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Ajax - Tourism and Travel Information

On September 10, 1939, Canada declared war on Germany. On that day, the present site of the Town of Ajax was peaceful rolling farmland nestled on the edge of Lake Ontario in Pickering Township. The first white settlers had arrived to start their new life in a new land 150 years prior. In 1941, this farmland became the site of Defence Industries Limited (D.I.L.), Pickering Works, a vast shell filling plant that employed over 9,000 people at peak production and created 30 miles of railroad and 30 miles of roads. People came from all over Canada to work at D.I.L. The community name came from the first significant British naval victory of World War 11. HMS Ajax and her sister ships engaged and routed the powerful German pocket battleship Graf Spee at the Battle of the River Plate, becoming worldwide symbols of courage and determination. Ajax was chosen as the name of this war-born community.

In 1945, World War II ended. As the young veterans returned home, accommodation was required for thousands of additional university students. Consequently, the University of Toronto leased much of the D.I.L. plant to house the new flood of engineering students. By 1949, the last year of the University of Toronto, Ajax Division, some 7,000 engineering students had received their basic training here.

Many people who worked or lived in Ajax wanted to remain here. Ajax became a planned modern community using the wartime base for its post-war foundation. Industry and people came from everywhere to take advantage of the many assets of Ajax - its schools, its churches, its hospital, its steam plant, its comprehensive planning, its geography - close to Toronto but setting a separate pace - and its friendly, industrious, involved citizens.

The history of Ajax is everywhere as most of the streets in Ajax are named after the crew and officers of the HMS Ajax. The main street, Harwood Ave., is named for Commodore Henry H. Harwood, commander of HMS Ajax, HMS Exeter and HMS Achilles. On some streets you can find a tree dedicated to the veteran after whom it is named.

Our unique history can be explored in walking tours of the town. Harwood Points Gardens show the early history of Ajax, including its pre-naming era when it was home to Defence Industries Limited. Pickering Village offers a different glimpse on the past. Among the early settlers to the area, once known simply as Duffins Creek, was Timothy Rogers, a prominent Quaker and colonizer who built a saw and grist-mill in 1809. A historical plaque commemorates the area`s founding. A walking tour of Pickering Village reveals many historically significant buildings and cemeteries.

Ajax has over 465 acres of parkland and natural areas throughout the town. The Lake Ontario waterfront, the longest undeveloped waterfront in the Toronto area, provides kilometers of walking and bike trails. Greenwood Conservation Area offers hiking, a clear-running creek perfect for rainbow trout fishing, picnic shelters and washrooms. Test your skill on our golf courses, or test your luck on the slots and cheer on your favourites at Ajax Downs Horse Race Track.