Oakville (Ontario)

Oakville is a town of 190,000 people (2016) on the north shore of Lake Ontario, about 30 km west of Toronto.

History
In 1805, the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada bought the lands between Etobicoke and Hamilton from the Mississaugas Aboriginal people, except for the land at the mouths of Twelve Mile Creek (Bronte Creek), Sixteen Mile Creek, and along the Credit River. In 1807, British immigrants settled the area surrounding Dundas Street and on the shore of Lake Ontario.

In 1820, the Crown bought the area surrounding the waterways. The area around the creeks, 960 acres (3.9 km²), ceded to the Crown by the Mississaugas, was auctioned off to William Chisholm in 1827. He left the development of the area to his son, Robert Kerr Chisholm, and his brother-in-law, Merrick Thomas. Chisholm also formed shipbuilding business in Oakville Navy Street and Sixteen Mile Creek (Halton Region) and lasted until 1842, but shipbuilding in Oakville lasted into the late 20th century.

The population in 1846 was 1,500. The community shipped large quantities of wheat and lumber via schooners and the railway. There were three churches, a grist mill and saw mill, and various small companies making threshing machines, wagons, watches, saddles, and metal goods. There were also tradesmen of various types.

Oakville's industries included shipbuilding. In the 1850s, there was an economic recession and the foundry, the most important industry in town, was closed. Basket-making became a major industry in the town, and the Grand Trunk Railway was built through it. In 1869, the population was 2,000. The community was served by the Great Western Railway and it was a port on Lake Ontario.

The town eventually became industrialized with the opening of Cities Service Canada (later BP Canada, and now Petro Canada) and Shell Canada oil refineries (both now closed), the Procor factory (no longer manufacturing), and, most importantly, the Ford Motor Company's Canadian headquarters and plant, all close to the Canadian National Railway and the Queen Elizabeth Way highway between Toronto and Fort Erie (Buffalo).

In 1962, the town of Oakville merged with its neighbouring villages (Bronte, Palermo, Sheridan, and the remainder of Trafalgar Township) to become the new Town of Oakville.

By car
The Queen Elizabeth Way runs around the west end of Lake Ontario from Niagara Falls through Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga and becomes the Gardiner Expressway into downtown Toronto. Through Oakville it merges with Highway 403. Exit at Trafalgar Road for a quick route south into the downtown area. Highways 401 and 407 (an expensive toll route) also pass further north of the town.

Oakville and the surrounding area are home to many daily commuters into Toronto, where most highways during peak hours are stop-and-go. As the main road from Toronto to Hamilton, the Queen Elizabeth Way often slows to a standstill. Exiting at Ford Drive and going south to Lakeshore or Cornwall Drive or north to Upper Middle Road (all major, parallel routes) may be a better idea if traffic is unusually bad.

By train
Oakville has two railway sections:

Amtrak, GO Transit, and VIA Rail provide rail services to Oakville:
 * Amtrak operates the Maple Leaf train service daily between Toronto and New York City, in partnership with VIA Rail Canada. Stops between Toronto and New York City include in Oakville, Burlington, Grimsby, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls (Ontario), Niagara Falls (New York), Buffalo, Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Rome, Utica, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers.  Border crossing processing takes place in Niagara Falls, where passengers must detrain with their baggage.  Train crew members are staffed by VIA Rail within Canada, and by Amtrak within the United States.
 * Operates the following route to Oakville, stopping at Oakville GO station:
 * Between Windsor and Toronto including stops in Chatham, London, Ingersoll, Woodstock, Brantford, Burlington, and Oakville. Operates multiple times daily.
 * Between Windsor and Toronto including stops in Chatham, London, Ingersoll, Woodstock, Brantford, Burlington, and Oakville. Operates multiple times daily.

Get around
Walking is convenient around the downtown core and Bronte areas, and parking is easily available. Elsewhere driving or public transit is easier.

Public transportation
Oakville Transit operates bus routes around the city. Fares can be paid by exact cash fare or by the Presto card used by GO Transit and other municipal transit systems within the Greater Toronto Area. The single cash fare price for riders ages 13+ is $4.00. Riders may also pay by tapping a credit or debit card on the Presto reader in which case the cash fare will be charged. The Presto adult (ages 20-64) single fare is $3.30. Children ages 0 to 12 years old can ride fare-free when travelling with an accompanying adult. If they're travelling independently they require a valid "child" Presto card even though it does not charge a fare upon tapping the bus reader. Youths ages 13 to 19 and seniors 65+ travelling in possession of a valid Presto card set to youth or senior fare types are entitled to the free Oakville bus rides all day every day.

A fare allows for 2 hours of travel on Oakville Transit (OT) including changing OT buses, or transferring to connecting MiWay (Mississauga) and Burlington Transit buses. If paying by cash, ask for a "transfer" to use as a receipt. For Presto credit and debit card users, transfer info is tracked to your card when you tap on.

If transferring from GO Transit to Oakville Transit (OT) to complete a trip, the OT fare will be free when using a Presto card or a credit card. Just tap your Presto card on both transit systems to get the free OT fare. When using a Presto or credit card to transfer from OT to GO Transit, the OT fare will be refunded to your card at the end of your trip.

See

 * Some of the best ambience is found south of the downtown area between Navy Street and Reynolds Rd. Many century-old homes are also located in this area, and have a plaque by the front door showing year built and the name of the first owner.
 * If you like to dream or enjoy interesting architecture, driving along Lakeshore Road east of the downtown area showcases many grand homes and mansions.
 * If you like to dream or enjoy interesting architecture, driving along Lakeshore Road east of the downtown area showcases many grand homes and mansions.

Parks
There are many parks in Oakville.
 * Try walking along the pedestrian pathways bordering Lake Ontario, along the waterfront.
 * The Trans Canada Trail, winding from coast to coast, runs through the town.
 * Oakville also has many other parks for kids and a great atmosphere all year round.
 * Oakville also has many other parks for kids and a great atmosphere all year round.

Drink
Oakville has little nightlife to speak of for a city of 190,000 people.

Stay safe
Oakville is a very safe town. Unless you get reckless, visiting Oakville shouldn't pose any danger to you.