Wedding in Ajax
Ajax(2006 population 90,167) is a town located in the Golden Horseshoe of south central Ontario, Canada.
Ajax is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and the Regional Municipality of Durham. It is approximately 25 km east of Toronto on the shores of Lake Ontario and is bordered by the City of Pickering to the West and the Town of Whitby to the East.
Today, Ajax is commonly considered part of the Greater Toronto Area, in the eastern part of the Golden Horseshoe region.
As is true for most suburban areas in the Greater Toronto Area, Ajax has grown considerably since the 1980s. What was once a small town mostly surrounded by agricultural areas has increasingly become a bedroom community to Toronto, Ontario and its environs. Many residents commute to work in Toronto or other municipalities in Durham Region.
The following is a summary of major changes in the past several decades:
Rapid population growth leading to suburban sprawl. As the town becomes increasingly built-out, the Town is attempting to increase intensity of development, particularly in the downtown area near Harwood Avenue north of Bayly. However, development in Ajax still principally consists of single-family detached houses on separate lots, and so the fundamental nature of the town seems fixed for the near future.
Increased traffic congestion, aggravated by the relatively narrow aspect of Highway 401 through Durham Region, compared to other parts of the GTA, as well as limited capacity on major roads such as Taunton Road and Rossland Road. Long term plans including widening regional roads and Highway 401, extending Highway 407, and increasing Durham Region Transit service may alleviate this to some degree.
Increasing multiculturalism, with many young ethnic professionals into the newer northern parts of Ajax, making a much more heterogeneous town than had previously existed.
Increased crime, including personal property crimes and home invasions, reflecting changes in crime patterns in the GTA overall.
Ajax is governed by an elected town Council consisting of a Mayor, and local Councillors representing each of the town's four wards. In addition, two Regional Councillors each represent a pair of wards. The Mayor and the Regional councillors sit on both Ajax Town Council and Durham Region Council.
The current council was elected in November 2006. The members of the council are:
Mayor: Stevey P.
Members of Council:
Scott Crawford - Regional Councillor (Wards 1 and 2)
Colleen Jordan - Regional Councillor (Wards 3 and 4)
Shaun Collier - Councillor, Ward 1
Joe Dickson - Councillor, Ward 2
Joanne Dies - Councillor, Ward 3
Pat Brown - Councillor, Ward 4
In the past, Council has sat for a three year term, but the Ontario Legislature has recently introduced legislation increasing the length of municipal council terms in Ontario to four years. The next municipal election will therefore be in November 2010.
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