Whitby (Ontario)

Whitby, a suburb directly west of Oshawa, is in the heart of the Durham region, 48 km (30 mi) east of Toronto, in the eastern part of the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario. It has a population of 140,000 people (2021).

Understand

The Town of Whitby was incorporated in 1855, three years after it was chosen as the seat of government for the new County of Ontario. Although settlement dates back to 1800, it was not until 1836 that a downtown business centre was established by Whitby's founder Peter Perry.

It is named after the fishing town of Whitby in North Yorkshire, England. It is twinned with Longueuil, Quebec; Feldkirch, Austria and Whitby, England.

Visitor information
  • Town of Whitby, 575 Rossland Rd E. Produces an Events Calendar and Visitors Guide that lists tourist attractions, special events, cultural activities, tournaments, festivals, and craft shows happening in Whitby throughout the year. 

Get in

By bus

By plane
  • Toronto Pearson International Airport (Mississauga) is on the other side of Toronto and is served by most major international carriers. Time to get there from Whitby is largely at the mercy of Toronto traffic conditions.
  • Oshawa Municipal Airport provides a full service commercial and general aviation facility for the Durham Region. A few operators offer charter flights for groups of six to nine corporate passengers, but there are no scheduled passenger flights.

By train

Whitby is on a primary VIA Rail corridor. Trains travel east towards Montreal and west towards Toronto with connections for Southwestern Ontario. The closest VIA Rail station is in Oshawa, which borders Whitby to the east.

Remember to ask for student fares if you have an ISIC card.

GO Transit offers regular commuter train and bus service to Toronto and throughout the GTA. GO's mainline is the Lakeshore train from Hamilton through Toronto's Union Station to Oshawa and Whitby, a double-decker commuter train which runs half-hourly. Main train connections are at the 🌍 Whitby GO Station.

By car

The main highway leading into Toronto from Whitby is Highway 401, the main east-west route in the Windsor-Quebec corridor.

Get around

Durham Region Transit provides bus service within the Town of Whitby with connections to GO Transit commuter bus and rail stations, and other municipalities in the Durham Region. Both GO Transit and Durham Region Transit accept the Presto card for fare payment.

Several taxi services are available:

See
  • 🌍 Camp X Intrepid Park (Canada's School for Secret Agents 1941-1945), 3555 14th Ave, Markham (Boundary Road, south of Wentworth Avenue (at Lake Ontario)). From 1941-1946, British Security Co-ordination under the leadership of Sir William Stephenson, known as Intrepid, trained agents who parachuted into Nazi-occupied territory to not only lead the resistance movement, but to provide valuable information to invading allied armies. Intrepid Park is accessible via Whitby's Waterfront Trail. 
  • 🌍 Centennial Building, 416 Centre St S. The Centennial Building was built in the early-1850s as the Ontario County Courthouse. Designed by prominent architects Frederick Cumberland and Wallace Storm, this building served from 1854-1964 as a trial court and a meeting place for county council. In 1967, a local centennial project turned the building into a community centre. The courthouse houses the Whitby Courthouse Theatre, a banquet facility, local archives and is used by community organizations. In 1979, the Centennial Building was designated as a Heritage Structure under the Ontario Heritage Act, and a Heritage Easement was registered with the Ontario Heritage Foundation in 1984, protecting the heritage value of the property and the building. 
  • 🌍 Station Gallery, 1450 Henry St, ☏ +1 905-668-4185, . In 1967, a group in Whitby started a community gallery, operating under the name Whitby Arts Incorporated. In 1969 a Victorian Grand Trunk Railway Station at Whitby Junction was slated for demolition. The community gallery group, supported by interested volunteers and benefactors purchased and moved the station in 1971 to Henry and Victoria Streets. "Station Gallery" was adopted as the name to reflect the heritage of the building. Station Gallery began a major transformation in 2005. The original Victorian station and Port Stanley boxcar were moved across the street to its new location in the Iroquois Park Sports Complex landscape and expanded. Station Gallery has operated as a community visual arts centre for over 35 years. Check out the beautiful architecture of both the new and previous Station Gallery exhibition spaces. Free. 
  • 🌍 Trafalgar Castle School, 401 Reynolds St, ☏ +1 905-668-3358. An independent residential and day school for girls, on 10 acres of lovely grounds. The castle was constructed between 1859 and 1862 as the residence of Nelson Gilbert Reynolds, sheriff of Ontario County at that time. The impressive stature of the castle with 73 rooms has retained its elegance through the years. An increased expansion has complemented the Gothic architecture, as well as providing added space for educational programs. Girls from all over the world attend this academic independent school, where enrollment is kept to a maximum of 240 students to maintain the optimum teaching environment. 

Do
  • 🌍 Heber Down Conservation Area, Coronation Rd. The quiet wooded campsite at Heber Down Conservation Area is surrounded by 633 acres of forest and valleys. This large area has many trails to explore as well as fishing opportunities and open recreation space for hiking and cross country skiing. 
  • 🌍 Iroquois Park Sports Complex, 500 Victoria St W, ☏ +1 905 668-7765, fax: +1 905 668-5933. A sports and recreation complex serving the community and the surrounding region. 
  • Brooklin Redmen. Ontario Major Lacrosse League action. Plays in Iroquois Park Sports Centre. 
  • Whitby Dunlops. Ontario Senior Hockey League action. Plays in Iroquois Park Sports Centre. 
  • 🌍 Lynde Shores Conservation Area, Victoria St. The area is well-known for its wildlife viewing opportunities. Both Lynde Creek Marsh and Cranberry Marsh provide an excellent habitat for nesting marsh birds and act as an important stopover point for migrating waterfowl and shore birds. Picnicking, fishing, canoeing and skating make this an excellent area for family outings. 
  • 🌍 Port Whitby Marina (easily accessible from Hwy 401 and Hwy 412), ☏ +1 905-668-1900. On one of the finest natural harbours on Lake Ontario. 410 berths to accommodate recreational boaters. The marina, with floating steel docks, protected harbour and easy access, has a wide range of services including full season dockage and winter storage. Port Whitby is also a customs call-in station. Several sport fishing charter boats operate from Port Whitby Marina. Commercial repair facilities are nearby within walking distance. 
  • Whitby's Waterfront Trail. Whitby Shores is where you will find the town's waterfront trail and other waterfront activities for all ages. 
  • Whitby Yacht Club, ☏ +1 905-668-1391. Serves the boating needs of over 400 members and visiting boaters. Their membership enjoy an active racing and cruising program. 

Eat

Drink
  • 🌍 Brock St Brewing, 244 Brock St S, toll-free: +1 833-276-2578. You can enjoy the beer brewed on site in the 12elve Restaurant. You can also do the 1-hr tour of the brewery and enjoy a 4-beer sampler for $20 (online reservation required). (updated Oct 2023)

Sleep

Go next
Routes through Whitby
Toronto ← Ajax ←  W  E  → Oshawa → Kingston
Markham ← becomes ← Pickering ←  W  E  → Oshawa → Clarington
Markham ← Pickering ←  W  E  → Scugog → Peterborough
Orillia ← Scugog ←  N  S  → END
Toronto ← Ajax ←  W  E  → Oshawa → END




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