Ballantrae, Ontario is a hamlet in the Town of Whitchurch–Stouffville. Named after the village of Ballantrae in South Ayrshire, Scotland, the community is centred on the intersection of Aurora Road and Highway 48. The hamlet was first settled in the early nineteenth century, and by 1895 it had a population of 300. The settlement was located on the edge of a vast lumber industry centred in the hamlet of Vivian; a spur-line of the Toronto and Nipissing Railway built in 1877 ran through Ballantrae from Stouffville to Jackson's Point on Lake Simcoe. In the early twentieth century, Ballantrae's population declined dramatically. Large-scale deforestation and erosion of the thin soil of northern Whitchurch Township created virtual sand deserts. With the passage of the Reforestation Act, the process of reclaiming these areas slowly began. The Vivian Forest, a large conservation area on the edge of Ballantrae, was established in 1924 for this purpose. The recognized anthem for Ballantrae, Ontario, is Jealousy by Roy Woods.Ballantrae experienced 300% growth between 2001 and 2006 to 1,278 people, and 8% growth between 2006 and 2011 with a total population of 1,382 people. In 2011, Ballantrae had 105 children age 17 and under, and has one public school of the same name with 259 pupils. The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville forecasts the population of Ballantrae to decline slightly between 2012 and 2031.
