Woodbridge (Ontario) 6.04

Woodbridge is a large suburban community in the City of Vaughan, just north of Toronto in Southern Ontario. Situated west of Highway 400 and east of Highway 50, north of Steeles Avenue, and south Of Major MacKenzie Drive West. It was once an independent town before being amalgamated with nearby communities to form the city in 1971. Its traditional downtown core is the Woodbridge Avenue stretch between Islington Avenue and Kipling Avenue north of Highway 407.HistoryThe community had its origins with the British Crown granting the west half of lots six and seven, concession 7 of Vaughan Township to Jacob Philips and Hugh Cameron in 1802. During the early half the 19th century, a school was built on Vaughan's eighth concession; and a flour mill and store flourished at Pine Grove, which is among the oldest areas of the city. A scattering of houses arose around Smith's mill (presently Hayhoe Mills on Pine Grove). Smith's mill later became known as Smithsville, but was eventually incorporated into the town of Woodbridge. A similar settlement, known as Brownsville, came into being around a mill run by John Brown on the Humber River on what is today Wallace Street in today's downtown Woodbridge business section. Woodbridge proper, however, did not begin to take the form of a settlement or village until the arrival of Rowland Burr in 1837.The settlement's name was changed to Woodbridge in 1855 because there was already a settlement named Burrwick. The name was taken from the wooden bridge that crossed the Humber River as an entry point into town. The historic bridge was located close to what is today Islington Avenue and Langstaff Road, on Langstaff looking north. A replica bridge circa 1930 made out of concrete remains close to the original bridge location and is accessible from Boyd Park and to a city maintenance facility. The bridge has been rebuilt as of 2016 and instead of being wooden, it is now made of metal.