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History of Aurora |
Aurora got its start with the opening of Yonge Street in 1796 by
Governor John Graves Simcoe. The first settlers were refugees from the
new United States of America: Loyalists, who had sided with the British
Crown, and Quakers, who had sided with no one. In both cases, the
newcomers proved to be both industrious pioneers and exceedingly loyal
to their adoptive homeland.
Aurora’s big boost
came when Richard Machell settled along the corners of Yonge and
Wellington Street in 1804. He was soon joined by other settlers and
soon, as was common in those days, a thriving hamlet sprung up around
this busy crossroad. The community took the name, Machell’s Corners, in
honour of its first settler.
In 1853, and to much excitement, the tracks of Ontario’s first railway
arrived in the village. The railway provided a direct link to Toronto
and encouraged growth in population and industry in Aurora. On the eve
of the railway’s arrival, a mere 100 people lived in the village. By
1878, that number had risen to 1500. Aurora had become an important
industrial town, home to two farming implement factories, three
sawmills, two cabinet factories, and other business enterprises.
In a very real sense, the arrival of the railway heralded the dawn of a
new age for the community. Sensing that, postmaster, Charles Doan,
decided to rename the village Aurora, after the Greek goddess of the
dawn. The new name became official on January 1, 1854.
Unfortunately, by the end of the century modern industries were being
driven away from small towns into larger cities. Aurora began to lose
its role as a factory town and increasingly reverted to its
agricultural roots. Slow growth continued, but it wasn’t until the rise
of suburbia in the wake of the Second World War that Aurora was
rejuvenated.
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Aurora Today |
Located 30 minutes north of Toronto and in the geographic heart of York
Region, the historic Town of Aurora offers the unique combination of
thriving business opportunities and a small-town lifestyle. It’s a
wonderful place to live and work.
With dozens of
notable heritage buildings, a vibrant downtown core along Yonge Street,
and over 500 acres of picturesque parkland for residents to enjoy (most
of which are linked together by multi-purpose recreational trails),
Aurora is a distinctive and attractive community.
These qualities have attracted people to Aurora in increasing numbers
over the past four decades. In 1960, the population stood at 9,000.
It’s grown five-fold since then, and has reached 45,000 inhabitants. By
2026, Aurora will likely be home to 75,000 people. Aurora is also an
affluent community. The vast majority of residents are home owners, and
almost 90% of homes are single-detached. The average family income is
$88,000, well above the national average.
One of the things that has spurred Aurora’s growth is its proximity to
Toronto, and the ease by which one can commute to work in the city. The
eastern border of Aurora rests against Highway 404, which provides
access to downtown Toronto via the Don Valley Parkway in less than half
an hour. Highway 400 is only 15 minutes west of town, and offers a fast
link to central and western Toronto. Yonge Street is Aurora’s main
commercial artery, but it also provides excellent connections to
neighbouring Richmond Hill and Newmarket, as well as an alternate route
to Toronto.
Aurora also enjoys a robust public transit system. GO buses operate
along the Yonge Street corridor, connecting Aurora with the rest of
York Region and with Toronto’s TTC, while GO trains provide a 50-minute
rush hour service to Toronto’s Union Station. In addition, York Region
Transit runs buses between the municipalities in York Region.
Aurora has been an important industrial town for 130 years, and remains
so today. There are currently over 120 major firms in the community,
and continued development is anticipated into the future. The proximity
of its established and developing industrial parks to the Canadian
National Railway is certainly an attraction for industry leaders, as
are the Town of Aurora’s progressive views towards business.
Because Aurora is so proud of its past, it works hard to promote its
heritage to visitors. Most area attractions are historic in nature.
There’s Yonge Street, with its one of a kind shops and annual street
festival (“The World’s Largest”); the Hillary House, a museum
inhabiting a restored mid-19th century doctor’s home and office; the
Aurora Museum, which chronicles the town’s development; and Sheppard’s
Bush Conservation Area, home of a famous Maple Syrup Festival.
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