Aurora (2006 Population 47,629, 2008 estimate 52,000) is a town in York Region, approximately 20 km north of Toronto. It is situated on the Oak Ridges Moraine in a part of the Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario.

Many Aurora residents commute to Toronto, and the town is part of the Greater Toronto Area.

In the Canada 2006 Census, the national rank of population of Aurora rose above 100th for the first time, reaching 97th in Canada’s list of largest municipalities in terms of population, compared to 113th in the 2001 Census.

Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe gave the order for Yonge Street to be extended to Holland Landing in 1793, the way was paved for the establishment of a community where Aurora now stands.

In 1804, Richard Machell became the first merchant at the cross roads of Yonge and Wellington and the hamlet soon became known as Machell’s Corners.

Charles Doan was another early businessman at Machell’s Corners and became the first postmaster and later the first reeve. As postmaster, he was influential in renaming the village Aurora.

With the coming of the railway in 1853, Aurora emerged as an important centre north of Toronto. The Fleury plow works was established soon after and Aurora was on its way to becoming a flourishing industrial town.

The population of Aurora in 1863 was 700, and by 1888 it had grown to become a town of 2,107 residents. With some ups and downs in growth over the years, Aurora is now a flourishing town with a strong commercial and industrial base.

Worthy of note is the fact that Aurora was the childhood home of Lester B. Pearson, Prime Minister of Canada from 1963-1968, when his father, Rev. Edwin Pearson, was the Methodist minister.

Aurora is twinned with Leksand, Sweden.