EXPLORE ANCASTER
The Town of Ancaster boasts the third oldest municipal charter in Ontario being incorporated as a Police Village in 1793. Many of the aspects that made it an attractive place to work over 200 years ago are still evident today. Ancaster is located at the headwaters of the western end of Lake Ontario, atop the Niagara Escarpment.
The urban area is concentrated around the former Police Village in the northeast corner of the Municipality where the Niagara Escarpment is the most prominent physical feature.
The town is triangular in shape, consisting of a land area of 174.55 square kilometres (67.39 square miles), of which approximately 15 per cent is urbanized. The rural land area is comprised of an active farm community and the conservation lands of the Dundas Valley. Many walking trails, including the former TH & B rail line, are available for hiking enjoyment.
Large chunks of rugged limestone rock protruding from the ground are evidence of the nearly buried Niagara Escarpment. Retreating glaciers deposited huge piles of debris (the wildly rugged hills you've been cycling down) at the head of the Dundas Valley. These glacial deposits actually cover the Escarpment further to the West. The dramatic rock face becomes more visible as you progress eastward, eventually rising a few hundred feet above the Valley floor.
Wildflowers, ferns and shrubs also grace Ancaster's natural areas in abundance. Spring woods are carpeted with trilliums and lilies. Summer brings great sweeps of brightly coloured wild phlox, while autumn meadows and roadsides glow with the warm tones of goldenrod and asters. Throughout these seasons many other wildflowers large and small, bright and subtle, delight both eye and spirit. Red osier dogwood and witch hazel lend warm colour to the winter landscape.
The town of Ancaster provides a variety of active and passive recreational opportunities. The recently constructed Morgan Firestone Arena features a multi-purpose atrium and an Olympic size ice surface suitable for tournament play. Outdoor facilities adjacent to the community centre include four baseball diamonds, and three soccer pitches. Neighbourhoods now being developed include two additional sub-community scale parks with a broad range of facilities.
The town has the benefit of being on the brow of the Niagara Escarpment with its natural areas and trails. The Dundas Valley Conservation Area, under public ownership, provides many miles of hiking/cycling trails and beautiful scenery. A highlight is the Rails-to-Trails conversion of the former TH & B rail line which will connect Ancaster to Brantford and Hamilton. Public and private golf courses which accommodate various levels of play are located throughout the Town, most notably, one of the oldest golf courses in Canada, The Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
Housing in Ancaster has been known for its estate houses cascading down the side of Dundas Valley, notably in the Sulphur Springs Road/Lover Lane area. This and other historic development trends have resulted in most homes being owner occupied. The result is predominately sing detached dwellings.
With the development of the recently expanded urband neighbourhoods (Meadowlands, Garner, Shaver, Meadowbrook) the housing mix is now becoming more diversified. While housing starts since 1992 have included townhouse developments, both condominium and freehold, detached dwellings have maintained a large percentage of the total housing starts.
Hamilton District Christian High School , Grades: 9-13 92 Glancaster Road. Tel 648-6655, Fax 648-3139.
The website address for School Board, Le Conseil scolaire public de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest, is the following:
www.csdcso.on.ca
St. Anne Catholic Elementary School
24 Fiddler's Green Road, Tel 648-4320
C.H. Bray Public School, 99 Dunham Dr. Tel 648-4353.
Ancaster High Vocational School,
374 Jerseyville Rd, W Tel 648-4468
St. Joachim Elementary School, 781 students with 41 classes of students. The school has a main building and two sets of portable classrooms making up 10 classes outside of the main building. 75 Concerto Crt, Tel 648-6642,
Rousseau School , 103 McNiven Rd. Tel 648-6142
ANCASTER LIBRARY Ancaster Municipal Building 300 Wilson Street East, Tel: 648-6911, Fax:648-2961 Hours: (Canada Day to Labour Day) Monday to Friday 10-9 (summer 10-8) Saturday 10-5.
Halton District School Board
This site provides information about the Halton Board and Internet sites of interest to educators.
Halton Catholic District School Board
This site provides information about the Halton Catholic District School Board and sites of interest to teachers, students, parents, and educators.
Hamilton Wentworth District School Board
Latest developments in the organization, functions, activities of the board
The following is a list of area schools and links to websites
Ancaster Little Gems Children's Centre 339 Wilson Street East. This centre provides full day, half day, part time, kindergarten and school-age care for children from birth to 9 years of age. The centre is open from 7:00 am to 6:00 PM Monday to Friday. For further information call the Director, Karen Kergan at 648-8778
Ancaster Small Fry Preschool Co-operative 20 Gilbert Avenue. This centre provides half-day care only from 9:00 am to 11:30 am Monday to Friday for children aged 18 months to 5 years. The centre is closed from June to September, Christmas and March Breaks. Contact either Constance Marshall or Louise Gourlay at 648-4631 or 648-2264 for further information
Family of Children Montessori School 31 Sulpher Springs Road. This centre provides half-day care only from 9:00 am to 11:30 am and 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM, Monday to Friday for children aged 2 1/2 to 5 years of ages. This is a bilingual centre and is closed from Mid-June until September, Christmas and March breaks. Contact Daylene Lumis, Administrator at 648-0173 or 527-4748 for further information.
Happy Times Co-operative Preschool 91 Carrington Court. This centre provides half-day care only from 9:15 am to 11:15 am and 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M., Monday to Friday for children aged 2 years to 5 years. This centre is closed June until September, Christmas and March breaks. This centre has a subsidy contract. For more information contact either Cathy Cook or Angela Topolinsky at 648-2764.
Jacks and Jills Co-op Preschool 265 Wilson Street East. This centre provides half-day care only from 9:00 am to 11:30 am, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for children aged 2 1/2 to 5 years. the centre is closed June until September, Christmas and March breaks. This centre also has a subsidy contact. For more information contact the centre supervisor, Ruth Hewson at 648-2731.
Rainbow Preschool Centre 37 Halson Street. This centre provides Half-day and part time care from 9:00 am to 11:30 am, Monday to Friday for children aged 18 months to 5 years. This centre is closed from mid-June to mid-September. For more information call the director, Lori McCourt at 648-0202.
St. Joachim Children's Centre of Ancaster Inc. 75 Concerto Court. This centre provides full-day, Kindergarten and School age care for children aged 2 /12 to 12 years. The centre is open from 7:15 am to 5:45 PM, Monday to Friday. This centre has a subsidy contract and is located inside St. Joachim Elementary School. This centre is WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE. for further information call Cynthia Moll, Supervisor, at 648-0078
Village Tree Child Care 126 Wilson Street East. This centre provides full-day, part-time, kindergarten and school age care for children from birth to 9 years, 7:00 am to 6:00 PM, Monday to Friday. This centre has a subsidy contract for children over the age of 18 months (not available for infant care). For more information contact the centre supervisor, Wendy Herbert at 648-1838.
YMCA School Age Child Care : The YMCA offers school age care for children aged 6 to 12 years. They are currently located at C.H. Bray Public School (90 Dunham Drive) Fessendan Public School (168 Huron Avenue), Grange Public School (306 Woodworth Drive), and at Rousseau Public School (163 McNiven Road). Hours of operation are from 7:30 am to 9:00 am and/or after school until 6:00 PM, Monday to Friday. Both location are closed for July and August. For more information call Jennifer Andreychuck, Area Supervisor, at 574-9400.
PRESCHOOLS
ROYAL BANK
59 WILSON ST W
905-648-4411
TORONTO-DOMINION BANK
469 WILSON ST E
905-648-7222
BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA
851 GOLF LINKS RD
905-304-4100
BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA
356 WILSON ST E
905-648-7808
Ancaster's location provides convenient access to Central Ontario and the U.S.A. Provincial Highway No.403 bisects the Town connecting it to Toronto and Buffalo to the southeast, and London, Windsor, and Detroit to the west. This corridor is frequently used to connect these two U.S.A. boarder crossings. The Town's Business Park enjoys a location in close proximity to the 400 series highway system with access ramps located to the east and west. The completion of the Red Hill Creek Expressway, providing a connection from Highway No. 403 in Ancaster to the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) at Stoney Creek, will improve access along the Detroit/Buffalo corridor, the Hamilton International Airport, the Hamilton Harbour, and the Town's 55,740 square metres (600,000 square feet) retail power centre. Access to Kitchener-Waterloo area is provided by Highway #8.
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Here are some helpful Ancaster and local area links
