History of Oakville, Ontario

Oakville`s first industries included ship-building, timber shipment, and wheat farming. In the 1850s, there was an economic recession and the foundry, the most important industry in town, was closed. Basket-making became a major industry in the town, and a railway was built through it. The town eventually became industrialized with the opening of the Petro-Canada refinery, the Procor factory, and, most importantly, the Ford Motor Company Canadian headquarters and factory. In 1962 the town of Oakville merged with its neighbouring villages (Bronte, Palermo, Sheridan, and Trafalgar) to become the new Town of Oakville.

Oakville's Demographics

Oakville is home to a number of ethnic groups. A large segment of the population is formed by those of white ethnic backgrounds - 86.%, largely those of British Isles, Italian, German, French, Polish, and Portuguese origins. Visible minority groups consists of Asian (chiefly East Indian) 4.3%, Chinese 2.2%, and Black 1.9%. A growing mixed race population totals 1.4%. Oakville is younger than Canada in terms of age. Some 21% of the population consists of children (ages 0 - 14), while those over 65 number 10%, resulting in a growth rate of 12% in the 5 years before 2001, and a median age of 36.4 years of age.

Oakville's Climate

Geography of Oakville, Ontario

The city of Oakville is located in southern Ontario, Canada. North of Oakville lies the city of Milton, to the East is Mississauga, to the South is Lake Ontario and to the West is the city of Burlington.

Oakville's Government

At the municipal level, the governing body is the Oakville Town Council consisting of a mayor and twelve councillors. The town is divided into six wards, with two councillors elected to represent each ward. Oakville is divided into two provincial ridings and is currently represented provincially by Bonnie Brown (Oakville Riding-Liberal) and Garth Turner (Halton Riding-Conservative).

Oakville's Economy and Industry

Oakville`s strong economic base offers an excellent location for both new and expanding businesses. Currently, over 250 national and international corporate headquarters represent automotive, technology, business service, aerospace, pharmaceutical and tourism sectors.