Welcome to the city of pickering. Business in Pickering Ontario, Pickering ontario business directory. See more business in ontario and in the GTA greater Toronto Area

Pickering has experienced rapid growth in the post-war period. Between 1996 and 2009, the municipality experienced a growth rate of 12 percent (78,989 people to 100,273). Population growth has slowed considerably in recent years, growing only slightly between the 2001 and 2006 census. This is due mainly to development restrictions on land in the northern portion of the city. Negotiations are ongoing to permit development in this area. Consequently, the city has estimated that by 2023, Pickering will be home to nearly 170,000 residents.[6] The province of Ontario has also designated Pickering as one of two municipalities in Durham Region as an urban growth centre.

A significant portion of Pickering residents are classified as visible minorities. According to the 2006 census, 15% of the city's population is Black, 9% South Asian, 3% Filipino and 2% East Asian. 60% of the population identifies as White.

The southern part of the city is mainly suburban, with industrial areas mainly restricted to the area around Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. Most of the suburban areas were built as subdivisions after World War II, starting in the area around Frenchman's Bay. Prior to the war, the few suburban areas in the township were the communities of Dunbarton, Fairport Beach, Liverpool Market, and Rouge Hill. Squires Beach, located by the lakeshore in the southeast part of the city, is now a ghost town.

The northern part of the municipality is mainly rural, primarily used for agricultural purposes. However, a number of communities exist in this area, and the locally controversial Seaton area also falls within this part of the city. The primary rural communities in Pickering are Claremont, Brougham, and Whitevale; however, a number of smaller communities exist throughout northern Pickering. The abandoned ghost town of Altona is located there.

Pickering is home to the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, an eight-reactor facility with a capacity of 4,120 megawatts. The first station, Pickering A, opened with four reactors in 1971. Ontario Power Generation, the plants' operator, is the largest single employer in the city. In 2001, the wind-powered OPG 7 Commemorative Turbine was opened on the generating station site.

A number of manufacturers are also located in the city. Major employers include Yorkville Sound (audio equipment), the Canadian headquarters of Purdue Pharma (pharmaceuticals and health & beauty products), Hubbell Canada (electrical equipment), PSB Speakers - Lenbrook (stereo equipment) and Eco-Tec Inc. (industrial water purification and chemical recovery systems).

Pickering is also the home of the head office of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. MPAC is responsible for value assessment for property tax purposes for all municipalities in Ontario.

Pickering is a founding member of the Durham Strategic Energy Alliance or DSEA. The nucleus of the DSEA is primarily Pickering businesses such as Ontario Power Generation, Veridian, Wardrop Engineering, AECL, Intellimeter, Areva and Eco-Tec Inc.