Keswick, Ontario

For other uses, see Keswick (disambiguation).
Keswick
Unincorporated community

Keswick Beach
Keswick
Coordinates: 44°14′37″N 79°28′33″W / 44.24361°N 79.47583°W / 44.24361; -79.47583
Country Canada
Province Ontario
Regional municipality York
Town Georgina
Area
  Land 20.03 km2 (7.73 sq mi)
Population (2011)
  Total 25,527
  Density 1,274.5/km2 (3,301/sq mi)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
  Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Forward sortation area L4P
Area code(s) 905 and 289
NTS Map 031D03
GNBC Code FEEFR

Keswick is a community located in south central Canadian province of Ontario. Situated north of Toronto on Cook's Bay (part of Lake Simcoe), Keswick is part of the Town of Georgina. In the Canada 2011 Census, the municipal population of Keswick was 25,527.

History

Keswick was originally known as Medina.[1] It was a part of the Township of North Gwillimbury before becoming part of the Township of Georgina. The area was formerly considered part of "cottage country" for those who lived in Toronto up until the late 1980s, when major development further opened up access to Keswick, expanding its population.

Geography

Included in Keswick is the Keswick Marsh, part of the Holland Marsh.[2] Having been built mainly as a cottage community, Keswick is fairly long north to south as it hugs the shore of Lake Simcoe.

Demographics

Keswick's population was 25,527 in 2011.[3] Specific demographics for Keswick are not available, since it is counted as part of Georgina.[4]

Economy

The town boasts a number of shopping areas and attractions along the lakeshore and nearby agricultural areas. The majority of residents commute south to Newmarket or Toronto to work as there are no major employers in Keswick. The majority of businesses in Keswick are retail in nature, the largest is Wal-Mart which opened in 2010.

Arts and culture

The Stephen Leacock Theatre, opened in 1985, presents performances ranging from musicals and plays to orchestras and band performances.[5]

Music in the Streets is a music festival, hosted by Connors Music, a local music store, celebrating talent from around Georgina.[8]

Attractions

The Georgina Military Museum is located at the north end of Keswick.[9] Whipper Watson Park, covering almost nine acres, was upgraded in 2010.[10] The town has become a popular destination in Ontario for swimming, boating, ice fishing, and snowmobiling.

Sports

Keswick houses the Georgina Ice Palace where the Georgina Blaze hockey team, Georgina Girls Hockey Association and Georgina Skating Club are headquartered. The Georgina Ice Palace is a combination library/skating rink with a skate park outside. The two ice pads can seat almost 1,500 people between them.[11]

Infrastructure

In 2014, Highway 404 had been extended to meet Keswick at the south end, at Ravenshoe Road and Woodbine Ave.

Education

Public elementary and secondary education in Keswick is overseen by York Region's two school boards: the York Region District School Board (YRDSB), and the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB).

The YRDSB operates one secondary school in Keswick: Keswick High School, in addition to eight elementary schools: Deer Park P. S., Fairwood P. S., Jersey P. S., Keswick P. S., Lake Simcoe P. S., Lakeside P. S., R. L. Graham P. S., and W. J. Watson P. S.[12]

The YCDSB operates one secondary school in Keswick: Our Lady of the Lake Catholic College School, in addition to two elementary schools: Prince of Peace and St. Thomas Aquinas.[13]

Media

Local papers include the Georgina Post,[14] and the Georgina Advocate.[15]

Notable people

References

Coordinates: 44°14′37″N 79°28′33″W / 44.24361°N 79.47583°W / 44.24361; -79.47583

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/28/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.