Logo artwork sourced from ‘The (Last) Green Door’ by People or Planes, 1979
We’re proud to announce the Bring Back Brougham (BBB) project, a community-driven exercise to help envision a revitalized Brougham. The historic Village of Brougham faces multiple risks at this time: abandonment by local government leaders, the expedited expansion of Highway 7, surging developer pressures to the south, industrial-commercial zoning tensions, and a potential mismatch with Parks Canada’s capabilities and resources. Bring Back Brougham hopes to refamiliarize local government with the significance of Brougham, once the heart of Pickering’s history and growth. This project will leverage the opportunities offered by brownfield areas and compatible zoning, and ultimately expand on the work begun by Ken Greenberg and associates in 2024, as captured in the Vision document released by Friends of Rouge National Urban Park and Waterfront Regeneration Trust.
Leading this volunteer exercise will be two practitioners of placemaking with backgrounds in architecture and trauma-informed placemaking as well as meaningful community engagement. Both are enthusiasts of adaptive reuse – the practice of repurposing existing buildings for new uses while preserving their historical or architectural character.
We are inviting residents and concerned stakeholders to join the BBB conversation by signing up with their email address and, as a preliminary step, contemplating two pressing questions:
– What is needed to live well in Brougham today?
– What is your hope for the future of Brougham in the context of a growing region and a national park?
WALKING TOURS OF BROUGHAM
During the summer of 2025, we led several walking tours of Brougham and were joined by Pickering historian, Dr. John Sabean. There will be more tours in the future. As referenced in the 1945 Brougham map above, the tour includes:
1) Former Pickering Township Hall/Brougham Community Hall
2) Brougham Pioneer Christian Cemetery
3) The site of Bert Harvey’s house – Bert was a Vaudevillian entertainer, and resident and patron of Brougham. His Craftsman cottage is now at Pickering Museum.
4) Spring Street – this stop refers to unbuilt subdivision lots, brownfield sites, and imminent commercial developments.
5) Bentley House – now called Bentley-Gibson House in honour of its last private owner, Don Gibson, the creator and first Director of Foodland Ontario at the Ministry of Agriculture & Food
6) Pickering Standard Church/St. John’s United Church – listed on p. 11 of the Pickering Municipal Heritage Register (PMHR)
7) Former Temperance Hall – listed on p. 11 of the PMHR
10) Brougham Road/Tisha Road – vacant brownfield lots beside homes stewarded by proud tenants for over 50 years.
12) “New Brougham” – Donnalea Ave/Orchard Heights Drive, a subdivision built in the 1950s/1960s. Many of the lots are now vacant, providing more brownfield opportunities.
12) Former Brougham School House
13) Don Beer Park – named in honour of Don Beer, local entrepreneur, sports team manager, and municipal politician.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Learn more about the fascinating history of Brougham, then join us in designing a road map to a more hopeful future for this forgotten place.
In 2010, Toronto Planner, Sean Marshall, wrote Brougham: A “lost village” in the making – https://spacing.ca/toronto/2010/02/20/brougham-a-lost-village-in-the-making/
This excellent 2020 documentary film, “Clydesdale: Saving the Greatest Horse”, made for BBC Scotland, features the Miller family of historic Thistle Ha’ Farm, renowned for their livestock importation and breeding business in north Pickering.
In 2022, Hiking The GTA wrote about Brougham in their series Ghost Towns of the GTA – https://hikingthegta.com/2022/01/08/brougham-ghost-towns-of-the-gta/
JOIN THE BBB MOVEMENT!
There is no doubt that Brougham is unique in its past and in its future. With an unparalleled collection of federally designated historic buildings, Brougham is a bridge between a rapidly growing community (Seaton) and an expanding national park. Undeniably, Brougham is long overdue for fresh eyes and thoughtful attention. Join us if you agree: There’s no place like Brougham!
Follow the BBB group on Facebook!
PROVINCIAL WIDENING OF HIGHWAY 7
FIND MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER FOR UPDATES HERE: https://www.highway7-pickeringtomarkham.ca/projectoverview
