Markham (2006 population 261,573) is a town located in the Regional Municipality of York, Ontario, Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario directly north of Toronto, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. One of the fastest-growing communities in Canada, Markham is also the largest town in Canada.

Markham is the fourth-most populous municipality in the Greater Toronto Area, after Toronto, Mississauga, and Brampton. It is home to many cultures. It also claims to be Canada’s Hi-Tech Capital with a number of key companies in the area, such as IBM, Motorola, Toshiba, Lucent, Sun Microsystems, Apple, AMEX, and home to the head office of graphics card producer ATI (now part of AMD).

Markham’s early years blended the rigours of homesteading with the development of agriculture-based industries. The many rivers and streams in the Township soon supported water-powered saw and grist mills and, later, wooden mills. With improved transportation routes, such as the construction of Yonge Street in the 1800s, along with the growing population, urbanization increased. By 1857 most of the Township had been cleared of timber and was under cultivation. Villages like Thornhill, Unionville and Markham greatly expanded. In 1871, the Toronto and Nipissing Railway company built the first rail line in Markham. This rail line is now used for commuter train services (i.e. GO Trains).

The first form of structured municipal government occurred in 1850 when the Township of Markham was created. Markham was then incorporated as a town in 1972.

Ever since Markham incorporated as a town, Markham grew quickly as a result of urban sprawl in the Greater Toronto Area. For instance, in 1976 (4 years after Markham’s incorporation as a town), Markham’s population was approximately 56,000. Since that time, the population has more than quintupled. Explosive growth in new subdivisions has led to a jump in population since the 1980s. Much of Markham’s farmland has disappeared, now mostly found north of Major MacKenzie Drive. Controversy over development of the environmentally sensitive Oak Ridges Moraine will likely curb development of Markham’s northern portion.

At present, Markham comprises six major communities: Buttonville, Cornell, Markham Village, Milliken, Thornhill, and Unionville. Since the 1980s the town has been recognized as a suburb of Toronto. Many high-tech industries have located in Markham for the relative abundance of land, low tax rates and good transportation routes. ATI Technologies (now known as AMD), IBM Canada, Apple Computer Canada, Motorola Canada and many other well-known companies have chosen Markham as their home in Canada. Hence, the town has been branding itself as Canada’s “High-Tech Capital”. An Ontario Historical Plaque was erected in front of the Markham Museum by the province to commemorate the founding of Markham’s role in Ontario’s heritage.