YORK REGION – With the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre already growing quickly, and the TTC’s much-anticipated York-Spadina Subway Extension set to open next year, the City of Vaughan is without a doubt one of the GTA’s most exciting municipalities when it comes to development.
Within York Region, Vaughan also holds a special distinction: in 1991, it became the first of the Region’s communities to be incorporated into a full-fledged city. (Markham would eventually follow their lead, but not until many years later, making the change in 2012.)
After a quarter-century of impressive growth – the city’s current population of 320,000 is also among Greater Toronto’s most culturally diverse – residents of Vaughan have already begun to celebrate their first major milestone as a city.
“Throughout the past 25 years, Vaughan has experienced significant transformational change,” explained Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua in a special statement to mark the anniversary.
“With major city-building initiatives underway, including the Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension, we are turning our dreams into reality.”
While the 25th anniversary theme has been incorporated into this year’s editions of popular events like the Vaughan Pizzafest, the city’s official celebration will take place on October 25 at the Riviera Parque Dining, Banquet and Convention Centre. Kicking off at 6:00 PM, the evening will feature refreshments and is open to all Vaughan residents, who can get more details by checking out the official event page.
Vaughan History at a Glance
Although Vaughan’s official status as a city goes back just 25 years, its history as a community dates back to the mid-19th century:
- 1850: Just one year after the passing of the Robert Baldwin Act (which allowed townships to become corporate entities), Vaughan becomes a township — creating positions for five councilors, a reeve, and a deputy reeve.
- 1882: The hamlet of Woodbridge became its own village, developing a municipal government independent from that of the Township of Vaughan.
- 1971: Nearly a century later, the Township of Vaughan once again re-incorporated the Village of Woodbridge, and changed its name to the Town of Vaughan.
- 1991: On January 1, Vaughan is designated a City.
Maple, another of Vaughan’s largest suburbs, also has its own distinct history that you can read about here.
Photo via Raysonho (Wikimedia Commons).
