Pickering and Ajax – enjoying the growth and poised for more

Located in the heart of Durham Region but just east of Toronto, Pickering and Ajax comprise one of the fastest growing areas in Ontario.Pickering, for example, with a population already at about 94,000, is expected to grow to 190,000 people by 2031, drawn by the city's divers and stable economy. Pickering is home to a variety of national and international companies, in industries such as energy, advanced manufacturing, logistics, and pharmaceutical.The area also has available land and space to facilitate this growth. The Pickering Innovation Corridor boasts 800 acres of greenfield, prestige employment land, located along a limited access transportation route directly adjacent to the site of the future Pickering Airport.Pickering is in major transition, with new growth targets set for the city. The new and developing community of Seaton, for example, is preparing to welcome 70,000 new residents and 35,000 new jobs.Neighbouring Ajax is similarly prosperous, as the town has a well-deserved reputation for progressive thinking. Among the major projects underway is a redevelopment of the downtown, with new public spaces at Pat Bayly Square.The future of downtown Ajax comprises a focus on "active, livable, innovative, vibrant and eco-focused," according to the Town.

Lowrise living

Still sometimes considered suburbs of Toronto, Pickering and Ajax appeal to those in search of single-family and other ground-oriented homes, since, well, there is new lowrise home development in the area. And, like elsewhere in the GTA, "missing-middle" type housing such as townhomes, as well as condos, are also gaining popularity here.Nautical Village, on Pickering's waterfront, is a welcome natural amenity enjoyed by residents, with quaint shops, cafes and restaurants, as well as a splash pad and park. An expansive waterfront trail runs along Frenchman's Bay and during the summer, Millennium Square hosts open air concerts.Pickering and Ajax boast a number of golf courses, including Glen Cedars, Hawthorne Valley, Seaton Golf, Pickering Golf Club and Watsons' Glen.Ajax is home to Ontario's only quarter horse racetrack, Ajax Downs, and for those who really love games of chance, there's Casino Ajax.

Live and love in nature

Pickering is blessed with a natural location along Lake Ontario, with kilometres of waterfront greenspace. Add in more than 85 parks, sports fields and trails, as well as three conservation areas, public areas around Frenchman's Bay and the Hydro Marsh, and it's all a pretty unbeatable locale for nature lovers.Ajax boasts its own expansive system of cycling and walking trails totally 74 kms. Veterans' Point Garden commemorates the town's history and is dedicated to the HMS Ajax, the DIL Plant and the employees who lived in Ajax during the World War II.And being so close to Toronto, Pickering and Ajax naturally benefit from the transit and highway infrastructure expansion taking place in the area. Durham Region Transit and GO Transit, as well as Hwy. 401 as the main arterial hub west to the DVP into Toronto or east to Hwy. 115, getting around, to and from Durham Region has never been easier.

Location, location, location

• Pickering and Ajax are located just east of Toronto in Durham Region; Pickering population, 94,000; Ajax population, 119,670

Key landmarks

• Casino Ajax
• Claremont Conservation Area
• Frenchman's Bay
• Greenwood Conservation Area
• Petticoat Creek
• Pickering Town Centre
• Veterans' Point Garden

Select housing developments

PICKERINGA Towns by Paradise DevelopmentsNuTowns by Madison GroupSeaton Whitevale by Mattamy HomesSeatonville by Opus HomesSeatonville by Deco HomesAJAXA Towns by Fieldgate HomesHarkins Ridge by Castleton CommunitiesWestney Place in Nottingham by Tribute Communities

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