillim.
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 12,565 |
| 1991 | 18,367 |
| 2001 | 20,555 |
| 2006 | 21,069 |
According to the 2006 Statistics Canada Census[2]:
The estimated population [3] in 2011 was 32,000.
Contents |
The Municipal Council comprises the Mayor and four Councillors elected at large, with the Mayor also representing the Town at the regional level of government. The current and recent mayors are:[2]
| Mayor | Overall Term |
|---|---|
| Virginia Hackson | 2010 to present |
| James Young | 2000 to 2010 |
| Jim Mortson | 1991 to 2000 |
| Robert Featherstonhaugh | 1985 to 1991 |
| Angus Morton | 1977 to 1985 |
| Gladys Rolling | 1970 to 1976 |
In the 2010 election, Virginia Hackson was elected mayor, Cathy Morton, Marlene Johnston. Joining them were Tara Roy-DiClemente and John Eaton.
The Federal Member of Parliament is Peter Van Loan, a member of the Conservative Party of Canada, representing the riding of York-Simcoe.
The Member of Provincial Parliament is Julia Munro, a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, representing the riding of York North.
The town operates three fire and emergency services locations, in Holland Landing, Mount Albert and Queensville. They are each staffed by a District Fire Chief and volunteer firefighters.[4]
Police services are provided by the York Regional Police.
Schools in East Gwillimbury are governed by the York Region District School Board and the York Catholic District School Board. There are several elementary schools. Under the public system, the school board operates Holland Landing Public School, Park Avenue Public School, located in Holland Landing. Sharon Public School, Queensville Public School and Mt. Albert Public School are located in Sharon, Queensville and Mount Albert respectively. The York Catholic District School Board operates Good Shepherd Catholic School (Holland Landing and Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Elementary School in Sharon. There are currently no secondary schools in East Gwillimbury, so students in Holland Landing attend Dr. John M. Denison Secondary School in Newmarket and students from Sharon,Queensville and Mount Albert attend Huron Heights Secondary School, also in Newmarket. Good Shepherd and Our Lady of Good Counsel students proceed to Sacred Heart Catholic High School for secondary school. No post- secondary campuses are located in East Gwillimbury, though there are plans to bring a post-secondary institution to the Queensville area. Set to open in 2013, East Gwillimbury will see its newest elementary school in 35 years open in the Harvest Hills neighbourhood in the Green Lane West neighbourhood, behind the Green Lane Centre development at Green Lane and Yonge Street.
Local public transportation is provided by York Region Transit, who operate bus services to Sharon, Holland Landing and Mount Albert. GO Transit also offers commuter train and bus services to Toronto through its East Gwillimbury Station.
Ontario Highway 404 will be extended to Keswick in the Town of Georgina, passing through East Gwillimbury.
In March, 2006 the town council passed a policy during the Committee of the Whole Council Meeting which requires all residential developments of at least ten units to comply with Energy Star qualifications.[5] The town's mayor described potential benefits of the program: "Energy efficient housing is the best way to ensure that East Gwillimbury's residents are insulated against rising energy costs and won't have to make costly energy efficiency upgrade retrofits in the future."[5] The program was developed in conjunction with the development community, and stipulates "that homes in new subdivisions must — emphasis here on must — have some of the most efficient hot water, heating and air conditioning systems, be upgraded with top-rated insulation, and have draft-proof windows."[6]
East Gwillimbury is the first jurisdiction in Canada to require Energy Star certification for residential units.
In June 2010, town council passed the Official Plan for the Town of East Gwillimbury. The Official Plan was praised for its consultations [7] with the public, developers as well as other stakeholders. Designated as a future growth area under the Places to Grow Act by the Province of Ontario, East Gwillimbury will see growth from 23,000 residents in 2010, to approximately 88,400 people and 34,000 jobs by the year 2031. Despite the large amount of growth, almost 75% of East Gwillimbury land will not be developed as it is part of both the Greenbelt (Golden Horseshoe) and the Oak Ridges Moraine. Rather than being spread out throughout the town, growth will be concentrated in the exisitng villages of Holland Landing, Sharon, Queensville and Mount Albert. Queensville will see the most growth, going from a population of 650 people in 2010, to over 30,000 residents. Much of the growth has been proposed since the early 1990’s however, growth in East Gwillimbury cannot occur until the York-Durham Sewage System is extended into the town, which has been postponed until 2012 or 2013, when costs are lowered. In October 2011, the Regional Municipality of York advised the Ontario Municipal Board, that they support the Offcial Plan for East Gwillimbury.
| Georgina | ||||
| Bradford West Gwillimbury King |
Uxbridge | |||
| East Gwillimbury | ||||
| Newmarket, Whitchurch–Stouffville |
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