Acton

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Acton
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      History:

      Acton was settled in the 1820s. At first it was not much more than a crossroads hamlet. The first store was the Danville general store. The community adopted the Danville name. That descriptive was soon replaced by the name Adamsville which made reference to the four Adams brothers who were travelling methodist preachers turned farmers. The Adams were industrious and established a mill complex on the banks of the Credit River putting Acton on the map. In 1844 the Acton post office was opened. The first postmaster Robert Swan is credited with coming up with the Acton name. The arrival of the Grand Trunk Railway which opened a station in Acton in 1856 was the impetus for Acton’s growth as it provided a way to ship locally manufactured goods out of town. These were primarily leather goods. The tanning industry in Acton was so successful it earned the community the name “Leathertown”. At one point the Beardmore Tanning Company, founded in 1865, was thought to be the largest tannery in the British Empire. As the local businesses grew so did the population leading to Acton’s incorporation as a Village in 1874. Acton Town Hall reflected the growth of this community when it opened in 1882. This magnificent Italianate building originally served as a municipal office and hosted popular Saturday night dances. Acton Town Hall has been restored to its original splendour and has maintained its prominence in the community as a cherished meeting place for a variety of community organizations and events.

      Overview:

      Acton has a number of iconic landmarks including an old fashioned Main Street, a historic Town Hall, its very own Fairy Lake. Railway lines criss-cross the town with the unmistakeable whistle of an approaching train heard from far and wide. True to its pioneer routes Acton even has a working mill that incredibly has been in continuous operation since the early 1800s. .The P&H Milling Group manufactures flour that is shipped to bakeries and food services companies across Ontario. Another Acton landmark, The Olde Hide House, was formerly part of a tannery and is now the largest and most popular leather store in Canada and a popular tourist destination. Everything new is old again in “Leathertown”.

      Lifestyle:

      Historic downtown Acton centred at Main and Mill Streets is a vibrant shopping district with an eclectic mix of shops, services and restaurants that are situated in commercial heritage buildings that date back to the 1800s. Acton Market Place on Queen Street at the approach to Acton is a large open air shopping plaza anchored by a Sobeys grocery store, Rexall pharmacy, No Frills grocery store and McDonalds.

      Homes:

      Acton has the greatest variety of houses possibly anywhere in the Greater Toronto Area. There are houses from virtually every decade from the mid 1800s right up to the present. The downtown is where you will find the heritage houses. These are mostly brick exteriors and feature magnificent front porches, and Victorian accents. Within the downtown core you will also find labourers cottages, bungalows, split-level homes, Ranch-style bungalows, and tudor and colonial revival style houses. The newer home subdivision on the periphery of town take their cue from Acton’s heritage homes with traditional architectural styles and accents.

      Recreation:

      Acton has numerous parks, the largest of these being Acton Sports Park off Highway 7, at the approach to town. This park has numerous sports fields, a skateboard park and access to trails. Adjacent to the park is the Acton Arena and Community Centre a large modern facility that features four ice pads used for organized hockey, skating lessons, ball hockey and lacrosse. Prospect Park located in the old section of Acton overlooking Fairly Lake is the home of the Acton Fall Fair. There are also sports fields and a children’s playground at this scenic park.

      Arts:

      Acton Town Hall located at 19 Willow Street North is a neighbourhood landmark. This magnificent heritage building with its distinctive bell tower is a neighbourhood hub for arts and culture. Some of the activities that take place here include: Movie Nights, Dances, Bazaars, Art Shows and Recitals. There are also community meeting rooms that can be rented for a variety of social functions.

          Acton Stats

          Walkability:

          High

          Bikeability:

          High

          Public Transit:

          High

          Affordability:

          Medium

          Greenspace:

          High

          Recreation:

          High

           

          Legend: Low, Medium, High

          Commute Times

          Time to Closest Shopping Mall:
          20 Minutes
          Time to GO Bus or Train Station:
          5 Minutes
          Time To Hospital:
          20 Minutes
          Time to Toronto Pearson International Airport
          40 Minutes
          Time to Closest Highway:
          20 Minutes

          * All commuting times provided are approximate times only. Commute times may increase or decrease depending on where you live within the neighbourhood and the time of day i.e rush hour versus off hour commutes. Time estimates to public transit are based on walking distance or bus line connection whichever is quicker. All other commute times on the chart above are based on drive times.