Introduction to Wismer Commons Community
Wismer Commons Community is a neighbourhood named after the Wismer Family, who are considered the founding pioneers of Markham. Dubbed a ‘stunning community’ full of green spaces with spacious houses – it is a great place to live!
Location
Wismer Commons is located south of Major MacKenzie road, north of 16th Avenue, east of McCowan Road and west of Markham Road.
History of Wismer Commons Community
The neighbourhood is named after one of the founding pioneer families of Markham – David Wismer. He and his wife Lydia emigrated to Canada from Bucks County in Pennsylvania and bought 500 acres of land in the Markham Township. They had six children and went on to have two more in the next 5 five years. In 1856 both David and Lydia passed away. David was 88 years old. Their descendants continued over the years to donate property and land to community organisations. The couple are buried in Quantztown Cemetary on McCowan Road.
The Homes
Most of Wismer Commons homes are upscale row townhouses, semi-detached and detached homes, built by the Greenpark group. The neighbourhood also has some condominium buildings which have recently been constructed in the vicinity of Mount Joy GO station.
Transport & Commuting
The nearest train station to Wismer Commons is Mount Joy GO station which from the furthest end of the area is a 6 to 10-minute drive or an 11-minute cycle. The commute downtown is usually around 40 minutes from here. Most people have cars in the neighbourhood but there are good bus links here, because each side of Wismer Commons is flanked by a major arterial road, and there are four main roads that cut through north-south and east-west – cutting the neighbourhood into what looks like a giant tic-tac-toe board! It is easy to get around from Wismer Commons.
Shopping
Wismer Commons has some great plazas for shopping, which are mainly in the Markham Road area. There are some big box stores such as The Home Depot and Shoppers Drug Mart. There are also supermarkets, restaurants and take-out stores. Additionally, you can find lots of small businesses here which makes for some interesting shopping. It is also very easy to access Markham’s main street shopping area which also has many independent small businesses and shops.
Parks & Recreation in Wismer Commons Community
There are lots of choice for parks in the community. Wismer Park is the largest and has lots to offer. There are a good amount of parkette’s scattered around which are convenient and means that a children’s playground is never too far away!
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- Wismer Park/Bur Oak Park – 2 children’s playgrounds, splash pad, basketball court, tennis court, sports fields, lots of parking, nature trails.
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- Ross Brown Park – children’s playground, open grass area
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- Roy Walker Parkette – small children’s playground, open grass area, nature area
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- Bruce Boyd Parkette – small children’s playground, open grass area
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- John Baird Wood Park – small children’s playground, play/picnic tables, grass area
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- Forest Manor Parkette – small children’s playground, grass area
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- James Thomas Park – small children’s playground, grass area
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- Greenspire Park/Marshall MacKenzie Park – children’s playground, grass area
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- Innis MacDonald Park – children’s playground, covered picnic area, grass area
The nearest community centre is Mount Joy Community Centre, which offers an ice rink, indoor and outdoor soccer fields. The nearest public gyms and are at Angus Glen Community Centre and Centennial Community Centre which are both less than a 12-minute drive from anywhere in Wismer Commons.
Wismer Commons is also home to the Markham Museum, which is a wonderful place to visit. It is an unusual museum because it has a 25-acre open-air section dedicated to the preservation of old buildings from Markham’s past. It offers school programs, events, exhibits and is also a private event venue.
Schools
There are 4 elementary schools in Wismer Commons all of which are well respected schools:
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- Wismer Public School
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- San Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic School
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- John McCrae Public School
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- Donald Cousins Public School
There is also a secondary school in the centre of the neighbourhood – Bur Oak Secondary School which is also a well respected school.
For more information on these schools, visit our Schools pages.
Conclusion
Wismer Commons is a neighbourhood with good transport links, great parks and has some good schools to choose from. The homes are spacious and the shopping is easy and convenient. It is not surprising that it is such a popular area for Markham residents and for people moving to Markham!
