Wedding in King City
King City is an affluent, unincorporated village in King Township, Ontario, Canada, located just north of Toronto. It is the largest community in King Township, with 2686 dwellings and a population of 7814.
Located at 43°56'N, 79°31'W, King City is characterized by rolling hills and clustered temperate forests. Although few in number within the town itself, numerous kettle lakes and ponds dot the area. Creeks and streams from this region are the origin source for the East Humber River (as are the streams from as far west as Bolton, Ontario and as far east as Stouffville, Ontario).
Situated on the central portion of the sensitive Oak Ridges Moraine watershed, numerous disputes about planning and development have occurred municipally. Over the past decade, the central issue has been the controversial Big Pipe, a sewerage system connecting to the much larger Durham-York Sewage System (see Politics for further discussion).
Flourishing in the countryside setting are numerous stables and other farms, which is possible because the town occupies 147.938 kmē of land area.
King City has historically been served by septic systems, which proponents of the Big Pipe view as unhygeinic and unsafe. Various studies have been commissioned to study the town's septic systems, but no clear conclusion was reached. These studies were funded by King Township, York Region, or several interested environmental groups, especially those involved with protecting the Oak Ridges Moraine.
In previous elections, wards covering King City have voted to elect councillors against the Big Pipe project. Results for the rest of King Township were mixed. The most recent township election in 2003 elected a council favourable to the Big Pipe.
In 2001, York Region wrested control of King Township's sewage collection system. The Township's council at the time opposed the Big Pipe link, and brought the issue to court. Control of the system was returned to King Township after the 2003 municipal elections, which resulted in a pro-Pipe council, so that the township could request grants for the project from provincial and federal sources.
Proponents of the link cite health concerns about the aging septic systems in the town, and the occasional spill, as reasons to link to the Durham-York system. Opponents instead claim that the health issues of the current septic systems have been embellished, and that the new link will result in poorly controlled growth in the community, and hence urban sprawl.
Through traffic on King Road has become a concern in the past decade, as the number of heavy vehicles has increased significantly. Notably, dump trucks serving new subdivision construction sites in nearby Oak Ridges use King Road to reach Highway 400. Delivery trucks destined for Aurora and Richmond Hill also make use of King Road as a bypass.
Also, the Township borders on Peel Region, which has promoted the extension of Highway 427 from its current terminus at Highway 7 north to the Bradford Bypass. This extension would border the Township, raising concerns about noise pollution in the rural area.
The King City Community Centre and King City Arena host numerous activities, such as youth hockey league matches and yoga classes. They also host many community events throughout the year, and some public King Township meetings.
King City Memorial Park, next to the arena, has two baseball fields, several soccer fields, two children's playgrounds, and four tennis courts (two with lighting). An open, covered area is used for public events and picnics.
A portion of the extensive Oak Ridges Trail passes through King City. The community is creating its own trail network, the King City Trail; the two networks are currently not connected.
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