Mission and Vision

The land where Professor’s Lake sits today was originally a farm situated on Lot 10, 5th Concession East of Hurontario Street. However, as far back as 1918 the current lake area started being used as a sand and gravel pit. The pit was operated on and off over the years by several owners. By the mid 1950's the site was running out of land from which to easily extract a reliable supply of sand and gravel.

 

Up until this time, the mining site had produced roughly 20 million tonnes of sand and gravel that was used largely for road building and subdivision construction in the Northwest GTA area. After sitting idle for a several years, the site was purchased in 1961 by Standard Aggregates (a subsidiary of Lafarge Canada). It was reactivated as an aggregate (sand, gravel, crushed stone) processing facility and remained active until 1970. During that period, much of the raw material used to supply the stone crushing operation was mined in Mono Mills near the intersections of Airport Rd. and Hwy 9 and trucked to the Professor’s Lake location for processing and stock piling. The large acreage of the site was an ideal location for holding inventory for eventual trucking to locations around the GTA.

 

In 1970 the operation was finally shut down and over the next several years the stone crushing plant and the giant conveyors were dismantled and relocated to other operations of then owner Standard Aggregates Ltd. Contrary to urban myths the pit area did not suddenly flood leaving equipment stranded on the site. In fact, Standard Aggregates went to considerable efforts to rehabilitate the site to the highest standards of the day with the intention that it would eventually be turned into a residential and recreational area much like we see today. The rehabilitation was completed with such care that several years later in 1989 the site received the “Bronze Plaque Award” by the Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association. That plaque is mounted on a large boulder near the entrance to the current recreation center.

 

After the rehabilitation was completed in the early to mid 1970s the huge pumps that kept the excavation area dry were turned off and over several months the site was allowed to naturally fill to the normal water table level. There were several small streams at the south end of the property that fed into the lake area as well. Overflow water from the lake flows into the City’s storm water management system through a drainage weir at the northeast end of the lake next to the walkway. After the rehabilitation of the property Standard Aggregates (Lafarge Canada) sold the property to a local property development group.

 

At the time of the sale, Southern Ontario was in the midst of a housing industry slump and the property went undeveloped. Over the next 5-7 years the property changed hands several times and eventually was purchased by the large real estate development company, Lehndorff Corporation, through it’s residential land development subsidiary Amex Developments. Amex, led by it’s President, Keith Stewart, soon began preparing the area for residential development. It was at this stage that the area acquired its current name, Professor’s Lake. Lehndorff’s President, Hans Abromeit had earlier been a Professor of Economics in Germany. Thus, he was commonly referred to as “Professor Abromeit” by his staff and industry insiders. As a bit of an inside joke

staff at Lehndorff and Amex often referred to the Brampton development site as the professor’s lake, and that name eventually stuck.

 

Several proposed plans for development of the huge area, now known as the “P” section of Brampton, were considered by the City of Brampton through the late 1970's and early 80s. Eventually the City of Brampton approved the current configuration of housing and city-owned-and-operated recreational facilities. As part of the approved development plan the lake itself and the surrounding shoreline were conveyed over to the City of Brampton, and in 1981 a new recreation facility, officially named Professor’s Lake Recreation Centre, was opened by the city. The walkway that goes around much of the lake was finished the following year.

 

Over the next few years, the surrounding residential areas were developed and the non-shoreline lots were sold to some of the GTA’s better known home builders. Ideal Greenpark built on the western side of the lake (west of Professor’s Lake Pkwy). The southern area of the property was developed by Lakeview Homes. Bramalea Ltd. built the homes that border the walkway that runs south of the current Recreation Center – the small streets that run west off NorthPark Dr. Many of the individual building lots abutting the west side of the lake were sold to Lakeview Homes who built large homes on them in the early to mid eighties. The remaining prime building lots that abut the western edge of the lake were sold to individual purchasers who eventually built custom homes on the properties. The last house to be built on the lake was started in 1999 and completed a several years later.

 

Keith Stewart, the President of Amex, was so enthusiastic about the development that he purchased a prime lot on Pebble Beach Court and built one of the first houses to back directly on the lake. Stewart and his family lived on the lake until he passed away in the late 1990s. His son, Doug Stewart, took over the house and lived there for a number of years until the current owners purchased the house. Keith Stewart’s daughter Cathryn purchased the very first house to be built backing directly on the lake. It was located on Peachwood Place.

 

In 2007 the Brampton Civic Hospital, which is just west of the lake on Bovaird Dr. was opened, completing the development of the last major piece of land in the immediate area.

 

This history of the Professor’s Lake Development was compiled by the Professor’s Lake Residents Association.

Special thanks to the following people who contributed to this history:

Donald Peart, former President of Standard Aggregates and later a senior executive of Lafarge Canada.

The late Doug Stewart, son of Amex President, Keith Stewart who built and lived in one of the original two homes on Professor’s Lake. Doug Stewart was also an employee of Amex during the creation of the Professor’s Lake community.

The late Catherine Hough nee Stewart, daughter of Kieth Stewart, President of Amex. Catherine was the owner of the first house built on Professor’s Lake and was a long-time resident of the “P” section and active member of the Professor’s Lake Residents Association until her passing in 2023.