Oakville, Ontario

Oakville (2004 population estimate 155,700 ) is a town on Lake Ontario in southern Ontario, Canada, midway between Toronto (about 31 km away) and Hamilton (about 20 km away). Oakville is part of the Greater Toronto Area metropolitan community.

History

In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road. In 1805, the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada bought the lands between Etobicoke and Hamilton from the Mississaugas, except for the land at the mouths of Twelve Mile Creek, Sixteen Mile Creek, and along the Credit River. In 1807, British immigrants settled the area surrounding Dundas Street as well as on the shore of Lake Ontario.

In 1820, the Crown bought the area surrounding the waterways. The area around the creeks, approximately 1000 acres (4 km²), was auctioned off to William Chisholm in 1827. He left the development of the area to his son, Robert Kerr Chisholm and his brother-in-law, Thomas Merrick.

Oakville's first industries included ship-building, timber shipment, and wheat farming. In the 1850s, there was an economic recession and the foundry, the most important industry in town, was closed. Basket-making became a major industry in the town, and a railway was built through it.

The town eventually became industrialized with the opening of the Petro-Canada refinery, the Procor factory, and, most importantly, the Ford Motor Company Canadian headquarters and factory.

In 1962 the town of Oakville merged with its neighbouring villages (Bronte, Palermo, Sheridan, and Trafalgar) to become the new Town of Oakville.

Demographics

According to the 2001 Canadian Census

Oakville is home to a number of ethnic groups. A large segment of the population is formed by those of white ethnic backgrounds - 86.7%, largely those of British Isles, Italian, German, French, Polish, and Portuguese origins. Visible minority groups (non-white population) consists of Asian (chiefly East Indian) 4.3%, Chinese 2.2%, and Black 1.9%. A growing mixed race population totals 1.4%.

Due to its diversity, Oakville has many religious sects. Christianity continues to be dominant. Some 79.4% of residents stated their religion as Christian, almost evenly split amongst Roman Catholics and Protestants including Anglicans. Non-Christian religions include Muslim: 2.0%, Hindu: 1.3%, Sikh: 1.1%, and Jewish: 0.7%.

Oakville is younger than Canada in terms of age. Some 21.7% of the population consists of children (ages 0 - 14), while those over 65 number 10.8%, resulting in a growth rate of 12.7% in the 5 years before 2001, and a median age of 36.4 years of age.

The median household income is $83,982, with an average house value of $306,209.

Divisions

Oakville's Planning Department divides it into 12 areas called communities. These divisions have little to do with politics and are based on traditional neighbourhoods. Oakville's communities are:

Old Oakville - located in South-Central Oakville along the shore of Lake Ontario, it is the original Oakville Settlement and is centered on Oakville Harbour.
Bronte - located in Southwest Oakville along the shore of Lake Ontario, it is a community centred on Bronte Harbour and includes the Coronation Park district to its east.
Eastlake - located in Southeast Oakville along the shore of Lake Ontario, it is bordered on the east by the industrial area of Clarkson, Mississauga and to the north by the Ford Motor Company factory.
Clearview - located in Center East Oakville, also sometimes referred to as Sherwood Heights.
College Park - located in Centre East Oakville, it is centred around Sheridan College.
Iroquois Ridge South and North - located in North Centre East Oakville. The Falgarwood area is located in the southern end of the Iroquois Ridge South community.
Glen Abbey - located in West Oakville, it is a large area west of the Glen Abbey Golf Course, containing the West Mount real estate development.
Palermo - located in Northwest Oakville, it is a small community centred on the intersection of Dundas Street and Bronte Road (Highway 25).
River Oaks - located in North-Central Oakville, it includes the Oak Park development.
West Oak Trails - located in North Centre West Oakville, it is also a fairly recent development.
North Oakville - Oakville north of Dundas Street, its 3100 ha (7700 acres) is being developed now and will contain 69,000 residents and 40,000 jobs according to the town's official plan.
Winston Churchill - located in Northeast Oakville, it is centred on the Winston Churchill Retail Area.
QEW Industrial Strip - the industrial areas which form a strip across Oakville along the Queen Elizabeth Way.

Sports

Oakville has one professional hockey team called the Oakville Ice. The team is part of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL).

Current Dallas Cowboys placekicker Mike Vanderjagt and Olympic gold-medalist Adam van Koeverden were born and raised in Oakville, as was former NFL offensive lineman Tony Mandarich. Former Buffalo Bills placekicker Steve Christie was born in nearby Hamilton but grew up in Oakville and attended Oakville Trafalgar High School.

Olympic gold-medalist sprinter Donovan Bailey attended Q.E. Park High School after arriving in Canada from Jamaica, and currently has a street and park named after him in the area.

Oakville has the largest Soccer Club in all of North America named The Oakville Soccer Club.

Oakville's youth hockey organization, Minor Oaks Hockey Association, has almost 4,000 players between the ages of 6 and 17.

Oakville also has an excellent aquatic club, called the Oakville Aquatic Club, who recently finished 3rd in the province in the Ontario Provincial Championships.

Notable People of Oakville

See main article List of notable people of Oakville, Ontario

Education

Oakville is home to Sheridan College, a renowned animation and business studies institute.

High/Secondary Schools (Grade 9-12):

Private Schools:
- Appleby College (7-12)
- John Knox Christian School (1-8)
- St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School (JK-12)^*
- Maclachlan College
- Rotherglen
- Marian Montessori School
- Dearcroft Montessori
- Westwind Montessori
- Oakville Christian School
- King's Christian Collegiate
- Glenburnie
- Fern Hill School (PS-8)^*
Schools in the Halton District School Board:
- White Oaks Secondary School
- Oakville Trafalgar High School
- T.A. Blakelock High School
- Iroquois Ridge High School ^*
- Abbey Park High School
Schools in the Halton Catholic District School Board:
- St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Secondary School
- Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School
- St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School

Elementary (Junior Kindergarten-Grade 8) schools in Oakville include:

Schools in the Halton District School Board:
- Abbey Lane Public School
- Brantwood Public School
- Brookdale Public School
- Chisholm Public School (JK-G5)
- Captain R. Wilson Public School (JK-G8)^*
- Eastview Public School (JK-G8)^*
- Gladys Speers Public School (JK-G6)
- Heritage Glen Public School
- Lorne Skuce Public School (JK-G5)
- Munn's Public School (JK-G5)
- New Central Public School (G6-G8)
- Maple Grove Public School (JK-G5)
- Oakwood Public School (JK-G5)
- Pilgrim Wood Public School
- River Oaks Public School
- Sheridan Public School (JK-G5)
- W.H. Morden Public School
- Post's Corners Public School (JK-G8)
- E.J. James Public School (G6-G8)
- Falgarwood Public School ^*
- Linbrook Public School (JK-G5)
- Montclair Sr. Public School (G6-G8)
- Pine Grove Public School (G1-G6)^*
- Sunningdale Public School (G1-G8)
- West Oak Public School
Schools in the Halton Catholic District School Board:
- St. Vincent Catholic Elementary School
- Holy Family Catholic Elementary School
- Mother Teresa Catholic Elementary School
- Our Lady of Peace Catholic Elementary School
- St. Andrew Catholic Elementary School
- St. Bernadette Catholic Elementary School
- St. Dominic Catholic Elementary School
- St. Joan of Arc Catholic Elementary School
- St. James Catholic Elementary School
- St. John Catholic Elementary School
- St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School
- St. Luke Catholic Elementary School
- St. Matthew Catholic Elementary School
- St. Michael Catholic Elementary School
- St. Marguerite d'Youville Catholic Elementary School (Has a French Immersion)
Schools in the CSDCSO French board:
- École Patricia-Picknell
Schools in the CSDCSCC French board:
- École Saint Marie

Government

Municipal

At the municipal level, the governing body is the Oakville Town Council consisting of a mayor and twelve councillors. The town is divided into six wards, with two councillors elected to represent each ward.