We often read the term “mixed community” referring to a new home neighbourhood that is geared to buyers of all ages.
There are adult-lifestyle communities for people over 40 or 50, but many empty-nesters prefer to live in a place where there are young parents and kids as well. Children benefit from interaction with older people, and vice versa. More mature residents can walk to a park and watch young people play ball, or sit on the porch and chat with families walking along with strollers and dogs. This is a lot like the small town living of old Ontario, and it’s a trend in today’s hectic world.
Heathwood Homes’ Traditions community in Milton is a great example. To nurture togetherness and a sense of belonging among residents of all ages, we have turned the Sales Centre into a community centre with events, activities, and even a spot where people can drop in for a coffee and to check the bulletin board. It’s wonderful to see people of all backgrounds and different stages of life becoming friends and enjoying each other as neighbours.
New home communities today are really like a microcosm of Canada as a whole. We have buyers from nearly every continent, and when you see the kids playing together, it’s obvious they don’t notice their differences. Ethnicity is not an issue with them, and it’s terrific. In the past, people who immigrated to Canada often settled in neighbourhoods with others from the same countries. It made integrating into the new culture easier when there were people around who spoke their first language and cooked similar foods. These pockets of culture and customs have enriched our lives, and now that people are branching out into mixed communities, that infusion of diversity is making things even more exciting - especially for the younger generations.
After all, most immigrants come here to help their children find a better life. Pioneering immigrant families often purchase a home and share with extended families and friends until they find accommodations. Now that we have second and third generations of immigrants buying homes, multiculturalism is becoming more widespread throughout the Greater Toronto Area, which is making it even greater!
And according to author, professor and economics guru Richard Florida, diversity is one of the most important aspects for building healthy, prosperous communities. He considers Toronto to be among the best cities in the world for quality of life, and I agree. After all, I was an immigrant in the 1960s, and I am grateful every day for the opportunities Canada and Toronto have offered me and my family. Florida is a believer in the comingling of all kinds of people with varying abilities and talents, from science to the arts.
People are connecting now for reasons other than ethnicity. At Traditions, for example, what the families have in common is the desire to live close to the Niagara Escarpment and all the fantastic outdoor activities in the area, as well as being close enough to downtown Milton to walk to shops and services. There are good schools close by, and as I mentioned, the sense of community there is phenomenal. Our sales/community centre brings neighbours together in many ways. Young parents get to know each other at children’s story time and family movie nights, for example. Common interests are the driving force for interacting, not the colour of someone’s skin, first language or country of origin.
The next time you hear someone say that multiculturalism doesn’t work, drive through Traditions or just about any new home community in the GTA. And remember that those homes and the infrastructure and amenities around them were created by a multicultural workforce. For me, it’s exciting to know I’ve played a role in creating something solid and lasting … something that is making a more exciting Canada one house at a time!
Hugh Heron is Principal and Partner in the Heron Group of Companies and President of Heathwood Homes, as well as a former Member of the Board of Directors of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and a Past President of the Toronto Home Builders’ Association and the Ontario Home Builders’ Association.
