Ajax

Ajax was established in 1941 as a wartime munitions production centre. where a workforce of up to 9000 people filled 40 million shells for the war effort. The University of Toronto briefly used the former munitions factory site as a technical school (1945-1949) which trained 7000 engineers. The town hosted various industries in the post-war era. The first town council was elected in 1954; the Village of Pickering and lakeside Town of Pickering Beach were annexed to the Town of Ajax when Durham Region was created on January 1, 1974.
The remainder of Pickering Township is now the City of Pickering. Since the 1980s, Ajax has become a steadily growing sprawl of single-family suburban homes. The town is named for a World War II Royal Navy cruiser, one of three warships (HMS Ajax, HMS Exeter and HMS Achilles) responsible for the first major British victory of the war; German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee was defeated at the Battle of the River Plate near Montevideo, Uruguay in December 1939.

• By car, take Ontario Highway 401, the main freeway of the Windsor-Quebec corridor. Exit on Westney Road or Harwood Avenue.
• Megabus (Coach Canada) stops at Whitby's GO station on their way into Toronto from Kingston and Montréal. From there, GO and DRT provide connections within Durham region.
• GO Transit operates commuter trains and buses between Toronto and Oshawa with trains stopping at Whitby GO Station.
• Via Rail stops in Oshawa and Toronto, with connections to GO commuter trains.
• The only major international airport in the region is on the far side of Toronto, in Malton. Small private chartered aircraft may be able to fly into Oshawa or Buttonville.

• Durham Regional Transit operates bus service in Ajax-Pickering and Oshawa-Whitby.
• Ajax Taxi (109 Dundas St W, +1 905-686-8888) serves Ajax and Whitby.
• Blue Line Taxi (+1 905-837-3000) serves Ajax-Pickering.

• Veterans' Point Gardens

  address: at the foot of Harwood Avenue
  A lakefront memorial to HMS Ajax, the Defence Industries Limited factory and workers who made Ajax their wartime home. The street lamps are intended to resemble ship's masts. Sir Henry Harwood (January 19,1888-June 9, 1950) served as Commodore on the HMS Ajax in 1939-1940.

Ajax has five golf courses, 90km of trails and sixty parks and playgrounds.

• Ajax Community Theatre

  phone: +1 289-892-4132
  Performances are held at the St. Francis Centre, 78 Church Street South.

• Ajax Downs

  phone: +1 905-686-8001
  address: 50 Alexander’s Crossing
  Horse race track with slot machines. Getaway Restaurant on site.

• Ajax Waterfront

  address: on Lake Ontario
  150 acres of parkland on 6km (four miles) of waterfront; includes 7 km of multi-use trail for walking, jogging, cycling and in-line skating. Picnic area, open spaces for recreational activities.

• Greenwood Conservation AreaOn Duffins Creek, picnic area, campsites for scouts/guides and youth groups. Pumpkinville fall festival includes horse-drawn wagon rides, pumpkin patch and family pumpkin carving contest, inflatable rides, a Haunted House, face painting, children's activities, live entertainment, interactive experiences and a haunted trail walk.

• St. Francis Centre

  phone: +1 905-619-2529 ext 2787
  address: 78 Church Street South
  Former St. Francis de Sales Church, built in 1871 and restored in 2011 as a home for arts, culture and live entertainment.

Events

• Summer in the Square

  address: Heritage Square at Ajax Town Hall, 65 Harwood Avenue South
  Local talent, tribute bands, children's entertainers. Events are moved indoors during inclement weather.

• WinterfestHorse-drawn wagon & dog sled rides, outdoor ice skating with DJ, ice sculptures, ice carving demonstrations, face painting, crafts, live entertainment, community displays, inflatable rides, snow golf, snow painting and snowshoeing. Free hot chocolate.

• Pickering Village

  address: Kingston Road, in west end of the town
  Former village with historic architecture. On Old Kingston Road, the 1817 Toronto-Montréal stagecoach trail and main street which was paved a century later as Ontario Highway 2. Established during the original early-1800s Quaker settlement in the area, this district now houses restaurants, shops and professional services.

There are a hundred restaurants in Ajax; a full list is available on www.visitajax.ca but a few options include:

• Angelique's Family Restaurant

  phone: +1 905-683-5889
  address: 31 Barr Rd

• Blossom Garden

  phone: +1 905-683-8820
  address: 85 Kingston Rd E.
  Chinese.

• House of China

  phone: +1 905-683-2151
  address: 100 Harwood Ave S.
  Family-owned take-out & delivery. Chinese.

• Il Fornello

  phone: +1 905-427-1110
  address: 95 Kingston Rd E.
  Italian trattoria, pizza, one of eight locations in the Toronto area.

• Imperial Buffet

  phone: +1 905-428-0988
  address: 163 Harwood Ave N.

• Mazza Garden

  phone: +1 905-427-9933
  address: 325 Westney Road South
  Mediterranean.

• Mount Everest Indian Cuisine

  phone: +1 905-686-5553
  address: 611 Kingston Rd W.
  Curries and naan.

• Pizza Pino

  phone: +1 905-683-4946
  address: 855 Westney Rd. S.
  Pizzeria.

• Sauter's Inn Restaurant

  address: 109 Old Kingston Rd.
  European.

• Coyote Jack’s Bar & Grill

  phone: +1 905-619-2007
  address: 64 Harwood Ave.

• Fionn MacCool’s

  phone: +1 905-619-9048
  address: 36 Kingston Rd. E.

• Hoops Sports Bar & Grill

  phone: +1 905-686-1114
  address: 1995 Salem Rd. N.

• Lion and Dragon Pub

  phone: +1 416-727-6360
  address: 109 Old Kingston Rd.

• Magwyer’s Pub

  phone: +1 905-426-8877
  address: 105 Bayly St. W.

• Portly Piper Pub and Restaurant

  phone: +1 905-426-9535
  address: 235 Bayly St. W.

• St. Louis Bar & Grill

  phone: +1 905-686-5554
  address: 11 Harwood Ave. S.
  Regional chain serving wings at approximately thirty locations across Ontario.

• The Black Bear Pub and Grill

  phone: +1 905-925-4926
  address: 967 Westney Rd. S.

• Top Shelf Sports Bar & Grill

  phone: +1 905-428-8555
  address: 527 Westney Rd S.

• Hilton Garden Inn Ajax

  phone: +1 905-686-9400
  address: 500 Beck Cres.
  Near Salem Road/401 in South Ajax. Great North American Grill on site.

• Homewood Suites by Hilton

  phone: +1 905-686-5969
  address: 600 Beck Crescent
  All-suite, extended-stay hotel.

• Super 8 Motel

  phone: +1 905-428-6884
  address: 210 Westney Rd. S. at Bayle Street
  64-room economy lodging facility.

• Before the Mast B&B

  phone: +1 905-683-4830
  address: 1144 Shoalpoint Rd.

• Maple Shores Bed and Breakfast

  phone: +1 905-683-3809
  address: 485 Maple Ave.

Ajax is a local telephone call from both Toronto and Oshawa. Wi-fi is commonly available in coffee shops, hotels and fast-food restaurants. There are three Ajax public library branches (one at the town hall, one each at the two community centres) which offer public Internet.