Town Park

A Community Storybook

The land on which Town Park sits is the traditional territory of the people of the Williams Treaty First Nations and earlier Wendat peoples. We respect the rich cultural heritage that has existed in this place for centuries.

A somewhat blurry black and white photograph of a large gathering of people, most with their backs facing the camera, in a park surrounding a raised platform at the left side with four posts bearing Union Jack flags, upon which are seated about a dozen people; large white clad building and several trees and houses in the background. In the foreground there are two boys on the grass dressed in military style uniform.

VE Day Celebrations in Town Park, May 7th 1945

As a casual meeting place, site of celebration, active sports field and military establishment, Town Park has been a focal point in the Town of Aurora for over 150 years. Nestled just east of Yonge Street in the heart of the historic downtown core, the Park has always been a place for Aurorans to come together.

Once purchased by the village council in 1867, Town Park was an open field – a blank slate available for uses to become imprinted on its expansive green grass. Residences and businesses were built on its perimeter over time, but never encroached on the natural space. As Aurora grew, Town Park became the living centre of town.

Over the years and across generations, this tiny plot of land has played host to thousands of visitors seeking a sense of community. Woven into the very fabric of Aurora, Town Park a Community Storybook recalls the compelling history of a place that was and is much more than a neighbourhood park.

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