Markham, having gained city status in 2012, hosts the fourth-largest population in the GTA at 301,709 as of 2011.
William Berczy, a German developer, spearheaded the original European settlement in the city, leading about 64 German families to North America. Initially an agricultural community, Markham’s change towards urban hotbed has its roots all the way back to World War II when the township was heavily influenced by the urban sprawl in Toronto. The development of Highway 404 in the 70s acted as even more of a catalyst in Markham’s urbanization.
While IBM is the city’s most prolific employer, Markham is home to another 900-plus technology and life-science businesses. A 2010 study shows “business services” being responsible for 22% of Markham’s labour force.
Markham is also the location of several multinational company’s headquarters such as Honda Canada, IBM, Motorola, Toshiba, and many, many more.