About the town » Unionville, Ontario, Canada

Unionville is a suburban village in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is located 33 km northeast of downtown Toronto and 4 km east of southern Richmond Hill. The exact boundaries of Unionville are a matter of some debate, as it is not a municipal entity, and has had an interesting and chequered history. The Wards comprising Markham have well-defined boundaries, and it is felt by many that the term Unionville should only be used to refer to dwellings within Ward 3 of Markham. However, Unionville originally was founded north of 16th in 1794, and many of the farms on and around Woodbine Ave. on its western edge considered themselves part of Unionville. The Unionville Ratepayers Association designated a relatively new road, Rodick Road, as its western boundary, when it was founded in the 1980s. Main Street, which was Kennedy Road in the mid-to-late 20th century, runs through Unionville while the new Kennedy runs 300 m to the east. The population of Unionville is presently about 30,000. Unionville is composed of many neighbourhoods including the historic centre of Unionville, South Unionville, Angus Glen, Cachet and Berczy Village. Unionville is said to be one of the most affluent areas in the Greater Toronto Area with an average household income of $127,900. Rouge River runs north of the central part of Unionville and to the southeast. The highway is to the west, the nearest interchange with the Highway 407 is 2 km south on Kennedy Rd. The population lives in almost all parts of Unionville except for the south central industrialized area, which is now slated for massive intensification, under the name "Markham Centre". The railway line which links the area to Toronto via GO Transit Service actually ran to Coboconk (67 miles NE) in 1872, with a 27-mile branch line from Whitchurch-Stouffville to Jackson's Point. It now only runs to Whitchurch-Stouffville. GO Transit took over passenger operations in 1982. Tourism is a major part of Unionville's economy. The historic village or downtown section of Unionville is typical of a small town that developed over a century or so starting in the early 1840s (when Ira White erected his Union Mills) through the middle to late 20th century. The historic Main Street Unionville attracts thousands of visitors each year — as of 2006 it boasted 9 restaurants, including 3 pubs. Main Street (originally the laneway from the village's first grist mill) also has a number of "century homes" dating back to the 19th century. Each year, thousands visit Unionville during the Unionville Festival. The main street has been used as a stand-in for fictional Connecticut town Stars Hollow during the first season of Gilmore Girls television show, as well as other television and movie backdrops. Most of the historic buildings in Unionville are included in List of historic buildings in Markham, Ontario.