Community Profile
The Town of East Gwillimbury offers easy access to Toronto and the surrounding area, while remaining rural in nature and offering a standard of living that is second to non. The Town is growing rapidly, providing incredible new opportunities to residents and businesses in the area. While currently home to just over 30,000 residents, it is project to be approaching 130,000 residents by 2051.
East Gwillimbury is home to approximately 75% green space and is home to incredible natural beauty. All the of Town's actions are guided by the vision of the Inclusion Charter, which will help ensure that as growth comes, everyone is welcome within East Gwillimbury. This inclusive growth will help the Town grow and support all kinds of unique and exciting business opportunities.
Location
East Gwillimbury is a booming Town located along the beautiful East Holland River. The Town is home to four main population centres, Holland Landing, Queensville, Sharon, and Mount Albert. While home to a growing population, it also houses incredible natural assets, with 75% of the Town comprising green space (i.e., farms, forests, etc.).
East Gwillimbury is ideally located on the northern outskirts of the GTA and in northern York Region. The Town is part of the “northern six” municipalities within the Region (Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Newmarket, and Whitchurch-Stouffville. Figure 1 presents a Location Map of East Gwillimbury located between Lake Simcoe to the north and Toronto to the south, bisected by highway 404.
Demographics
From 2006 to 2016 East Gwillimbury’s population grew considerably at a rate of over 6.5% for each Census period, while Ontario’s population grew by approximately 5% over each census period. However, from 2016 to 2021 East Gwillimbury’s rapid growth sped up tremendously, growing at a rate of 44.37%. Through 2051, growth rates are not expected to slow, with East Gwillimbury’s population projected to reach 128,600 by the mid-century mark. Table 2 presents the population figures along with the percentage change for both East Gwillimbury and the province of Ontario from 2011 to 2021, with East Gwillimbury’s future population projections through 2051.
Labour Force
While many residents commute out of the community for work (as the current job count figures are below 15,000), local opportunities are growing. York Region’s Official Plan projects that by 2031 local employment totals (jobs, not residents working) will approach 16,500, reaching 27,500 by 2041 and 44,300 by 2051.
East Gwillimbury’s labour participation rate and employment rate are significantly higher than the Ontario figures, and the unemployment rate in is slightly lower than in Ontario. These rates are all positive indicators, as they suggest that the local population is engaged in the workforce more than the provincial average (participation and employment rates) and that those who are looking for work are finding it at a better rate than their provincial counterparts (unemployment rate).