The Townhome Reimagined: Why The Unionville's Ground-Level Living Is in a Category of Its Own
- Mar 10
- 7 min read
The townhome has always occupied a unique position in the Canadian housing market — more spacious than a condominium apartment, more manageable than a detached home, and more connected to the street than either. But in the GTA's recent development cycle, the townhome has been largely reduced to a formula: stacked units, minimal outdoor space, shared walls, and maintenance fees that creep upward year after year. The result is a product that satisfies neither the buyer who wants the independence of a house nor the buyer who wants the simplicity of a condo.
The townhomes at The Unionville — inCAN Developments' 270-suite boutique luxury development at Kennedy Road and 16th Avenue in Angus Glen, Markham — were designed to break that formula entirely. They are ground-level homes with private outdoor spaces, refined interior finishes, and a capped maintenance fee structure that provides the financial predictability that townhome buyers have long been denied. They are, in the most literal sense, a reimagining of what townhome living can be.
What Makes a Townhome Different from a Condominium Suite?
Before exploring what makes The Unionville's townhomes exceptional, it is worth clarifying what distinguishes a townhome from a standard condominium suite — because in the GTA market, the distinction has become blurred.
A traditional townhome is a multi-storey dwelling with its own entrance at street level, typically with a small private outdoor space (a patio, a garden, or a terrace) and a sense of separation from the building's common areas. The owner has direct access to the outdoors without passing through a lobby, an elevator, or a shared corridor. This direct connection to the street — and to the natural environment — is the defining characteristic of townhome living, and it is what distinguishes it from a condominium suite on an upper floor.
In recent years, many GTA developers have blurred this distinction by labelling ground-floor condominium units as "townhomes" without providing the private outdoor space, the multi-storey layout, or the street-level entrance that define the product. The result is a market where the word "townhome" has lost much of its meaning.
The Unionville's townhomes are genuine townhomes in the traditional sense. They are ground-level dwellings with private outdoor spaces, multi-storey layouts, and the direct connection to the natural environment that defines the product. They are also part of a condominium community — which means that exterior maintenance, snow removal, and landscaping are handled by the building's property management team, eliminating the most burdensome aspects of traditional homeownership.
The Financial Case: Capped Maintenance Fees from $499.95/Month
One of the most significant innovations in The Unionville's townhome offering is the capped maintenance fee structure. Maintenance fees are, for many townhome buyers, the most unpredictable element of the ownership experience. In a standard condominium or townhome complex, maintenance fees are set by the condo corporation and can increase annually based on the building's operating costs, reserve fund requirements, and the decisions of the board. Buyers who purchase at one fee level may find themselves paying significantly more within five to ten years.
At The Unionville, townhome owners benefit from a capped maintenance fee starting from $499.95 per month. This cap provides a level of financial predictability that is rare in the GTA market and that has significant implications for long-term ownership planning.
For a family budgeting for the next ten years, the difference between a capped fee and an uncapped fee can amount to tens of thousands of dollars. For an investor calculating the long-term return on a rental property, the capped fee provides a stable cost structure that makes financial modelling more reliable. For a downsizer who is moving from a detached home and is accustomed to the unpredictability of maintenance costs, the capped fee provides the peace of mind that comes from knowing exactly what the home will cost to own.
The capped fee also covers the services that make townhome living genuinely low-maintenance: snow removal from driveways and walkways, exterior landscaping and garden maintenance, building insurance for the common elements, and access to The Unionville's full amenity package — including the wellness centre, the STEAM Kids' Club, the Aspire Workspace, and the building's concierge services.
The Design: Private Outdoor Space in Angus Glen
The Unionville's townhomes are designed around the principle that outdoor space is not an amenity — it is a necessity. Each townhome includes a private outdoor area: a terrace, a patio, or a garden, depending on the unit's configuration. These spaces are designed as genuine extensions of the home's living area, with enough space for outdoor furniture, container gardening, and the kind of casual outdoor living that is central to the Angus Glen lifestyle.
The outdoor spaces face the development's landscaped grounds, which are designed in collaboration with the adjacent York Downs nature preserve — the former York Downs Golf Club, which is being transformed into a 100-acre natural green space. This means that townhome residents at The Unionville will have private outdoor spaces that look out onto one of the GTA's most significant new natural amenities. The combination of a private terrace and a 100-acre nature preserve as a backdrop is, in the GTA market, genuinely unprecedented.
The townhomes' interiors reflect the same material standards that define The Unionville's condominium suites. Trevisana Italian millwork in the kitchen, natural stone countertops, Kohler fixtures in the bathrooms, wide-plank hardwood flooring, and 9-foot ceilings throughout. The Grand Collection personalization process — inCAN's Decor Centre experience — is available to townhome buyers as well, allowing them to select finishes and materials that reflect their individual taste and lifestyle.
The Lifestyle: Townhome Independence, Condominium Convenience
The most compelling argument for The Unionville's townhomes is not financial or architectural — it is experiential. Townhome living at The Unionville offers a combination of independence and convenience that neither a detached home nor a standard condominium suite can provide.
The independence comes from the townhome's physical characteristics: the private entrance, the private outdoor space, the multi-storey layout, and the sense of separation from the building's common areas. Residents of The Unionville's townhomes do not share a lobby with hundreds of neighbours. They do not wait for an elevator. They do not walk through a common corridor to reach their front door. They enter their home directly from the outdoors, as they would in a detached house.
The convenience comes from the condominium structure: the professional property management, the covered maintenance costs, the building's amenity package, and the security infrastructure. Townhome residents at The Unionville have access to the same amenities as the building's condominium suite residents — the wellness centre, the STEAM Kids' Club, the Aspire Workspace, the 24-hour concierge — without the responsibility of maintaining any of it themselves.
This combination is particularly compelling for families with young children, who value the private outdoor space and the direct connection to the natural environment, but who also appreciate the security and convenience of a managed building. It is equally compelling for downsizers who are moving from a detached home and want to maintain the feeling of ground-level living without the maintenance burden.
Angus Glen: The Right Neighbourhood for Townhome Living
The choice of Angus Glen as the location for The Unionville's townhomes is not incidental. Angus Glen is one of the GTA's most family-oriented communities, with the lowest crime rate in Markham at 1.43%, a median household income of $150,938, and a school system that consistently ranks among the top in York Region. The neighbourhood's streets are safe, its parks are well-maintained, and its community is engaged and active.
For families with children, the proximity to Angus Glen's top-ranked schools — including Unionville High School, one of Ontario's most academically distinguished secondary schools — is a significant consideration. For active residents, the neighbourhood's trail network, the Angus Glen Community Centre, and the adjacent York Downs nature preserve provide an exceptional range of outdoor recreational opportunities within walking distance of home.
The townhomes at The Unionville are positioned to take full advantage of these neighbourhood assets. Their ground-level location means that residents can walk directly from their private outdoor space to the neighbourhood's trails and parks — a connection to the natural environment that upper-floor condominium suites cannot offer.
Comparing Townhome Options in the GTA
The GTA townhome market offers a wide range of products at different price points and quality levels. The following table provides a framework for comparing The Unionville's townhomes with the broader market.
Feature | Standard GTA Townhome | The Unionville Townhome |
Maintenance fee structure | Variable, typically uncapped | Capped from $499.95/month |
Private outdoor space | Varies; often minimal | Included; designed as living extension |
Kitchen specification | Standard builder grade | Trevisana Italian millwork |
Appliances | Standard builder grade | Fulgor Milano / Miele packages |
Personalization | None or minimal | Full Decor Centre process |
Building amenities | Varies | Full amenity package (wellness, STEAM, Aspire) |
Natural surroundings | Varies | Adjacent to 100-acre York Downs preserve |
Developer track record | Varies | inCAN Developments, Vancouver luxury heritage |
Tarion warranty | Standard | Standard |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maintenance fee for townhomes at The Unionville? Townhomes at The Unionville have a capped maintenance fee starting from $499.95 per month. This cap provides financial predictability and covers exterior maintenance, snow removal, landscaping, building insurance, and access to the building's full amenity package.
Do The Unionville townhomes have private outdoor space? Yes. Each townhome at The Unionville includes a private outdoor space — a terrace, patio, or garden — designed as a genuine extension of the home's living area.
Can townhome buyers use the inCAN Decor Centre personalization process? Yes. The inCAN Decor Centre personalization process is available to all buyers at The Unionville, including townhome buyers. This allows buyers to select kitchen cabinetry (Trevisana), countertops, appliances (Fulgor Milano or Miele), bathroom fixtures (Kohler), flooring, and hardware finishes.
What is the difference between a townhome and a condominium suite at The Unionville? Townhomes are ground-level dwellings with private outdoor spaces, multi-storey layouts, and direct street-level access. Condominium suites are located on upper floors and accessed via the building's lobby and elevators. Both product types have access to The Unionville's full amenity package and are part of the same condominium community.
What amenities do townhome residents at The Unionville have access to? Townhome residents have access to all of The Unionville's amenities, including the wellness centre, the STEAM Kids' Club, the Aspire Workspace, the 24-hour concierge, and EV charging infrastructure.
Where are The Unionville townhomes located? The Unionville is located at Kennedy Road and 16th Avenue in Angus Glen, Markham, Ontario. Angus Glen has the lowest crime rate in Markham (1.43%), a median household income of $150,938, and top-ranked schools including Unionville High School.
To explore The Unionville's townhome and suite offerings, visit theunionville.ca. To learn more about inCAN Developments' design philosophy and personalization process, visit incandevelopments.ca.
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