Thornhill Woods is one of many new suburban developments springing up north of the established Thornhill-Vaughan suburbs. It is defined as the area bordered by Highway 7, Bathurst St., Dufferin Rd. and Major Mackenzie Dr.
The south part of Thornhill Woods is filled with new homes, from townhouses to detached double-garage homes. The north part is still under development.
History
Thornhill Woods is one of many new suburban developments springing up north of the established Thornhill-Vaughan suburbs. It is defined as the area bordered by Highway 7, Bathurst Street, Dufferin Road and Major Mackenzie Drive. Since its establishment, the area has been experiencing immense growth and lots of changes.
Thornhill Woods is primarily home to young married couples and families, forming its reputation as a family community. The south part of the subdivision (below Rutherford Road) is filled with new homes, from clusters of townhouses to areas with detached double-garage homes. As of June 2007, there are no apartment buildings in Thornhill Woods; however, plans for their construction have been approved.
According to Monica Auerbach, Jewish Family & Child, Director of York Region Services, "Generally a couple will move from a rental apartment in Toronto to owning a small townhouse in Thornhill Woods, and then move to a bigger detached home also in the area. In this sense, Thornhill Woods is very transitional."
For the most part,
families who have purchased homes in Thornhill Woods have done so because they can afford a brand new house for an acceptable price. However, prices are rising. Demographics
In the past five years Thornhill Woods has grown tremendously. In the 2001 census the population was 6,190, a number which almost tripled by 2006, reaching 16,100. The number of private dwellings has followed suit, increasing from just fewer than 2,000 in 2001 to over 5,000 in 2006. City of Vaughan development planners indicate that construction below Rutherford Road is nearly completed; however, plans have been approved to develop the area above Rutherford Road for residential and commercial uses.
This growth is largely due to trends in the Jewish population, which seems to slowly move further north on Bathurst. Anecdotal evidence suggests that somewhere between 60 and 70 percent of the population in Thornhill Woods is Jewish, although statistics will be unable to confirm this until the 2011 census.
Auerback noticed that "There is significant diversity, both of culture and language, as new immigrants continue to move to Thornhill Woods." The Jewish background in the area is also very mixed, representing different groups including Russian, Sephardic, Israeli and South African Jews.
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According to Thornhill Woods resident Jack Zarek, there is "a large concentration of [young] Jewish families" in the area who have moved into their first or second homes. Most of these families have small children and so it is common for a child to have other Jewish friends living on his or her street.
"Thornhill Woods is one of the fastest growing Jewish communities in the world," says Bryan Keshen, Executive Director, Schwartz/Reisman Centre.
Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Jewish Community Campus
UJA Federation has pinpointed Thornhill Woods as an area with tremendous potential for further Jewish growth. UJA Federation's Tomorrow Campaign has already begun construction of the Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Jewish Community Campus. The community campus is being built on 50 acres (over 200,000 square meters) of land in the north part of Thornhill Woods just above Rutherford Road. The first element of the complex, the TanenbaumCHAT-Kimel Family Education Centre opened its doors in September 2007. Plans are in place for the Schwartz/Reisman Centre, a 67,000 square foot facility housing a sports and recreation pavilion, early childhood education centre and a creative arts centre.
Real Estate
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