King City is a small, affluent town in King Township, Ontario, Canada, located just north of Toronto. It is the largest community in King Township, with 2686 dwellings and a population of 7814 (Statistics Canada, 2001 Census; Industry Canada - Community Demographics - King City). [1]

Geography

Located at , King City is characterized by rolling hills and clustered temperate forests. Although few in number within the town proper itself, numerous kettle and larger lakes dot the area. Creeks and streams from this region are the origin source for the East Humber River (as are the streams from as far west as Bolton, Ontario and as far east as Stouffville, Ontario).

Situated on the central portion of the sensitive Oak Ridges Moraine watershed, numerous disputes about planning and development have occurred. Over the past decade, the central issue has been the controversial Big Pipe, a sewerage system connecting to the much larger Durham-York Sewage System (see Politics for further discussion).

Flourishing in the idyllic countryside setting are numerous stables and other farms, which is possible because the town occupies 147.938 km² of land area.

History

Originally a small settlement styled Springhill, King City has slowly grown as an amalgamation of hamlets. Laskay, Kinghorn, and Eversley each developed by taking advantage of the streams in the area to power saw and grist mills.

Politics

King City does not have its own municipal government; it is represented municipally on King Township council by two councillors, in Wards 1 and 5. Ward 1 covers King City east of Keele St, and includes the communities of Eversley, Ontario, Snowball, Ontario and Temperanceville, Ontario. Ward 5 includes the western part of King City to Highway 400.

The Township offices currently (March 2005) reside at the King City Plaza, though a more appropriate permanent location is being investigated.

The provincial riding of Vaughan-King-Aurora is currently represented by Greg Sorbara, a member of the Ontario Liberal Party. [2] Before 1999, King City was in the riding of York-MacKenzie .

The federal riding of Oak Ridges-Markham is currently represented by Lui Temelkovski, a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. This riding was created for the 2004 election because of rapid growth in York Region. [3] Before 2004, King City was in the riding of Vaughan-King-Aurora.

The Big Pipe

King City has historically been served by septic systems, which proponents of the Big Pipe view as unhygeinic and unsafe. Various studies have been commissioned to study the town's septic systems, but no clear conclusion was reached. These studies were funded by King Township, York Region, or several interested environmental groups, especially those involved with protecting the Oak Ridges Moraine.

In previous elections, wards covering King City have voted to elect councillors against the Big Pipe project. Results for the rest of King Township were mixed. The most recent township election in 2003 elected a council favourable to the Big Pipe.

In 2001, York Region wrested control of King Township's sewage collection system. The Township's council at the time opposed the Big Pipe link, and brought the issue to court. Control of the system was returned to King Township after the 2003 municipal elections, which resulted in a pro-Pipe council, so that the township could request grants for the project from provincial and federal sources.

Proponents of the link cite health concerns about the aging septic systems in the town, and the ocassional spill, as reasons to link to the Durham-York system. Opponents instead claim that the health issues of the current septic systems have been embellished, and that the new link will result in poorly controlled growth in the community, and hence urban sprawl.

The Big Pipe project (King City Sanitary Servicing Project) began construction in early 2005, jointly funded by King Township and York Region. It is expected that federal or provincial funds will also be provided for this project. However, homeowners will have to make the required connection to the system at their own expense. The primary trunk is due for completion in the summer of 2005; residential and business connections to the system will occur starting in late 2005.

Traffic

Through traffic on King Road has become a concern in the past decade, as the number of heavy vehicles has increased significantly. Notably, dump trucks serving new subdivision construction sites in nearby Oak Ridges use King Road to reach Highway 400. Delivery trucks destined for Aurora and Richmond Hill also make use of King Road as a bypass.

Also, the Township borders on Peel Region, which has promoted the extension of Highway 427 from its current terminus at Highway 7 north to the Bradford Bypass. This extension would border the Township, raising concerns about noise pollution in the rural area.

Demographics

(Note: Statistics used are for King Township; data for King City proper is unavailable)

Originally settled by United Empire Loyalists in the late 1700s, King City is now influenced by the significant immigration and diversification resultant from its proximity to Toronto.

King Township's population grew by 1.7% between 1996 and 2001, most new residents settling in the communities of King City, Nobleton or Schomberg. The population density is 55.6 people per square kilometre; however, the Township is characterized by areas of extremely low density farming communities and the much higher density of its three major municipalities.

The median age of residents is 39.4; 30% of the population over 15 years of age is still single. Foreign-born residents accounted for 20% of the population. Only 3% of residents identify themselves as visible minorities. [4]

Of residents 15 years of age or older, 28% have a university certificate, diploma or degree. Another 18% have a college certificate or diploma, and 10% have a trade certificate or diploma. However, there is variability between age groups, as younger people are increasingly participating in higher levels of education.

Work

Nearly 15% of all employed residents work from home. Almost 3% walk or bike to work sites within the community; 5% use public transit, and 75% drive or are passangers in private vehicles, to reach work destinations within the Greater Toronto Area.

The participation rate in the work force is 72.4%, with a 3.6% unemployment rate. The largest industries are:

• Construction and Manufacturing: 24%
• Business services: 23%
• Wholesale and Retail Trade: 17%
• Health and Education: 12%
• Finance and Real Estate: 8%

The median income for two-parent families is $90,364. For single-parent families, the median income is $43,673. The average value of a dwelling in King City is $386,416.

Lifestyle and Culture

Culture

This section is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by The Forest Rangers (1963) had some scenes filmed at Mary Lake Shrine.