Neighbourhood History

The history of a neighbourhood plays a vital role in the identity of its residents. If you have lived in the neighbourhood for many years, the neighbourhood history is a heartfelt reminder of days gone by.

If you have just come to call the neighbourhood home, it is a way to learn more about the new community you have joined. We would love nothing more than to be able to share the history of the neighbourhood with all who reside there. If you are interested in writing a brief history of the neighbourhood to share with the community, please contact us!

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A Bit About Aurora

Aurora has played an integral part in the history of York region and it continues to provide a unique combination of traditional family lifestyle and business opportunity that makes Aurora the perfect place to Live and Work.

Before 1788, the townships of East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Markham, Vaughan and Whitchurch were actually located in the Montreal District, Province of Quebec. In 1788, the Montreal District was divided and the townships became part of the Nassau District. Shortly thereafter, in 1791, the Province of Quebec was divided into Upper Canada (later Canada West and finally Ontario) and Lower Canada (later to become Canada East and finally Quebec). In 1792, counties were established and the original townships became part of the County of York – at this point the Nassau District included the County of York and the City of Toronto.

When Yonge Street was opened by John Graves Simcoe in 1796, Loyalist and Quaker settlers were drawn to the area. In 1852 York County was divided to create Peel County to the west and Ontario County to the East. The core of what we call York Region began a significant period of growth over the following 100 years. In 1873 Richmond Hill was incorporated as a town, followed by Newmarket in 1880 and Aurora in 1888. A restructuring of townships in 1970 saw the towns of Aurora, Newmarket and Richmond Hill expanded to include parts of the surrounding townships. On January 1, 1971, York County was divided into the Regional Municipality of York and Metropolitan Toronto.