I often joke with my Council colleagues about how unique Ward 1 is. For instance, we border four other municipalities: Toronto, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, and…Markham!
All kidding aside, I do consider Ward 1 unique and I’ve been proud to call Thornhill home for 35 years and to now represent it on Markham Council.
Not only is it the most populous of Markham’s eight wards, but it is also home to the highest proportion of seniors in our city and includes Markham’s very first community centre, as well as two libraries (the only Markham Ward with two), a Heritage District, a former landfill now Natural Habitat, the Langstaff GO Train station, an approved subway extension with 5 stations, and development pressure unlike any other area of our city.
To view a map of Ward 1 click here.
Ward 1 Demographics 2016
All data is from the Statistics Canada 2016 Census.
Ethnic Origin
The most frequently reported ethnic origins in Ward 1 were Asian (48%) and European (37%).
Language (Mother Tongue)
The most frequently spoken mother tongue languages after English (45%), were Persian (Farsi) at 12% and Cantonese at 9%.
Religion
Within the 75% of the population who reported a religious affiliation, the largest percentage was Christian (48%). Jewish followed next at 16% and then Muslim at 9%. Almost one-quarter (22%) of Ward 1 residents reported no religious affiliation.
Visible Minorities
Over half (54%) of Ward 1’s population were identified as a visible minority. The most frequently reported visible minority groups were Chinese (21%) and West Asian (11%).
Immigrant Status and Place of Birth
56% of Ward 1’s population were immigrants, 42% were non-immigrants, and 2% were non-permanent residents. Just over two-thirds (69%) of all immigrants were born in Asia.
Age of Population
More than half of Ward 1 residents (59%) are over 40 years of age, with most (37%) being within the 40-64 age group.
Household Size
More than 1 in 10 households consist of one person (19%), and 1 in 10 households (9%) consist of 5 or more people.
Household Income (2010)
About 1 in 5 households (14%) had a household income over $200,000.
Education
More than 2 in 3 people (68%) aged 15 and over had completed some form of postsecondary education.
Labour Force Status
Approximately two-thirds (65%) of the population aged 15 and over was in the labour force, and 60% were employed.
Place of Work Status
The majority (78%) of the employed population worked at a usual place of business.
Labour Force by Occupation
Almost half of the labour force (40%) was employed in sales and service, and business, finance and administration.
Labour Force by Industry
Almost half of the labour force (49%) was employed in one of the following industries: professional, scientific and technical services; retail trade; finance, insurance, real estate; health care and social assistance.