Port Perry is a picturesque town located on the shores of Lake Scugog. With only 70 kilometers from Toronto, it’s also close enough for residents to enjoy all that this bustling metropolis has to offer them – including world-class cuisine and entertainment venues!
Additionally, Port Perry is a clean and green community, which is an excellent place to live and do business. The town offers the lifestyle of living in the Kawarthas, with direct access to the biggest metropolis in Ontario.
In this post, we will outline why people choose to live in this small Durham Region town.
Contact us to learn more about buying or selling real estate in Port Perry. Our dedicated representatives will work hard to ensure that you achieve your real estate goals.
The History of Port Perry
A man named William Wilmot surveyed Port Perry in 1809. At that time, Ojibwe people were the only inhabitants in the area.
Later, in 1821, Reuben Crandell established the first non-indigenous settlement in the region. Crandell was a Loyalist who left New York during the war of 1812.
The town of Port Perry took its name from Peter Perry. He was an early settler in the town. He commissioned the first road in the area. This road connected Port Perry to Whitby.
As a result, Port Perry became the most important town in the area in the 1850s. Additionally, the town’s importance increased after it became the terminus of the Port Whitby & Port Perry Railway in the 1870s.
The Turn of the Century in Port Perry
At the turn of the century, around 2,000 people lived in Port Perry. These people mostly worked on farms, or farm adjacent industries. As a result, the railway mostly shipped horses, cattle, and wheat out of the town.
Further, the large amount of wheat that the farmers were shipping out of town required a storage facility. As a result, a businessman named George Currie built a grain elevator in the 1870s. By 1900, the elevator had 18 bins that could hold 2,000 bushels of grain each. The elevator is still standing and is the oldest grain elevator in Canada.
Meanwhile, Port Perry was growing into a well-equipped town. There were 3 schools, 1 bank, 2 weekly newspapers in the town in 1911.
During the First World War, many Port Perry residents did their part for the war effort. Many men served in Europe. Meanwhile, the townspeople raised money for war bonds and teenagers volunteered as farm labourers.
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Suburban Development in Port Perry
After the Second World War, Port Perry began to develop as a suburban commuter town. Between 1960 and 1980, developers built nearly 2,000 houses in the town.
Owing to the construction, the town expanded in all directions. People began to live in Port Perry and commute into the GTA for work.
In the 21st century, Port Perry absorbed some of its smaller neighbours. As the town’s subdivisions grew to the south, the communities of Prince Albert and Manchester became part of Port Perry.
Between the year 2000 and the year 2016, developers built an additional 1,000 houses in Port Perry.
Overview
Port Perry offers quiet, lakeside living and excellent access to the GTA. In other words, residents can enjoy beautiful Lake Scugog in Port Perry, and they only are minutes away from Oshawa and Whitby.
In addition, Port Perry is only an hour away from cottage country in the Kawartha Lakes and only an hour away from Toronto.
Above all, with a population of just under 10,000, Port Perry provides its residents a friendly and tranquil small-town lifestyle.
Real Estate in Port Perry
As a small town, Port Perry doesn’t feature a lot of high-density real estate. But this makes the real estate in the town very private, which is one reason that people choose to live in Port Perry.
The single-detached home is by far the most popular type of real estate in the town. However, there are some attached houses, mostly duplexes, spread out through the neighbourhoods.
To sum up, the houses are private and well suited for families. The majority of them have 3 or more bedrooms.
Contact one of our representatives for more guidance navigating the Port Perry real estate market. For up-to-date information on offerings in Port Perry, check our listings.
Port Perry Shopping
For shoppers, downtown Port Perry offers many shopping choices. The downtown shopping district is centred on Queen Street between Simcoe Street and Water Street. Shoppers seeking local business will love this delightful area.
On the other hand, shoppers who want to shop at big-box retailers also have options available. There are outdoor shopping centres at the intersection of Highway 7 and Scugog Line 6 and Highway 7 and Water Street.
Meanwhile, there are many more shopping options only minutes away in nearby communities. These include Taunton Gardens in Whitby and SmartCentres Oshawa in Oshawa.
Recreation in Port Perry
Owing to its lakeside location, lovers of the outdoors find Port Perry to be a gem.
At the same time, the Township of Scugog offers indoor recreation facilities.
PARKS
The Township of Scugog maintains many parks, trails, and conservation areas, most of which are adjacent to a lake.
Furthermore, these parks feature amenities such as picnic areas, sports fields, and splash pads.
Additionally, hikers enjoy the nearby conservation areas. For example, Crow’s Pass Conservation Area and Scugog Island Crown Land are only minutes from downtown.
RECREATION CENTRES
Beyond outdoor recreation in parks, the township also offers its residents indoor facilities as well.
Port Perry features 2 arenas that offer access to ice rinks. On top of this, the town features several community centres. These centres can be booked for parties, meetings, and special events.
Moreover, the Scugog Memorial Public Library features an abundance of amenities and programs. For example, the library offers movie screenings, book clubs, and an outdoor pool.
Schools
Despite its rural nature, families in Port Perry don’t have to worry about their kids having to take long bus rides to school. There are schools spread out throughout the town’s neighbourhoods.
There are 2 school boards administering schools in the town. The first is the Durham District School Board, which runs the public elementary and high schools in Port Perry. The second is Durham Catholic District School Board, which is in charge of Catholic schools in Scugog Township.
To sum up, families will be happy with the access to schools in Port Perry.
Transportation
It is simple to get around Port Perry. Whether you want to drive your own car or take public transit, there are options available to you.
Similarly, it is easy to get from Port Perry to larger communities in the GTA.
TRAVELLING BY CAR
It is easy to travel in and out of Port Perry. The town enjoys many direct road links to surrounding regions.
Travelling north to south, the most important roadways are Simcoe Street and Highway 7. Simcoe Street connects Port Perry to Highway 407, Highway 401, and Oshawa in the south. Meanwhile, Highway 7 travels south and connects the town to Whitby.
On the east / west axis, Highway 7A and Queen Street are the most important thoroughfares. Running to the east, Highway 7A connects Port Perry to Scugog Island and provides a route to Peterborough and Lindsay. On the other hand, Queen Street is the main street in downtown Port Perry.
PUBLIC TRANSIT
Durham Region Transit provides bus service in the town. Bus route 950 connects Port Perry to Durham College and University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Whitby.
Likewise, GO Transit services Port Perry. GO bus route 81 connects Port Perry with the Whitby GO Station.
Have Questions About Real Estate in Port Perry?
If you have any questions about real estate in Port Perry, reach out to us. With 30 years of experience in GTA real estate, Frank Leo & Associates will have the answers to your questions. In other words, our extensive experience will get you to where you want in your real estate journey.
Call us at 416-917-5466. Alternatively, contact us through our website, or browse GTA home listings with our property listing search tool.
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