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Ajax: The Town by the Lake
The pride and joy of the town's 80,000 residents, Ajax's Lake Ontario waterfront is the longest undeveloped waterfront in the Toronto area. Located directly east of Pickering, Ajax is also blessed with 465 acres of parkland and natural areas. There are numerous walking trails with plans for a comprehensive system of linked trails throughout the town and north to Greenwood Conservation Area.
Being so close to the country, residents enjoy amenities such as first-rate golf courses, horseback riding and horse racing at Picov Downs Racetrack.
Ajax is home to three community centres, including the Ajax Community Centre, which has an indoor pool, four ice rinks, fitness facilities, squash courts and the unique Higher Ground Rock Climbing facility, one of the few of its kind in the GTA.
One of the town's chief shopping districts is along Highway 2, where a host of new big box stores compete for Ajax's shopping dollars. Counterpoint to Pickering Village is the new Durham Centre with tenants such as Danier Leather, Chapters Bookstore, Starbucks, Moores the Suit People, Zellers, Future Shop, Winners, Home Depot, and Cineplex.
It's not uncommon to find second-generation residents buying homes in the old neighbourhood and raising their families in Ajax. Housing prices are lower here than in neighbouring Pickering and are significantly lower than in Toronto.
The Town of Ajax has just launched a new website.
History of Ajax
Ajax was incorporated as a Town in 1955, but long before that, several small settlements and farms were found in the area. In 1941, the largest defence industry in North America was located in this area to provide supplies for the Allies in World War II. The founding of Defence Industries Limited (DIL) was really the start of Ajax as we know it. As thousands of workers and their families settled in the immediate area, communities developed and a post office was needed, which meant the area needed a name. A competition among DIL employees resulted in the name Ajax being chosen, in honour of one of the three ships that in 1939 had engaged and routed the German battleship Graf Spee at the Battle of the River Plate near Uruguay.
After the War, the University of Toronto leased many of the DIL buildings for a new flood of engineering students, and a new population base was added to the area. The community continued to grow and by the early 1950s it was clear that it was time for incorporation as a municipality. This occurred in 1955. Twenty years later, the small community of Pickering Village and parts of Pickering Township were amalgamated with Ajax, forming the Town’s current boundaries.
The Ajax Historical Board (now called Heritage Ajax) has published a history book, 'A Town Called Ajax'which is available at the Town Hall and all library branches. The Ajax Public Library has developed a local history web page, www. Pada.ca, that provides access to local history and historical documents about Ajax and Pickering.
February 4, 2005 in Toronto Area Communities | Permalink
Comments
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