Unionville is a suburban district and former village in Markham, Ontario, Canada, 2 km (2.5 mi) west of Markham Village (the City of Markham's historic downtown), and 33 km (20.5 mi) northeast of Downtown Toronto. The boundaries of Unionville are not well-defined. Several neighbourhoods claim to be part of it however, this has been disputed between the various wards. Unionville was founded north of 16th Avenue in 1794, and many of the farms on and around Kennedy Road. The Unionville Ratepayers Association designated a newer street, Rodick Road, as its western boundary, in the 1980s. Main Street Unionville, which was Kennedy Road in the mid-to-late 20th century, runs through Unionville while the new Kennedy Road runs to the east. Rouge River runs north of the central part of Unionville and to the southeast. Highway 404 is to the west, with the nearest interchange with Highway 407 is south on Kennedy Road. Unionville is predominantly residential except for the south central industrial area, which is slated for massive intensification. Tourism is a major part of Unionville's economy. The village itself still resembles the small town that developed over a century or so starting in the early 1840s (when Ira White erected his Union Mills) through the middle to late 20th century. Now a 'heritage conservation district', it attracts thousands of visitors each year — as of 2006 it boasted nine restaurants, including three pubs. Main Street (originally the laneway from the village's first grist mill) also has a number of "century homes" dating back to the 19th century. Each year, thousands of people visit Unionville during the Unionville Festival. The main street has been a stand-in for fictional Connecticut town Stars Hollow during the first season of Gilmore Girls television show, and for other television and movie backdrops. Most of the historic buildings in Unionville are included in List of historic buildings in Markham, Ontario. History Unionville's name was derived from American-born Ira Allen White's Union Mills built in 1839, which in turn was named for the Act of Union 1840 of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. White would remain in the area at least up to 1860 but by 1878 his property as per York County Atlas belong to Hugh Powell Crosby as White moved to Yarmouth, Ontario were he died in 1887 (but buried in Cedar Grove Mennonite Cemetery Markham). William von Moll Berczy brought the first settlers to