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Thornhill, Ontario

Coordinates: 43°48′58″N 79°25′28″W / 43.81611°N 79.42444°W / 43.81611; -79.42444
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Thornhill
Neighbourhood
Conley Park. One of the many parks found in Thornhill
Conley Park. One of the many parks found in Thornhill
Map
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
Regional MunicipalityYork Region
CityVaughan
CityMarkham
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Forward sortation area
L3T (Markham)
L4J (Vaughan)
Area code(s)905 and 289
NTS Map030M14
GNBC CodeFCWAD

Thornhill (2006 population 106,394) is a suburban neighbourhood in the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the northern border of the city of Toronto. Once a municipal village, Thornhill is now a community and postal designation geographically split into two municipalities along Yonge Street, the city of Vaughan to the west and the city of Markham to the east. According to the 2001 Census, the population of Thornhill-Vaughan was 56,361,[1] and the population of Thornhill-Markham was 47,333.[2]

It is immediately south of Richmond Hill.

History

The corner of Old Yonge and Centre street.
Mason Cogswell Wagonyard and weigh scales
Old Victoria Hall

Early history

Thornhill was founded in 1794.[3] Its first settlers on Yonge Street in Thornhill were Asa Johnson (who settled on the Vaughan side) and Nicholas Miller (who settled on the Markham side). Of particular importance was the arrival of Benjamin Thorne in 1820, who was operating a gristmill, a sawmill, and a tannery in the community. The settlement came to be known as Thorne's Mills, and later, Thorne's Hill, from which its current name is derived. (Thorne committed suicide in 1848, after a serious wheat market crash.)

Between 1830 and 1848, Thornhill experienced a period of continued growth and prosperity. The business district of Thornhill developed on its portion of Yonge Street, between Centre Street and John Street. Stagecoaches travelled between Holland Landing (Lake Simcoe) and York (Toronto) as Yonge Street's road conditions improved with new stonework. During this prosperous period, several churches, many of which are still standing today, were constructed.

Thornhill's location along Yonge Street, a major transportation route, proved to be beneficial to the community's growth throughout much of the twentieth century. The implementation of an electric street railway along Yonge Street in 1898 towards Kleinburg, Georgina, King and Toronto meant that, for the first time, it was possible for people to reside in Thornhill and work in Toronto. By the 1920s, the prevalence of the automobile further facilitated travel along Yonge Street.

20th century

In 1931, Thornhill became a "Police Village"; before that time, Thornhill had no independent status and was split between the townships of Vaughan and Markham along Yonge Street, since the creation of municipal government in 1850. Before 1931, each township administered its own half of the village. The creation of the Police Village gave Thornhill its own political boundaries. The village was headed by a reeve.

In 1971, York Region was created, part of a wave of municipal re-organization which converted many townships into towns and eliminated many of the municipal forms of organization which had existed within those townships. The establishment of a regional administration effectively eliminated the Police Village of Thornhill. Thornhill's administration reverted to the newly formed towns of Markham and Vaughan at this time.

However, many political and social institutions remained organized around the former municipal entities eliminated in 1971. Like neighbouring communities such as Woodbridge, Maple, and Unionville – as is typical for most urbanized former Greater Toronto Area (GTA) villages outside of the City of Toronto – Thornhill remained the postal designation for addresses within the former village's boundaries, and community organizations such as local newspapers, sports teams, and schools continued to operate under the Thornhill name and designation. As an example, until the mid-1990s residents of Thornhill seeking to play high-level hockey were required to play for a Thornhill team.

While the old village of Thornhill revolved around Yonge Street between Centre and John Streets, the community is typically thought to be located between Dufferin Street to the west, Highway 7 to the north, Steeles Avenue to the south, and Highway 404 to the east.

Suburbanization

A minor February 2008 snowstorm in Thornhill.

Thornhill's growth since the 1960s and 1970s has been largely connected to its location bordering what is now the City of Toronto.

Growth has continued apace. Developments have sprung up across various areas of Thornhill in each of the municipal districts which encompass Thornhill, following the development patterns of the Greater Toronto Area.

Demographics

Ethnicity

Thornhill has a very ethnically diverse population. It is home to significant visible minorities communities, but is particularly known for its large Chinese, Korean, Persian and Jewish communities[citation needed], outside of its traditional population.

According to 2001 Federal Census data, the electoral district of Thornhill (which is not entirely congruent with the community) consists of Chinese, the largest visible minority, accounting for almost 11% of total residents (12,610), followed by South Asian (6,595), Black (2,665), Korean (2,660), Filipino (2,535), and West Asian (2,355).[4]

Politics

Thornhill is a federal and provincial riding. The Member of Parliament for Thornhill is Peter Kent (Conservative), and the Member of Provincial Parliament is Peter Shurman (Progressive Conservative). Municipally, Thornhill is split into Wards 4 and 5 in the City of Vaughan and Wards 1 and 2 in the City of Markham. It is represented by Sandra Yeung Racco (Vaughan Ward 4), Alan Shefman (Vaughan Ward 5), Valerie Burke (Markham Ward 1), and Howard Shore (Markham Ward 2). The riding had traditionally been held by Liberal, both provincial and federal MP and MPP's respectively[citation needed].

Education

Public schools

Secondary schools

Elementary schools

Catholic schools

St. Elizabeth Catholic High School.

Private schools

Jewish Schools

Secondary:

Primary:

Islamic Schools

Healthcare

There are no general hospitals in the Thornhill area; the nearest are York Central Hospital in Richmond Hill and North York General Hospital in Toronto. A private hospital, Shouldice Hernia Centre, is in Thornhill and is one of the world's premiere facilities for the treatment of hernias .

Media

  • Salam Toronto Bilingual Persian-English weekly paper expressing the voice/distributed of/to the Iranian Community of Thornhill, Richmond Hill, North York, Toronto and GTA.
  • Shalom Toronto Bilingual Hebrew- English weekly paper

Notable people from Thornhill

Hayden
Adam Henrich
Michael Henrich
Milos Raonic

Arts

Film and Broadcasting
Literature
Music


Visual Arts

Sports

Other Personalities

References

  1. ^ "Vaughan side Thornhill population, using Highway 7, Yonge Street, Dufferin Street, and Steeles Avenue as boundaries". Geodepot.statcan.ca. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  2. ^ "Markham's side Thornhill population, using Highway 7, Yonge Street, Woodbine Avenue, and Steeles Avenue as boundaries". Geodepot.statcan.ca. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  3. ^ For a fuller account of Thornhill's early history, see Isabel Champion, ed., Markham: 1793-1900 (Markham, ON: Markham Historical Society, 1979), 297-301; 70f., 97f., 140f., 170, 335.
  4. ^ "Federal Electoral District Profile of Thornhill, Ontario (1996 Representation Order), 2001 Census". 2.statcan.ca. November 10, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  5. ^ "Now Playing: Thornhill's Hottest Export - Thornhill Post - September 2011 - Toronto, Ontario". Postcity.com. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  6. ^ "May 16th-The force is with Thornhill teen « DESIRING HAYDEN.NET PRESS ARCHIVE". Desiringhayden.net. 2009-02-24. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  7. ^ "Corey Haim to Be Buried in His Native Toronto". UsMagazine.com. 2010-03-11. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  8. ^ "Client Biography - Paul McGuire". Iegroup.ca. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  9. ^ "People from Thornhill, Ontario: Belongs To | Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  10. ^ "Prodigy or precocious?". Thestar.com. 2009-04-01. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  11. ^ "Writing Classes | Sidura Ludwig". Sidura.com. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  12. ^ "Thornhill novelist with Winnipeg roots: Interview with Sidura Ludwig " Friday Night Magazine". Fridaynightmag.com. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  13. ^ "By Divine Right - Post City Magazines - March 2010 - Toronto, Ontario". Postcity.com. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  14. ^ a b c d Posted by tiny_love (2006-06-08). "Tiny things are nice: highschool". Tinythingsarenice.blogspot.ca. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  15. ^ Erin Silver. "Judy & David - Jumping up and down". Judy and David. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  16. ^ "Sony/ATV Music Publishing : Jon Levine". Sonyatv.com. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  17. ^ "A Community North of Toronto that is Home to Several Music Bands | PRI's The World". Theworld.org. 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  18. ^ "Thornhill singer a spark for Spark Gala". YorkRegion Article. 2012-05-02. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  19. ^ "Fred Haines - Famous Meaford Artist | Network News". Networknewsdaily.com. Retrieved 2012-06-12. [dead link]
  20. ^ "Walking Tour of Historic Thornhill - Thoreau MacDonald House". Thornhillhistoric.org. 2005-04-12. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  21. ^ "Danny Dichio - Thornhill Post - September 2009 - Toronto, Ontario". Postcity.com. 2007-05-12. Retrieved 2012-06-12.

Template:Topics on Markham

43°48′58″N 79°25′28″W / 43.81611°N 79.42444°W / 43.81611; -79.42444

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