Living in Unionville
One of the most desirable areas to live, in the Greater Toronto Area, the community of Unionville - within the City of Markham - is a lifestyle like no other. With short walks to community parks, the famous Main Street, and virtually all amenities, makes Unionville one of the most sought-after addresses to live in.
Unionville is a Heritage village of about 80,000 located just north east of Toronto within The City of Markham, Ontario. Unionville is connected within the Greater Toronto Area by a web of Expressways, Toll roads and a rail commuter line to downtown Toronto called the GO Train.
Markham, with its population of about 300,000, has over 900 technology and life-sciences companies, with IBM as the city's largest employer. A number of multinational companies also have their Canadian headquarters located in Markham, including: Honda, Advanced Micro Devices, American Express, Johnson & Johnson, Apple., Avaya, Motorola, Oracle, Toshiba, and Honeywell to name a few
The National Household Survey indicates that Markham is Canada’s most diverse community with the highest proportion of visible-minorities. According to the Survey, 72.3 per cent of Markham’s population is comprised of visible minorities. The minority populations are mostly Chinese, making up 52.9 per cent of the community and South Asian populations comprising of 17.2 per cent of the population. The black community also accounts for 4.5 per cent of Markham’s population.
Many Unionville residents work in Markham’s high-technology hub and thus Unionville is said to be one of the most affluent areas in the Greater Toronto Area with an average household income of over $130,000.
Main Street Unionville is very picturesque with its centuries old commercial architecture. Main Street also has a number of "century homes" dating back to the 1800s. These homes are also protected by the Ontario Heritage Trust Act with each one of them proudly displaying a bronze shield detailing exactly what its historical significance is.
This Heritage Act requires owners of the buildings to maintain the structures and their heritage elements. The historic village or downtown section of Unionville is typical of a small town that developed over a century or so starting in the early 1840s through the middle to late 20th century. The residents are very proud of its charm and beauty.
Historic Main Street attracts thousands of visitors each year —it boasts over 10 restaurants, including 3 pubs plus a variety of small Retail shops. Main Street has constantly been a favourite amongst the film industry as a stage or backdrop for the production of many commercials, television shows and movies.
Markham Centre - Our Downtown Project
Markham Centre is the city’s long term vision for the creation of a vibrant, intensive, mixed used downtown. Sitting at the foot of Main Street Unionville, the new Markham Centre represents the new urban downtown model in Canada. Key features include:
The largest concentration of mixed use LEED downtown projects in North America.
41,000 residents in 20,000 units and 39,000 jobs.
New development in Markham Centre is also connected to the Markham District Energy system (district heating and cooling and co-generation of hydro electric power)
The Remington Group is the leading land developer championing the Downtown Markham project. Remington’s land is comprised of over 240 acres and is the cornerstone to delivering Markham’s vision for its downtown project. With key residential, retail, entertainment, open space and employment opportunities, Downtown Markham features all the unifying elements of a downtown core.
Pan-Am Centre
A centre for sport excellence - Opened in November 2014, the Markham Pan Am Centre is a multi-purpose sport facility for training, competition, and sport event hosting. Constructed for the 2015 Pan American and ParaPan American Games, the facility has been built to world-class standards and features.
The Markham Pan Am Centre is a 147,000 sq ft (13,660 sq m) sports venue that has been built to meet many International and National standards of competition. Consisting of an Olympic sized 50 m pool, several gymnasiums, a fitness centre, and various A/V rooms, the venue is ideal for hosting a variety of sport events including:
Badminton
Basketball
Competitive Swimming
Synchronized Swimming
Table Tennis
Volleyball
Water Polo and more
Unionville GO Station
The Unionville GO Station is an important connection for Markham and for our entire region. Metrolinx is working with our partners in Markham and York Region to ensure Unionville GO is a convenient “mobility hub”. That means connections to VIVA BRT, YRT local bus service, pedestrian and cycling paths, and eventually the new 407 Transitway, in the heart of Markham’s new downtown.
A better Unionville GO station is coming. Major improvements are coming to Unionville GO station. This allows us to serve even more daily passengers as we introduce all-day, two-way GO train service over the next several years, all while providing a better experience for you.
York University - Markham Campus
Just opened in September 2024, Downtown Markham has welcomed the opening of York Universities newest campus location. The Markham Campus will embed York University in the heart of one of the most diverse and dynamic urban communities in the province and country. Physically, Markham Campus accommodates 4,200 students and was designed to facilitate collaboration between programs and faculties. This will promote unexpected connections, bringing people together to create positive change.