Tee to Trail: How Angus Glen's Golf Legacy Is Becoming the GTA's Greatest Green Amenity
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Tee to Trail: How Angus Glen's Golf Legacy Is Becoming the GTA's Greatest Green Amenity
By inCAN Developments | incandevelopments.ca
Few communities in the Greater Toronto Area carry a legacy as distinctive as Angus Glen. For decades, the neighbourhood in northeast Markham was defined by two things: the Angus Glen Golf Club — one of Canada's most celebrated championship golf courses — and the quiet, tree-lined streets that surrounded it, home to some of the GTA's most successful families. The golf club hosted the Canadian Open twice, in 2002 and 2007, and its fairways became synonymous with the neighbourhood's character: manicured, prestigious, and deeply connected to the natural landscape.
The York Downs Golf Club — adjacent to the Angus Glen community and the site of The Unionville, inCAN Developments' 270-suite boutique luxury condominium at Kennedy Road and 16th Avenue — is now undergoing a transformation that will redefine what it means to live in this community. The former golf course is being converted into a 100-acre nature preserve, creating one of the GTA's most significant new natural amenities and permanently protecting the green space that has always been central to Angus Glen's character.
For residents of The Unionville, this transformation is not a distant promise. It is a defining feature of their address — a 100-acre natural landscape that will be accessible on foot, that will evolve and mature over the coming decades, and that will make Angus Glen's natural heritage permanent and irreversible.
The History of Golf in Angus Glen
The relationship between Angus Glen and golf is not incidental. The neighbourhood was developed in the 1990s around the Angus Glen Golf Club, a 36-hole championship facility designed by Doug Carrick — one of Canada's most respected golf course architects. The club's two courses, the North and South courses, were designed to challenge the world's best players while remaining accessible to recreational golfers.
The club's reputation was cemented when it was selected to host the RBC Canadian Open in 2002 and again in 2007. The Canadian Open is one of the oldest national open golf championships in the world, and hosting it twice in five years confirmed Angus Glen's status as one of Canada's premier golf destinations. The tournaments brought international attention to the neighbourhood and established the Angus Glen Golf Club as a landmark in Canadian sport.
The Angus Glen Golf Club continues to operate as one of the GTA's most prestigious golf facilities. Its membership is drawn from the region's most successful business and professional community, and its clubhouse serves as a social hub for the neighbourhood. For residents of The Unionville, the club is within walking distance — a world-class golf facility that is part of the daily fabric of life in Angus Glen.
The York Downs Transformation: From Fairways to Forest
While the Angus Glen Golf Club continues to thrive, the adjacent York Downs Golf Club has taken a different path. York Downs — a private club that was established in 1922 and relocated to its Markham site in the 1990s — closed its doors in 2015 after its membership voted to sell the property. The sale of the York Downs land to a development consortium that includes inCAN Developments was one of the most significant real estate transactions in Markham's history.
The development plan for the York Downs lands is a master-planned community that will include residential development, commercial uses, and — most significantly — a 100-acre nature preserve. This preserve will protect the most ecologically sensitive portions of the former golf course, including its mature tree canopy, its wetland areas, and its natural topography. It will be accessible to residents of the surrounding community, including residents of The Unionville, through a network of trails and pathways.
The transformation of a golf course into a nature preserve is a significant undertaking. Golf courses are, by design, highly managed landscapes — their turf is maintained with irrigation and fertilizers, their natural areas are controlled to prevent interference with play, and their ecological diversity is limited by the requirements of the game. Converting a golf course to a nature preserve requires a deliberate process of ecological restoration: removing invasive species, reintroducing native plantings, restoring natural drainage patterns, and allowing the landscape to evolve toward a more natural state over time.
The York Downs nature preserve will take years to reach its full ecological potential — but the process of transformation will be visible and tangible from the day The Unionville opens. Residents will be able to walk through a landscape that is actively returning to nature, watching the transition from managed turf to meadow, from ornamental plantings to native woodland, from a private club to a public green space.
What 100 Acres Means in the GTA Context
To understand the significance of the York Downs nature preserve, it helps to put 100 acres in context. Central Park in New York City is 843 acres — but it serves a city of 8 million people, giving each resident approximately 0.0001 acres of park space. Toronto's High Park is 399 acres, serving a city of 2.9 million. The York Downs nature preserve, at 100 acres, will serve a community of perhaps 10,000 to 15,000 residents in the immediate Angus Glen area — giving each resident a share of green space that is extraordinary by any urban standard.
For residents of The Unionville, the preserve will be accessible on foot from their front door. This is not a park that requires a car trip or a transit journey — it is a natural landscape that is woven into the daily fabric of the neighbourhood. Morning runs, evening walks, weekend family outings, and quiet moments of natural contemplation will all be possible within minutes of home.
The ecological significance of the preserve extends beyond its recreational value. A 100-acre natural landscape in the middle of a suburban community provides habitat for birds, insects, and small mammals that cannot survive in a fully developed urban environment. It supports the local water cycle by absorbing rainfall and recharging groundwater. It moderates the urban heat island effect by providing a large area of natural vegetation that cools the surrounding air. And it provides the psychological benefits of natural exposure — reduced stress, improved mood, enhanced cognitive function — that research consistently shows are among the most valuable amenities a residential community can offer.
The Active Lifestyle of Angus Glen
The York Downs nature preserve is the centrepiece of Angus Glen's natural amenity offering, but it is far from the only option for active residents. The neighbourhood's existing recreational infrastructure is among the most comprehensive in the GTA.
The Angus Glen Community Centre is one of Markham's most active recreational facilities, offering a full range of programs for residents of all ages. The centre includes an indoor ice rink, a swimming pool, fitness facilities, and a full calendar of recreational programming. For families with children, the centre's youth programs — skating lessons, swimming lessons, martial arts, gymnastics — are a significant draw.
The Angus Glen Golf Club offers golf instruction, junior programs, and recreational play for residents who want to take advantage of the neighbourhood's championship golf heritage. The club's facilities include a driving range, a short game area, and a full-service clubhouse.
The trail network that connects Angus Glen to the broader Markham trail system provides cycling, running, and walking routes that extend throughout the community and connect to regional trails. The addition of the York Downs nature preserve will significantly expand this trail network, adding kilometres of natural-surface paths through the preserve's landscape.
The Unionville Historic Village — the heritage community that gives the broader Unionville neighbourhood its name — is within easy cycling distance of The Unionville's Kennedy Road address. The village's heritage main street, with its independent restaurants, boutique shops, and seasonal events, is one of the GTA's most charming destinations and a significant part of the community's identity.
The Unionville: Living at the Heart of This Legacy
The Unionville's address — at Kennedy Road and 16th Avenue in Angus Glen — places its residents at the heart of this natural and recreational legacy. The building's design, by Martin Baron of Baron Nelson Architects, was conceived in direct response to the natural landscape that surrounds it. The White Grid facade — a clean, geometric exterior that prioritizes proportion and material quality — is designed to complement rather than compete with the natural environment. The building's landscaping, designed in collaboration with the York Downs nature preserve plan, creates a seamless transition between the built environment and the natural landscape.
The building's amenities extend this connection to nature. The wellness centre is designed with natural light and natural materials that reflect the biophilic design principles that are central to inCAN's approach. The STEAM Kids' Club incorporates nature-based learning activities that take advantage of the building's proximity to the preserve. The townhomes' private outdoor spaces are oriented toward the preserve's landscape, creating a direct visual and physical connection between the home and the natural world.
For inCAN Developments — a company whose Vancouver custom home work was defined by the integration of interior space and natural landscape — the York Downs nature preserve is not just a neighbourhood amenity. It is the defining natural feature of The Unionville's address, and the most compelling expression of the company's belief that the finest homes are those that are most deeply connected to the natural world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the York Downs nature preserve? The York Downs nature preserve is a 100-acre natural green space being created on the former York Downs Golf Club lands adjacent to The Unionville in Angus Glen, Markham. The preserve will protect the most ecologically sensitive portions of the former golf course and will be accessible to residents of the surrounding community through a network of trails and pathways.
What is the Angus Glen Golf Club? The Angus Glen Golf Club is a 36-hole championship golf facility in Angus Glen, Markham, designed by Doug Carrick. The club hosted the RBC Canadian Open in 2002 and 2007 and is one of Canada's most prestigious golf facilities. It is within walking distance of The Unionville.
How large is the York Downs nature preserve? The York Downs nature preserve is 100 acres — a significant natural landscape that will provide habitat for local wildlife, support the local water cycle, moderate the urban heat island effect, and offer recreational access to residents of the surrounding community.
What recreational amenities are available in Angus Glen? Angus Glen offers the Angus Glen Community Centre (ice rink, pool, fitness, youth programs), the Angus Glen Golf Club (championship golf, instruction, junior programs), an extensive trail network, and the Unionville Historic Village heritage main street. The York Downs nature preserve will add significantly to this recreational offering.
How does The Unionville connect to the York Downs nature preserve? The Unionville is located adjacent to the York Downs nature preserve, and its landscaping is designed to create a seamless transition between the building's grounds and the preserve's natural landscape. Residents will be able to access the preserve's trail network on foot from the building's entrance.
What is the Unionville Historic Village? The Unionville Historic Village is a heritage community in Markham with a charming main street of independent restaurants, boutique shops, and seasonal events. It is within easy cycling distance of The Unionville's Kennedy Road address and is one of the GTA's most distinctive community destinations.
To explore The Unionville's suite and townhome offerings and its connection to the York Downs nature preserve, visit theunionville.ca. To learn more about inCAN Developments' approach to nature-integrated luxury living, visit incandevelopments.ca.
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