Can you walk to City Hall?

2. Mississauga Civic Centre: A suburban triumph

Completed in 1987, Mississauga's City Hall is one of the greatest examples of post-modernist architecture in the Greater Toronto Area. Designed by architects Jones and Kirkland, the building not only contains city council and offices, but also houses the Art Gallery of Mississauga and banquet halls on the top floor.

When it was built, the new civic centre neighboured corn fields to the west, but by locating next to Square One mall, the civic centre was meant to usher in a new downtown. After several decades, this has come into fruition, with civic uses (a performing arts centre, Sheridan College campus, and central library) adjacent, along with high-density residential towers. Out front, Celebration Square provides a much needed public space for special events as well as informal gatherings. It's worth going inside even just to see the huge public atrium. The city hall is a short walk to the main transit terminal, and a new light rail corridor along Hurontario Street is under construction. Is it walkable? Yes, and it's getting even better.

3. Hamilton City Hall: The modernist future

Built in 1959-1960, Hamilton City Hall was the starting point of a major urban renewal scheme for the downtown core. This modernist building, designed by Stanley Roscoe, replaced a  much smaller Romanesque building on James Street North , demolished to make way for planned Jackson Square commercial development. City hall was recently refurbished, but the midcentury architecture was preserved, inside and out.

Though the redevelopment of Hamilton's downtown was not as successful as hoped, the city leaders had faith in the city's future. Today, there is new residential and commercial development in Downtown Hamilton, and the city hall remains one of the most walkable and transit-friendly, a short walk from dozens of GO and local transit routes.

Is it walkable? Very much so. Jackson Square, one block away, has a great grocery store now. Hopefully more surface parking lots get redeveloped in the next few years.

4. Brampton City Hall: Back downtown

Built 1989-1991, Brampton's postmodern City Hall is also located in the city's downtown core. Though Brampton is a rapidly-growing suburb, the downtown area dates from a time when the municipality was an industrial town of a few thousand people. When the town of Brampton amalgamated with adjoining townships in 1974, it moved into the new Chinguacousy Township Civic Centre in Bramalea, next to the shopping mall. By moving downtown 15 years later, the city sought to help revitalize a declining historic commercial hub.

On the south side of Wellington Street is historic Gage Park, refurbished at the same time as City Hall was being constructed. Gage Park was the first skating loop in the GTHA, and it remains a popular public space, especially in winter. On the other corner is the 1867 Peel County Courthouse (now a museum and archives).

Though Downtown Brampton continues to face challenges, the future looks good. Several residential and commercial developments are planned, the Hurontario LRT will be extended to meet the busy GO train station, and new public works projects such as the Riverwalk and new educational and transit hubs are also set to begin work soon.

Is it walkable? Yes, and it's going to get better.

5. Burlington City Hall: By the lake

Burlington's municipal centre is located on Brant Street in the downtown core. Opened in 1965, city hall was built to a midcentury modern design by Schneider and Stevens. Though the office tower remains intact, a 1980s renovation and expansion was poorly executed; the front of the building doesn't meet the street as well as it should.

Though Burlington's city hall features a public plaza with a cenotaph, most of the action takes place two blocks south at Brant Street Pier and Spencer Smith Park.

Is it walkable? Downtown Burlington features a popular waterfront park and has many shops and restaurants. New residential development has helped to maintain the vibrancy. Transit access is very good. But the main entrance is uninviting, even as it meets the street.

6. Pickering City Hall: Atomic pride

Pickering followed the lead of Bramalea and Mississauga by placing its town hall (Pickering became a city in 2000) next to the municipality's main shopping centre, next to higher density residential development. The postmodern civic complex, designed by Shore, Tible, Henshe, Irwin & Peters architects, also contains the main library branch on the south side. The entrance to council chambers are immediately visible in the main lobby. On the east side of the complex is a public plaza, including a cenotaph, a bandstand, and public art.

In the last decade, a new pedestrian overpass above Highway 401 was built to connect the city centre area with the GO Station. The mall itself  will be partially redeveloped  with new residential towers. Is it walkable? Yes, though the walk to Pickering Town Centre and the GO Station on the south side of Highway 401 could be improved. Hopefully redevelopment of the shopping centre lands will facilitate this.

7. Markham Civic Centre: Suburban ambition

Designed by celebrated Canadian architect Arthur Erikson in collaboration with Richard Stevens Architects, Markham's town hall opened in 1990. The building is warm, bright, and inviting. Facing Highway 7 is a large reflecting pool that doubles as an ice skating rink in the winter. Also within the complex is Markham's live theatre and a high school. Nearby, new highrise condominium towers and office buildings have brought new density and mixed use to a once-sleepy suburb.

Is it walkable? Yes, but the public entrances face a surface parking lot and it's an unnecessarily long walk to the nearest bus stops on Highway 7. The grounds are lovely, though.

8. Vaughan: Room for improvement

Vaughan City Hall, designed by KPMB Architects, opened in 2011. Located near the intersection of Keele Street and Major Mackenzie Drive, it is located in the historic village of Maple, adjacent to the site of the now-demolished 1970s-era city hall. Nearby, the new Civic Centre Library, designed by ZAS architects, is a delight, while Maple GO Station is less than a 10-minute walk away.

The building,  which according to KPMB  is part of a "campus of low-rise buildings" that "defines a public terrain of open space," is built to LEED Gold standard for environmental sustainability. Unfortunately, it is fronted by a large surface parking lot where a civic plaza should be found.

Is it walkable? There's lots of room for improvement. The adjacent GO Station is undergoing expansion, and pedestrian detours made for an unnecessarily lengthy walk. A pedestrian overpass across busy Major Mackenzie Drive at the railway bridge would help. There is no comfortable, designated walkway between city hall, the library, and the Keele/Major Mackenzie intersection.

City halls make a statement about the community they represent and serve. Despite good architecture, the site plan makes an honest, if unfortunate, statement about Vaughan, which remains very car-focused and car-dependent.

9. Milton Town Hall: continuing the tradition

The town of Milton was a small town from the mid 1800s, when it was chosen as the seat of Halton County, through to the mid 1990s. Though by the 1980s, there was a cluster of industry adjacent to Highway 401, the urban population was less than 20,000, with the municipality reliant on well water. That all changed with the completion of "The Big Pipe," which brought lake water up to Milton, allowing it to grow, quadrupling its population in the next twenty years.

The town hall was established in the former Halton County courthouse and jail that were constructed in 1855, one block off Milton's downtown Main Street. In 2009, a major expansion opened that allowed the facility to keep up with with the town's major growth spirt. The mayor's office and council chamber remain in the old courthouse building, which is generally off limits to visitors.

Is it walkable? Yes. Milton's town hall is adjacent to the historical town park, and is one block from Main Street, which is lined with local businesses. Milton Transit buses on Main Street lead to the GO station, where connections can be made to Union Station, Brampton, Mississauga, and Oakville.

10. Ajax Town Hall: The town hall that works

For a post-war suburb, the Town of Ajax has a very interesting history. The town started out as a munitions manufacturing complex built during the Second World War, with a strategic location between Toronto and Oshawa, on a major railway and a brand-new highway. Though some housing was built during the war (found immediately north of Highway 401), after the war, the munitions factory lands were sold to private industry, while the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) laid out a "new town" south of the 401, towards the lakefront, with a civic centre, shopping plazas, high-density residential buildings, and a hospital fronting Harwood, with industry to the west and low-density housing to the east.

Inside the understated post-modern town hall – fronted by a cenotaph and fountain – are several displays about the town's history, including a 1955 promotional booklet published by the CMHC meant to entice industry to town, and a statue of "Mr. Ajax" -- a brawny mascot of industry. The town hall isn't a remarkable building, but it works.

Is it walkable? For the most part, yes. There's a library next door, nearby parks, and there's the 1950s-era shopping plaza across the street. DRT buses stop right out front. But as a postwar suburb, Ajax was really built for the car, and it shows even today.

11. Oshawa City Hall: Prepare to be dismayed

Located in Downtown Oshawa, the brutalist-style city hall was constructed in 1970 – with the 8-storey Rundle Tower being its most recognizable feature. Renovations approved in 2007 saw the original council chamber demolished and replaced with a brighter public entrance and service desks, accessible from the front plaza and the rear parking lot.

In 2024, however, all entrances have been restricted to staff-only, apart from the door leading from the rear parking lot. Once I got around to an unlocked entrance, I saw stairs that lead up to the reception area, right where the locked front door is located. Beyond the reception counters, is building is inaccessible to the public. Oshawa's civic slogan is "prepare to be amazed." I'm still waiting.

Is it walkable? Despite some challenges, Downtown Oshawa is quite walkable, and so should be the city hall. I did not care for the detour around the back or the desolate plaza out front. Needless to say, I was not amazed. Reopening the front door to the public would be a good first step.

12. Clarington: historic in the front, po-mo in the back

The municipality of Clarington is the result of the 1970s-era amalgamation of Clarke and Darlington Townships, the town of Bowmanville, and the village of Newcastle; the municipality's name is a portmanteau of the former township names. The municipality is headquartered in the old Bowmanville Town Hall, on Temperance Street in the old downtown. A post-modern expansion at the back includes a local library, with a narrow atrium in the middle where the two structures meet.

Is it walkable? Yes, Downtown Bowmanville is vibrant, with DRT and GO buses stopping on King Street. But a major shortcoming is the absence of a visible barrier-free entry from the cenotaph plaza or from Temperance Street; the main entrance is on Church Street, around the corner from the plaza.

13. Uxbridge Township Hall: Secluded, yet accessible

Uxbridge bills itself as  "the trail capital of Canada."  While that might be a bold claim to make, the municipality features several major hiking and cycling trails within its parks and conservation areas, the centrepiece being the Trans-Canada Trail, which extends along a disused rail line to Lindsay and Peterborough.

The town hall is easy to miss, located in a wooded property behind public art off Toronto Street, a short walk from the charming little downtown. However, both GO and DRT buses stop right out front, and there is a pedestrian crossing just outside too. Behind the town hall is a small park that features its own walking paths.

Is it walkable? Yes, whether it's a short stroll to a downtown shop or the start of a long hike, Uxbridge's town hall is very walkable.

14. East Gwillimbury Town Hall: A touch of small town flair

Situated on Leslie Street in the small community of Sharon, East Gwillimbury's town hall is surprisingly easy to get to compared to municipal headquarters in many other outer-ring municipalities. The town hall can be found next to the historic Sharon Temple, built 1825-1832 by a since-disbanded Quaker sect. The area is served by the York Region Transit Route 50 bus.

Though Sharon – one of several small communities in mostly-rural East Gwillimbury – is seeing new residential growth, there are a few nearby businesses and parks within walking distance. The town hall is built in a modern style with a touch of architectural flair in recognition of its historic neighbour, and is accessible from the front or from the rear parking lot.

Is it walkable? Yes, but more can be done to promote a walking culture in Sharon as it grows out.

15. Whitby Town Hall: Nice building, poor location

Both the Town of Whitby and the Regional Municipality of Durham have their headquarters on Rossland Road, two kilometres north of Downtown Whitby, with only a parking lot separating the two buildings. Durham Region's headquarters is a new, modern building that also contains the region's provincial offenses courts. Whitby's town hall, to the west, opened in 1977. It was designed by celebrated architect Raymond Moriyama, better known for the Ontario Science Centre, Scarborough's Civic Centre, the Toronto Reference Library, and the Canadian War Museum. The building features a bright, curved two-storey corridor, set back from the road. It's an interesting design, though it is out of the way.

Is it walkable? Despite having two major municipal buildings, there are few nearby places to walk to. Rossland Road is a busy street with narrow sidewalks, though transit access is decent. However, Downtown Whitby is definitely worth a visit.

16. Scugog Township Hall: Faux historicism in a historic town

Scugog Township, in central Durham Region, is one of the more rural communities in the GTHA, though its largest community, Port Perry, has a population of about 10,000 with a charming and vibrant downtown area. Port Perry is connected to Oshawa, Whitby, and Uxbridge by Durham Region Transit buses, with on-demand transit available for other nearby points (like Cannington).

The old 1873 town hall remains in use as a local live theatre; the current building, also in the downtown area, was constructed in 2003 in the style of neighbouring structures. Inside, there is little to see apart from service counters. On the the ground level, several storefronts are leased to local businesses. Is it walkable? Yes, Port Perry is a lovely place to stroll and you can get there without a car. But the township hall itself isn't remarkable.

17. Brock Township Hall: Rural done right

At the far north end of Durham Region, Brock Township is the most rural of the GTHA's municipalities. The township includes the communities of Beaverton, Cannington, and Sunderland.

Located in the centre of Cannington, Brock Township's municipal building was constructed in 1995, meant to evoke a historic hotel that once stood on the site. Cannington's main street includes a grocery store, a pharmacy, a café, two restaurants, a hardware store, the post office, and several other businesses. The old town hall, one block to the south, is now home to the public library.

GO Transit used to run a bus into Cannington on its Whitby-Beaverton route, but today, it's accessible by Durham Region Transit's on-demand service.

Is it walkable? Yes. For a rural township, Brock has done everything right.

18. Oakville Town Hall: Stuck in the not-too-distant past

Like Mississauga, Pickering, and the old Brampton Civic Centre, Oakville opted to locate its municipal offices outside its historic centre, near the main shopping mall and close to major highways. Oakville Town Hall, opened in the early 1970s and expanded several times since, was built in an era when suburban municipalities were especially car-focused. Mississauga ended up building a true city centre around its civic centre. Brampton moved back downtown. Pickering's City Hall will see big changes soon too. But Oakville's Town Hall is stuck in the past.

Is it walkable? Not really, even though Oakville Place and Sheridan College can be reached within a 15-minute walk. Though there are walkways to Trafalgar Road, the town hall is fronted by a large surface lot, which must be crossed to get to Oakville Transit or GO buses. Trafalgar Road is 6-8 lanes here, with traffic rushing to and from the QEW to the south.

However, a new civic centre that fronts Trafalgar Road could be a catalyst for creating an urban corridor connecting the historic downtown area by the lake, the GO station and college, and the Uptown Oakville area at Dundas Street.

19. Aurora Town Hall: Hidden away

Like most GTHA municipalities, Aurora has a lovely historic downtown area, at the corner of Yonge and Wellington Streets. A few blocks to the east, there's a heritage railway station used by GO Transit. Aurora has seen continuous passenger service since 1853, when the first train of the Ontario, Simcoe & Huron Railway – the province's first – chugged its way north from Toronto.

The town hall, however, is a 25-minute walk from Downtown and a 15-minute walk from the GO Station. The infrequent YRT bus service along Wellington Street is not helpful, and there is only a high school special route on John West Way, where the town hall itself is situated, fronting on a parking lot.

The town hall itself is a very pleasant, bright, and open post-modern building, nestled beside a greenway and next to a seniors' centre. When I visited in March, there were exhibits on display from the town's art collection, temporarily relocated from the downtown core as a new library and art gallery is constructed on Yonge Street. If only the town hall was there too.

Is it walkable? Not really. The nearest businesses are combination Tim Hortons/Wendy's with two drive-throughs, at John West Way and Wellington, and a Home Depot on Bayview Avenue to the east. The nearby park offers a place to stroll, but transit access is poor.

20. Richmond Hill: as cold and distant as municipal offices get

Richmond Hill's city hall is in the strangest location of any GTHA municipality. Generally, municipalities locate their headquarters in or near their downtown cores, or at least in a location close to their geographic centre, or in a conspicuous location. Richmond Hill's city hall is in a non-descript office building at the extreme southeast corner of the municipality, on East Beaver Creek Road, near Highways 7 and 404, which mark the border between Richmond Hill and Markham. The only clue that this building is city hall is the "Richmond Hill" wordmark at the top and a ground-level sign.

Upon entering city hall, the visitor is confronted with a security desk, public-facing counters for public enquires, bill payments, planning applications, and the like. It feels like just about any mid-sized office building.

Is it walkable? Yes, this is the only thing going for it. It is a very short walk to YRT and Viva bus stops on Highway 7, and there are dozens of shops and restaurants in the immediate area; there's even a hotel in the same commercial complex as the city offices.

But as a civic statement, it's all business. There's nothing to welcome the public; its location is as physically distant as it is psychologically distant. There is an empty space at the southwest corner of Yonge Street and Major Mackenzie Drive that would be an ideal location for a new civic centre (the main library branch and a large civic aquatic facility are already there) that would allow the local government to get closer to the people.

21. King Township: Green build, green surroundings, difficult to walk to

King Township's new Municipal Centre is a beautiful structure completed in 2018, replacing a smaller office in a commercial plaza east of Keele Street. The design, by Ventin Group incorporates many sustainable features, such as mass timber construction, geothermal heating and cooling, and energy saving features. The bright, open-concept building is surrounded by woodlots and a wetland.

It, is, unfortunately, a 20-minute walk to the nearest YRT bus stops at Keele Street and King Road (where the nearest shops and restaurants can be found), or a 25-minute walk to the King City GO Station. Ironically, the older town hall was easier to get to without a car.

Is it walkable? Only on a pleasant day, and only for those who don't mind a long walk. There is a sidewalk and multiuse path leading to the town hall, but pretty much everyone drives there. It even has its own traffic lights.

22. Whitchurch-Stouffville: Utilitarianism defined

The town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, particularly Stouffville itself, is a rapidly growing outer suburb located just north of Markham. Despite its growth, the community has a lot of protected farmland, and a charming town centre anchored by the GO train station. There you will find the old town hall.

The current town hall is located on Sandiford Drive, in an industrial park behind a McDonald's restaurant and a low-rise office building. Without the "municipal offices" sign out front, the building is completely unremarkable. However, it's a short walk to the GO and YRT bus stop. On the north side of Stouffville Road is a supermarket and several other restaurants.

Is it walkable? Not especially. Long-term, Stouffville should consider building a new civic centre in a more prominent location. But there are far worse examples in the GTHA.

23. Georgina Town Hall: A former monastery

The most northerly of York Region's nine municipalities, Georgina is a primarily rural town, though Keswick, its largest community, is growing with new suburban development.

After its formation in 1971 through the merger the village of Sutton and the townships of Georgina and North Gwillimbury, the municipality purchased a former Catholic monastery built in 1958 on a site located approximately halfway between Sutton and Keswick. The sprawling grounds also houses public works and animal services buildings, as well as a major sports park, called ROC.

The nearest transit service is about a 20-minute walk north, on Metro Road, but there is no sidewalk between the Town Hall/ROC and the bus stops, just a dirt shoulder. (There is a seasonal route diversion in the summer to serve the sports park.)

Town council  approved a new Civic Centre  in 2018, to be built adjacent to the existing building.

Is it walkable? No. A proper walkway or sidewalk from Metro Road could help, or better yet, a full-time bus rerouting to serve the civic complex.

24. Halton Hills Town Hall: Quite the hike

Though the walk from the nearest bus stop to Georgina Town Hall was unpleasant, it was half the distance I had to walk to Halton Hills Town Hall in Georgetown. At least there was a sidewalk the whole way this time.

Halton Hills is the only GTHA municipality without local transit service, either fixed-route or on-demand. There is limited weekday GO train service between Toronto and Kitchener, and daily GO bus service between Brampton and Guelph serving Georgetown and Acton, they are a long walk to the town hall, located in the southwest corner of Georgetown.

The town hall itself is a perfectly adequate building with a bright lobby and atrium overlooking a well-kept lawn. The entrance itself is at the rear, facing the main parking lot.

Is it walkable? No. The GO rail station is 3 kilometres away (42 minutes by foot), and the nearest GO bus stop is nearly 30 minutes away. The only business adjacent to the civic centre is a private golf club. If Halton Hills had adequate public transit, it wouldn't place second-last on this list.

25. Newmarket Town Hall: A disappointment

Newmarket's historic downtown core is a hidden gem. Located away from busy Yonge Street and several blocks south of Davis Drive and the GO Station, Main Street is lined with restaurants and shops. Just behind, next to the East Holland River, there's a lovely public plaza with a farmer's market along with a splash pad in summer and skating rink in winter. But you won't find Newmarket's current town hall. You won't find it on Yonge Street or Davis Drive (though York Region has its beautiful regional headquarters on Yonge). Instead, it is found behind a parking lot on Mulock Drive, surrounded by light industrial uses, in a building shared with Rogers Cable. The only walking amenity is the Tom Taylor Trail that passes by along the East Holland, but it's a winding, nearly 2-kilometre walk to downtown. There are no nearby coffee shops or restaurants, and transit access is minimal, with very infrequent bus service on Mulock or nearby Bayview Avenue.

Is it walkable? Barely, and only because of the adjacent ravine pathway. The nearest commercial plazas have limited food options. Nearby, York Region does a better job with its striking Douglas Cardinal-designed headquarters on Yonge Street south of Davis Drive.

The combination of an uninspiring building and its very poor location has made Newmarket the greatest disappointment among my visits to all GTHA city and town halls.