BEYOND THE CITY: PICKERING IN THE 1960s

In the 1960s, the federal government began developing plans to build a second international airport that would serve Toronto and the Golden Horseshoe. A tract of land, called the Pickering Airport Lands, was expropriated in 1972-1973, but the much-debated project was halted when the provincial government declined to build the necessary roads or sewers to service the site. Since that time, these lands have been preserved by the federal government for the “option” of building an airport. In 2015, more than half of this land (both farmland and natural habitat) was added to the Rouge National Urban Park, while much of the rest is still available for development.

But these lands have a much longer history. When the British took over Canada in 1763, British colonial settlers moved into the area and named it after Pickering in North Yorkshire, England. In the late 1700s, the township consisted of several hamlets, including lands that are now part of Scarborough, Ajax and Whitby. In the 1870s, a lighthouse, wharf and grain elevator were built at Frenchman’s Bay, attracting farmers into the area.

It was after the Second World War that Pickering started to grow, with major housing developments and subdivisions built in the 1960s to support families that wanted a more affordable lifestyle than what was available in Toronto. While the federal government started planning for an airport, Ontario Hydro began construction on the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station in the 1960s, beginning commercial operations in 1971. The station is still a part of Pickering’s identity, today employing about 3,000 people. Over the years, several modifications have taken place to the town lines, and Pickering Village (part of the original township) became part of Ajax. Pickering’s first mayor was George Ashe.

In 2000, Pickering officially became a city, as population growth in Toronto resulted in growing demand for more affordable suburban housing. Pickering is expected to grow from 94,000 to 190,000 residents. Today, the southern part of Pickering remains largely suburban, with industrial areas situated around the nuclear station. The northern part of Pickering retains its rural roots and is still used for farming in communities such as Claremont, Brougham and Whitevale. There are more than a dozen urban growth centres across the GTA, two of which are in the Durham Region — Oshawa and Pickering. The latter is also planning a downtown intensification program, which includes new condominium developments around the Pickering GO station and Pickering Town Centre, as part of a commitment for more downtown density and economic development opportunities.