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{{About|the Canadian city|other uses|Pickering (disambiguation)}}

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| area_magnitude = | area_total_km2 = 231.59| area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_km2 = | area_metro_km2 = | population_as_of = 2021| population_footnotes = | population_note = List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population>Ranked 59th)| population_metro = | population_urban = | population_density_km2 = 383.1| timezone = Eastern (EST)| utc_offset = −5| timezone_DST = Eastern (EDT)| utc_offset_DST = −443227953region:CA-ON|display=inline}}| elevation_m = 83.8| postal_code_type = Forward Sortation AreaList of L postal codes of Canada>L1V to L1YArea codes 905, 289, and 365>905, 289, 365, and 742List of highways in Ontario>HighwaysHwy|401}}(File:Highway407crest.svg|20px) / {{jcon|Toll|407}}{{jcon|Hwy|7}}| website = pickering.ca| footnotes = }}Pickering (2021 population 99,186) is a city located in Southern Ontario, Canada, immediately east of Toronto in Durham Region.Beginning in the 1770s, the area was settled by primarily British colonists. An increase in population occurred after the American Revolutionary War, when the Crown resettled Loyalists and encouraged new immigration. Many of the smaller rural communities have been preserved and function as provincially significant historic sites and museums.WEB,www.pickering.ca/en/discovering/resources/CulturalMapPickeringApril2014.pdf, A Cultural Map of Pickering, City of Pickering, 17 November 2018, The city also includes the development of Durham Live, a multi-billion-dollar casino complex.NEWS,globalnews.ca/news/5203896/massive-vegas-style-entertainment-venue-construction-pickering/, Construction of massive ‘Vegas-style’ entertainment venue well underway in Pickering, Frazer, Snowdon, 26 April 2019, Global News,

History

Early period

The present-day Pickering was Aboriginal territory for thousands of years. The Wyandot (called the Huron by Europeans), who spoke an Iroquoian language, were the historical people living here in the 15th century. Archeological remains of a large village have been found here, known as the Draper Site.James F. Pendergast, “The Confusing Identities Attributed to Stadacona and Hochelaga”{{dead link|date=July 2022}}, Journal of Canadian Studies, Winter 1998, pp. 3–4, accessed Feb 3, 2010. Later, the Wyandot moved northwest to Georgian Bay, where they established their historic homeland. There they encountered French explorers in the early 17th century, followed by missionaries and fur traders.The first recorded history of this area was made in 1669, when the French Jesuit missionary François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon noted reaching what he called the Seneca (more likely the Onondaga) village of Gandatsetiagon, on the shores of Frenchman’s Bay (for whom it would be named). The Onondaga (and the Seneca) were among the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Onondaga (and other Iroquois) generally occupied territory to the south and west of Lakes Ontario and Erie in present-day New York that extended into Pennsylvania and the Ohio Valley, where they maintained hunting grounds. (The Seneca were located farther west, near Seneca Lake, among the Finger Lakes. Fenelon wintered at the village and started missionary work with this people.Wood 1911, p. 11.)

Township of Pickering

(File:Township of Pickering, Upper Canada, 1802.jpg|thumb|left|1802 map of the Pickering Township)The British took over Canada in 1763 following defeat of the French in the Seven Years’ War, known in Colonial America as the French and Indian War. They likely completed survey of the township about 1776. British colonial settlers were steadily migrating into the area from eastern areas of Canada.Wood 1911, p. 17. There is some controversy over the identity of the earliest European settler in the area. One of the candidates is Mike Duffin, who settled in what later became the Pickering Village (now in Ajax), possibly in the 1770s. The other candidate is Benjamin Wilson of Vermont, who probably lived in Pickering for sometime, before moving to Whitby in 1794.In the 1780s, the present-day Pickering area was a part of the Nassau District of the Province of Quebec. In 1791, Augustus Jones undertook a survey of the area, establishing the baseline and some of the concessions. The same year, the District was transferred to the newly created province of Upper Canada. In 1792, the district was renamed Home District, and Pickering was established as a township.WEB,trca.ca/app/uploads/2020/08/Appendix-E-Stage-1-Archaeological-Assessment-TRCA-2019.pdf, Stage 1 Archaeological Assessment (TRCA 2019), TRCA, 2019-06-25, 12–13, The township was originally called “Edinburgh” but in 1792 was renamed after Pickering, North Yorkshire.BOOK, Alan Rayburn, Place Names of Ontario, 1997, University of Toronto Press, 9780802006028, 270,books.google.com/books?id=TwF6AAAAMAAJ, Pickering Village, now part of Ajax, emerged as the major population and commercial centre of the Pickering Township in the early 19th century. The conversion of a local trail into the Kingston Road in 1799 contributed greatly to the increased settlement in the area. In 1807, Quakers led by Timothy Rogers settled in the area, and by 1809, the population of Pickering Township consisted of 180 people, most of whom lived along the Duffins Creek.BOOK, Ken Smith, The Village of Pickering, Archie MacDonald, A Town Called Ajax, 1995, The Ajax Historical Board, 0-9699465-0-3, 115–126,digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/asset-management/2R3BF1O1U7KPU, In 1811, the Pickering Township became a separate municipality.WEB,www.metrolinxengage.com/sites/default/files/dsbrt_epr_appendixe9_cher9_0322.pdf, Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report: 1723 Dunchurch Street, IBI Group & Parsons, 2021, 2022-07-23, 13–17, Several sawmills, gristmills, taverns, and other businesses operated in the area. During the War of 1812, the maintenance of the Kingston Road improved because of the increased military traffic and further contributed to the development of the area.Reesor Mills Altona Ontario Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Ontario 1877.JPG | Reesor Mills, Altona in 1877Pickering Village Ontario - Grand Trunk Railway bridge on Duffins Creek - 1908.png | Grand Trunk Railway bridge on the Duffins Creek in 1908WhitevaleLibrary.jpg | Historic Whitevale LibraryFile:BentleyHouse,ON.JPG | Benley House, a heritage site in BroughamIn the 19th century, several other small communities developed in the Duffins Creek watershed, within the Pickering Township. These included Whitevale, Brougham, Green River, Claremont, Altona, Greenwood, and Balsam.BOOK, Duffins Creek: State of the Watershed Report, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), 2002, 9780968499269, 14–15,trca.on.ca/dotAsset/37427.pdf, 2022-07-24, 2016-03-04,www.trca.on.ca/dotAsset/37427.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20160304001503www.trca.on.ca/dotAsset/37427.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20160304001503www.trca.on.ca/dotAsset/37427.pdf, dead, A few communities also developed in the smaller Carruthers Creek watershed, including Audley (now part of Ajax), Kinsale, and Salem.BOOK, Carruthers Creek: State of the Watershed Report, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), 2002, 9780968499283, 21,trca.on.ca/dotAsset/37410.pdf, 2022-07-24, 2015-07-01,www.trca.on.ca/dotAsset/37410.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20150701152216www.trca.on.ca/dotAsset/37410.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20150701152216www.trca.on.ca/dotAsset/37410.pdf, dead, In 1849, the village of Dunbarton was established along the Dunbarton Creek. The Grand Trunk Railway reached the Township in 1856.Pickering was represented in the Mackenzie Rebellion of 1837. One of its leaders, Peter Matthews, had been one of the most prominent members of the community.Wood 1911, p. 27. In 1851, the Pickering Township was severed from the York County, and became a part of the newly established Ontario County.In the later decades of the 19th century, a fall in the demand for wheat led to economic decline in the primarily-agricultural township. The township lost over 40% of its population in the second half of the 19th century,BOOK, Rob Nisbet, The Town Site of Ajax, Archie MacDonald, A Town Called Ajax, 1995, The Ajax Historical Board, 0-9699465-0-3, 18–19,digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/asset-management/2R3BF1O1U7KPU, and the decline continued in the first half of the 20th century.In the first half of the 20th century, two new communities emerged in the Pickering Township: the cottage community of Pickering Beach and the self-contained community around the federal government-owned Defence Industries Limited Pickering Works munitions plant. Both areas are now part of Ajax.BOOK, Cathy Dancey, Pickering Beach, Archie MacDonald, A Town Called Ajax, 1995, The Ajax Historical Board, 158, 0-9699465-0-3,digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/asset-management/2R3BF1O1U7KPU, After the World War II, urbanization began in the southern part of Pickering, and later spread to other parts of the Township.

City of Pickering

On 1 January 1974, the Ontario County was dissolved, and the area became part of the Regional Municipality of Durham. The southeastern portion of the Pickering Township, including the Pickering Village and Pickering High School, became part of the independent town of Ajax. The rest of the township became the Town of Pickering, which in 2000, became the City of Pickering.In the last quarter of the 20th century, much of the government-owned land in northern Pickering sat idle because of uncertainty over the proposed Pickering Airport. That included the land expropriated by the federal government for the airport and the adjacent land expropriated by the provincial government for the proposed Seaton community that would benefit from the airport.BOOK, Harold H. Harvey, Duffins Creek, Betty Roots, Donald Chant, Conrad Heidenreich, Special Places: The Changing Ecosystems of the Toronto Region, 2011, UBC Press, 9780774841818, 286,books.google.com/books?id=LP57nRxHw_gC&pg=PA286, The development of Seaton picked up pace in the 21st century, but as of 2022, only 1,549 of the 20,989 planned units had been built. The city also considered the development of a new community called Veraine, to be built in northeastern Pickering.NEWS,www.thestar.com/local-pickering/news/2022/03/24/this-is-kind-of-the-heartland-of-agriculture-and-nature-durham-region-to-consider-greenbelt-protection-for-pickering-s-carruthers-creek-headwaters.html, ‘This is kind of the heartland of agriculture and nature’: Durham Region to consider Greenbelt protection for Pickering’s Carruthers Creek headwaters, Kristen Calis, 2022-03-24, The Star, The city also saw a rise in the number of high-rise condos.NEWS,toronto.citynews.ca/2022/02/07/gta-communities-worry-about-impact-of-high-density-developments/, GTA communities worry about impact of high-density developments, City News, 2022-02-07,

Cityscape

(File:Pickering Pano 2023.jpg|center|thumb|800px|{{center|Aerial view of Pickering, Ontario in 2023}})

Geography

(File:Pickering within Durham Region.svg|thumb|right|250px|Pickering territory (red) within Durham Region)The city covers an area of 231 square kilometres (89 sq mi)WEB,www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3518001&Geo2=CD&Code2=3518&SearchText=Pickering&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&TABID=1&type=0, Census Profile, 2016 Census – Pickering, City [Census subdivision], Ontario and Durham, Regional municipality [Census division], Ontario, Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, 2017-02-08, www12.statcan.gc.ca, 2019-10-27, with an elevation of 89 metres (292 ft).WEB,elevationmap.net/, Pickering, Durham, Canada on the Elevation Map. Topographic Map of Pickering, Durham, Canada., elevationmap.net, elevationmap.net, en, 2019-10-27, Toronto, Markham, and Rouge Park border Pickering on the west; Ajax and Whitby border Pickering on the east; Uxbridge is to the north; and Lake Ontario forms Pickering’s southern boundary.WEB,www.durhamregion.com/news-story/6728354-more-protections-for-rouge-park-in-toronto-pickering-but-province-still-hasn-t-handed-over-its-land/, More protections for Rouge Park in Toronto, Pickering, but Province still hasn’t handed over its land, Kristen, Calis, 17 June 2016, durhamregion.com, 21 March 2018, WEB,www.pickering.ca/en/living/waterfronttrail.asp, Waterfront Trail, www.pickering.ca, 21 March 2018,

Communities

The southern part of the city is mainly suburban, with industrial areas restricted to the area around Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. Most of the suburban areas were built as subdivisions after World War II, starting in the area around Frenchman’s Bay. Prior to the war, the few suburban areas in the township were the communities of Dunbarton, Fairport Beach, Liverpool Market, and Rouge Hill. Squires Beach, located by the lake shore in the southeast part of the city, is now a ghost town as the area was cleared from 1966 to make way for the construction of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. The only home standing in Squires Beach was built by Timothy Rogers in 1842 and relocated to Montgomery Park Road.WEB,www.uer.ca/locations/show.asp?locid=23538, Display Location: Timothy Rogers House - Urban Exploration Resource, Squires Beach Road is now cut off from the lake by a waste water treatment plant.The northern part of the municipality is mainly rural, primarily used for agricultural purposes. However, a number of residential developments are found in this area, and the locally controversial Seaton area also falls within this part of the city. The primary rural communities in Pickering are Claremont, Brougham, and Whitevale; a number of smaller communities exist throughout northern Pickering, such as Greenwood. John Diefenbaker, a Prime Minister of Canada, lived in Greenwood for a number of years.WEB,www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?BioId=42125, Biography – Diefenbaker, John George – Volume XX (1971–1980) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography, biographi.ca, 21 March 2018, WEB,www.greenwoodrecassociation.com/, Home, Greenwood Recreation Association, greenwoodrecassociation.com, 21 March 2018, The abandoned ghost town of Altona is located there. Cherrywood, another hamlet in Pickering, is one of the few areas that are protected within the Greenbelt.WEB,www.ontla.on.ca/web/committee-proceedings/committee_transcripts_details.do?locale=en&BillID=326&ParlCommID=7422&Date=2005-02-01&Business=Bill+135%2C+Greenbelt+Act%2C+2005&DocumentID=20114, Bill 135, Greenbelt Act, 2005, www.ontla.on.ca, WEB,www.mah.gov.on.ca/page1392.aspx, Detailed Mapping of the Greenbelt Plan Area (2005), www.mah.gov.on.ca, 21 March 2018, The communities of Kinsale in the northeast and Green River on the York-Durham town line are other small communities in Pickering, with a population each of between 50 and 100 people. Most of these communities were founded in the 1700s and 1800s and have churches and historic estates that have been restored through government funding. Dixie is a small rural community situated in rural Pickering, with more contemporary buildings.WEB,www.google.ca/maps/place/Dixie,+Pickering,+ON/@43.858614,-79.1242407,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d4d8c6340adfb7:0xcd1f58cca63886cf!8m2!3d43.858614!4d-79.122052, Google Maps, Google maps, 21 March 2018, The film industry has been very active in communities such as Whitevale, since the 1980s, due to the quality of the historical buildings and untouched nature of the landscape. The television shows Hannibal (2013–2015) Suits (2011–2019), and American Gods (2017) have filmed extensively in Whitevale and in other locations in Pickering.WEB,www.pickering.ca/en/business/filmpickering.aspx, Film Pickering, www.pickering.ca, 21 March 2018, Nautical Village is located at Frenchman’s Bay and features entertainment, a playground, a boardwalk, restaurants, shops and an art gallery.WEB, 2022-01-26, Pickering Nautical Village,yorkdurhamheadwaters.ca/directory/id/pickering-nautical-village-1/, 2022-01-26, York Durham Headwaters, en-US, Hamlet of Cherrywood.jpg|CherrywoodHistoric Whitevale Craftworks Store.jpg|Whitevale Craftworks StoreGreen River sign.jpg|Green RiverGreenwood Pickering.jpg|Country road to Greenwood{{maplink |from=Canada/Ontario/Pickering/Neighbourhoods.map |frame=yes |text=Interactive map of Pickering’s urban neighbourhoods |frame-width=500 |frame-height=500 |zoom=11}}The city is divided into following neighbourhoods:WEB,www.pickering.ca/en/business/resources/20YearPopulationForecastACC.pdf, Detailed 20 Year Population Forecat, City of Pickering,

• South Urban Pickering
  • Rosebank
  • West Shore
  • Bay Ridges
  • Brock Industrial
  • Rougemount
  • Woodlands
  • Dunbarton
  • City Centre
  • Village East, the eastern part of the former Pickering Village municipality
  • Highbush
  • Amberlea
  • Brock Ridge
  • Liverpool
  • Rouge Park
  • Duffin Heights
• Seaton Urban Area
  • Lamoureaux
  • Brock-Taunton
  • Mount Pleasant
  • Wilson Meadows
  • Thompson’s Corners
  • Innovation Corridor
• Rural Pickering
  • Claremont & Area
  • Greenwood, Kinsale & Estate Residential Clusters
  • Other Rural Area

Demographics

{{Historical populations|title = Historical populations|type = Canada|align = right|width = |state = |shading = |percentages = |footnote =1803775468831Canada 1996 Census>1996|78989Canada 2001 Census>2001|87139Canada 2006 Census>2006|87838Canada 2011 Census>2011|88721Canada 2016 Census>2016Canada 2021 Census>99,186}}In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Pickering had a population of {{val|99186|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|33425|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|34327|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:99186-91771}}|91771|1}} from its 2016 population of {{val|91771|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|231.1|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|99186|231.1|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.WEB,www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000235, Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario, Statistics Canada, February 9, 2022, March 27, 2022, The city has estimated that by 2031, Pickering will be home to 131,608 residents.In 2021, 16.5% of the population was under 15 years of age, and 16.6% was 65 years and over. The median age in Pickering was 40.8 years.WEB, Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Pickering, City (CY) [Census subdivision], Ontario,www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=pickering&DGUIDlist=2021A00053518001&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0, www12.statcan.gc.ca, Statistics Canada, 9 February 2022, Immigrants made up 36.3% of the population in 2021. The top places of birth of the immigrant population were India (11.2%), Sri Lanka (8.2%), Pakistan (7.9%), 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 total income of households in 2020 for Pickering was $118,000.

Ethnicity

As per the 2021 census, the most common ethnic or cultural origins in Pickering are 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%).Multiple ethnic/cultural origins can be reported Indigenous people made up 1.1% of the population, mostly First Nations (0.5%) and Métis (0.5%). Ethnocultural backgrounds in the town included European (47.0%), South Asian (21.2%), Black (11.4%), Filipino (4.1%), Chinese (3.0%), West Asian (2.1%), Arab (1.7%), and Latin American (1.5%).{| class=“wikitable collapsible sortable”Panethnicity>Panethnic groups in the City of Pickering (2001−2021)! rowspan=“2” |Panethnicgroup! colspan=“2” |2021WEB, Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, 2022-10-26, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population,www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=Pickering&DGUIDlist=2021A00053518001&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0, 2023-01-17, www12.statcan.gc.ca, ! colspan=“2” |2016WEB, Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, 2021-10-27, Census Profile, 2016 Census,www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3518001&Geo2=CD&Code2=3518&SearchText=Pickering&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&TABID=1&type=0, 2023-01-17, www12.statcan.gc.ca, ! colspan=“2” |2011WEB, Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, 2015-11-27, NHS Profile,www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3518001&Data=Count&SearchText=Pickering&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&A1=All&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1, 2023-01-17, www12.statcan.gc.ca, ! colspan=“2” |2006WEB, Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, 2019-08-20, 2006 Community Profiles,www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3518001&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Pickering&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=, 2023-01-17, www12.statcan.gc.ca, ! colspan=“2” |2001WEB, Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, 2019-07-02, 2001 Community Profiles,www12.statcan.gc.ca/english/Profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3518001&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Pickering&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=, 2023-01-17, www12.statcan.gc.ca, !{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}European Canadians>European{{efnname=“euro“}}| 46,395 46395 2 }}| 50,875 50875 2 }}| 55,940 55940 2 }}| 60,075 60075 2 }}| 63,340 63340 2 }}South Asian Canadians>South Asian| 20,890 20890 2 }}| 13,820 13820 2 }}| 9,690 9690 2 }}| 7,940 7940 2 }}| 6,075 6075 2 }}African-Canadian>African| 11,275 11275 2 }}| 9,810 9810 2 }}| 10,050 10050 2 }}| 8,845 8845 2 }}| 8,070 8070 2 }}Southeast Asian{{efn>Statistic includes total responses of “Filipino” and “Southeast Asian” under visible minority section on census.|name=“SoutheastAsian“}}| 5,585 5585 2 }}| 3,810 3810 2 }}| 3,535 3535 2 }}| 3,025 3025 2 }}| 2,045 2045 2 }}Middle Eastern Canadians>Middle Eastern{{efnname=“MiddleEastern“}}| 3,700 3700 2 }}| 3,100 3100 2 }}| 1,665 1665 2 }}| 1,410 1410 2 }}| 1,010 1010 2 }}East Asian Canadians>East Asian{{efnname=“EastAsian“}}| 3,690 3690 2 }}| 3,060 3060 2 }}| 2,565 2565 2 }}| 2,485 2485 2 }}| 2,475 2475 2 }}Latin American Canadians>Latin American| 1,500 1500 2 }}| 1,135 1135 2 }}| 785 785 2 }}| 655 655 2 }}| 660 660 2 }}Indigenous peoples in Canada>Indigenous| 1,065 1065 2 }}| 1,070 1070 2 }}| 850 850 2 }}| 600 600 2 }}| 435 435 2 }}Statistic includes total responses of “Visible minority, {{abbrnot included elsewhere}}” and “Multiple visible minorities” under visible minority section on census.|name=“Other“}}| 5,405 5405 2 }}| 4,315 4315 2 }}| 2,845 2845 2 }}| 2,315 2315 2 }}| 2,580 2580 2 }}! Total responses! 98,585! {{Percentage | 98585 | 99186 | 2 }}! 90,995! {{Percentage | 90995 | 91771 | 2 }}! 87,920! {{Percentage | 87920 | 88721 | 2 }}! 87,360! {{Percentage | 87360 | 87838 | 2 }}! 86,685! {{Percentage | 86685 | 87139 | 2 }}! Total population! 99,186! {{Percentage | 99186 | 99186 | 2 }}! 91,771! {{Percentage | 91771 | 91771 | 2 }}! 88,721! {{Percentage | 88721 | 88721 | 2 }}! 87,838! {{Percentage | 87838 | 87838 | 2 }}! 87,139! {{Percentage | 87139 | 87139 | 2 }}

• 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%) making up the largest denomination, followed by Anglican (3.9%), Orthodox (3.8%), United Church (3.0%), and other denominations. 23.2% of the population reported 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. This was followed by 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% French.

Economy

Pickering is home to the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, an eight-reactor facility with a capacity of 4,120 megawatts. The first station, Pickering A, opened with four reactors in 1971. Ontario Power Generation, the plants’ operator, is the largest single employer in the city. In 2001, the wind-powered OPG 7 Commemorative Turbine was opened on the generating station site. The nuclear power plant is expected to start decommissioning in 2024.WEB,www.opg.com/generating-power/nuclear/stations/pickering-nuclear/Pages/pickering-nuclear.aspx, Ontario Power Generation – Pickering Nuclear, www.opg.com, 21 March 2018, A number of manufacturers are also located in the city. Major employers include Yorkville Sound (audio equipment), the Canadian headquarters of Purdue Pharma (pharmaceuticals and health & beauty products), Hubbell Canada (electrical equipment), PSB Speakers – Lenbrook (stereo equipment) and Eco-Tec Inc. (industrial water purification and chemical recovery systems).Pickering is a founding member of the Durham Strategic Energy Alliance or DSEA. The nucleus of the DSEA is primarily Pickering businesses, such as Ontario Power Generation, Veridian, Siemens/Trench, Tetra Tech WEI, AECL, Intellimeter, Areva and Eco-Tec Inc.Other notable organizations with headquarters in Pickering include: Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. MPAC performs value assessment for property tax purposes for all municipalities in Ontario. In 2012 Search Engine People, Canada’s largest Internet-marketing company, moved to Pickering’s downtown. The International Institute of Business Analysis is also headquartered in Pickering.WEB, Contact Us,www.iiba.org/contact-us/, IIBA, International Institute of Business Analysis, 15 June 2022, In 2006, Profit magazine recognized Pickering as one of the top 10 cities in Canada for growing a business.In 2013, the Region of Durham released its Business Count (Employment Survey), which indicated that Pickering has the most jobs amongst Durham Region municipalities, with 29,000+ positions. This figure represents a near 1/3 ratio of jobs to residents.With the implementation of Seaton and downtown intensification, the Province of Ontario’s planning anticipates the creation of 40,000 new jobs for Pickering over the next two decades.Pickering has planned a downtown intensification program, which includes new condominium developments around the Pickering GO station and Pickering Town Centre.WEB, Downtown Intensification Study,www.pickering.ca/en/cityhall/downtownintensificationprogram.asp, City of Pickering, 17 November 2018 www.pickering.ca/en/cityhall/downtownintensificationprogram.asp >archive-date=26 March 2013, HTTP://WWW.URBANSTRATEGIES.COM/PROJECT/DOWNTOWN-PICKERING-INTENSIFICATION-STUDY/>WEBSITE=URBANSTRATEGIES.COMACCESS-DATE=21 MARCH 2018, Pickering Town Centre is a two-story mall located in Pickering. An enclosed pedestrian bridge constructed over the 14 lanes of highway 401 was a recent development that has contributed to Pickering’s push for more density downtown.HTTPS://WWW.DURHAMREGION.COM/NEWS-STORY/7199696-PICKERING-HAS-BIG-PLANS-FOR-A-DOWNTOWN/>TITLE=PICKERING HAS BIG PLANS FOR A DOWNTOWNLAST=CALISWEBSITE=DURHAMREGION.COMWEBSITE=WWW.PICKERING.CADurham Live in south Pickering received approval for construction in 2017. It will include a water park, film studio, five star hotel, performing arts theater and possibly a casino.HTTP://WWW.CANADIANBUSINESS.COM/LISTS-AND-RANKINGS/RICHEST-PEOPLE/APOSTOLOPOULOS-FAMILY-DURHAM-LIVE/DATE=26 NOVEMBER 2015ACCESS-DATE=21 MARCH 2018, HTTPS://WWW.DURHAMREGION.COM/NEWS-STORY/7423777-ONTARIO-MUNICIPAL-BOARD-OK-S-PLANS-FOR-DURHAM-LIVE-IN-PICKERING/>TITLE=ONTARIO MUNICIPAL BOARD OK’S PLANS FOR DURHAM LIVE IN PICKERINGLAST=CALISWEBSITE=DURHAMREGION.COM, 21 March 2018,

Government

(File:City of Pickering 2023.jpg|thumb|Pickering City Hall Clock Tower)The city council consists of a mayor, three regional councillors, and three city councillors. The mayor and regional councillors sit on the council and also represent the city at Durham Regional Council. The city councillors sit on city council only. Pickering is divided into three wards of roughly equal population, with one city councillor and one regional councillor elected to represent each ward, in what are known as single-member districts.The current mayor, Kevin Ashe, has held the mayoralty since 2022.

Infrastructure

{{Further|Duffin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant}}

Transportation

File:Hwy 401 at Pickering 2023.jpg|thumb|right|Highway 401Highway 401Transit service began in Pickering with the Bay Shores dial-a-bus, which began in 1970–1973. In 2001 Pickering Transit merged with former Ajax Transit to form the Ajax-Pickering Transit Authority (APTA). In 2006, the regional transit system Durham Region Transit took over operations in the Durham Regional Municipality.The Pickering GO station offers public rail transit on an east–west axis. In 2012, Pickering’s landmark bridge opened – connecting the Pickering GO station to the city’s downtown core.Durham Regional Roads serve the city, north and south. Highway 401 runs near the south end of Pickering and Highway 407 ETR runs through the mid-north of the city.Pickering Airport was a planned second major airport for the Greater Toronto Area. Lands were expropriated in north Pickering in 1972 but the plan was stopped. As of 2021 no firm plans for the airport exist.

Emergency services

Police services in Pickering are provided by the Durham Regional Police from a division office located in the eastern section of the city. Officers from this location also patrol Ajax. Pickering Fire Services operates from four stations with a force of all full-time firefighters. Claremont Fire Hall is now fully staffed by full-time firefighters 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Ambulance/emergency medical services are provided by Durham Region.

Education

Pickering is served by the Durham District School Board, the Durham Catholic District School Board, the Conseil scolaire Viamonde and the Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud. As of early 2007, the public board operates 17 elementary schools and two secondary schools, Dunbarton High School and Pine Ridge Secondary School (Pickering High School was previously located in Pickering, but was transferred to Ajax when the city boundaries were changed). The Catholic board runs eight elementary schools and one secondary school, Saint Mary Catholic Secondary School. The French public school board operates École Ronald-Marion, which serves both elementary and secondary students.Blaisdale Montessori School, a private school chain, has several locations throughout Pickering serving children from preschool age to grade 8. There is also a private elementary and junior high school there called Montessori Learning Centre. Also serving the Durham Region is Durham Secondary Academy and Middle School, an inspected private high school and middle school for grades 5 to 12.In September 2012, the Durham College/Centennial College Joint Learning Site opened at the north terminus of the pedestrian bridge. The Joint Learning Site offers primarily graduate certificate programs, with a number of complementary courses and classes. At the time of its opening, it was the only public post-secondary institution in the Province of Ontario with a direct connection to public transit.

Gallery

File:Nautical Village Millennium Square, Pickering.jpg|Boats and benches by Frenchman’s Bay by Millennium SquareFile:Nautical Village by Lake Ontario and Frenchman’s Bay, Pickering.jpg|Nautical VillageFile:Pickering Nuclear Plant & Wind Turbine from Beachfront Park.JPG|Wind Turbine and Pickering Nuclear Plant from Beachfront ParkFile:Entrance to St. Isaac Jogues Church, Pickering.JPG|St. Isaac Jogues Church on Finch AvenueFile:Andreas Drenters Pickering Pioneer Family.jpg|Pickering Pioneer Family by Andreas DrentersFile:Pickering Museum.jpg|Pickering MuseumFile:Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex Arena - Pickering, ON.jpg|Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex

Notable people

• Andy Andreoff, NHL player
• Bromley Armstrong, civil rights activistBromley Armstrong at The Canadian Encyclopedia
• Sean Avery, former NHL forward
• Shelley-Ann Brown, Olympic silver medalist
• Drake Caggiula, NHL player
• Yannick Carter, Canadian Football League linebacker and special teams player
• Glenn Clark, former National Lacrosse League player and former head coach of the Toronto Rock
• Ernie Coombs, children’s entertainer, better known as Mr. Dressup
• Laura Creavalle, Guyanese-born Canadian/American professional bodybuilder
• Ilona Duczynska, Polish-Hungarian communist revolutionary, active in Hungary, Austria, England and Canada
• Perdita Felicien, Olympic track and field athlete
• Dale Goldhawk, journalist and consumer rights advocate
• Glenn Healy, former NHL goalie, member of 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers
• Kristen Holden-Ried, actor
• Nikkita Holder, Olympic track and field athlete
• Mark Holland, politician
• Craig Hutchison, Olympic swimmer
• Spider Jones, former professional boxer, media/radio personality
• Cory Joseph, NBA player for the Detroit Pistons
• Sheri Kershaw, Canadian musician, singer and songwriter
• Jonathan Langdon, actor
• Andrea Lewis, singer, actor and songwriter
• Manafest, Christian rap rock musician
• Shawn Mendes, singer and songwriter
• Caroline Nichols Churchill, American feminist, author, and editor
• Denis T. O’Connor, former Roman Catholic archbishop of Toronto
• Daniel David Palmer, the founder of chiropractic
• Griffen Palmer, country music singer-songwriter
• Paul Peschisolido, professional soccer player who played in England as a striker and was the Manager of Burton Albion F.C.
• Jaime Peters, professional soccer player who plays midfield for Ipswich Town in the United Kingdom
• Karl Polanyi, professor of economics at Columbia University and author of The Great Transformation
• Tony Sharpe, Olympic bronze medalist in the 4 x 100 metre relay at the 1984 Summer Olympics
• Kailen Sheridan, soccer goalkeeper for the Canada women’s teamNEWS, Kailen Sheridan eager to fill Canada’s ‘keeper shoes left behind by retired Labbé,www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/soccer-kailen-sheridan-canada-womens-team-molinaro-june-22-1.6497650,
• Sarah Slean, singer
• Tyler Stewart, Barenaked Ladies drummer/singer
• Chris Van Vliet, journalist
• Bree Williamson, actress best known for her role as Jessica Buchanan on soap opera One Life to Live
• Neil Young, rock singer-songwriter, lived in Pickering in his youth

In popular culture

Film

• The 1957 CBC/Hollywood production of the classic television show Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans was filmed in Pickering. A farm at the corner of Valley Farm Rd. and 3rd Concession, owned by Arthur Gottlieb, was the setting for the 25-episode series.
• The 1979 film The Black Stallion was shot at a farm on Sideline 34 in north Pickering near Altona.
• The Canadian television show Paradise Falls{{’}} first season was filmed in the village of Whitevale, as was David Cronenberg’s film The Dead Zone.
• The 1994 comedy The Ref, with Denis Leary and Kevin Spacey, was filmed in part at Port Pickering Marina, on Frenchman’s Bay.
• The 1995 family/adventure film Salt Water Moose, starring Timothy Dalton and Lolita Davidovitch, was filmed in and around Frenchman’s Bay.
• The 1998 comedy/action film The Big Hit, with Mark Wahlberg, Lou Diamond Phillips, Avery Brooks, Christina Applegate and Elliott Gould, was partly filmed in Pickering near Petticoat Creek.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}}
• The 2003 two-part mini-series Lives of the Saints, based on Nino Ricci’s award-winning trilogy co-starring Sophia Loren, filmed scenes on a farm just north of Pickering.
• Pickering Museum Village has been used as a setting in Road to Avonlea, Little Men, and the films Anne of Green Gables and Lantern Hill.
• The final scene in Boondock Saints 2: All Saints’ Day was filmed in Pickering.

TV

• A television adaptation of Jack Reacher was partially filmed in North PickeringWEB,www.durhamregion.com/news-story/10388498-what-s-going-on-here-more-filming-of-jack-reacher-planned-for-north-pickering/, What’s Going on Here: More filming of ‘Jack Reacher’ planned for north Pickering, 10 May 2021,

See also

• List of townships in Ontario

Literature

• Wood, William Robertson (1911). Past years in Pickering: Sketches of the History of the Community. Retrieved at the website “Our Roots – Nos Racines”, University of Calgary/Université Laval.BOOK, Wood, William R., Past Years in Pickering – Sketches of the History of the Community, 1911, William Briggs, Toronto, ON,cdm22007.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p22007coll8/id/325979,

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

External links

{{Commons category|Pickering, Ontario}}{{Wikivoyage|Pickering (Ontario)}}

• {{officialwww.pickering.ca}}

{{Geographic location| Centre = PickeringUxbridge, Ontario>UxbridgeScugog, Ontario>ScugogWhitby, Ontario>WhitbyAjax, Ontario>Ajax| South = Lake Ontario| Southwest = TorontoMarkham, Ontario>Markham| Northwest = Whitchurch-Stouffville}}{{Durham region}}{{Greater Toronto Area}}{{Great Lakes Megalopolis}}{{Authority control}}{{Coord|43.8354|N|79.0890|W|type:city_region:CA-ON|display=title}}