Thornhill Woods
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.
Real Estate
Real Estate is very hot in Thornhill Woods. We have seen prices gradually grow over the past 6 years due to the wonderful neighbourhood of raising kids and the strong schools. Thorhill Woods has a great deal to offer from its vast parklike settings and many groups from the arts to sports.
You have every possible type of dwelling from small townhouses to large detached mansion homes. The prices vary from the mid 300's to the mid 700's. Here are a few of the median prices in this area.
Median Price $388,450
Median Detached Price $536,500
Median Semi Price $408,000
Median Townhouse Price $375,000
For more listings in Thornhill Woods and surrounding area click here
Schools
Elementary Public Schools
Carville Mills PS
Thornhill Woods PS
Bakersfield PS
High School
Stephen Lewis Secondary School
Daycares in Thornhill click here
Jewish Daycares Thornhill
Daycare a
Daycareb
Daycarec
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.
| Map of Thornhill Woods  |
Click for a larger image |
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.
Shops and Services
For Thornhill Woods residents looking for kosher groceries, prepared foods, meats and baked goods, the Sobey's grocery store in the Springfarm Market Place (usually called the Sobey's Plaza) in Thornhill-Vaughan provides a wide selection of kosher foods. The popular Sobey's employs a number of kosher inspectors from the Kashruth Council of Canada to ensure that groceries and prepared foods are handled properly. Other stores and restaurants in the surrounding area have also been changing to meet the demand for kosher foods. One can purchase kosher pizza, bagels, ice cream and wine and liquor at other stores in the Sobey's Plaza.
New strip malls, gas stations and shopping areas are springing up all around Thornhill Woods to feed the demand for convenient shopping. Rutherford Village Plaza (Rutherford Road and Bathurst Street) features another Sobey's grocery store, a drug store and convenience stores, while two other plazas have also recently been built in Thornhill Woods. The Promenade Shopping Centre in Thornhill-Vaughan and Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill are also close by for shopping.
Recreation/Entertainment
As Thornhill Woods is home to many new families with young children, the recreational parks in the area are often bustling. Fortunately, the demand for more recreational green space is being met. In 2006, Sugarbush Heritage Park was officially opened. The park measures 2.4 hectares and is located in the heart of Thornhill Woods. Facilities include a children's play area, amphitheatre, gazebo, a lookout point, and an informal picnic area. Additional funds are being allocated to build four new smaller parks.
For entertainment, most residents head to other areas. Rainbow Cinemas at the Promenade Shopping Centre in Thornhill-Vaughan present current movies at budget prices. There is also a movie and entertainment complex at Highway 7 and Highway 400 that attracts a large crowd. For other forms of entertainment, residents usually travel to other parts of the Greater Toronto Area.
Transportation
Thornhill Woods is good if you enjoy living in a suburban setting and you don't mind driving. "You're close to decent shopping and highways," says resident Joel Waldman, whose primary method of transportation is by car.
Thornhill Woods is only minutes from Highway 7, and the express toll route Highway 407. The area is central to many other major travel routes including Hwy 400 and Yonge Street. A trip downtown by car takes about 45-60 minutes.
Public transportation in the past has been sparse and inconvenient, but has improved recently. York Region Transit has established a new route which operates between the Thornhill Woods community and the central GO Finch Bus Terminal offering connections to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bus and subway systems. Service operates every 30 minutes during peak periods and every 40 minutes during off peak periods. Additionally, there are routes along the major arteries of Dufferin Road, Bathurst Street and Rutherford Road connecting to the new VIVA rapid transit system for faster access to the subway and TTC buses.
