The Bronte Community in the Town of Oakville lies between Appleby College and Morden Road in the east and Burloak Drive in the west. It is bounded by the Queen Elizabeth Way and the Burloak Employment District in the north and Lake Ontario in the south. The Community encompasses the neighbourhoods commonly known as West Oakville, Southwest Oakville, Bronte Village and Lakeshore Woods.
The Bronte Community is Oakville's largest in land area. It is made up of two sections: the Hopedale District and the Bronte District.
The Hopedale District is a suburban residential area encompassing most of the eastern portion of the community. It features Hopedale Mall, a community shopping plaza serving local area residents.
The Bronte District is somewhat compact and cohesive, but is considerably more substantial than a local neighbourhood. It boasts the Bronte Community Shopping Area and is known to be a popular tourist destination. The community incorporates the history of the Bronte Village and the waterfront activities of Bronte Harbour.
The community contains six public elementary schools, one public secondary school (T.A. Blakelock), one separate secondary school (St. Thomas Aquinas West Campus) and one private school.
Other institutional uses within the community include churches, day care centers and community recreation centers.
The Bronte Community is the largest community in Oakville, with a population of 27,223 persons according to the 2001 Statistics Canada census data. Some population increases will result from new development within the medium density area near the Bronte Harbour and the Bronte Community Shopping Area, east of the Bronte Creek.
The Bronte Community has a significant proportion of older residents (65+) in the community. According to the census in 2001, 20.3% of the population was made up of senior citizens. This is greater than the overall Oakville total of 10.9%.
The Community also has a considerable number of young people. Of the population, 22% are in the 0-19 age group as compared to the overall Oakville total of 28.4%.
The population of the Bronte Community is expected to grow significantly over the next few years. The Towns Official Plan has planned for the growth and increase in the population of this community.
Parkland and Facilities
The Bronte Community contains numerous parks.
A community park, known as Bronte Athletic Park, is located on the north side of Lakeshore Road West, just east of East Street. This community park provides for active recreation uses with major playing fields. This facility is lighted to extend the hours of operation. An outdoor pool is co-located with the park.
The Bronte Community also contains indoor and outdoor recreational facilities and a recreation centre for seniors (Sir John Colborne Recreation Centre for Seniors).
The Bronte Community contains cycle way routes along Lakeshore Road, Rebecca Street and along the Riggs Road parkland corridor (Donovan Bailey Park).
Amenities
Bronte Harbour
The Bronte Harbour is located at the mouth of the Twelve Mile Creek and is in close proximity to high density residential condominiums to the east. The harbour area is a major waterfront park used for pleasure boating, fishing and skating, and includes restaurants and shopping facilities.
Bronte Harbour Waterfront Park
This major facility was developed in phases. The park has an outer marina of 450 slips, with associated marina services (including launch ramps for transient boats, overnight mooring, and pump outs), boat storage, large areas of passive parkland, walking trails and parking facilities. The harbour accommodates several hundred sail and power boaters. Operated by the Town of Oakville, these recreational facilities provide both enjoyment for the general public and access to the lakefront for boaters and non-boaters alike.
