Berczy Village, Ontario

Berczy Village
Community

Location within York

Coordinates: 43°53′N 79°18′W / 43.883°N 79.300°W / 43.883; -79.300Coordinates: 43°53′N 79°18′W / 43.883°N 79.300°W / 43.883; -79.300
Country  Canada
Province  Ontario
Regional Municipality York
City Markham
Government
 • Founder Frederick Bagg
Area
 • Total 1.69 sq mi (4.37 km2)
Elevation 700 ft (200 m)
Population (2006 Population)[1][2]
 • Total 15,260
 • Density 9,044.2/sq mi (3,491.99/km2)
  Census Tract Numbers 5350403.06 and 5350403.07
Time zone Eastern Standard Time (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (UTC-4)
Postal Code span L6C
Area code(s) 289, 905
Circular pathway along Berczy Park.
Westchester Crescent in Berczy Village.
Facing east on Bur Oak Avenue at the intersection of William Berczy Boulevard and Bur Oak Avenue.

Berczy Village /ˈbɜːrzi/ is a residential community located in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded to the north by Major Mackenzie Drive, to the east by McCowan Road, to the south by 16th Avenue, and to the west by Kennedy Road. This area is just north of the Unionville, Ontario. The community is named after the founder of Markham and one of its earliest settlers, William Berczy. The name can be found on limestone plaques placed throughout the community's many arterial road entrances.

The community is known for its eclectic variety of mixed-income dwellings and the green space found in most subdivisions. Townhouses and some semi-detached homes can be found all along Bur Oak Avenue, whereas semi-detached and detached homes are found on residential streets. It is also noted for the many garage alleyways found behind the townhomes and some semi-detached homes and the plentiful spacious catwalks.

Berczy Village adheres to the city of Markham's development plan for "Smart Growth".[3] The carefully planned urban design scheme puts an emphasis on open space, protection of environmentally sensitive areas, and conservation of woodlots.

History

Bridge at Berczy Park with townhomes in the background.

Berczy Village was established over what was once farmland that belonged to Frederick Bagg, a prominent agriculturalist and Jersey cattle breeder, and his wife Emma. Old historical houses that once belonged to the owners of the land still exist and can be found within the subdivision. It is a highly residential neighbourhood and the construction of the community began in the mid-1990s, with a majority of homes being fully complete in the early 2000s, many built from Madison, Mattamy and Great Gulf homes. Many parts of the Village are still undergoing development and heavy construction, mainly north of Madison Heights Blvd.

The southwestern portion of the community remains undeveloped; it was recently sold to Arista Homes, Fieldgate Homes, Starlane Homes, and Paradise Homes for $100 million.[4] When traveling north or south along Kennedy Road, one will notice a pathway to a house and barn, the Bethesda Lutheran Cemetery, and a few trees stranded in the middle of a massive wheat field. The developers have made preparations for a "tree nursery" to preserve these trees, including the "historic Bur Oak tree".[5]

The Berzcy Village extension known as Upper Unionville will be completed in 2016 and will be themed to resemble Unionville Main Street. The property was farmed by the Beckett family since 1917 until development began in 2011. Streets will be named after the family and historic preservation of the farm home and historic Berzcy cabin will be incorporated into the Upper Unionville plan.

Demographic Information

The demographics of Berczy Village is diverse with residents coming from predominantly East Asian (mostly Chinese Canadian) heritage. Residents of Berczy Village also include South Asian, Middle Eastern, European, African, and mixed heritage Canadian families.

Census Tract 5350403.06
(North of Bur Oak Avenue)[1]		 Census Tract 5350403.07
(South of Bur Oak Avenue)[2]		 Berczy Village Total
Population in 2006 9,079 6,181 15,260
Population Growth
from 2001		 +180% +119% +151.61%
Total Private Dwellings 2,480 1,821 4,301
Private dwellings of usual residents 2,447 1,794 4,241
Population Density
(Persons Per km²)		 4,521.9 2,620.8 3,491.99
Land Area (km²) 2.01 2.36 4.37
Median age of residents 36.0 35.9 35.95
% of population over 15 years old 77.2 77.6 77.4

† Footnote: Based on the 2006 Census.

Parks

A pathway leading into a grove of trees, planted by the Bagg family in the early 1920s.

There are many vast open green space or parkettes that can be found in many places of the community. There are many forest groves in the neighbourhood.

The main parks in Berczy Village are:

A massive park located in the heart of the Village, Bur Oak Avenue divides the park into a north and south portion. The north part includes three soccer fields with bleachers, a playground, a circular pathway, a pond with a bridge, and a parking lot. The southern portion includes an ovular pathway with a baseball diamond, as well as a little stream with a bridge over it.

Named in honour of the former land owner of the area. Located east of All Saints Catholic Elementary School. A plaque in commemoration of Bagg and his family can be found attached to a large rock. The park is fairly small, and consists of a circular pathway encircling a small playground and shelter.

Found in the southern portion of the Village, close to 16th Avenue. It is dedicated in honour of Markham's twin city of Nördlingen in Bavaria, Germany. It contains a small pond with a playground area.

An open space of grass and tall trees located west of the Williamstown Plaza along Bur Oak Avenue.

A new park with a pond and a bronze statue of William Berczy will be built at the corner of Kennedy Road and 16th Avenue.[6]

Politics

Berczy Village is part of the following political districts:

William Berczy Settlement Historical Cemetery

Along Kennedy Road is the William Berczy Settlement Historical Cemetery, formerly Bethesda Church and Burying Ground. The site was once the home of Phillip Eckardt, then home to St. Phiilip's Lutheran Church from 1820 to 1910.

Religious institutions

Churches

Portable buildings located in All Saints Catholic Elementary School's school grounds.

Schools

Castlemore Public School

Transportation

The main arterial roads that pass through Berczy Village are Bur Oak Avenue, Castlemore Avenue, and The Bridle Walk. Other important arterial streets include Ridgecrest Road, Stonebridge Drive, and William Berczy Boulevard.

Public Transit

The following bus routes have services in and around this community:

References

  1. 1 2 Statistics Canada. "Census Tract Profile for Census Tract 5350403.06 (North of Bur Oak Avenue)". Retrieved August 24, 2007.
  2. 1 2 Statistics Canada. "Census Tract Profile for Census Tract 5350403.07 (South of Bur Oak Avenue)". Retrieved August 24, 2007.
  3. ↑ Is the Environment Fragmenting Development? Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ "Builders buy farm for $100M". Markham Economist and Sun. November 5, 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  5. ↑ Jay, Catherine (2 November 2010). "Town of Markham: Report to Development Services Committee". Town of Markham. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
  6. ↑ http://www.markham.ca/wps/portal/Markham/MunicipalGovernment/MayorAndCouncil/MayorsInauguralAddress2014/!ut/p/a1/jZBLb4JAEID_ih70YmQHFwGbmAaxpeuLQkUpl2YhWyTh1WUtsb---Dj0YGsnc5nJN_lmBgXIR0FOP5OYiqTIaXqsA_VtRsCUjTnMLKwMwSAr7cXGz1j3cAO8NoBpGU-KtgAAz5oC0ZyJZy_nGIj6v3n4JQy4Nb9FwQlRbMs0FxvdGbgKACHTzXA1dWRdVW8AzvAC_HXDCfhjyRkKkjCT6iiTQJJHI2gS1MajKQNNOR5p5CHWYxRw9s4449KeN8_dCVHedaADdV1LYZLHUlRkHagY5dHu_mO8TdI0oVlvwnj0dehVgoo961Y8GpOH_rooXVbtU9F9tN1l05Fh7V5T7YpKIP-n4hp1lpaU06xC_sXcOptbZzMqM8-HhPSD8IDTuN3-BoBTfyg!/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/
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