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Oakville (2006 population 165,613[1]) is a town on Lake Ontario in southern Ontario, Canada, midway between Toronto (about 31 km or 19 mi away) on its eastern border and Hamilton (about 20 km or 12 mi away) from its western border. Oakville is part of the Greater Toronto Area metropolitan community.
HistoryIn 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road. In 1805, the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada bought the lands between Etobicoke and Hamilton from the Mississaugas, except for the land at the mouths of Twelve Mile Creek (Bronte Creek), Sixteen Mile Creek, and along the Credit River. In 1807, British immigrants settled the area surrounding Dundas Street as well as on the shore of Lake Ontario.
Oakville's first industries included ship-building, timber shipment, and wheat farming. In the 1850s, there was an economic recession and the foundry, the most important industry in town, was closed. Basket-making became a major industry in the town, and the Grand Trunk Railway was built through it. The town eventually became industrialized with the opening of British Petroleum Canada (later Petro Canada) and Shell Canada (later closed) refineries, the Procor factory, and, most importantly, the Ford Motor Company's Canadian headquarters and plant, all in close proximinty to the Canadian National Railway and the QEW/403. In 1962 the town of Oakville merged with its neighbouring villages (Bronte, Palermo, Sheridan, and the remainder of Trafalgar Township) to become the new Town of Oakville, reaching northwards to Steeles Avenue in Milton. In 1973, the restucturing of Halton County into Halton Region brought the northern border southwards to just north of Highway 407 Divisions
Demographics
According to the 2006 Canadian Census Oakville had 165,613 residents. This represents a 14.4% increase since the 2001 Census. Based on 2001 Canadian census data[2][3] Oakville is home to a number of ethnic groups. Due to its proximity to Toronto, the city is growing more diverse. Visible minority groups (non-white population) consists of Asian (chiefly East Indian) 4.3%, Chinese 2.2%, and Black 1.9%. A growing mixed race population totals 1.4%. 79.4% of residents stated their religion as Christian, almost evenly split amongst Roman Catholics and Protestants including Anglicans. Non-Christian religions include Muslim: 2.0%, Hindu: 1.3%, Sikh: 1.1%, and Jewish: 0.7%. 14% indicated no religion. Oakville was younger than Canada in terms of age in the 2001 Census. Some 21.7% of the population consisted of children (ages 0 - 14), while those over 65 number 10.8%, resulting in a growth rate of 12.7% in the 5 years before 2001, and a median age of 36.4 years of age. The median household income was $ 83,982 with an average house value of $306,209. SportsOakville has a long history of sporting, especially in ice hockey. They have had their very own professional women's hockey team since 2003, a Tier II Junior "A" franchise since 1966, and a "AAA" hockey system. The town also has a Junior "B" lacrosse team who recently won the Founders Cup in 2006. Oakville's soccer club is also the largest in Canada.[4]
Glen Abbey Golf Course, site of several Canadian Open professional golf championships and many other amateur tournaments, is also located in Oakville. EducationElementary schools and high schools in Oakville are a mix of private and public schools, with one of the highest ratios of private schools to student population in the country.[citation needed] Oakville is covered by the Halton District School Board, Halton Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest, and Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud Oakville is home to Sheridan College, a renowned animation and business studies institute, and Oakville's only higher education facility. GovernmentMunicipalAt the municipal level, the governing body is the Oakville Town Council consisting of a mayor (currently Rob Burton) and twelve councillors. The town is divided into six wards, with two councillors elected to represent each ward. Within each ward, the Town Councillor represents the ward solely on Oakville Town Council. The Town/Regional Councillor is a member of the 21-member governing council of the Regional Municipality of Halton, in addition to being a member of the 13-member Town Council. ProvincialOakville is divided into two provincial ridings which use the same boundaries as the federal ridings and is currently represented provincially by: FederalOakville is divided into two federal ridings which use the same boundaries as the provincial ridings and is currently represented federally by:
Local attractionsIn close proximity to the crossing of Third Line and Dundas Street West is a sixteen acre park owned by the Ukrainian Taras H. Shevchenko Museum and Memorial Park Foundation with the poet's statue in the center.[5] Over the years, this site has been vandalized, including an arson fire that destroyed the Museum in 1998. Near the end of 2006, the statue was stolen, probably to be melted and bronze to be sold for scrap.[6] On January 2, 2007, Halton Regional Police recovered the statue's head.[7]
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