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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1929Duotang bound book, 20 pages, regarding the economic development of Pickering from 1825 to 1988. "YEAR ONE PROJECT TOPIC NO.3 How has the relative importance of primary, secondary, tertiary and new growth activities changed in recent years in your community (or region or province) and what sort of problems or opportunities do you think these changes bring for economic development. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO APRIL 1988 JOAN A. ALFREY CO-ORDINATOR OF ECONOMIC DVMENT: TOWN OF PICKERING, 1710 KINGSTON ROAD, PICKERING, ONT. L1V 1C7 Acknowledgements: ""Pickering's Heritage"" .... from The Pickering Story by Wm. McKay ""Pickering District Plan"" .... from the background studies carried out by the Pickering Planning Department. " "The earliest indication of ""Economic Development"" in Pickering dates back to 1825, when the population of Pickering was made up of approximately 800 people. Trades people such as carpenters and millwrights began to settle in ""The Township of Pickering"" (as it was then known). With the arrival of skilled workers through immigration better construction techniques became available meaning that it was possible to earn a living from traded industrialized skills rather than from trapping and hunting. Just as a point of interest at that time a new log house could be built for you at a cost of $70. However, moving people and goods was difficult. Road construction was still immature and horses were apparently very expensive. Because of the excellent natural harbours at both Frenchman's Bay and the Rouge River, shipping activities developed and passage north was made possible up Duffin's Creek for small craft (although only up as far as Kingston Road which is also now known as Highway #2). A natural resource that was abundantly available was timber and also by 1825 three saw mills were in full operation in Pickering; the volume of first class lumber being produced from these mills resulted in a ""Schooner"" ship building industry developing at the mouth of the Rouge River. The ships that were built there were used to carry passengers and cargo to and from Oswego and York and the United States. " "By 1835 the number of settlers had increased to 2,645, and most of these people came from Scotland, Ireland, England and the United States. These people started to settle further north of Frenchman's Bay and formed hamlets and villages that are to this day known as Thompson's Corners, Whitevale, Brougham, Greenwood, Green River, Claremont and Altona. By 1841 the population had reached 3,752. At Frenchman's Bay shipping became increasingly important and in 1845 three million feet of lumber was being exported, in addition to passengers and/or supplies such as potash, grain, flour, salt, lime and other luxury goods that had been ordered by settlers. By 1850 Pickering had become a county. A census report in 1850 reported a population of 6,074 people, made up of farmers, teachers, store keepers, brewers, preachers, inkeepers, lawyers, shipwrights, millers and various trades people. It is also interesting to note that by 1851 over 50% of the Township of Pickering had been cleared of trees and was under cultivation with the assualt excellerating every year. Between 1855 to 1860 a new Grand Trunk Railway Line had opened along with a new modern elementary school and this brought a new era of growth and prosperity to Pickering. However, the impact of the construction of the railway and the invention of the steam ship would ultimately have a devasting affect on the ""Schooner"" shipping industry. " "Also at approximately this time the American Civil War created a need for supplies including grain, and the various mills here in Pickering were kept humming as farmers planted more wheat in an attempt to meet the need. By the end of the war industrialization had increased in other areas and the Schooners built at Frenchman's Bay were no longer a serious threat to the steam ship industry. The other two factors which brought about a decline to the area were the increasing competition for transporting of goods by railway and the decline in the availability of Pickering's lumber supply. As of 1875 Frenchman's Bay Harbour was almost redundant, so the Township Council gave grants totalling $13,000 to the Frenchman's Bay Harbour Company, over a two year period, for improvements to their facilities. The Harbour company constructed a lighthouse, a wharf and a 50,000 bushel elevator at Frenchman's Bay and the harbour began to be used again for the shipment of barley and wheat along with the importation of coal from the United States. Again temporary prosperity resulted in the development of a small village at Frenchman's Bay with two hotels and numerous houses. It is reported that at one time wagons lined the road from Frenchman's Bay up to the Liverpool community at Highway #2, waiting to load barley on to the ships bound for the breweries in the United States. " "Once again outside forces were to deal a blow to trading activities when the imposition of a duty on barley closed off the market and even Toronto Harbour started experiencing difficulties. The milling industry declined as the need for flour decreased when the population began to decline. The carriage factories had less and less to do and the joiners and carpenters were seldom called upon to make furniture because the Timothy Eaton Mail Order Catalogue was being distributed. (It would take until 1952 for the population to equal that of 1860 -almost 100 years). By 1869 large numbers of people had left Pickering and those who stayed turned to dairy and beef farming, with some interest in horse breeding. In the late 1890's to approximately the 1940's people living in Toronto discovered Pickering as a summer retreat. A resort developed in the Rosebank Area and cottages sprang up along the natural folds of the various bays and inlets, and this period seemed to be a more gentle time for Pickering. It was not until the invention of the motor car and the 2nd World War that Pickering's upward climb began in ernest. This upward climb was due to the construction of a wartime shell filling plant in the next town east of Pickering (Ajax) and people winterized their cottages and began to live in them year round. " "Also at this time more cottages were built north of Highway 2 in the Dunbarton and Rosebank Areas. By 1950 development companies had also begun to buy up large parcels of farm land which motivated Pickering Council's Planning Committee to designate the first ""planning Areas"" of Liverpool, West Rouge and Bay Ridges. (Bay Ridges was the largest producing dairy farm in Ontario until it was sold for development). A post-war building boom started a migration of Torontonians to the Pickering area in the 1950's. According to a report produced by the Pickering Planning Department the first major housing development with full municipal services was commenced in early 1960. However taxes charged were quite high, (housing development without commercial and industrial development is inflationary.) As a result further residential development was restricted to annual guoters in accordance with the Township Official Plan approved in 1963 to provide equivalent industrial and commercial development or, a cash levy in lieu of. (This decision was dropped some years later) In the mid 1960's a few manufacturing companies commenced operation and by the 1970's a few larger companies such as Mazda, Pitney Bowes, and Mason Windows brought more jobs to Pickering. Two significant commercial developments by J.D.S. Investments Limited were Sheridan Mall and the Pickering Corporate Centre (an office tower constructed at the junction of Hwy. 401 & Liverpool Road) located at the south-east corner of Liverpool Road and Highway #2. " "These two developments created the largest number of jobs for residents to that time. The developers were considered to have lost their minds by the Development industry, to take such a gamble in an area so far east of Toronto. This gamble would later prove to be an incredible success storey as ""Sheridan Mall"" would later undergo two major expansions and become an exciting shopping experience of over 300 stores (it was also re-named ""The Pickering Town Centre"".) However, residential development continued to outstrip industrial and commercial development, with the result that most residents still had to commute to Toronto or the surrounding areas to work. In 1965 Ontario Hydro opened the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station on Lake Ontario just to the east of Frenchman's Bay. Also at this time the Pickering Town Council acquired land close to the Nuclear Generating Station for industrial development purposes and coupled with the availability of services, this decision spurred an annual escalation of industrial development and the momentum was picked up by large development companies. By 1971 the Town adopted a new Official Plan which provided for a more organized method for both rural infilling and new development, including hamlets and conservation areas. " "However before the proposed new Official Plan was approved my the Ministry, the Provincial and Federal Governments jointly announced that they proposed to establish a major airport and a new community of some 200,000 people in the north-west part of Pickering, and they acquired 19,000 acres of land forcing resettlement of many people. (This proposed new community will be referred to as Seaton from this point on). In 1972 the Provincial Government announced a major plan to provide sufficient sewage capacity in and around Duffin's creek to service Pickering and the proposed airport and Seaton developments, and, to include the southerly part of York Region. Some of the citizens of Pickering had been very active since the announcement of the Provincial and Federal proposals and they had formed a group called P.O.P. ""People or Planes"". This group was so vocal that they were eventually successful in intimidating the Provincial and Federal Governments to such an extent that the plans for the proposed airport and the Seaton community were put on indefinite hold, and to date (1989) nothing has been done with this land. By December 1972 political maneuvering resulted in The Region of Durham being formed. Pickering became the most easterly town (adjacent to Scarborough) of all the eight towns which formed this region and with the establishment of Regional Government, responsibilities for services provided to the citizens were divided between local responsibilities and regional responsibilities. " "Industrial and commercial development continued at a slow pace in Pickering for approximately 11 years. (Economic Development had become a Regional responsibility). In order to increase the industrial and commercial tax base and to stem the outcommuting of Pickering's human resources, it was decided that marketing material had to be produced that would make companies choose to locate in Pickering, rather than in other town's within Durham Region. By the mid 1980's Pickering and other towns within the Region had reinstated local economic development services with a marketing mandate to compliment local developers and the Region's efforts. Also, during this time, land prices began to escalate in the Toronto area, so the development market responded to Pickering's more sophisticated marketing techniques. The results can be seen from the following chart:- " "It became apparent that the key factors in attracting good industrial and commercial prospects to any area were made up of the following factors: (1) Reasonably priced land and housing. (2) Good recreational services. (3) Pleasant surroundings in which to live. (4) Availability of highway access. (5) Availability of a good work force. (6) A good sense of community identity. During 1987 and 1988 commercial development also escalated by way of many neighbourhood plazas and a second expansion of the ""Pickering Town Centre"", resulting in employment and small business development opportunities. 1989 will show a slow down in development because land costs have quadrupled in the last three years, Free Trade is causing a temporary slowdown and recent budget announcements have made business people more cautious; and of course housing starts are down.. In addition the Town of Pickering does not own land any more and the developers who do own land will not sell, preferring to design/build and lease back, which will put a visegrip on the Town's potential for a while. No other town in Ontario will have to deal with the issues that affect Pickering's future. The Seaton Community and the airport issues are again being studied, this time jointly by the Town of Pickering and Provincial staff. " "Pickering's ""Ace Card"" however lies within the proposed Seaton Community as approximately 2, 800 acres of industrially zoned land within this development will give Pickering the largest pocket of industrially zoned land of all of the eight towns which form the Region of Durham; but, without major upgrading of east-west roads and highways (including the proposed new Highway #407) and with some of the north/south local roads, these lands may not be attractive to either developers or private industry and if Seaton is not developed I feel the thrust will continue east along Highway 401 to as far as Kingston. Some companies may sell their valuable holdings in Toronto and Scarborough and lease-back in Pickering; but Pickerings future depends on the political leanings of the Federal and Provincial governments. Again outside forces have the power to either help Pickering reach its potential or force its residents to swallow a bitter mixture of landfill sites and indecision over the proposed airport, the Seaton Community and lack of industrial land For Sale. Potential employers are turned away because they do not want to lease-back. Pickering needs the 2,800 acres of industrial land from the Seaton Community to come onstream, in order to create a competitve market between government owned land and that owned by private developers. " "Because the largest portion of new development has taken place in the last 12 years, there is only a small pocket of land abutting Lake Ontario at Frenchman's Bay, that requires upgrading. This upgrading is being carried out in conjunction with Harbour Front and Marina developments; the M.T.R.C.A. shoreline and beach developments along with the upgrading of curbs and roads and the provision of water and sewage services. Pickering has the potential to be a model town of the future with a balanced mix of industrial, commercial and residential development, placing an appropriate emphasis on quality of life through tourism development and community services. We can no longer ignore the complicated mix of issues that affect the growth of any town. It is important that informed and professional people work together, not just on the details of building structures and boasting about square footages, but on providing jobs in commerce, trade and industry. We must all become more informed on issues that affect not only Pickering, not only Canada, but the world. Major emphasis must be placed on people skills as education, preservation, conservation, co-operation, and humanization become the buzz words of the next decade. " "The earliest indication of ""Economic Development"" in Pickering dates back to 1825, when the population of Pickering was made up of approximately 800 people. Trades people such as carpenters and millwrights began to settle in ""The Township of Pickering"" (as it was then known). With the arrival of skilled workers through immigration, better construction techniques became available; meaning that it was possible to earn a living from traded industrialized skills rather than from trapping and hunting. Just as a point of interest at that time a new log house could be built for you at a cost of $70. However, moving people and goods was difficult. Road construction was still immature and horses were apparently very expensive. Because of the excellent natural harbours at both Frenchman's Bay and the Rouge River, shipping activities developed and passage north was made possible up Duffin's Creek for small craft (although only up as far as Kingston Road which is also now known as Highway #2). A natural resource that was abundantly available was timber and consequently by 1825, three saw mills were in full operation in Pickering; the volume of first class lumber being produced from these mills resulted in a ""Schooner"" ship building industry developing at the mouth of the Rouge River. The ships that were built there were used to carry passengers and cargo to and from Oswego and York and the United States. By 1835, the number of settlers had increased to 2,645, and most of these people came from Scotland, Ireland, England and the United States. These people started to settle further north of Frenchman's Bay and formed hamlets and villages that are to this day known as Thompson's Corners, Whitevale, Brougham, Greenwood, Green River, Claremont and Altona. By 1841 the population had reached 3,752. At Frenchman's Bay, shipping became increasingly important and in 1845 three million feet of lumber was being exported, in addition to passengers and/or supplies such as potash, grain, flour, salt, lime and other luxury goods that had been ordered by settlers. " "By 1850 Pickering had become a county. A census report in 1850 reported a population of 6,074 people, made up of farmers, teachers, store keepers, brewers, preachers, innkeepers, lawyers, shipwrights, millers and various trades people. It is interesting to note that by 1851 over 50% of the Township of Pickering had been cleared of trees and was under cultivation with the assault accelerating every year. Between 1855 to 1860 a new Grand Trunk Railway Line had opened, along with a new modern elementary school and this brought a new era of growth and prosperity to Pickering. However, the impact of the construction of the railway and the invention of the steam ship would ultimately have a devastating affect on the ""Schooner"" shipping industry. Also at approximately this time the American Civil War created a need for supplies including grain, and the various mills here in Pickering were kept humming as farmers planted more wheat in an attempt to meet the need. By the end of the war industrialization had increased in other areas and the Schooners built at Frenchman's Bay were no longer a serious threat to the steam ship industry. The other two factors which brought about a decline to the area were the increasing competition for transporting of goods by railway and the decline in the availability of Pickering's lumber supply. As of 1875, Frenchman's Bay Harbour was almost redundant; so the Township Council gave grants totaling $13,000 to the Frenchman's Bay Harbour Company, over a two year period, for improvements to their facilities. The Harbour Company constructed a lighthouse, a wharf and a 50,000 bushel elevator at Frenchman's Bay and the harbour began to be used again for the shipment of barley and wheat along with the importation of coal from the United States. Again, temporary prosperity resulted in the development of a small vilage at Frenchman's Bay with two hotels and numerous houses. It is reported that at one time wagons lined the road from Frenchman's Bay up to the Liverpool community at Highway #2, waiting to load barley onto the ships bound for the breweries in the United States. Once again outside forces were to deal a blow to trading activities when the imposition of a duty on barley closed off the market and even Toronto Harbour started experiencing difficulties. The milling industry declined as the need for flour decreased when the population began to decline. The carriage factories had less and less to do and the joiners and carpenters were seldom called upon to make furniture because the Timothy Eaton Mail Order Catalogue was being distributed. (It would take until 1952 for the population to equal that of 1860 - almost 100 years). By 1869, large numbers of people had left Pickering and those who stayed turned to dairy and beef farming, with some interest in horse breeding. " "In the late 1890's to approximately the 1940's, people living in Toronto discovered Pickering as a summer retreat. A resort developed in the Rosebank area and cottages sprang up along the natural folds of the various bays and inlets, and this period seemed to be a more gentle time for Pickering. It was not until the invention of the motor car and the 2nd World War that Pickering's upward climb began in earnest. This upward climb was due to the construction of a wartime shell filling plant in the next town east of Pickering (Ajax) and people winterized their cottages and began to live in them year round. Also at this time, more cottages were built north of Highway #2 in the Dunbarton and Rosebank Areas. By 1950, development companies had also begun to buy up large parcels of farm land which motivated Pickering Council's Planning Committee to designate the first ""Planning Areas"" of Liverpool, West Rouge and Bay Ridges. (Bay Ridges was the largest producing dairy farm in Ontario until it was sold for development). A post-war building boom started a migration of Torontonians to the Pickering area in the 1950's. According to a report produced by the Pickering Planning Department the first major housing development with full municipal services was commenced in early 1960. However taxes were quite high, (housing development without commercial and industrial development is inflationary.) As a result, further residential development was restricted to annual quotas in accordance with the Township Official Plan approved in 1963 to provide equivalent industrial and commercial development or, a cash levy in lieu of. (This decision was dropped some years later). In the mid 1960's a few manufacturing companies commenced operation, and by the 1970's a few larger companies such as Mazda, Pitney Bowes, and Mason Windows brought more jobs to Pickering. Two significant commercial developments by J.D.S. Investments Limited were Sheridan Mall and the Pickering Corporate Centre (and office tower constructed at the junction of Hwy. 401 & Liverpool Road). These two developments created the largest number of jobs for residents to that time. The developers were considered to have lost their minds by the Development Industry, to take such a gamble in an area so far east of Toronto. This gamble would later prove to be an incredible success story as ""Sheridan Mall"" would later undergo two major expansions and become an exciting shopping experience of over 300 stores (it was also re-named ""The Pickering Town Centre"".) However, residential development continued to outstrip industrial and commercial development, with the result that most residents still had to commute to Toronto or the surrounding areas to work. " "In 1965, Ontario Hydro opened the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station on Lake Ontario just to the east of Frenchman's Bay. Also at this time the Pickering Town Council acquired land close to the Nuclear Generating Station for industrial development purposes and coupled with the availability of services, this decision spurred an annual escalation of industrial development and the momentum was picked up by large development companies. By 1971, the Town adopted a new Official Plan, which provided for a more organized method for both rural infilling and new development, including hamlets and conservation areas. However, before the proposed new Official Plan was approved by the Ministry, the Provincial and Federal Governments jointly announced that they proposed to establish a major airport and a new community of some 200,000 people in the north-west part of Pickering, and they acquired 19,000 acres of land forcing resettlement of many people. (This proposed new community will be referred to as Seaton from this point on). In 1972, the Provincial Government announced a major plan to provide sufficient sewage capacity in and around Duffin's Creed to service Pickering and the proposed airport and Seaton developments, and to include the southerly part of York Region. Some of the citizens of Pickering had been very active since the announcement of the Provincial and Federal proposals and they had formed a group called P.O.P. ""People or Planes"". This group was so vocal that they were eventually successful in intimidating the Provincial and Federal Governments to such an extent that the plans for the proposed airport and the Seaton community were put on indefinite hold, and to date nothing has been done with this land. By December 1972 political maneuvering resulted in The Region of Durham being formed. Pickering became the most easterly town (adjacent to Scarborough) of all the eight towns which formed this region and with the establishment of Regional Government, responsibilities for services provided to the citizens were divided between local responsibilities and regional responsibilities. Industrial and commercial development continued at a slow pace in Pickering for approximately 11 years. (Economic Development had become a Regional responsibility). In order to increase the industrial and commercial tax base and to stop the outcommuting of Pickering's human resources, it was decided that marketing material had to be produced that would make companies choose to locate in Pickering, rather than in other town's within Durham Region. " "By the mid 1980's Pickering and other towns within the Region had reinstated local economic development services with a marketing mandate to compliment local developers and the Region's efforts. Also, during this time, land prices began to escalate in the Toronto area, so the development market responded to Pickering's more sophisticated marketing techniques. It became apparent that the key factors in attracting good industrial and commercial prospects to any area were made up of the following factors: (1) Reasonably priced land and housing (2) Good recreational services (3) Pleasant surroundings in which to live (4) Availability of highway access (5) Availability of a good workforce (6) A good sense of community identity During 1987 and 1988 commercial development also escalated by way of many neighbourhood plazas and a second expansion of the ""Pickering Town Centre"", resulting in employment and small business development opportunities. 1989 showed a slow down in development because land costs had quadrupled in the preceding three years. Free Trade was causing a temporary slowdown and the budget announcements had made business people more cautious; and of course housing starts were down. In addition, the Town of Pickering did not own land any more and the developers who did (and still do) own land would not sell; preferring to design/build and lease back, which put a visegrip on the Town's potential for a while. No other town in Ontario will have to deal with the issues that affect Pickering's future. The Seaton Community and the airport issues are again being studied, this time jointly by the Town of Pickering and Provincial staff. Pickering's ""Ace Card"" however lies within the proposed Seaton Community as approximately 2,800 acres of industrially zoned land within this development will give Pickering the largest pocket of industrially zoned land of all of the eight towns which form the Region of Durham; but, without major upgrading of east-west roads and highways (including the proposed new Highway #407) and some of the north/south local roads, these lands may not be attractive to either developers or private industry and if Seaton is not developed, the thrust may continue east along Highway 401 to as far as Kingston. Some companies may sell their valuable holdings in Toronto and Scarborough and lease-back in Pickering; but Pickering's future depends on the political leanings of the Federal and Provincial governments. " "Again outside forces have the power to either help Pickering reach its potential or force its residents to swallow a bitter mixture of landfill sites and indecision over the proposed airport, the Seaton Community and lack of industrial land For Sale. Potential employers are turned away because they do not want to lease-back. Pickering needs the 2,800 acres of industrial land from the Seaton Community to come onstream, in order to create a competitive market between government owned land and that owned by private developers. Because the largest portion of new development has taken place in the last 12 years, there is only a small pocket of land abutting Lake Ontario at Frenchman's Bay, that requires upgrading. This upgrading is being carried out in conjunction with Harbour Front and Marina developments; the M.T.R.C.A. shoreline and beach developments along with the upgrading of curbs and roads and the provision of water and sewage services. Pickering has the potential to be a model town of the future with a balanced mix of industrial, commercial and residential development, placing an appropriate emphasis on quality of life through tourism development and community services. We can no longer ignore the complicated mix of issues that affect the growth of any town. It is important that informed and professional people work together, not just on the details of building structures and boasting about square footage's, but on providing jobs in commerce, trade and industry. We must all become more informed on issues that affect not only Pickering not only Canada, but the world. Major emphasis must be placed on people skills as education, preservation, conservation, co-operation, and humanization become the buzz words of the next decade. "