The Town of Oakville has three heritage districts as designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.

• Old Oakville Heritage Conservation District
• Trafalgar Road Heritage Conservation District
• First and Second Street Heritage Conservation District

Map of Oakville's 3 Heritage Districts

These three districts are all located in the real estate area called Old Oakville. Each individual neighbourhood is situated within walking distance of Oakville's vibrant downtown core, Lake Ontario and the Oakville Harbour. Many homes on Trafalgar Road back onto the 16 Mile Creek.

All three very desireable neighbourhoods are located on leafy tree lined streets. Stately century old homes sit amongst new custom built homes and upscale townhomes and condos. Some of the newer townhomes even offer elevators. Many of the historic homes have been updated carefully to retain it's original charm and integrity. Many proudly display historic plaques with the date and original owner's name. The Oakville Historical Society is a wonderful source of information not only for homeowners who purchase historical homes but also for anyone interested in Oakville's rich history, all stemming from our beautiful harbour at the mouth of the 16 Mile Creek.

Living in Old Oakville has it's benefits. Upscale Restaurants, Cafes, Boutique Shopping, Performing Arts Centre, Library, Lakefront walking trails, Oakville Club, Curling Club, Tennis Clubs, Boating Clubs and more are all within walking distance of the Heritage Districts.

Century old Churches also grace the downtown core. The Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital has resided on Reynolds Street for over 60 years. Construction has begun on the new hospital on Third Line and Dundas Street in North Oakville and it will open it's doors in 2015. Other medical arts buildings and many other professional offices are located on and near Lakeshore Road.

Residents in the heritage areas are in close proximity to Fortinos on Lakeshore Road and Whole Foods on Cornwall and Trafalgar for all their shopping needs. Many area residents walk to the GO Station daily to ride the commuter train to Toronto to work.

Old Oakville and the heritage districts are not generally known as first time buyer areas. Smaller starter homes in these areas rarely come on the market for under $600,000. Some buyers are paying up to $1,000,000. for properties, only to demolish the present home and build large custom estates. Some townhomes sell for over $1,000,000. Estates on Lakeshore Road or fronting on to Lake Ontario sell for well into the millions.

You don't have to live in the historical districts of Oakville to enjoy what this area has to offer. The Towne Square in the middle of Oakville's downtown is a gathering place for those out with their kids or dogs, or those looking for a great spot to enjoy a coffee or ice cream cone.

Oakville really is a wonderful community to call home.

Bill and Sue** are a typical young Oakville couple.  They both have great but demanding  jobs and they love to spend their spare time enjoying Oakville restaurants and theatre with their friends. 

When they bought their fixer upper home, Bill and Sue had some great renovation ideas, but Bill just didn't have the time necessary to complete all of their "projects."

Sue is becoming a tad impatient and she is tired of waiting for Bill to repair even the simplest tasks like the leaky taps.  Sue has the bug.  She knows there are some great new homes being built in Oakville with all the bells and whistles  that she could move right into.

Sue knows that with a newer home there will be no major maintenance issues for many years to come.  She adores her century character home but it just doesn't suit their lifestyle anymore.

So Bill and Sue have contacted me to help them with their next move.  I look forward to showing them some great new listings in Oakville in the hopes of finding their next "perfect" home.

I will sit down with the couple and show them what the market is doing in their area and what they need to do to make their home more saleable.  A comparative market analysis will give us an indication of the current value of their property.

My internet marketing plan will definitely help to get their home the exposure it needs to sell quickly.  I plan to work hard for Bill and Sue so that they will be willing to refer my name on to their friends and relatives.

Thanks so much Bill and Sue for allowing me to be your partner in real estate.

**Bill and Sue are a fictional couple but I look forward to working with Oakville couples just like them.

Oakville, Ontario is located in an enviable geographic position. Sitting on the shores of Lake Ontario, and centrally located between the large cities of Toronto and Hamilton, the Town of Oakville with a population of approximately 175,000 still retains a small town community feel.

The GO commuter trains are full every morning with Oakville residents travelling to their jobs in downtown Toronto. Luckily, the Town of Oakville has a number of large employers, allowing many residents to live and work in close proximity.

Here is a list of Oakville's Top Ten Employers

1. Halton District School Board - 4000

2. Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd. - 3491

3. Regional Municipality of Halton - 1650

4. Halton Healthcare Services Corp. - 1600 (Hospital)

5. Sheridan College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning - 1500

6. Tim Hortons - TDL Group Corp. - 761 (Franchisers, warehouse & head office for coffee & baked goods)

7. Corporation of the Town of Oakville - 690

8. Goodrich Landing Gear / Goodrich Aerospace Canada Ltd. - 600

9. Omron Dualtec Auto Electronics Inc. - 600

10. G.E. Water & Process Technologies - 550

Many people are under the assumption that Oakville is not an affordable community to live in. While it is true that Oakville is an affluent community and many neighbourhoods boast high end homes, there are many areas where home prices are still very affordable.

Most of the recent growth in Oakville has taken place north of the Queen Elizabeth Highway. Builders began developing subdivions in the early 1980's and the new home construction continues today. While the older sections of Oakville boast large lots and century old homes and trees, these newer areas appeal to buyers for many reasons. Parks, trails, community centres, shopping, new schools, sports fields are all readily available to enjoy.

Oakville has it's share of shopping plazas and malls. One of the major reasons, despite being the size of a city, that it retains it's small town vibe is due to the downtown district. Oakville's downtown is welcoming and attracts residents and visitors to annual festivities such as Midnight Madness, Jazz Festival, Sidewalk Sale, Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, plus much more.

There are pancake breakfasts, tiny tot parades, bathtub races, big bike ride for Heart and Stroke, just to name a few more events and activities.

First time buyers in Oakville can still find condo apartments for under $200,000. Condo townhomes range from $250,000 up, and freehold townhomes and semi detached homes can still be purchased in the $300,000's.

Older detached bungalows are also available under $400,000, many with great sized yards. Fixer uppers are also available for the handyman. Many keen renovators have been able to turn a profit on reno projects here. We are findiing that many of today's buyers are looking for turnkey homes, as not everyone has the time or energy to do their own renovations.

Larger executive style homes can be purchased for $500,000 and up. Custom built homes and estates are also available over $1,000,000.

For more information on what Oakville has to offer please check out www.oakvillepropertiesforsale.com

Shakespeare Conservation Area is a quiet little spot great for picnics, hikes in the forest, fishing, or just reading and watching the geese and great blue heron.

It is located just north of Shakespeare, also known as one of Ontario's antique hot spots between Kitchener-Waterloo & Stratford.

If you haven't heard of Shakespeare, I'm sure it's neighbour to the west, Stratford is more of a household name. Perhaps due to the famous Stratford Shakespeare Festival, or perhaps for being the home of one Justin Bieber.

But getting back to the Conservation Area, on a recent visit I noticed that all of the picnic tables had been repaired, with new boards. That was nice to see. I was disappointed however that the boardwalks were all grown over with weeds and it made for a tricky hike around the perimeter of the lake/reservoir.

That didn't stop my dog Lola and I from enjoying the late summer sunshine and snapping some photos. I hope these photos will inspire you all to get out and enjoy nature now that the fall season is upon us.

Perhaps next time Justin Bieber is home and needs a bit of downtime he can check out the Shakespeare Conservation Area.

A year ago we happened to be driving through Woodstock, Ontario on Easter Sunday, on our way to visit my sister in nearby Shakespeare, Ontario for Easter dinner. We ended up taking a wrong turn in Woodstock and came across what was left of a beautiful turn of the century Church.

Only the front wall was still standing in what had been St. Mary's Catholic Church. After doing a little research I found out the property had been sold and the front of the Church had been preserved and was to be incorporated into a senior's home to be built on the property.

Little did I know at the time that a year later I would be living only 15 minutes away from Woodstock, in Tavistock. I recently drove around Woodstock trying to locate the property again and to see if there had been any further progress on the site.

Nothing had changed since my last visit. The beautiful facade remains with perhaps a bit of deterioration. The fence around the Church remains but there is no sign of activity.

I felt very sad when I came across a photo of the whole Church as it looked prior to demolition. A fellow member of Flickr had taken some shots of the abandoned Church before demolition occurred. I've included that photo by Phrenzee below.

I have a hard time seeing historic buildings destroyed. While I applaud the intent of the retirement home to incorporate the front of St. Mary's into their plans, I wonder when this will ever happen. The longer the structure sits as is, the more it will deteriorate, perhaps to the point that the developer may nix their original plans.

This is all speculation on my part as I have no information to prove me right or wrong, only that over a year has gone by since I noticed this grand old structure and I have no idea how long before that, it had been demolished.

Today I'd just like to share the beauty of this once fine gathering place and I hope that it does survive in another form to be enjoyed and admired.

St. Mary's Church - Woodstock, Ontario - Photo by Phrenzee - Before demolition

All that remains of St. Mary's Church - Front shot

St. Mary's Church from the back - All that remains of a grand old Lady

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