Vandorf, Ontario
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Vandorf is a hamlet located in the town of
Whitchurch–Stouffville Whitchurch-Stouffville ( 2021 population 49,864) is a town in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada, approximately north of downtown Toronto, and north-east of Toronto Pearson International Airport. It is in area, and located in the ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. It is the most westerly settlement within the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville. With a population of approximately 722, Vandorf consists mainly of estate residential homes and farms.


History

Vandorf was founded in the 19th century by the Van Nostrand family. The town was originally named "Brookvale", but the name had to be changed when postal service became available owing to a conflict with another Ontario community of the same name. A town meeting was held and the name Vandorf was selected by combining "Van" (from the founding Van Nostrands) with "Dorf", selected by the predominantly Dutch residents of the day and meaning "Village" in Dutch. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the area around Vandorf had a rich First Nation history, including a 17th-century Huron-Wendat ancestral village overlooking Van Nostrand Lake and the "Old Indian Fort" (or Aurora) site, located at the south-east corner of Kennedy Road and Vandorf Side Road. An important north–south trail (the "Vandorf Trail") led from the headwaters of the Rouge River to Newmarket and Holland Landing crossing the heights at Vandorf. "Perhaps the busiest and best documented of these routes was that which followed the Humber River valley northward ... although another trail of equal importance and antiquity and used earlier than the former by the French, extended from the mouth of the Rouge River northward to the headwaters of the Little Rouge and over the drainage divide to the East Branch of the Holland River at Holland Landing."


Location and features

Downtown Vandorf is located on Woodbine Avenue, approximately 2 km north of Bloomington Road and just east of Highway 404, or via Vandorf Sideroad (2 km south of Aurora Road), which runs east–west starting at Industrial Parkway South in Aurora (westerly point) and ends at Highway 48 in
Whitchurch–Stouffville Whitchurch-Stouffville ( 2021 population 49,864) is a town in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada, approximately north of downtown Toronto, and north-east of Toronto Pearson International Airport. It is in area, and located in the ...
(easterly point). Vandorf has an auto repair shop, community hall and a gas station. The former Vandorf General Store stood for 132 years but was ordered closed by the York Region Board of Health in 2015 and subsequently demolished. The site has been sold and awaits redevelopment. Vandorf is also home to the Vandorf Pylons, a noted senior level hockey team competing in hockey tournaments throughout the province. Villagers passionately support the team, and will often attend games at home and abroad. The Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum & Community Centre is also located in Vandorf, part of Vandorf Park. The park is noted for hosting the Museum’s annual Antique and Classic Car Show, which is open to the general public. The show is typically held on the second Sunday in August. For many years Vandorf Park hosted the annual
Victoria Day Victoria Day () is a federal Canadian public holiday observed on the last Monday preceding May 25 to honour Queen Victoria, who is known as the "Mother of Confederation". The holiday has existed in Canada since at least 1845, originally on Vic ...
Fireworks display held by the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville. This large fireworks display once rivaled those shown at
Ontario Place Ontario Place was an entertainment venue, event venue, and park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The venue is located on three artificial landscaped islands just off-shore in Lake Ontario, south of Exhibition Place, and southwest of Downtown Toron ...
/
Canada's Wonderland Canada's Wonderland, formerly known as Paramount Canada's Wonderland, is a amusement park located in Vaughan, Ontario, a municipality within the Greater Toronto Area. Opened in 1981 by the Taft Broadcasting, Taft Broadcasting Company and the Gr ...
. The town re-located the fireworks event in 2010 to Stouffville due to safety concerns. A rail line owned by
Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...
runs through Vandorf; it is CN's primary freight corridor connecting Greater Toronto to Northern Ontario and Western Canada. This line is currently being considered for future
GO Transit GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven mil ...
train service expansion with a station in Vandorf and Gormley (West). Future residential growth of Vandorf however is limited by provincial Greenbelt legislation. A
railway bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somet ...
is located in Vandorf. In 2024, the historic former Vandorf Community Hall is slated to reopen as Harmony Hall, a concert venue.Calum Slingerland
"York Region Is Getting a New Concert and Events Venue"
''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'', September 16, 2024.


References

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