The Village of Brooklin
By on Apr 23, 2008
By Sherry Hinman
The largest of four hamlets that make up the rural part of Whitby, the Village of Brooklin has maintained its community atmosphere in the midst of a population boom. Founded in 1840 as the town of Winchester, Brooklin later became part of Whitby, as did the hamlets of Ashburn, Myrtle, and Myrtle Station. Today the village has over 9,300 residents and is still growing.
Jen Kneitas, community coordinator for Tribute Communities, says the company started developing in Brooklin in 1994 with 1,200 new homes. Tribute expects to sell an additional 800 homes in Brooklin West over the next four years. "People like the style of our homes. There's an old-town feel to them. A lot of the features are Victorian style, like the clocks, gables, and lampposts."
Kneitas says "they're calling us the new Oakville. A lot of people are moving out of the city and coming here?into more of an upscale home."
And there isn't anything that new residents have to give up when they move to Brooklin since the village offers plenty of amenities. It has four community centres including a seniors' centre, a public library, two public schools, and a separate elementary- and secondary-level school. The numerous recreational facilities include baseball and soccer fields, and the hockey arena is always busy.
Brooklin's downtown is home to several unique shops including Hunter Farms, the largest emu farm in the province. Some downtown businesses have set up shop in older buildings, such as the pet store that resides in a former stable.
A lot of agricultural industry still exists in surrounding areas, and farmers come to Brooklin's downtown feed store to buy food for their livestock. And there's no better place to see the world of farming close up than at the historic Brooklin Spring Fair, which has been held annually for the past 90 years.
Despite a housing boom over the past decade, Brooklin hasn't seen a lot of commercial development. Kneitas says that a Shoeless Joe's restaurant has just opened and the village also has several home décor shops. But residents have the choice of going to their local shops or travelling five minutes south to Whitby for the larger grocery and pharmacy chains. Brooklin residents have the best of both worlds.
