Vaughan Community Profile 00 Table of Contents Members of the Council 3 Vaughan – The Place the World Calls Home 5 160 Years of Incredible History 6-7 Progressive and Responsive Government 8 Beautiful Seasons 9 The Faces of Vaughan 10-11 A Sense of Community 12-13 A Talented Labour Force 14-15 Living Well 16-19 Hospitality 20 Arts, Culture and Heritage 21 Shopping and Recreational Pursuits 22 Natural Spaces & Countryside 23 Safe City 24 Environmental Leadership 25 A Leading City 26 Business Resources 27 Vaughan a World-Class City Welcome to Vaughan, a dynamic and vibrant city and one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada. Thousands of people choose Vaughan as their home every year, appreciating the advantages of living in a prosperous, well-managed community. The City enjoys a wealth of cultural heritage, strong historic neighbourhoods, ethnic diversity, stable economy, efficient municipal services and innovative leadership. Whatever you’re looking for you can find it in Vaughan. Arts, culture, recreation, and greenspace all serve to attract and delight visitors, friends and family. Mayor Vaughan has the advantage of being one of the top three Maurizio Bevilacqua performing economies in the country. The City is firmly establishing itself as the gateway for economic activity in the Greater Toronto Area. Located in Canada’s economic centre, Vaughan has location and accessibility to world markets. The business base is diverse and the labour force is young, well-educated and highly-skilled. On behalf of the City of Vaughan and Members of Council, I invite you to discover all that our great City has to offer. Vaughan, the City we are proud to call our home. Members of the Council 2010-2014 Regional Councillor Regional Councillor Regional Councillor Gino Rosati Michael Di Biase Deb Schulte Councillor Ward 1 Councillor Ward 2 Councillor Ward 3 Councillor Ward 4 Councillor Ward 5 Marilyn Iafrate Tony Carella Rosanna DeFrancesca Sandra Yeung Racco Alan Shefman 3 Vaughan – The Place the World Calls Home From its earliest beginnings, Vaughan has been a community that welcomes people of all nationalities. From its agrarian roots, it has evolved to become a major urban centre rich in culture, history and natural heritage. Today, it is a City where industrious and entrepreneurial people have found economic opportunities and proudly built their own legacies. We are known for our pro-business and “can-do” attitude. Our civic brand has attracted investment and high levels of development even in the most difficult of economic times. Our safe neighbourhoods, good schools and beautiful parks and trails, as well as our world- class universities and healthcare attract talented and innovative people who settle, raise families and reinvest in our community. Growth is an important part of the Vaughan vocabulary. Council has set forth policies through Vaughan Vision 2020 and its various master plans, which will enable municipal staff to effectively and efficiently deliver services that support the City’s future growth and development in a sustainable manner. More than providing great neighbourhoods, prestigious employment areas and enriching work, we believe that connecting people through learning, recreation and leisure activities in healthy settings stimulates new ideas and sharing. We invite you to be part of this dynamic City. Welcome to Vaughan! 5 160 Years of Incredible History Vaughan Yesterday With a proud and Established in 1850, the Township of Vaughan was named after Benjamin Vaughan, a British diplomat and industrious heritage, co-negotiator of the Treaty of Paris that signaled the end of the American Revolutionary War. Vaughan originated from a collection of rural villages: Woodbridge, Concord, Vaughan has Kleinburg, Maple and Thornhill. Vaughan Township grew relatively slowly from the 1840s to 1935 when it had transformed itself from 4,873 residents. However, World War II sparked an influx of immigration a rural township to a and by 1960 the population stood at 15,957. At the same time, the ethno-cultural composition of the area began major urban centre. to change with the arrival of groups such as the Italians, Jews and Eastern Europeans. A new civic mindset also began to emerge, heralding new and innovative commercial and industrial development, as well as a respect for the preservation of the area’s heritage. 6 160 Years of Incredible History With the expansion of water and sewer services in the 1970s, the Township was transformed from a series of rural agricultural villages to one of the fastest growing suburban municipalities in Canada. Vaughan incorporated as a Town in 1971. Vaughan Today In 1991, just twenty years after its incorporation as a Town, Vaughan was incorporated as a City. The decade of the 1990s witnessed explosive growth, as the population grew to more than 111,000 – a pace that continues into the 21st century. In 2006, Vaughan’s population exceeded 238,000 and employment topped 162,000. Provincial and Regional forecasts predict a population of 416,600 people and 266,100 jobs by 2031. 7 Progressive and Responsive Government Services Delivered Vaughan’s municipal • Municipal Parks government is led • Recreation Facilities • Libraries by a nine-member • Fire Protection Council: a Mayor, three • Waste Management • Water Services Regional Councillors • Municipal Roads and Infrastructure • Planning and Development and five Ward • Economic Development Councillors. Where Every Tax Dollar Goes Hospital $29 Government Administration Vaughan $1,152 Canada Federal Ontario Provincial York Region $2,191 Education $1,107 York Regional Municipality Vaughan City Chart is based on average residential tax bill $4,479 and total 2010 property 8 tax valued at $459,367 Beautiful Seasons Southern Ontario’s continental climate is highly In addition to a wide variety of sporting and leisure modified by the Great Lakes, which provide a activities, the City is alive with festivals and events moderating influence on both winter’s cold and that span the entire year. From Winterfest to the summer’s heat. Vaughan is located in one of the Maple Syrup Festival and the Woodbridge Fall mildest regional climates in Canada. Fair, there are recreational and cultural activities to Vaughan is also a four-season destination for year engage and entertain both residents and visitors. round recreational activities and outdoor pursuits. Climate in Vaughan - January to December J F M A M J J A S O N D Daily Avg. Temp (oC) -6.3 -5.4 -0.4 6.3 12.9 17.8 20.8 19.9 15.3 8.9 3.2 -2.9 Daily Max. Temp (oC) -2.1 -1.1 4.1 11.5 18.8 23.7 26.8 25.6 21.0 13.9 7.0 0.9 Daily Min. Temp (oC) -10.5 -9.7 -5.0 1.0 6.9 11.9 14.8 14 9.6 3.9 -0.7 -6.7 Rainfall (mm) 24.9 22.3 36.7 62.4 72.4 74.2 74.4 79.6 77.5 63.4 62 34.7 Snowfall (cm) 31.1 22.1 19.2 5.7 0.1 0 0 0 0 0.5 7.6 29.2 Precipitation (mm) 52.2 42.6 57.1 68.4 72.5 74.2 74.4 79.6 77.5 64.1 69.3 60.9 Source: Environment Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1971-2000, Toronto 9 The Faces of Vaughan Vaughan’s residents Age Characteristics Age Characteristics Vaughan Ontario are young, Total population 238,865 12,160,285 Median age of well-educated, the population 35.9 39.0 % of the population entrepreneurial aged 15 and over 78.4 81.8 0 to 4 years 16,555 670,770 and family-oriented. 5 to 9 years 17,295 721,590 10 to 14 years 17,755 818,445 Strong population growth has been a driving force 15 to 19 years 17,510 833,115 behind the City’s remarkable economic progress. 20 to 24 years 15,625 797,255 Vaughan’s educated, skilled and affluent residents generate substantial demand for an increasingly 25 to 29 years 14,105 743,695 diverse array of products and services. 30 to 34 years 16,960 791,955 With an 80% population increase between 1996 35 to 39 years 20,560 883,990 and 2006, Vaughan is one of the fastest growing 40 to 44 years 21,225 1,032,415 Canadian municipalities with a population of more 45 to 49 years 19,190 991,970 than 100,000. 50 to 54 years 15,660 869,400 55 to 59 years 14,000 774,530 Historical and Projected Population Growth 60 to 64 years 9,160 581,985 450,000 65 to 69 years 8,070 466,240 70 to 74 years 6,175 401,950 400,000 75 to 79 years 4,340 338,910 80 to 84 years 2,835 250,270 350,000 85 years and over 1,850 191,810 300,000 Source: Statistics Canada, Census 2006 250,000 Family Characteristics POPULATION 200,000 Family Characteristics & Marital Status (selected) Vaughan Ontario 150,000 Total population 15 years and over 187,265 9,949,480 100,000 Never legally married (single) 52,430 3,143,960 Legally married (and 50,000 not separated) 116,820 5,168,660 Total number of 1981 1986 1991 1996 1998 2001 2006 2031 census families 66,650 3,422,315 YEAR Average number of persons in all census families 3.4 3.0 10 Source: Statistics Canada, Census 2006 Vaughan is Canada’s 18th largest municipality. The current population is approximately 298,000. 11 A Sense of Community Immigration continues to play a key role in the growth of Vaughan and its economy. According to Statistics Canada (2006), more than 40% Population by Mother Tongue – Top 10 of Canada’s recent immigrants chose the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) as a location in which to establish roots.