Pickering, Ontario

Pickering is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, with a population of 99,186 people. It is located just east of Toronto in the Durham Region and is named after a town called Pickering in North Yorkshire.

The area was first settled by British colonists in the 1770s. After the American Revolutionary War, more people moved there when the government helped Loyalists and encouraged new immigrants to come.

Pickering has many small rural communities that have been kept as important historic sites and museums. The city is also home to the Pickering Casino Resort, a very large casino complex worth many billions of dollars.

History

The area now known as Pickering has been home to people for thousands of years. In the 15th century, the Wyandot, also called the Huron by Europeans, lived here. They spoke an Iroquoian language and later moved northwest to Georgian Bay.

1802 map of the Pickering Township

In 1669, a French Jesuit missionary named François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon visited a village on the shores of Frenchman's Bay. After the British took control of Canada in 1763, settlers began moving into the area. Pickering was established as a township in 1792 and was named after a town in Yorkshire, England.

In the early 1800s, trails were turned into roads, helping more people settle in the area. Small communities grew along streams and creeks. By the mid-1800s, Pickering was part of Ontario County. In the late 1800s, falling wheat prices caused many people to leave the area.

In the 20th century, new communities appeared, and after World War II, urbanization began. In 1974, Pickering became a town, and later, in 2000, it became a city. Today, Pickering continues to grow with new developments.

Cityscape

Aerial view of Pickering, Ontario in 2023

Geography

Pickering is a city that covers 231 square kilometres and sits 89 metres above sea level. It is located east of Toronto, with Markham and Rouge Park to its west, Ajax and Whitby to its east, Uxbridge to its north, and Lake Ontario to its south.

The southern part of Pickering is mostly suburban, with many homes built after World War II. Some older communities like Dunbarton and Rouge Hill are still there. The northern part of the city is mainly rural and used for farming, but there are also new homes being built there. Small communities such as Claremont, Brougham, and Whitevale are found in this area. The city has many neighbourhoods, including South Urban Pickering, Seaton Urban Area, and Rural Pickering.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population led by Statistics Canada, Pickering had a population of 99,186 people living in 33,425 homes out of 34,327 total homes. This was an increase of 8.1% from the 2016 population of 91,771. With a land area of 231.1 km² (89.2 sq mi), the population density was 429.2 people per km² (1,111.6 per sq mi) in 2021.

The city estimates that by 2031, Pickering will have about 131,608 residents. In 2021, 16.5% of the people were younger than 15 years old, and 16.6% were 65 years or older. The median age was 40.8 years. Immigrants made up 36.3% of the population. The most common places people came from were India (11.2%), Sri Lanka (8.2%), Pakistan (7.9%), the Philippines (7.5%), Jamaica (7.2%), the United Kingdom (7.0%), Guyana (6.6%), Trinidad and Tobago (3.7%), China (2.7%), Bangladesh (2.5%), Afghanistan (2.4%), and the United States (1.7%).

The median household income in Pickering in 2020 was $118,000.

Ethnicity

As per the 2021 census, the most common ethnic origins in Pickering were English (14.0%), Irish (11.5%), Scottish (11.0%), Canadian (10.6%), Indian (9.6%), Italian (5.6%), German (5.0%), Jamaican (4.3%), Filipino (4.3%), Chinese (3.9%), British Isles (3.6%), Pakistani (3.5%), Sri Lankan (3.3%), and French (3.3%). Indigenous people made up 1.1% of the population, mostly First Nations (0.5%) and Métis (0.5%).

Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.

Religion

In 2021, 53.7% of the population identified as Christian, with Catholics (25.7%) being the largest group, followed by Anglican (3.9%), Orthodox (3.8%), United Church (3.0%), and other Christian groups. 23.2% of the population reported having no religious affiliation. Others identified as Muslim (12.6%), Hindu (8.3%), Sikh (0.8%), Buddhist (0.5%), and with other religions.

Language

The 2021 census found English to be the mother tongue of 69.2% of the population. Other common languages included Urdu (3.1%), Tamil (3.0%), Tagalog (1.8%), Arabic (1.2%), Spanish (1.1%), French (1.1%), Italian (1.0%), Gujarati (1.0%), Dari (0.9%), Mandarin (0.8%), and Cantonese (0.8%). Of the official languages, 98.6% of the population reported knowing English and 7.3% knew French.

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1813	180	—
1981	37,754	+20874.4%
1991	68,831	+82.3%
1996	78,989	+14.8%
2001	87,139	+10.3%
2006	87,838	+0.8%
2011	88,721	+1.0%
2016	91,771	+3.4%
2021	99,186	+8.1%

Panethnic groups in the City of Pickering (2001−2021)
Panethnic group	2021		2016		2011		2006		2001
Panethnic group	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
European	46,395	47.06%	50,875	55.91%	55,940	63.63%	60,075	68.77%	63,340	73.07%
South Asian	20,890	21.19%	13,820	15.19%	9,690	11.02%	7,940	9.09%	6,075	7.01%
African	11,275	11.44%	9,810	10.78%	10,050	11.43%	8,845	10.12%	8,070	9.31%
Southeast Asian	5,585	5.67%	3,810	4.19%	3,535	4.02%	3,025	3.46%	2,045	2.36%
Middle Eastern	3,700	3.75%	3,100	3.41%	1,665	1.89%	1,410	1.61%	1,010	1.17%
East Asian	3,690	3.74%	3,060	3.36%	2,565	2.92%	2,485	2.84%	2,475	2.86%
Latin American	1,500	1.52%	1,135	1.25%	785	0.89%	655	0.75%	660	0.76%
Indigenous	1,065	1.08%	1,070	1.18%	850	0.97%	600	0.69%	435	0.5%
Other	5,405	5.48%	4,315	4.74%	2,845	3.24%	2,315	2.65%	2,580	2.98%
Total responses	98,585	99.39%	90,995	99.15%	87,920	99.1%	87,360	99.46%	86,685	99.48%
Total population	99,186	100%	91,771	100%	88,721	100%	87,838	100%	87,139	100%

Economy

Pickering is home to the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, a large power plant with eight reactors. The first part of this plant, called Pickering A, opened in 1971 with four reactors. A wind-powered turbine was added in 2001. The plant is expected to begin shutting down in 2024.

The city also has many manufacturers. Some big companies there make audio equipment, medicines, electrical tools, stereo equipment, and water purification systems.

Pickering is part of a group called the Durham Strategic Energy Alliance, which includes many local businesses working together. The city has many jobs, more than any other town in the Durham Region, with over 29,000 positions. Plans are in place to create even more jobs in the next twenty years.

There are also plans for new buildings and homes around the Pickering train station and town center. A new mall and a pedestrian bridge over a major highway have already been built. Other projects, like a water park and a hotel, are also planned.

Government

Pickering City Hall Clock Tower

Pickering's city council includes a mayor, three regional councillors, and three city councillors. The mayor and regional councillors also represent the city at Durham Regional Council, while city councillors only serve on the city council. The city is split into three areas, called wards, and each ward elects one city councillor and one regional councillor.

The current mayor is Kevin Ashe, who has been in office since 2022.

Transportation

Transit service started in Pickering with the Bay Shores dial-a-bus in the early 1970s. In 2001, Pickering Transit joined with Ajax Transit to create the Ajax-Pickering Transit Authority. By 2006, the regional transit system, Durham Region Transit, took over all operations.

Highway 401 in Pickering

The Pickering GO station provides train service across the city. In 2012, a new bridge opened, linking the station to the downtown area. Roads and highways, including Highway 401 and Highway 407, connect Pickering to nearby places. There were once plans for a major airport in Pickering, but these were stopped long ago, and the land is now being transferred to Rouge National Urban Park.

Infrastructure

Further information: Duffin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant

Emergency services

Pickering has its own police force called the Durham Regional Police. They work from an office in the eastern part of the city and also help keep nearby Ajax safe. The city has four fire stations, all staffed by full-time firefighters who are ready to help any time of day. Emergency medical services for Pickering are provided by Durham Region.

Education

Pickering has many schools run by different school boards. The Durham District School Board and the Durham Catholic District School Board have several elementary and secondary schools, including Dunbarton High School, Pine Ridge Secondary School, and Saint Mary Catholic Secondary School. There are also French schools, like École Ronald-Marion, for both elementary and secondary students.

There are private schools in Pickering too, such as Blaisdale Montessori School and Montessori Learning Centre, which serve children from preschool to grade 8. In 2012, a college learning site opened, offering special programs for older students.

Notable people

Pickering, Ontario has been home to many famous people. Some of them are Andy Andreoff, a professional hockey player, and Shawn Mendes, a well-known singer and songwriter. Others include Ernie Coombs, loved by many as the children's entertainer Mr. Dressup, and Neil Young, a famous rock musician who lived in Pickering when he was young. The city has also seen athletes like Shelley-Ann Brown, an Olympic silver medalist, and Perdita Felicien, an Olympic track and field athlete, as well as many talented artists, actors, and sports figures.

Culture

The City of Pickering has many artworks and special places for people to enjoy. One artist, Geordie Lishman, made some very special sculptures. In Esplanade Park, you can find the Spirit of Pickering, which has four parts you can play with. These parts make chimes and sounds when you move them.

There is also a giant guitar sculpture called Gordon's Guitar in Ernie Stroud Park. It is a tribute to the famous musician Gordon Lightfoot and is very tall, with twelve strings.

Pickering also has other interesting sights like a tall spinning mast and a large “P” sign for people entering the city.

The city has special places to learn about history, like the Pickering Museum Village, where old buildings from long ago are kept and shown. The Pickering Public Library is a place where people can read books and learn new things.

Every year, Pickering holds fun events such as Artfest Pickering, where many artists show their work, and the Pickering Dragon Boat Festival, where people race dragon boats on the water.

In popular culture

Film

Pickering has been a popular place for making movies and TV shows. In 1957, a famous TV show called Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans was filmed there. Many other movies, like The Black Stallion and The Dead Zone, also used farms and villages in Pickering as their settings. Even well-known actors such as Mark Wahlberg and Sophia Loren have filmed scenes in this area.

TV

Some television shows have also chosen Pickering for their filming locations. For example, a TV version of Jack Reacher was partly made in the northern part of the city.