Whitby (Ontario)

Whitby (Ontario), town in Durham Regional Municipality, southeastern Ontario, Canada. It is located on Lake Ontario, northeast of Toronto. Diversification has been a key component in Whitby’s strong industrial base. Principal products are plastics, steel, packaging, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications equipment, automotive parts, electrical and electronic equipment, building materials, and furniture. Whitby is part of the Golden Horseshoe, an industrial and residential region in southern Canada.

Points of interest in Whitby include the Cullen Gardens and Miniature Village; the Whitby Arts Station Gallery; and Lynde House Museum, where guides in mid-19th-century costumes recount the history of the house and the region. The town is also home to the Lynde Shores Conservation Area; Hunter Farms, an emu farm; and Camp X Intrepid Park, site of a World War II (1939-1945) training facility for Allied secret agents. Whitby’s harbor on Lake Ontario is a recreational port that includes a marina. Among the town’s annual events are the Brooklin Spring Fair and the County Town Carnival.

Europeans settled the community in the late 18th century. It was named Perry's Corners in the 1830s and received its present name (after Whitby, England) when it incorporated in 1855. The town of Whitby and Whitby Township amalgamated in 1968 to form the town of Whitby. Whitby developed as a grain-handling center in the 19th century and experienced periods of growth shortly after World War II (1939-1945) and again in the 1980s. During the 1990s a waterfront trail, the Durham College Skills Training Centre, and an addition to Iroquois Park Sports Centre were built.

Whitby covers a land area of 143 sq km (55.2 sq mi). Population 61,281 (1991); 87,413 (2001).