Uxbridge is a gorgeous, suburban community in the north-western quadrant of Durham Region. The very first settlers were Quakers from the Catawissa area of Pennsylvania, who started arriving around 1806. The Uxbridge Friends Meeting House was built by the Quakers in 1820 and still stands on Quaker Hill, overlooking the town. Across the road from the Meeting House is a cemetery dating from that era and containing the graves of many of the first settlers.
The township was incorporated in 1850 as a municipality. The Toronto and Nipissing Railway, the first passenger-carrying narrow-gauge railway in North America, came to town in 1871 and made its headquarters there for over a decade.
Population in 2016 was listed at 21,176 for Uxbridge Township with about half of that number located within the Municipality. Though the Township remains primarily agricultural, many residents commute to Toronto, neighbouring York Region or other parts of Durham Region for work. Like neighbouring Port Perry, the town maintains its own 30-bed hospital which is associated with the much larger and more modern Markham Stouffville Hospital to the west.
According to the latest census, English was the mother-tongue for almost 92% of the population with French, German and Italian making up another 3.5% of the population. The surrounding countryside is beautiful and it is said the early settlers stopped there because it resembled the area they had left in Pennsylvania.
Uxbridge Township received federal designation by Industry Canada as the “Trail Capital of Canada” in 2009. There are over 220 kilometers of managed trails spanning 8,000+ acres of protected greenspace within its borders. Major trails include the Oak Ridges Trail and the Trans-Canada Trail along with the many mountain biking trails through Durham Forest.
Uxbridge is rich in agricultural heritage with many events and festivals throughout the year to celebrate its rural roots. Festivities include Art in the Park, the Uxbridge Fall Fair since 1886, the Uxbridge Studio Tour & Sale providing an opportunity to meet with local artists right in their studios, the annual Heritage Christmas Craft Show, the Uxbridge Ribfest, the York Durham Heritage Railway which operates between Stouffville and Uxbridge, theatrical and musical productions at the Music Hall, the infamous Roxy Theatre, The Highlands of Durham Games, the home of Lucy Maud Montgomery, famed author of Anne of Green Gables and more.
While homes can be pricey, quality of life is excellent and the countryside is beautiful! Whether you work nearby or
commute to the City, Uxbridge is a wonderful place to live! Would you like a tour? Give us a call at 905-728-1600!
Check out HoodQ for info on Schools, Parks, transit and more..
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