Unionville is a suburban area that was once a village in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is located 2 km (2.5 mi) northeast of Downtown Markham, 2 km (2.5 mi) west of Markham Village, and 33 km (20.5 mi) northeast of Downtown Toronto. It is centered around the intersection of Highway 7 and Kennedy Road. The boundaries of Unionville are not clearly defined. Some nearby neighborhoods are said to be part of Unionville, but this has been debated among different areas. The Unionville Ratepayers Association considers Rodick Road to be its western boundary.

Unionville was established north of 16th Avenue in 1794 near the farms along and around Kennedy Road. Main Street in Unionville, originally part of Kennedy Road, runs through the village. A new route of Kennedy Road now runs 300 meters (330 yards) to the east. The Rouge River flows north of the village and to the southeast. Highway 404 is to the west, with the nearest interchange with Highway 407 located 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) south on Kennedy Road. Most of Unionville is residential, except for the south central area, which is planned for large development.

Tourism is an important part of Unionville’s economy. The village still looks like the small town that grew starting in the early 1840s (when Ira White built Union Mills) through the middle to late 20th century. Now a "heritage conservation district," it draws thousands of visitors each year. By 2006, it had nine restaurants, including three pubs. Main Street, originally the path from the village’s first grist mill, includes many "century homes" from the 19th century. Thousands of people visit Unionville yearly during the Unionville Festival.

Main Street has been used as a setting for fictional Connecticut town Stars Hollow in the first season of the Gilmore Girls television show and for other TV and movie scenes. Most historic buildings in Unionville are listed in the List of historic buildings in Markham, Ontario.

History

The name Unionville comes from Ira Allen White's Union Mills, built in 1839. The mills were named after the Act of Union 1840 in Upper and Lower Canada. White lived in the area until at least 1860. By 1878, his property, according to the York County Atlas, belonged to Hugh Powell Crosby. White later moved to Yarmouth, Ontario, where he died in 1887. He was buried in the Cedar Grove Mennonite Cemetery in Markham.

William von Moll Berczy brought the first settlers to Markham Township in 1794. These settlers were originally from Germany but had first moved to New York State. After arriving in Markham, they acquired large areas of land near what is now Berczy Village, located at 16th Avenue and Kennedy Road.

Illness and famine in 1795–1796 reduced the population, but the remaining settlers continued to develop the area. Johann Niclaus Stober, also known as John Stiver, was a Berczy settler. He was a descendant of Charles and Francis Stiver, who established Stiver Mills. Philip Eckardt, another Berczy settler, farmed land in Markham. He was connected to the Bethesda Lutheran Church.

By 1851, the population of Markham had reached 200. The area had a grist mill, a saw mill, and two churches (Primitive Methodist and Presbyterian).

Unionville was a police village within Markham Township in York County until the end of 1970. At that time, York County was reorganized into the Regional Municipality of York. Unionville, along with Thornhill (another police village) and the Village of Markham, was abolished. These areas were merged with Markham Township, which was later reincorporated as the Town of Markham. The town became a city in 2012. Some parts of Markham Township were given to neighboring areas, including Richmond Hill and Whitchurch–Stouffville. The town and township were named after two different people named "Markham."

A historic concrete bridge that carries Unionville Main Street was built by Octavius Hicks in 1909.

The name "Unionville" was still used as a postal address until the early 1990s. At that time, most addresses were changed to "Markham." In 2009, Markham Town Council restored the name "Unionville" for postal addresses in Ward 3, which includes areas between Warden, 16th, McCowan, and the 407. However, the Post Office used "Unionville" for a larger delivery area that included farms and urban areas it considered part of Unionville. The historical boundaries of Unionville may be based on the Post Office's delivery area for the name "Unionville." These boundaries changed over time as neighboring post offices opened and closed. At certain times, the following areas had a Unionville address:

• Highway 7 and southward: all the area north of Steeles Avenue between Woodbine Avenue on the west and McCowan Road on the east, including both sides of Woodbine, McCowan, and Highway 7.
• North of Highway 7: all the area to 19th Avenue between Warden on the west and McCowan on the east, including both sides of Woodbine, McCowan, and 19th Avenue.

Unionville has six postal codes: L3P, L3R, L3S, L6C, L6E, and L6G.

In the 1960s, major housing developments began in Unionville and continue today. Because old buildings were available at low cost, many antique stores opened in the 1970s. Unionville became a popular place to find antiques. After a bypass was built in the 1970s, new businesses appeared, such as the Old Country Inn and Old Firehall Sports. Over time, antique stores were replaced by high-end shops, restaurants, pubs, and clothing stores. Tourism grew in the area. Starbucks opened in the late 1990s. Many buildings were renovated to meet the needs of the changing community. The old road to the east of Main Street was turned into a large parking lot.

Walking paths in local conservation areas connect directly to village roads. One of the most used paths is around Toogood Pond, named after the Toogood family. The pond was originally a mill pond that powered a grist mill in the 1840s. It was created by flooding part of Bruce Creek. In the early 20th century, the pond was called Willow Pond or Willow Lake. It was home to small summer cottages on north Main Street. Some of these cottages were originally for grist mill workers. By the mid-20th century, they became homes but are now mostly gone, replaced by large, expensive homes.

The Varley Art Gallery is now located at the north end of Main Street. It is becoming well known for its art collection. The gallery was started with contributions from Mrs. McKay, who supported artist Fred Varley. He lived in a home on Main Street and painted works now in the gallery's collection. The home is now part of the gallery and is used for small art shows.

The Unionville Arms, a well-known pub, burned down on November 30, 2007. It had been in business for 19 years. The building was over 100 years old. The fire started in the morning, possibly due to faulty kitchen equipment and wiring, and the old insulation. The fire was extinguished three hours later. No one was hurt. The pub reopened in late December 2008, looking much the same as before.

The Stiver Mill is a historic building near the railway tracks on Main Street. It was restored in 2014 and is now a community center. The area around the building has been updated to improve access to the center and the nearby train station.

On November 8, 2010, the killing of Bich-Ha Pan and the attempted murder of Hann Pan occurred in Unionville.

Geography

Unionville is now a well-developed suburban area. In the 1970s, during a time of early growth, a rule stopped new construction for 25 years. According to Ward 3 boundaries, Unionville is located west of Warden Avenue, north of 16th Avenue, east of McCowan Road, and south of Highway 407. It often includes nearby neighborhoods such as Buttonville, Angus Glen, Milliken, South Unionville, and Downtown Markham. Some land at York Downs Golf is still empty and planned for new construction in the future. Along Highway 7, west of the village, new buildings will be built, including mid-rise and high-rise structures that blend village and city features.

Demographics

According to Statistics Canada, between 2006 and 2011, the population of Unionville increased gradually from 7,368 to 8,906 people. In the 2011 census, the GNR rate was recorded as 17.4%.

During this same time, the number of second-generation Canadian citizens in Unionville grew from 970 to 2,330. The number of first-generation Canadian citizens also increased, but not as much, rising from 4,955 to 6,225.

In 2006, 78% of Unionville residents had legal Canadian citizenship, while 22% did not. These numbers only included people who were 18 years old or older. By 2011, the percentage of residents with citizenship increased slightly to 79%.

Arts and culture

Unlike other communities in Markham, the area of Unionville itself does not have a community center. Crosby Memorial Arena, an indoor rink built in 1928, is the only major sports venue in the area. The arena is named after the Crosby family from Markham Village, who arrived in Markham in 1806 and became farmers, landowners, and storekeepers. Residents can drive to nearby community centers, including Angus Glen Community Centre, Markham Pan Am Centre, and Milliken Mills Community Centre.

The Unionville Festival was first organized in 1969 to raise awareness and funds to stop the provincial plan to rebuild Main Street as a four-lane road through the middle of the village, which would have destroyed it. Interest in history, sparked by the Canadian Centennial Year in 1967, encouraged longtime residents and new residents to take action. Local leaders then worked together to plan a new road route to the east of the historic town center. Today, the festival continues to allow visitors to experience crafts, small vendors, live music, and community groups. Most of the businesses from the mid-20th century no longer exist, having been replaced by restaurants and tourist shops.

The Unionville Business Improvement Area and its merchants organize and operate many free events throughout the year. The Merchants of Main Street Unionville BIA is a group of volunteers from local businesses who work to protect and promote the historical village of Unionville.

The Unionville BIA's Heritage Committee has helped volunteers research and create a self-guided walking tour. They also offer official walking tours of Main Street Unionville.

Unionville has many regular events throughout the year. Dates for these events can be found on the relevant websites. Examples include:

• Unionville Village Festival – first weekend of June
• Unionville Heritage Festival – Labour Day
• Olde Tyme Christmas Candlelight Parade – first Friday of December
• Olde Tyme Christmas Breakfast with Santa – morning after the Parade
• Canada Day – 1 July
• Markham Jazz Festival – August
• Thursday Nights at the Bandstand – all summer long
• Doors Open Markham – usually autumn
• Remembrance Day at the Cenotaph – 11 November

Stiver Mill hosts a small farmers’ market every Sunday from June to October (held indoors in the Mills until December) and has operated since 2009. The market was founded by Bob Stiver, a relative of the Stiver brothers.

The Stiver family has lived in Unionville and Markham since 1794 as part of a group of people who came to the area with William Berczy.

The market is located next to the historic Stiver Mill, a grain mill built in 1916 (including buildings moved from the Matthew Grain Company in Toronto) for Charles and Francis Stiver. The mill operated as Stiver Brothers until 1968 and sold grains, seeds, feed, cement, coal, and salt.

The site was acquired by the Town of Markham in 1993 and closed from 2013 to 2014 while the mill was restored.

Government

Unionville is located in several city wards and political ridings, depending on how it is defined:

• Ward 3; represented by Councilor Reid McAlpine
• Ward 4; represented by Councilor Karen Rea (as discussed earlier)
• Ward 6; represented by Councilor Amanda Yeung Collucci (as discussed earlier)
• Markham—Unionville; provincial electoral district, represented by Billy Pang (Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario)
• Markham—Unionville; federal electoral district, represented by Michael Ma (Liberal Party of Canada)

Infrastructure

• Highway 407 ETR
• York Region Transit: bus routes that travel along Highway 7 and 16th Avenue
• Viva: the Viva Purple route
• GO Train and Bus services at the Unionville GO Station
• Highway 7
• Toronto Transit Commission: bus routes 68 Warden, 43 Kennedy, and 17 Birchmount

Education

The York Region District School Board manages public schools, including:

• Unionville High School
• Markville Secondary School
• Bill Crothers Secondary School
• Unionville Public School
• William Berczy Public School
• Buttonville Public School
• Central Park Public School
• Coledale Public School
• Parkview Public School
• Unionville Meadows Public School

The York Catholic District School Board manages Catholic separate schools, including:

• St. Augustine Catholic High School
• All Saints Catholic Elementary School
• St. Matthew Catholic Elementary School
• John XXIII Catholic Elementary School
• St. Justin Martyr Catholic Elementary School

The Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir manages one French (first language) Catholic separate school:

• Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys French Catholic Elementary School

• Unionville Montessori Private School

A new library, the Markham Public Library (Unionville branch), was completed in 1984. It replaced the older Unionville Library, which was renamed the "Old Library Community Centre" and is now used for dance classes, meetings, and a church. The new library covers 1,300 square metres and is designed around a traditional village square, with eight "houses" of books represented on the exterior as postmodern Victorian dormers. The library contains about 100,000 books and audiovisual materials and was designed by architect Barton Myers.

Notable people

• Hayden Christensen, known for his role in Star Wars, attended Unionville High School.
• Emmanuelle Chriqui is an actress who appeared in the TV series Entourage and in the films On the Line, Snow Day, and In the Mix.
• Anna Russell was a singer and comedian. A street named Anna Russell Way honors her memory.
• Steven Stamkos is an ice hockey player for the Nashville Predators.
• Paul Poirier is a figure skater who competed in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
• Howie Lee is an ice hockey player who played for the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen. This team won the bronze medal for Canada in ice hockey at the 1956 Winter Olympics.
• Joe Bowen is a broadcaster for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
• James Duthie is a hockey analyst for TSN.
• Ken Pereira is a field hockey midfielder.
• Bob Beckett is a former ice hockey centre.
• Andrea Beck is an author born in Montreal. She is best known for writing the Elliot Moose book series.
• Donald Deacon was a deacon, businessman, and volunteer. He served as an MPP for York Centre and was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 2003.
• Marc Bendavid is an actor who works in film, television, and stage productions.
• Gillian Apps is a women’s ice hockey player. She is the granddaughter of Syl Apps, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the daughter of Syl Apps, Jr., a former National Hockey League player.