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EspañolTHORNHILL, ONTARIO
'Thornhill' (2006 population 106,394) is a community in Ontario, Canada, directly north of Toronto. It straddles two municipalities, the city of Vaughan having the portion west of Yonge Street and the town of Markham having the eastern portion. According to the 2001 Census, the population of the City of Vaughan's half of the former village is 56,361.[1] The population in the other half in the Town of Markham is 47,333. [2]
Thornhill was founded in 1794, and 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 would later commit 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 traveled 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 as well as 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.
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.
In 1971 however, York Region was created and the establishment of a regional government administration effectively eliminated the Police Village of Thornhill. Its administration was reverted back to the newly-formed towns of Markham and Vaughan.
However, many residents still remain loyal to their community (as is typical for most urbanized former GTA villages outside of the City of Toronto) and still refer to the area as Thornhill, and not as Vaughan or Markham. While the old village of Thornhill is centred around Yonge Street between Centre and John Streets, it is typically said to be bounded by Dufferin Street to the west, Highway 7 to the north, Steeles Avenue to the south, and Highway 404 to the east.
But these boundaries seem to be expanding northward along the west side of Bathurst, into areas that were never considered Thornhill, thanks to home-builder marketing. A new area called "Thornhill Woods" has recently been developed between Highway 7, Rutherford, Bathurst, and Dufferin, while another planned development, "Upper Thornhill Estates", extends well to the north of Major Mackenzie. However, it should be noted that the area being labelled as "Upper Thornhill" is actually considered part of Maple, Ontario and not Thornhill. Other developments taking place in the Thornhill area are Eagle Hills/Mackenzie Chase/Thornberry Woods at Dufferin and Major Mackenzie. Coronation and Roxborough is being developed at Upper Bathurst between Rutherford Road and Major Mackenzie. Another large builder was the Tannenbaum family, who built the Spring Farm area, near Bathurst and Clark. There is a large synagogue named after them.
The Vaughan planning area that includes Block 18 (East Maple), Block 11 (Thornhill/Maple), Block 12 (Upper Thornhill/Maple) and Block 10 (Thornhill Woods) is expected to grow substantially over the next few years. This area is known as the "Carrville District"
Thornhill is home to Shouldice Hernia Centre, one of the world's premiere hernia facilities.
The Member of Parliament for Thornhill is Susan Kadis, and the Member of Provincial Parliament is Mario Racco.
Thornhill has a very ethnically diverse population. Approximately 40% of the population is of Jewish descent. It is home to one of the largest Orthodox Jewish Synagogues in North America, the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto.
The median household income in Thornhill is $84,700, compared with $50,500 across the Greater Toronto Area. Of all households, 60 per cent of the community earns an income in excess of $70,000 and approximately 89 per cent of Thornhill residents own their home.
★ Stephen Lewis Secondary School, established in 2006
★ Thornhill Secondary School, established in 1955
★ Thornlea Secondary School, established in 1969
★ Vaughan Secondary School, established in 1989
★ Westmount Collegiate Institute, established in 1996
★ Bakersfield Public School
★ Baythorn Public School
★ Brownridge Public School
★ Charlton Public School
★ E.J. Sand Public School
★ German Mills Public School
★ Henderson Avenue Public School
★ Johnsview Village Public School
★ Louis Honoré Fréchette Public School, established in 1991
★ Rosedale Heights Public School
★ Stornoway Cresent Public School
★ Thornhill Public School
★ Thornhill Woods Public School, established in 2005
★ Ventura Park Public School, established in 1999
★ Westminster Public School
★ Willowbrook Public School
★ Woodland Public School
★ Yorkhill Elementary School
★ Bishop Scalabrini Catholic Elementary School
★ St. Elizabeth Catholic High School, established in 1987
★ St. Joseph the Worker
★ St. Robert Catholic High School
★ St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School
★ St. Michael Catholic Academy
★ Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto
★ Netivot HaTorah Day School
★ Leo Baeck Day School
★ Greenhill Village Academy (formerly Pushkin Private School)
★ Hayden Christensen - Actor, notable for playing Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars Prequel trilogy.
★ Michael Henrich - Edmonton Oilers 1998 first round draft choice. First Jewish Hockey player to be a NHL first round draft choice.
★ Craig Kielburger - Creator and founder of Free The Children, the largest child-run campaign against child labour and injustice.
★ Gillian Ferrari – Won Gold Medal for Canada playing defense for the Canadian women's Hockey team in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
★ Daniel Magder Actor, Notable for playing the role of Edwin Venturi in Life With Derek
★ Dominic Moore - Professional ice hockey player.
★ Sue Rodriguez- Shipley - Advocate of the right to die with dignity. Her story was the topic of the 1988 feature film .
★ Moxy Früvous- A moderately successful band in Canada with sometimes satirical themes.
★ Dan Shulman- A sports broadcaster who works for ESPN.
★ Stu Stone - An actor and voiceover performer.
★ Paul Rosen-Won Gold Medal for Canada playing goalie for the Canadian men's paralympic hockey team in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin
★ Lauren Collins- An actress, notable role of Paige on Degrassi:The Next Generation.
★ Anne Murray - Singer
★ Simcha Jacobovici- Known as "The Naked Archeaologist".
★ Richmond Hill, Ontario
★ Thornhill (electoral district)
1. Vaughan side Thornhill population, using Highway 7, Yonge Street, Dufferin Street, and Steeles Avenue as boundaries.
2. Markham's side Thornhill population, using Highway 7, Yonge Street, Woodbine Avenue, and Steeles Avenue as boundaries.
★ Ontario Plaques - Founding of Thornhill
★ City Of Vaughan Official Website
★ City Of Markham Official Website
★ Thornhill on Jewishtorontonline.net
Conley Park. One of the many parks found in Thornhill
| Contents |
| History |
| 20th century |
| Other information |
| Demographics |
| Public Schools |
| Secondary School |
| Elementary School |
| Separate Schools |
| Private Schools |
| Notable People from Thornhill |
| See also |
| References |
| External links |
History
Thornhill was founded in 1794, and 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 would later commit 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 traveled 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 as well as 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.
In 1971 however, York Region was created and the establishment of a regional government administration effectively eliminated the Police Village of Thornhill. Its administration was reverted back to the newly-formed towns of Markham and Vaughan.
However, many residents still remain loyal to their community (as is typical for most urbanized former GTA villages outside of the City of Toronto) and still refer to the area as Thornhill, and not as Vaughan or Markham. While the old village of Thornhill is centred around Yonge Street between Centre and John Streets, it is typically said to be bounded by Dufferin Street to the west, Highway 7 to the north, Steeles Avenue to the south, and Highway 404 to the east.
But these boundaries seem to be expanding northward along the west side of Bathurst, into areas that were never considered Thornhill, thanks to home-builder marketing. A new area called "Thornhill Woods" has recently been developed between Highway 7, Rutherford, Bathurst, and Dufferin, while another planned development, "Upper Thornhill Estates", extends well to the north of Major Mackenzie. However, it should be noted that the area being labelled as "Upper Thornhill" is actually considered part of Maple, Ontario and not Thornhill. Other developments taking place in the Thornhill area are Eagle Hills/Mackenzie Chase/Thornberry Woods at Dufferin and Major Mackenzie. Coronation and Roxborough is being developed at Upper Bathurst between Rutherford Road and Major Mackenzie. Another large builder was the Tannenbaum family, who built the Spring Farm area, near Bathurst and Clark. There is a large synagogue named after them.
The Vaughan planning area that includes Block 18 (East Maple), Block 11 (Thornhill/Maple), Block 12 (Upper Thornhill/Maple) and Block 10 (Thornhill Woods) is expected to grow substantially over the next few years. This area is known as the "Carrville District"
Other information
Thornhill is home to Shouldice Hernia Centre, one of the world's premiere hernia facilities.
The Member of Parliament for Thornhill is Susan Kadis, and the Member of Provincial Parliament is Mario Racco.
Thornhill has a very ethnically diverse population. Approximately 40% of the population is of Jewish descent. It is home to one of the largest Orthodox Jewish Synagogues in North America, the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto.
Demographics
The median household income in Thornhill is $84,700, compared with $50,500 across the Greater Toronto Area. Of all households, 60 per cent of the community earns an income in excess of $70,000 and approximately 89 per cent of Thornhill residents own their home.
Public Schools
Secondary School
★ Stephen Lewis Secondary School, established in 2006
★ Thornhill Secondary School, established in 1955
★ Thornlea Secondary School, established in 1969
★ Vaughan Secondary School, established in 1989
★ Westmount Collegiate Institute, established in 1996
Elementary School
★ Bakersfield Public School
★ Baythorn Public School
★ Brownridge Public School
★ Charlton Public School
★ E.J. Sand Public School
★ German Mills Public School
★ Henderson Avenue Public School
★ Johnsview Village Public School
★ Louis Honoré Fréchette Public School, established in 1991
★ Rosedale Heights Public School
★ Stornoway Cresent Public School
★ Thornhill Public School
★ Thornhill Woods Public School, established in 2005
★ Ventura Park Public School, established in 1999
★ Westminster Public School
★ Willowbrook Public School
★ Woodland Public School
★ Yorkhill Elementary School
Separate Schools
★ Bishop Scalabrini Catholic Elementary School
★ St. Elizabeth Catholic High School, established in 1987
★ St. Joseph the Worker
★ St. Robert Catholic High School
★ St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School
★ St. Michael Catholic Academy
Private Schools
★ Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto
★ Netivot HaTorah Day School
★ Leo Baeck Day School
★ Greenhill Village Academy (formerly Pushkin Private School)
Notable People from Thornhill
★ Hayden Christensen - Actor, notable for playing Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars Prequel trilogy.
★ Michael Henrich - Edmonton Oilers 1998 first round draft choice. First Jewish Hockey player to be a NHL first round draft choice.
★ Craig Kielburger - Creator and founder of Free The Children, the largest child-run campaign against child labour and injustice.
★ Gillian Ferrari – Won Gold Medal for Canada playing defense for the Canadian women's Hockey team in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
★ Daniel Magder Actor, Notable for playing the role of Edwin Venturi in Life With Derek
★ Dominic Moore - Professional ice hockey player.
★ Sue Rodriguez- Shipley - Advocate of the right to die with dignity. Her story was the topic of the 1988 feature film .
★ Moxy Früvous- A moderately successful band in Canada with sometimes satirical themes.
★ Dan Shulman- A sports broadcaster who works for ESPN.
★ Stu Stone - An actor and voiceover performer.
★ Paul Rosen-Won Gold Medal for Canada playing goalie for the Canadian men's paralympic hockey team in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin
★ Lauren Collins- An actress, notable role of Paige on Degrassi:The Next Generation.
★ Anne Murray - Singer
★ Simcha Jacobovici- Known as "The Naked Archeaologist".
See also
★ Richmond Hill, Ontario
★ Thornhill (electoral district)
References
1. Vaughan side Thornhill population, using Highway 7, Yonge Street, Dufferin Street, and Steeles Avenue as boundaries.
2. Markham's side Thornhill population, using Highway 7, Yonge Street, Woodbine Avenue, and Steeles Avenue as boundaries.
External links
★ Ontario Plaques - Founding of Thornhill
★ City Of Vaughan Official Website
★ City Of Markham Official Website
★ Thornhill on Jewishtorontonline.net
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