Pickering

Pickering is a picturesque city, with beautiful woods and parks sitting on the shores of Lake Ontario. Its shoreline location provides spectacular scenery but just enough distance from Toronto to lend the area a unique personality. As home to thriving business and industry, outstanding career opportunities abound within Pickering, and despite being only a 25-minute drive from Toronto, housing costs are significantly lower. As well, Pickering is easily accessible by bus and rail alike, making it an ideal commuter community. However, there are many attractions within its boundaries to keep residents busy on weekends as well. With a revitalized waterfront, Pickering has an exciting new Waterfront Trail, Millennium Square, and Splash Park. Petticoat Creek Pedestrian Bridge stretches 170 metres over Petticoat Creek and is a favourite for both residents and visitors. Frenchman's Bay offers boating, fishing, and water sports in a stunning natural harbour. There is a quarter million square foot recreation complex that provides an extensive array of programs and services. There is always something happening at The Pickering Civic Complex (City Hall) and Esplanade Park or at The Pickering Museum Village. Pickering has fabulous golf courses, marinas, live theatre, and more.

Above all, Pickering is a community. Some of the events that this community is planning for June include: Pitch In Parties, where the City donates bags and gloves to groups who organize litter clean up in their neighbourhoods; Adopt A Park Programs where local groups, businesses, and neighbourhoods sponsor the clean up and maintenance of whole parks or sections of parks to make them cleaner and safer; The 5th Annual Girls Golf Tournament; Youth Fest; Pre-Teen DJ Dance; Dragon Boat Club Annual Regatta; Safety Day; Frenchman's Bay Festival; Property Green Up; and more.

Pickering has an elegant side as well, boasting world-class dining, hotel accommodation, spas, and marinas. In fact, by night Pickering is virtually indistinguishable from its big city neighbour.

About Pickering

Population 94,200

Age First formed as an independent township in 1811, incorporated as The City of Pickering January 2000

Location East of Toronto, accessed by both Hwy. 401 and 407 ETR, on the north shore of Lake Ontario

Highways 401, 407 ETR, 7, and 2 (Kingston Rd.)

Airports Oshawa Municipal Airport, Buttonville Airport, also the proposed location of a future regional reliever airport to Pearson International Airport in Toronto

Public Transit Ajax Pickering Transit Authority

Education The Durham District School Board operates 15 elementary and 2 secondary schools; the Durham Catholic District School Board operates 8 elementary and 1 secondary schools; Post Secondary schools include The University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Durham College with easy access to academic institutions in Toronto.

Emergency Services Full municipal fire protection, five fire halls, 911 area coverage served by Durham Regional Police and Ontario Provincial Police

Tourist/Cultural and Recreation Facilities Full range of municipal recreation programs and sports fields; 250,000-square foot recreation complex; 19th century interpretive museum; modern downtown; Pickering Town Centre (200+stores and services); The Pickering Markets (weekends); over 70 neighbourhood parks; main central library plus four branches; conservation areas; waterfront facilities; golf courses; hiking trails; marinas; yacht club; sailing; and two beaches