STOUFFVILLE

Community Profile

STOUFFVILLE

Community Profile

Is it Stouffville or Whitchurch-Stouffville?

First things first, is the name of the municipality "Whitchurch-Stouffville," or just "Stouffville"? The short answer is "Whitchurch-Stouffville."

The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville was created in 1971 when Whitchurch Township, the Community of Stouffville and a portion of the Township of Markham amalgamated.  Whitchurch Township originally extended to Yonge Street in the west and contained parts of Aurora and Newmarket.

Henceforth, geographically speaking, “The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville” became the name of the lower-tier town (or “municipality”) bounded by Davis Drive in the north, Highway 404 in the west, York-Durham Line in the east and approximately 200 metres north of 19th Avenue to the south.

"Stouffville," geographically speaking, is the primary urban area within Whitchurch-Stouffville. It has the largest population and land area of all the settlement areas in the Town. Stouffville is roughly located south of Bethesda Sideroad and east of Highway 48 in the southeast part of Whitchurch-Stouffville. It was designated a ‘Community’ when the amalgamation occurred.

In 2019, Town Council was asked, after extensive consultation with the public, if they would consider changing the name of the municipality to just "Stouffville."  The primary reason focused was on eliminating confusion amongst people from outside the municipality.

Council decided against changing the name.  However, they did allow formal adoption of using the name "Stouffville" to reference the entire municipality for marketing purposes.

Therefore, even though the official name of the municipality is Whitchurch-Stouffville, you may correctly refer to it as just Stouffville.

Nestled within the rolling hills of the Oak Ridges Moraine, is a community with everything. Close enough to one of Canada’s largest cities, yet far enough away to hear the call of the wild. Large enough to be home to over 26,000 people in the labour force, yet small enough to retain our neighborhoods and quiet way of life. Young enough to enjoy our high standards of education families deserve, yet comfortable enough to retire and relax in.

Every great community evolves over time. For us right now, we are families, we are young and we are growing.

At the end of 2021, the population was estimated to be 49,864. This marks a 8.8% increase in population since 2016. The median age is 40 years (1 year lower than Ontario’s average).

We have a very diverse population in Whitchurch-Stouffville, where close to 46% of our entire population belongs to a visible minority group. Our four largest groups, as defined by population, are South Asian, Chinese, Black and Filipino. Our municipality’s European history goes back over 200 years while the first evidence of a native residency can be found as far back as the 1500s. The founding of Whitchurch-Stouffville’s largest community, Stouffville, occurred in 1803 when Pennsylvanian Mennonite Abraham Stouffer settled on the shores of Duffin’s Creek, near present day Main Street and Market Street.

This long history shows in our population. Our deep Canadian heritage runs throughout the community, with over 31% of our population enjoying third generation status in Canada. Our ancestors, however, hailed from many parts of the globe. Over 20% of our residents have European ancestors, while 66% of people in Whitchurch-Stouffville have ancestors from Asia.

Those ancestral roots are also evident in our languages. An incredible 46% of residents have knowledge of more than one language, with over 80 languages spoken in Whitchurch-Stouffville. The top non-official languages spoken at home are Yue (Cantonese) and Mandarin.

51% of Whitchurch-Stouffville’s Indigenous population report a First Nations identity, followed by 38% Metis and 7% Inuit.

Over half of the population of Whitchurch-Stouffville over the age of 15 is currently married or in a common-law relationship. The average size of the 14,900 families in Town is 3.1 persons, which includes single-parent families. Therefore, over 90% of the people of our town are living within their family unit.

These families are enjoying our many family-oriented programs and attractions, including our theatre Nineteen on the Park, our Museum and the many recreation programs we offer for children and adults alike. Families swarm to our events like RibFest, Doors Open, Stouffville Holiday Market and the Strawberry Festival.

We have a very diverse local economy in our Town. Our strengths lie in hightech and knowledge-based industries, manufacturing, building and construction as well as agriculture and tourism sectors. We have a labourforce of over 26,000 people.

Being so close to other major urban areas is a huge asset for the town. Major transportation and communication routes run through our town directly connecting us to areas within York Region, the GTA and internationally. GO Transit and local York Region bus service provide constant and reliable transportation to/from and within the Town. We are a short 35 minute drive to the City of Toronto.

Of the over 23,000 residents currently employed 38% work from home, and 17% are self-employed. For those that commute to work, 30% live and work in Stouffville and 38% within York Region.

Whitchurch-Stouffville is becoming more urbanized, while retaining its rural roots – offering the best of both worlds. Owing to the area’s natural beauty and recreational assets, the Town has strong existing tourist attractions including the York Region Forest, Bruce’s Mill Conservation Area, and many spread across the Oak Ridges Moraine.

Bruce’s Mill Conservation Area attracts thousands during the spring and summer for the Maple Syrup Festival and one of the few Tree Top Trekking locations in Southern Ontario.

Most of our town is located within the Greenbelt, which includes the OakRidges Moraine. We are known for our beautiful setting, however industry-based activities such as agriculture and aggregate extraction help drive our economy forward. Golf courses, equestrian centers and wineries attract thousands every year to take in Whitchurch-Stouffville.

Whitchurch-Stouffville truly has everything. Country life, city life and everything in between. Not only for our residents, but for our businesses and our visitors.

Accessible formats available upon request. Contact 905-640-1900 or customer.service@townofws.ca for assistance.
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