Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2011 census the population was 182,520.[2]
History
In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road. In 1805, the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada bought the lands between Etobicoke and Hamilton from the Mississaugas aboriginal people, except for the land at the mouths of Twelve Mile Creek (Bronte Creek), Sixteen Mile Creek, and along the Credit River. In 1807, British immigrants settled the area surrounding Dundas Street as well as on the shore of Lake Ontario.
In 1820, the Crown bought the area surrounding the waterways. The area around the creeks, 960 acres (3.9 km2), ceded to the Crown by the Mississaugas,[3] was auctioned off to William Chisholm in 1827. He left the development of the area to his son, Robert Kerr Chisholm and his brother-in-law, Thomas Merrick.
Oakville’s first industries included shipbuilding, timber shipment, and wheat farming. In the 1850s, there was an economic recession and the foundry, the most important industry in town, was closed. Basket-making became a major industry in the town, and the Grand Trunk Railway was built through it.
The town eventually became industrialized with the opening of Cities Service Canada (later BP Canada, and now Petro Canada) and Shell Canada oil refineries (both now closed), the Procor factory (no longer manufacturing), and, most importantly, the Ford Motor Company‘s Canadian headquarters and plant, all close to the Canadian National Railway and the Queen Elizabeth Way highway between Toronto and Fort Erie (Buffalo).
In 1962 the town of Oakville merged with its neighbouring villages (Bronte, Palermo, Sheridan, and the remainder of Trafalgar Township) to become the new Town of Oakville, reaching northwards to Steeles Avenue in Milton. In 1973, the restructuring of Halton County into Halton Region brought the northern border southwards to just north of the future Highway 407.
Neighbourhoods
Oakville’s Planning Department divides the town into communities. These divisions have little to do with politics and are based on traditional neighbourhoods.[4]
Old Oakville
Oakville Harbour
Old Oakville is located in South-Central Oakville along the shore of Lake Ontario. It is the original Oakville Settlement and is centred on Oakville Harbour.[5]
Kerr Village
Kerr Village is located just West of Old Village around Kerr Street between Speers Rd and Lakeshore Rd. The city has developed a plan for the neighborhood.[6]
Bronte
Bronte is located in Southwest Oakville along the shore of Lake Ontario. It is a community centred on Bronte Harbour and includes the Coronation Park district to its east.[7]
Eastlake
Eastlake is located in Southeast Oakville along the shore of Lake Ontario, also referred to as Joshua Creek. It is bordered on the west by Morrison Creek, to the north by Cornwall Road, and to the east by the Mississauga border.[8]
[edit] Clearview
Clearview is located in Centre East Oakville.[9]
College Park
College Park is located between Sixteen Mile Creek and just east of Trafalgar Road, from the Queen Elizabeth Way north to Upper Middle Road. It surrounds Sheridan College.[10]
Iroquois Ridge North
Iroquois Ridge North is located in North East Oakville between Upper Middle Road and Dundas Street.[11]
Iroquois Ridge South
Iroquois Ridge South is located in North East Oakville. The Falgarwood area is located in the southern end of the Iroquois Ridge South community.[12]
Glen Abbey
Glen Abbey is located in West Oakville, with Third Line being the major artery of the community. It is a large area west of the Glen Abbey Golf Course, home of the Canadian Open,[13]
Palermo
Palermo is located in Northwest Oakville. It is a small community centred on the intersection of Dundas Street and Bronte Road (Highway 25).[14]
River Oaks
River Oaks is located in North-Central Oakville. It includes the Oak Park development.[15]
Uptown Core
Uptown Core is located in North Centre Oakville. It includes the area on either side of Trafalgar Road between Dundas Street and Glenashton Drive.[16]
West Oak Trails
West Oak Trails is located in North Centre West Oakville. It is a newer development than the other communities.[17]
Source from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakville,_Ontario