Keswick is a community located in south central Canadian province of Ontario. Situated north of Toronto on Cook's Bay (part of Lake Simcoe), Keswick is part of the Town of Georgina. In the Canada 2011 Census, the municipal population of Keswick was 25,527.

Keswick is situated on the east shores of Lake Simcoe, along Cook’s Bay. It is bordered in the south by Ravenshoe Road, the east by Woodbine Avenue, the North by Old Homestead Road, and the West by Lake Simcoe. A small portion in the southwest corner of Keswick lies within the Holland Marsh, some of Canada’s most fertile agricultural land, this piece of Keswick is bordered by the Holland River, Bradford, and East Gwillimbury.

Real Estate in Keswick

Keswick is well known for its beautiful beaches on Lake Simcoe, as well as many luxurious lakefront homes and cottages. A large portion of the housing stock between Lake Drive South and Lake Drive North is composed of traditional, 3-season cottages, which have been converted for year-round use, and includes private deeded beach access. Many of the homes in this area of Keswick are now being renovated or rebuilt, since the increasing demand in Keswick has pushed land values up substantially. Riverfront properties developed in a similar pattern.

Streets with lake front properties in Keswick are Lake Drive South, Shangri La Lane, Cameron Crescent, Glenwoods Avenue, Bayview Avenue, Pleasant Boulevard, Willow Drive, Wynhurst Road, South Channel Drive, North Channel Drive, Windy Shore Drive, Cooks Bay Drive, Metropolian Crescent, Shoreline Place, Boyers Road, Walkers Lane, and Lake Drive North.

Other waterfront properties in Keswick can be found on Bruce Street, Canal Road, Robert Street, Shirlea Boulevard, Waterbend Drive, Marina Drive, Mac Ave, Riveredge Drive, and Riverglen Drive.

Other areas in Keswick have been developed into more traditional suburban-style environments, with many subdivisions popping up in the 1980’s, 1990’s, early 2000’s, and present day. The arrival of the Provincial Highway 404 to Ravenshoe Road and Woodbine Avenue in the south of Keswick has added a substantial increase in demand for new homes in Keswick South. The most prominent development in this area is Simcoe Landing, which is currently doubling in size, and including a number of detached and semi-detached homes, as well as townhomes.

Some urbanization has occurred in Keswick, with a small number of condominiums reaching the market along the Queensway South, the Queensway North, and Riverglen Drive in Keswick.

Prices have been growing at record-setting rates in Keswick, along with the majority of the Greater Toronto area, especially York Region. Keswick North in Georgina has an average            list price of         $528,989. The average sale price for Keswick North is $538,938 with an average sale to list price ratio of 102 percent. The average time a listing spends on the market is 10 days. A total of 36 listings sold. The average house has 3 Bedrooms and 2 Washrooms

History

Keswick was originally known as Medina.[1] It was a part of the Township of North Gwillimbury before becoming part of the Township of Georgina. The area was formerly considered part of "cottage country" for those who lived in Toronto up until the late 1980s, when major development further opened up access to Keswick, expanding its population.

Geography

Included in Keswick is the Keswick Marsh, part of the Holland Marsh.[2] Having been built mainly as a cottage community, Keswick is fairly long north to south as it hugs the shore of Lake Simcoe.

Demographics

Keswick's population was 25,527 in 2011.[3] Specific demographics for Keswick are not available, since it is counted as part of Georgina.[4]

Economy

The town boasts a number of shopping areas and attractions along the lakeshore and nearby agricultural areas. The majority of residents commute south to Newmarket or Toronto to work as there are no major employers in Keswick. The majority of businesses in Keswick are retail in nature, the largest is Wal-Mart which opened in 2010.

Arts and culture

The Stephen Leacock Theatre, opened in 1985, presents performances ranging from musicals and plays to orchestras and band performances.

• Elm Hurst Beach Association (who, amongst other things, spearheaded a drive to clean up part of Lake Simcoe)
• Kinsmen Club of Keswick - a division of Kin Canada which was established in 1976.

Music in the Streets is a music festival, hosted by Connors Music, a local music store, celebrating talent from around Georgina.

Attractions

The Georgina Military Museum is located at the north end of Keswick. Whipper Watson Park, covering almost nine acres, was upgraded in 2010. The town has become a popular destination in Ontario for swimming, boating, ice fishing, and snowmobiling.

Local Businesses in Keswick

Keswick is home to a number of fantastic locally owned restaurants, retail establishments, and golf courses:

Restaurants in Keswick

• Orchard Beach Lakefront Bar & Grill - 221 Lake Dr N
• Sammy's Chicken Coop - 213 The Queensway
• Casa Autentica Mexican Restaurant - 566 The Queensway S
• Casa Rolando - 591 The Queensway S
• Sushi Minato - 299 The Queensway S #1
• Riveredge Restaurant - 233A The Queensway S
• Big Bone BBQ - 1 Church St
• Alfredo's Ristorante - 1 Church St
• Oriental Delights - 155 Riverglen Dr
• King Dragon Marine Restaurant - 534 Lake Dr S
• Cravings - 482 The Queensway S
• Jade Garden Chinese Food Take Out Place - 443 The Queensway South
• George N Bay Fish & Chips Family Restaurant - 443 The Queensway S #20
• Fusion Italian Caribbean Cusine - 268 The Queensway S
• Pizza Man - Franzisi's Fried Chicken - 297 The Queensway S
• Simcoe Burger - 25 Metro Rd S
• George's BBQ and Rib - 207 Church St
• The Corner House Bistro - 240 Church St
• The Naked Wing -  24018 Woodbine Ave

Sports

Keswick houses the Georgina Ice Palace where the Georgina Blaze hockey team, Georgina Girls Hockey Association and Georgina Skating Club are headquartered. The Georgina Ice Palace is a combination library/skating rink with a skate park outside. The two ice pads can seat almost 1,500 people between them.

Infrastructure

In 2014, Highway 404 had been extended to meet Keswick at the south end, at Ravenshoe Road and Woodbine Ave.

Education

Public elementary and secondary education in Keswick is overseen by York Region's two school boards: the York Region District School Board (YRDSB), and the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB).

The YRDSB operates one secondary school in Keswick: Keswick High School, in addition to eight elementary schools: Deer Park P. S., Fairwood P. S., Jersey P. S., Keswick P. S., Lake Simcoe P. S., Lakeside P. S., R. L. Graham P. S., and W. J. Watson P. S.

The YCDSB operates one secondary school in Keswick: Our Lady of the Lake Catholic College School, in addition to two elementary schools: Prince of Peace and St. Thomas Aquinas.[13]

Media

Local papers include the snapd Georgina,[14] the Georgina Post,[15] and the Georgina Advocate.[16]

Notable people

• David Boothby
• Len Carlson
• Ernie Godden
• Tim Jacobs
• Curtis Joseph[17]
• Chris Tierney
• Whipper Billy Watson

External links

• Keswick entry on the official Town of Georgina municipal website

References

·  "Keswick Historic Background Information". Town of Georgina.

·  ·  "Holland Marsh official page".

·  ·  "Statistics Canada". 2011 Census Profile - Keswick Ontario.

·  ·  Georgina's census page

·  ·  "Stephen Leacock Theatre". Town of Georgina. Retrieved 5 June 2016.

·  ·  Keswick Beaches Get $215K for Cleanup

·  ·  Kinsmen Club of Keswick

·  ·  Music in the Streets

·  ·  "Georgina Military Museum". Georgina Military Museum Incorporated. Retrieved 5 June 2016.

·  ·  Town of Georgina's page on parks

·  ·  York North's record on the Ice Palace

·  ·  York Region District School Board website

·  ·  York Catholic District School Board website

·  ·  "snapd Georgina". snapd Inc. Retrieved 5 June 2016.

·  ·  "The Georgina Post". The Georgina Post. Retrieved 5 June 2016.

·  ·  "York Region: Print Editions". Metroland Media Group Ltd. Retrieved 5 June 2016.

·  Curtis Joseph's NHL home page