Vaughan is a fast growing municipality situated within the northern portion of of Toronto, Ontario. The city consists of Maple, Thornhill, Kleinburg and Woodbridge. The city of Vaughan is referred to as the "The City Above Toronto," and is considered within Canada to be amongst the fastest growing municipalities. Vaughan City was named after Benjamin Vaughan, a British commissioner who signed a peace treaty with the United States in 1783. The first European to pass through the area was a french explorer, Etienne Brule, who traversed the Humber Trail during 1615.
Amongst the major attractions situated within the city of Vaughan consist of: Baitul Islam Mosque, Boyd Conservation Area, Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum, Canada's Wonderland, Thornhill Town Centre, Vaughan Mills and McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Baitul Islam Mosque is the Canadian headquarters of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and amongst the largest mosques within Canada. Boyd Conservation Area is located between Kleinburg and Woodridge. The Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame Museum aims to highlight and celebrate the achievements of top Canadian Builders and Footballers who have played and developed the game in the country. Canada's Wonderland is Canada's largest amusement park. McMichael Canadian Art Collection houses an extensive collection of Tom Thomson's paintings, First National and Inuit artists and the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. The Thornhill Town Centre is pedestrian-friendly town centre within Thornhill. Vaughan Mills is a popular mall within the Greater Toronto Area.
Hikers can find numerous hiking trails by going to the Park and Forestry Department for information about the different parks in the city of Vaughan. Barley Smith Greenway, a 15-kilometre natural valley corridor that follows the upper West Don River through the expanding business and residential developments in the heart of Vaughan City; is among the more common trails. The Bruce Trail, one of the fifteen reserves in Canada, is the country's longest and oldest trail. It likewise offers the only continuous public access to a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, the wonderful Niagara Escarpment.
Vaughan City is part of the major economic area of Greater Toronto. It has a multicultural background which helps to support the development of its communities, particularly Thornhill, Woodbridge, Kleinburg, Concord and Maple. The majority of the Vaughan City's financial system is taken from small businesses, and amongst the 9,000 businesses within the city, there exists roughly 200,000 workers today. The biggest economic trades are construction, wholesale and manufacturing. Several investors are attracted to the city due to its lowest industrial and commercial taxes within the Greater Toronto Area. Amongst these companies consist of: Cara Operations, Bausch & Lomb, MDS Analytical Technologies, Jones New York/Jones Apparel, Miele Canada, Royal Group Technologies, Sanyo Canada, Toromont Industries, Adidas Solomon Canada and Concord Confections.