From Fairways to Forest: The York Downs Legacy and The Unionville's 100-Acre Nature Oasis

In the history of urban development, there are rare moments when a city's growth creates something genuinely unexpected — when the transformation of a familiar landscape produces not loss but renewal, not concrete and glass but green and living space. The story of York Downs Golf & Country Club, and its transformation into one of the most significant urban nature preserves in the Greater Toronto Area, is one of those moments.

For the residents of The Unionville Condominium, this transformation is not a distant civic story. It is the view from their terrace, the trail at the end of their street, and the defining natural feature of their daily life. Understanding the history of York Downs — and the remarkable ecological future that is being created on its former fairways — is essential to understanding why The Unionville's location is not merely convenient, but genuinely extraordinary.

What Was York Downs Golf & Country Club?

York Downs Golf & Country Club was established in 1922, making it one of the oldest private golf clubs in the Greater Toronto Area. For nearly a century, its 18-hole championship course occupied a substantial parcel of land in what is now the heart of Markham's Angus Glen community — a location that, in the early twentieth century, was well beyond the city's edge but that, by the early twenty-first century, had become one of the most coveted residential addresses in the region.

The club's history is inseparable from the social history of Toronto's upper-middle class. Its membership rolls included some of the city's most prominent business and professional families, and its course — designed to the standards of the era's most celebrated golf architects — was considered among the finest in the region. The club hosted numerous provincial and national competitions over its decades of operation, and its grounds were maintained to a standard that reflected the expectations of its membership.

By the early 2010s, however, the club faced the economic pressures that have challenged private golf clubs across North America: declining membership, rising maintenance costs, and the increasing value of the land it occupied. In 2015, the club's board made the decision to sell the property — a transaction that was, at the time, one of the largest land sales in York Region's history. The sale price reflected not just the value of the land itself but the extraordinary potential of a 100-acre parcel in the middle of one of Canada's fastest-growing and most affluent communities.

How Is the York Downs Land Being Transformed?

The redevelopment of the York Downs lands is a multi-phase project that will ultimately create a mixed-use community anchored by a substantial public green space — the nature preserve that will become The Unionville's most significant natural amenity. The transformation is guided by the City of Markham's planning framework, which has prioritized the preservation and enhancement of the site's ecological value alongside the introduction of new residential and commercial uses.

The nature preserve component of the York Downs redevelopment is designed to function as a genuine ecological asset — not a manicured park with maintained grass and ornamental plantings, but a naturalized landscape that supports biodiversity, manages stormwater, and provides residents with the experience of genuine immersion in nature. The former fairways and roughs are being replanted with native species — trees, shrubs, and groundcovers that are indigenous to the Oak Ridges Moraine ecosystem — creating habitat for birds, pollinators, and small mammals that have been largely displaced by the region's rapid urbanization.

The trail network that will thread through the preserve is designed to connect with the broader system of parks and trails that characterizes the Angus Glen community, including the existing connections to Toogood Pond Park and the Rouge Valley Trail system. This connectivity is significant: it means that residents of The Unionville will have access not just to the 100-acre preserve immediately adjacent to their building, but to a much larger network of natural landscapes extending across the Oak Ridges Moraine.

Why Does Proximity to Green Space Matter for Residents' Health and Wellbeing?

The relationship between access to green space and human health and wellbeing is one of the most thoroughly documented findings in the environmental health literature. Research published in journals including The Lancet, Environmental Health Perspectives, and JAMA Internal Medicine consistently demonstrates that proximity to parks, forests, and natural landscapes is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease, reduced stress and anxiety, improved cognitive function, and longer life expectancy.

The mechanisms through which green space produces these benefits are multiple and reinforcing. Physical activity in natural settings is more likely to be sustained than gym-based exercise, because the sensory richness of natural environments makes movement intrinsically rewarding. The psychological experience of being in nature — what researchers call "restorative attention" — provides a form of mental recovery from the cognitive demands of modern professional life that cannot be replicated by any built environment, however luxurious. And the social dimension of shared green space — the chance encounters, the community events, the informal interactions that parks facilitate — contributes to the sense of belonging and community connection that is a fundamental component of human flourishing.

For the residents of The Unionville, the 100-acre nature preserve is not an amenity in the conventional real estate sense — it is not a gym or a concierge service that can be replicated by another development. It is a unique, irreplaceable natural asset that will enhance the quality of daily life for every resident, every day, for as long as the building stands.

What Other Natural Amenities Surround The Unionville?

The York Downs nature preserve is the most significant natural feature of The Unionville's immediate environment, but it is far from the only one. The Angus Glen community is exceptionally well-served by parks, trails, and natural landscapes that together create an outdoor living experience that is unusual in a community of this urban density.

Toogood Pond Park is one of Markham's most beloved natural spaces — a serene, naturalized pond surrounded by walking trails, mature trees, and picnic areas. The pond and its surrounding parkland are home to a rich variety of bird species, including herons, ducks, and migratory songbirds, making it a destination for birdwatchers and nature lovers throughout the year. The park's trail system connects to the broader Unionville trail network, providing residents with kilometres of walking and cycling routes within easy reach of their front door.

The Rouge Valley Trail system is one of the most significant natural corridors in the GTA — a continuous green ribbon that follows the Rouge River from its headwaters in the Oak Ridges Moraine to its mouth at Lake Ontario. The trail passes through a landscape of remarkable ecological diversity, including mature forest, wetland, and meadow habitats, and provides access to the Rouge National Urban Park — Canada's first national urban park, established in 2015. For residents of The Unionville, the Rouge Valley Trail offers the extraordinary experience of hiking through a national park within 20 minutes of home.

Arthur Stollery Common and Eleanor Casely Park provide additional green space within the immediate neighbourhood, offering sports fields, playground equipment, and open lawn areas that serve the active recreation needs of families with children.

Angus Glen Golf Club, while not a nature preserve, contributes significantly to the green character of the neighbourhood. Its championship course — which has hosted the Canadian Open on multiple occasions — maintains a substantial area of manicured landscape that provides visual relief and ecological function even for non-golfers. The club's presence reinforces the Angus Glen community's identity as a place where the relationship between built and natural environments is taken seriously.

How Does Green Space Affect Property Values in Markham?

The relationship between proximity to parks and green space and residential property values is well-established in the real estate economics literature. Studies of comparable markets in the GTA and across North America consistently find that properties within walking distance of significant green space command a premium of 5–15% over otherwise comparable properties without such access.

In the specific context of Markham's Angus Glen community, the York Downs nature preserve represents a particularly powerful value driver, for several reasons. First, its scale — 100 acres — is exceptional for an urban infill location. There is no comparable parcel of undeveloped land available in the Angus Glen area, which means that the preserve's value as a green space amenity cannot be replicated by future development. Second, its ecological design — focused on native species and biodiversity rather than manicured parkland — ensures that it will become more valuable over time as the plantings mature and the ecological community develops. Third, its connectivity to the broader trail network extends its effective catchment area, making it a regional amenity rather than merely a local one.

For investors in The Unionville, the nature preserve is a permanent, appreciating asset that will continue to support the building's rental and resale values long after the initial excitement of a new development has passed.

What Outdoor Activities Are Available to Residents Year-Round?

One of the most compelling aspects of The Unionville's natural setting is its four-season usability. Unlike many urban amenities that are weather-dependent, the outdoor landscape around The Unionville offers meaningful recreational opportunities in every season.

Season	Activity	Location
Spring	Birdwatching, cycling, trail running	York Downs Preserve, Toogood Pond, Rouge Valley
Summer	Swimming, golf, outdoor dining, paddling	Angus Glen Golf Club, local pools, Rouge River
Autumn	Hiking, photography, cycling	Rouge Valley Trail, York Downs Preserve
Winter	Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, skating	Toogood Pond (skating), local trails

The year-round usability of these natural amenities is a significant quality-of-life advantage for residents who value an active outdoor lifestyle — a demographic that is well-represented among the high-income professionals who are The Unionville's primary target market.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Unionville's Natural Setting

What is the York Downs nature preserve?

The York Downs nature preserve is a 100-acre naturalized green space being created on the former site of York Downs Golf & Country Club, adjacent to The Unionville Condominium. The preserve is being planted with native species to support biodiversity and ecological function, and will include a trail network connecting to the broader Angus Glen and Markham trail system.

How far is The Unionville from Toogood Pond?

Toogood Pond Park is within easy walking and cycling distance of The Unionville, accessible via the neighbourhood's trail network. The pond and its surrounding parkland offer walking trails, birdwatching, and picnic areas in a naturalized setting.

Is the Rouge Valley Trail accessible from The Unionville?

Yes. The Rouge Valley Trail system is accessible from the Angus Glen community, connecting residents to one of the GTA's most significant natural corridors and to the Rouge National Urban Park — Canada's first national urban park.

How does proximity to the nature preserve affect property values?

Research consistently demonstrates that properties within walking distance of significant green space command a premium of 5–15% over comparable properties without such access. The York Downs preserve's scale, ecological design, and connectivity to the broader trail network make it a particularly powerful and permanent value driver for The Unionville.

What golf facilities are near The Unionville?

The Angus Glen Golf Club — a championship facility that has hosted the Canadian Open — is located within the immediate neighbourhood. The Upper Unionville Golf Club provides an additional option for residents who enjoy the sport.

Can residents access the nature preserve directly from the building?

The York Downs nature preserve is adjacent to The Unionville's property, making it directly accessible on foot from the building. The trail network within the preserve connects to the broader Angus Glen trail system, providing residents with a continuous network of walking and cycling routes.

The Unionville Condominium is located at 9332 Kennedy Road, Markham, Ontario, steps from the emerging York Downs nature preserve and within easy reach of Toogood Pond, the Rouge Valley Trail, and the Angus Glen Golf Club. For more information, visit theunionville.ca.