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Ancaster is a picturesque and historic community located on the Niagara escarpment, within the greater area of the city of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This former town was founded officially in 1793 and was one of the oldest European communities established in present day Ontario along with Windsor (1749), Kingston (1780), Niagara-on-the-Lake (1792) and Toronto (1793). Today, Ancaster's primary points of interest are its historical village core, its abundant recreational walking trails and its interesting variety of restaurants, pubs and shops. Its current population growth and building boom occurs mainly on the east side of Highway 403 in such typically suburban commercial developments as the Power Centre and residential developments such as the Meadowlands.
Ancaster is the most westerly portion of the Golden Horseshoe conurbation of southern Ontario. It is generally considered to be an affluent bedroom community whose residents are typically professionals who work in downtown Hamilton, Brantford, Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga or Toronto. Ancaster is also known for its diverse wildlife. Particularly, baby ducks are quite prevalent in the town. The Bruce Trail snakes through Ancaster as it links Queenston with Tobermory. The famous walking path goes through part of the Dundas Valley Conservation Area and crosses the Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail. These offer four seasons recreation for walkers, cyclists, horse riders, snowshoers and cross country skiers.