Ajax ON
Overview
Ajax is a town that is located in the eastern part of the Greater Toronto Area, in the Durham Region of Southern Ontario.
The town got its name from HMS Ajax which is a Royal Navy cruiser that served in the Second World War. It is roughly 25 kilometres east of Toronto on the shores of Lake Ontario. For MLS purposes, it is bounded by the City of Pickering to the west and north, and the Town of Whitby to the east.
Real Estate
Real estate in Ajax is attractive to many since the community includes the largest waterfront parkland in the GTA. Furthermore there is an assorted housing stock and a large regional shopping centre, excellent public transit and quick access to Highway 401 which runs through the middle of town.
The Town of Ajax is home to more than 100,000 hard working and multicultural residents. The major employers in this community include Ajax Textile, AEG Bayly Engineering, Daimler- Chrysler Canada, Dupont Paintplas, and Volkswagen Canada. Additionally, the Durham Centre Shopping Complex and the Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering Health Centre are also major providers of employment within this town.
Homes
Homes for sale in Ajax include a large number of executive housing situated along its waterfront. The residences on Lake Driveway take pleasure in the fantastic views of the waterfront. The landmark Breakers condos for sale in Ajax also include suites with waterfront views. Residential dwellings vary in this neighbourhood and there is a broad assortment of townhouses as well as apartment buildings which were constructed during the 1970s and ‘80s.
‘Veterans Villages’ is in the heart of Ajax and date back to the 1940s. The ‘Victory Houses’ are simple yet functional structures built by the government of Canada to offer affordable residences for workers employed at military manufacturing plants. Ajax has the highest amount of Victory Houses in the GTA. Just north of Highway 2 in Ajax is a large rural town that is evolving into new home subdivisions on the expansive open spaced countryside.
History
Ajax was a cluster of small settlements and farms until 1941, when Defence Industries Limited (DIL), set up a weapons plant here. DIL was known to be the biggest military manufacturing facility functioning in North America during WWII reaching almost 3,000 acres and once employing over 9,000 workers. The infrastructure required to manage DIL, helped create the first school, roads, as well as water and sewage treatment plants in Ajax.
When the post office launched it required a name, and Ajax was chosen from a competition among DIL employees, to honour of the celebrated British warship the HMS Ajax. In 1974, the Town Of Ajax, and parts of the Township of Pickering merged. The historic Pickering Village located at Church Street and Kingston Road, was combined by the Town of Ajax, and not by the adjacent City of Pickering.
Getting Around
Any Ajax real estate agent can tell you that getting around town isn’t too difficult. The Ajax Pickering Transit Authority has eight regularly scheduled bus routes in Ajax, in addition to four school bus routes that run during the school year only. Every Ajax bus route connects to the Ajax Go Station (100 Westney Road South). The Go Train ride to downtown Toronto’s Union Station takes roughly 45 minutes.
For motorists, Highway 401 on-ramps are quickly accessible north of downtown Ajax off Westney Road, and off Harwood Avenue. The drive to the northeast region of Toronto along Highway 401, takes about 20 minutes.
Shopping
Homes for sale in Ajax benefit from the closeness of great amenities and shopping options. The downtown Ajax shopping district features has an attractive tree-lined boulevard in the middle of the street.
Harwood Place Mall is also known as the Hardwood Shopping Centre is adjacent to Ajax Plaza, and includes small shopping plazas and fast food eateries. Car dealerships dot Bayly Street between Harwood Avenue and Westney Road. Furthermore, the Rio Can Durham Centre is another local shopping destination.
The Durham Centre shopping complex featuring big name retailers including and is the place where local residents take care of their daily errands. The Pickering Village shopping corridor is tucked away on Old Kingston Road and showcases many interesting antique shops, and quaint restaurants.
Entertainment
Real estate in Ajax is great since this town sponsors several special events throughout the year including the popular Music and Theatre in the Park sequence held annually at Rotary Park. The biggest Ajax event takes place in June and is called Home Week. This week long festival begins with a parade down Harwood Avenue and features plenty of events for the whole family. Home Week is topped off by a fireworks show at Rotary Park on the waterfront.
The Picov Down Racetrack includes seasonal quarter horse racing and Ajax has four public golf courses. Annandale Golf and Curling Club situated at Bayly and Church Street South, Carruthers Creek Golf Course (650 Lake Ridge Road), Fox Run Golf Centre (560 Taunton Road West), and Hawthorne Village Golf Course (3470 Salem Road) are well loved by residents who frequent them often.
