Bruce County, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Bruce County is a county
in western Ontario
, Canada
, and includes the Bruce Peninsula
. As of 2006, the population
was 65,349. The area
was 4155.53 square kilometres (1,604 sq mi). The county seat
is Walkerton, Ontario
. It is located at 44°30′N 81°15′W.
The name of the county is linked to the Bruce Trail
and the Bruce Peninsula
, which the trail runs through. Officially, Bruce County is named for James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine
, sixth Governor General of the Province of Canada
.
The county contains the Bruce Peninsula National Park
. Notable towns include Tobermory
and Wiarton, home of the weather predicting groundhog
Wiarton Willie
.
. The only known population of Hungerford's crawling water beetles outside of the United States
were discovered in the North Saugeen River
near Scone. In 1986, 42 beetles were identified at a site downstream from a dam there. An unspecified number of beetles were last recorded in 2001, but surveys in 2002 uncovered no specimens. As a result, the status of the Bruce County population of Hungerford's crawling water beetles is uncertain at present.
Although the Hungerford's crawling water beetle was categorized as endangered on March 7, 1994, under the provisions of the U.S. Endangered Species Act
, it is currently not protected in Canada.
, 2006)
People
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
in western Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and includes the Bruce Peninsula
Bruce Peninsula
The Bruce Peninsula is a peninsula in Ontario, Canada that lies between Georgian Bay and the main basin of Lake Huron. The peninsula extends roughly northwestwards from the rest of Southern Ontario, pointing towards Manitoulin Island, with which it forms the widest strait joining Georgian Bay to...
. As of 2006, the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
was 65,349. The area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
was 4155.53 square kilometres (1,604 sq mi). The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Walkerton, Ontario
Walkerton, Ontario
Walkerton is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within and governed by the municipality of Brockton. It is the site of Brockton's municipal offices and the county seat of Bruce County...
. It is located at 44°30′N 81°15′W.
The name of the county is linked to the Bruce Trail
Bruce Trail
The Bruce Trail is a hiking trail in southern and central Ontario, Canada.-General:The trail follows the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, one of the thirteen UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves in Canada, for almost...
and the Bruce Peninsula
Bruce Peninsula
The Bruce Peninsula is a peninsula in Ontario, Canada that lies between Georgian Bay and the main basin of Lake Huron. The peninsula extends roughly northwestwards from the rest of Southern Ontario, pointing towards Manitoulin Island, with which it forms the widest strait joining Georgian Bay to...
, which the trail runs through. Officially, Bruce County is named for James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine
James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin
Sir James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, KT, GCB, PC , was a British colonial administrator and diplomat...
, sixth Governor General of the Province of Canada
Governor General of the Province of Canada
The Governor General of the Province of Canada was the vice-regal post of pre-Confederation Canada that existed from 1840 to Canadian Confederation in 1867....
.
The county contains the Bruce Peninsula National Park
Bruce Peninsula National Park
Bruce Peninsula National Park is a national park on the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. Located on a part of the Niagara Escarpment, the park comprises 156 square kilometres and is one of the largest protected areas in southern Ontario, forming the core of UNESCO's Niagara Escarpment World...
. Notable towns include Tobermory
Tobermory, Ontario
Tobermory is a small community located at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula in the municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada. It is 300 km northwest of Toronto...
and Wiarton, home of the weather predicting groundhog
Groundhog
The groundhog , also known as a woodchuck, whistle-pig, or in some areas as a land-beaver, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Other marmots, such as the yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in rocky and mountainous areas, but...
Wiarton Willie
Wiarton Willie
Wiarton Willie is a famous albino Canadian groundhog who lived in the community of Wiarton in Bruce County, Ontario. Every February 2, on Groundhog Day, Willie took part in the local Wiarton Willie Festival. His role is to predict whether there will be an early spring...
.
Communities
- Towns
- Saugeen ShoresSaugeen Shores, OntarioSaugeen Shores is a town in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada, formed in the 1990s, as municipal restructuring merged the towns of Southampton, Port Elgin, and the township of Saugeen...
- South Bruce PeninsulaSouth Bruce Peninsula, OntarioSouth Bruce Peninsula is a town at the base of the Bruce Peninsula of Ontario, Canada, in the County of Bruce between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.Recently the cottage industry has become the major industry in the area...
- Saugeen Shores
- Township
- Huron-KinlossHuron-Kinloss, OntarioHuron-Kinloss is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within Bruce County. The township had a population of 6,515 in the Canada 2006 Census.Huron-Kinloss is located in Western Ontario, on Lake Huron...
- Huron-Kinloss
- Municipalities
- Arran-ElderslieArran-Elderslie, OntarioThe Municipality of Arran–Elderslie is a township in Bruce County in Western Ontario, Canada. The township is located at the headwaters of the Sauble River, and the Saugeen River forms the northwestern boundary.-Communities:...
- BrocktonBrockton, OntarioBrockton is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Bruce County. , the population was 9,658. The area was 565.07 square kilometres....
- KincardineKincardine, OntarioThe Municipality of Kincardine is located on the shores of Lake Huron in the County of Bruce in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has a population of 12,000, and covers an area of 580 square kilometres...
- Northern Bruce PeninsulaNorthern Bruce Peninsula, OntarioThe Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula is located on the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. It is a popular vacation spot in the summer for its water sports and cottaging and in the winter for the snowmobiling....
- South BruceSouth Bruce, OntarioSouth Bruce is a municipality and census subdivision in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada.-History:South Bruce was created in 1999 as part of county-wide municipal restructuring. In 1998, the Township of Culross and the Village of Teeswater amalgamated to form the Township of Teeswater-Culross...
- Arran-Elderslie
- Indian Reserves
- Neyaashiinigmiing
- Saugeen 29
Historic Townships
- Albemarle (Hope Bay, McIver, Colpoy's Bay, Mar, Red Bay) now in South Bruce Peninsula
- Amabel (WiartonWiarton, OntarioWiarton is a community in Bruce County, Ontario, at the western end of Colpoys Bay, an inlet off Georgian Bay, on the Bruce Peninsula. The community is part of the town of South Bruce Peninsula, Ontario....
, Oliphant, Sauble Falls, Skipness, Park Head, Allenford) now in South Bruce Peninsula - Arran (Elsinore, TaraTara, OntarioTara is an unincorporated community in southwestern Ontario, Canada. At the 2006 census, it had 989 residents and 435 dwellings. Within the municipality of Arran-Elderslie, it is a designated place located on the Sauble River, with an area of 2.39 km², and an urban area that covers...
, Invermay, Burgoyne) now in Arran-Elderslie - Brant (WalkertonWalkerton, OntarioWalkerton is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within and governed by the municipality of Brockton. It is the site of Brockton's municipal offices and the county seat of Bruce County...
, Maple Hill, Dunkeld, Eden Grove, Vesta, Elmwood) now in Brockton - Bruce (TivertonTiverton, OntarioTiverton is a community located in Ontario, Canada. It is near the shore of Lake Huron on Highway 21 between Port Elgin, Ontario and Kincardine, Ontario.Tiverton is incorporated in the Municipality of Kincardine.- History :...
, Underwood, InverhuronInverhuron, OntarioInverhuron is a community located within the Municipality of Kincardine in the Canadian province of Ontario. The community includes approximately 200 permanent residents and 400 seasonal cottagers....
) now in the Municipality of Kincardine - Carrick (Formosa, Ambleside, MildmayMildmay, OntarioMildmay is a community in the Municipality of South Bruce, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. Mildmay is located northwest of Minto and south of Walkerton on Highway 9. Formosa lies tothe northwest, and Neustadt to the east....
, Deemerton, Carlsruhe) now in South Bruce - Culross (TeeswaterTeeswater, OntarioTeeswater is a community in the municipality of South Bruce, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. It is located 12 kilometers west of Mildmay, 16 kilometers north of Wingham on County Road 4, and 25 kilometers southeast of Ripley on Bruce Road 6. The population in 2006 was about...
) now in South Bruce - Eastnor (Spry, Lion's HeadLion's Head, OntarioLion's Head is a community in the municipality of North Bruce Peninsula, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. Located at the midway point of the Bruce Peninsula, about halfway between Owen Sound and Tobermory, Lion's Head is just east of Ferndale on Bruce Road 9. Lion's Head is located on the 45th...
, Hopeness, Pike Bay) now in Northern Bruce Peninsula - Elderslie (PaisleyPaisley, OntarioPaisley is now an unincorporated community, a village in the Municipality of Arran-Elderslie in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. Paisley is defined by its position at the confluence of the Saugeen River and the Teeswater River, and at the junction of Bruce Roads 1, 11, and 3.-History:Paisley began,...
, ChesleyChesley, OntarioChesley is a community in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada, located within the municipality of Arran-Elderslie. Its town slogan is "The Nicest Town Around"...
) now in Arran-Elderslie - Greenock (Riversdale, Greenock, Chepstow, Cargill, Pinkerton, Bradley, Lovat) now in Brockton
- Huron (Pine River, Purple Grove, Verdun, Ripley) now in Huron-Kinloss
- Kincardine (KincardineKincardine, OntarioThe Municipality of Kincardine is located on the shores of Lake Huron in the County of Bruce in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has a population of 12,000, and covers an area of 580 square kilometres...
, InverhuronInverhuron, OntarioInverhuron is a community located within the Municipality of Kincardine in the Canadian province of Ontario. The community includes approximately 200 permanent residents and 400 seasonal cottagers....
, Millarton, Bervie, Armow) now in the Municipality of Kincardine - Kinloss (Kinloss, Kinlough, Holyrood, Langside, LucknowLucknow, OntarioLucknow is a community located in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. It is incorporated in the Township of Huron-Kinloss.-History:...
) now in Huron-Kinloss - Lindsay (Cape Chin, Dyer's Bay, Stokes Bay) now in Northern Bruce Peninsula
- Saugeen (SouthamptonSouthampton, OntarioSouthampton is a community of approximately 3083 people on the shores of Lake Huron in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada, located at the mouth of the Saugeen River....
, Port ElginPort Elgin, OntarioPort Elgin is a community in the Ontario municipality of Saugeen Shores. Close to MacGregor Point Provincial Park in Bruce County, the community has several beaches on Lake Huron....
) now the Town of Saugeen Shores - St. Edmund's (TobermoryTobermory, OntarioTobermory is a small community located at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula in the municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada. It is 300 km northwest of Toronto...
) now in Northern Bruce Peninsula
Attractions
- Algonquin Brewery (South Bruce)
- Arabia Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Avalon Voyageur II Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Big Tub Light (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Bluewater Summer Festival Theatre (Kincardine)
- Bruce County Museum (Saugeen Shores)
- Bruce TrailBruce TrailThe Bruce Trail is a hiking trail in southern and central Ontario, Canada.-General:The trail follows the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, one of the thirteen UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves in Canada, for almost...
- Bruce Nuclear Generating StationBruce Nuclear Generating StationBruce Nuclear Generating Station is a Canadian nuclear power station located on the eastern shore of Lake Huron, in the communities of Inverhuron and Tiverton, Ontario. It occupies 932 ha of land. The facility derives its name from Bruce County in which it is located, in the former Bruce Township...
(Kincardine) - Cabot Head Light and Heritage Museum (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Cascaden Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Cassel's Cove Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Chantry Island Light (Saugeen Shores)
- Charles P. Minch Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- China Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Cove Island Point (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Devil's Monument (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Flowerpot Island Light (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Flowerpot Rocks (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Forest City Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Gargantua Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Gat Point Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Gillies Hill Ghost Town (Arran-Elderslie)
- Hanover/Saugeen Airport (Brockton)
- Indian Head Cove Caves and Grotto (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- James C. King Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- John Walters Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Kincardine AirportKincardine AirportKincardine Airport is located north-northeast of Kincardine, Ontario, Canada.-External links:* *...
(Kincardine) - Kincardine Rear Range Light and Museum (Kincardine)
- Lady Dufferin Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Larkwhistle Garden (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Malcolm Ghost Town (Brockton)
- Marble bedded lake (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Marion L. Breck Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- M.S. Chi-CheemaunChi-CheemaunMS Chi-Cheemaun is a passenger and car ferry in Ontario, Canada, which traverses Lake Huron between Tobermory on Bruce Peninsula and South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island. The ferry connects the two geographically separate portions of Highway 6 and is the vessel that replaced MS Norgoma and SS...
(Northern Bruce Peninsula) - Newaygo Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Philo Scoville Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Point Clark Lighthouse Museum (Huron-Kinloss)
- Point Clark Lighthouse National Historic Site (Huron-Kinloss)
- Points West Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Port Elgin Airport (Saugeen Shores)
- Sauble Beach Amusements (South Bruce)
- Sauble Speedway (South Bruce)
- Saugeen Amphitheatre (Saugeen 29)
- Saugeen River (canoeing)
- Saugeen Trail (Saugeen Shores)
- Sweetwater Cruise (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- The Peninsula and St. Edmunds Museum (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- The Scenic Caves (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
- Tobermory Airport (Northern Bruce Peninsila)
- Treasure Chest Museum (Arran-Elderslie)
- Wiarton WillieWiarton WillieWiarton Willie is a famous albino Canadian groundhog who lived in the community of Wiarton in Bruce County, Ontario. Every February 2, on Groundhog Day, Willie took part in the local Wiarton Willie Festival. His role is to predict whether there will be an early spring...
(South Bruce Peninsula) - W.L. Wetmore Shipwreck (Northern Bruce Peninsula)
Protected Areas
- Arran Lake Conservation Area
- Black Creek Provincial Park
- Brucedale Conservation Area
- Bruce Peninsula National ParkBruce Peninsula National ParkBruce Peninsula National Park is a national park on the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. Located on a part of the Niagara Escarpment, the park comprises 156 square kilometres and is one of the largest protected areas in southern Ontario, forming the core of UNESCO's Niagara Escarpment World...
- Cyprus Lake
- Cabot Head Provincial Nature Reserve
- Chantry Island National Migratory Bird Sanctuary
- Denny's Dam Conservation Area
- Fathom Five National Marine ParkFathom Five National Marine ParkFathom Five National Marine Park is a National Marine Conservation Area in the Georgian Bay part of Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada, that seeks to protect and display shipwrecks and lighthouses, and conserve freshwater ecosystems...
- Flowerpot Island
- Glammis Bog Conservation Area
- Greenoch Swamp Wetland Complex Conservation Area
- Hardwood Hills Conservation Area
- Hope Bay Forest Provincial Nature Reserve
- Inverhuron Provincial ParkInverhuron Provincial ParkInverhuron Provincial Park is a provincial park located on the shores of Lake Huron beside the small village of Inverhuron, Ontario, near Tiverton, Ontario, Canada...
- Johnston Harbour Pine Tree Point Provincial Nature Reserve
- Lion's Head Provincial Nature Reserve
- Little Cove Provincial Nature Reserve
- Lockerby Conservation Area
- MacGregor Point Provincial ParkMacGregor Point Provincial ParkMacGregor Point Provincial Park is a park located on Lake Huron, off of Bruce Road 33 near Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada.The varied habitat found within the park includes a seven-kilometre stretch of coast, coastal wetlands, forests, and dunes. Although the beaches in the park can be used for...
- Algonquin
- Huron
- Nipissing
- McBeath Conservation Area
- McMaster Island Provincial Nature Reserve
- Rankin Provincial Resource Management Area
- Sauble Falls Provincial ParkSauble Falls Provincial ParkSauble Falls Provincial Park is located in the community of Sauble Falls, town of South Bruce Peninsula, Bruce County in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is in the lower drainage basin of the Sauble River, which flows into Lake Huron. The campground consists of two sections divided by County Road...
- Saugeen Bluffs Conservation Area
- Smoky Head - White Bluff Provincial Nature Reserve
- Spirit Rock Conservation Area
- Stoney Island Conservation Area
- Tara Conservation Area
Hungerford's crawling water beetle
Bruce County is home to one of the most critically endangered of all insects: the Hungerford's crawling water beetleHungerford's crawling water beetle
Hungerford's crawling water beetle is a critically endangered member of the Haliplidae family of water beetles. The US Fish and Wildlife Service Draft Recovery Plan for the species published August 2004 estimates roughly 1000 individuals are present in the wild...
. The only known population of Hungerford's crawling water beetles outside of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
were discovered in the North Saugeen River
Saugeen River
The Saugeen River is located in southern Ontario, Canada, flowing generally north-west about 160 km before exiting into Lake Huron. The river is navigable for some distance, and was once an important barge route...
near Scone. In 1986, 42 beetles were identified at a site downstream from a dam there. An unspecified number of beetles were last recorded in 2001, but surveys in 2002 uncovered no specimens. As a result, the status of the Bruce County population of Hungerford's crawling water beetles is uncertain at present.
Although the Hungerford's crawling water beetle was categorized as endangered on March 7, 1994, under the provisions of the U.S. Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
, it is currently not protected in Canada.
Demographics
(Statistics CanadaStatistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
, 2006)
| Change (2001–06): | 2.3% |
| Dwellings: | 38,432 |
| Density: | 16 /km2 |
| National rank in terms of population: | 91 |
| Provincial rank in terms of population: | 36 |
People
- 96% WhiteWhite peopleWhite people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
- 3% AboriginalFirst NationsFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
- 1% Visible MinorityVisible minorityA visible minority is a person who is visibly not one of the majority race in a given population.The term is used as a demographic category by Statistics Canada in connection with that country's Employment Equity policies. The qualifier "visible" is important in the Canadian context where...
Surrounding Counties
- Huron County, OntarioHuron County, OntarioHuron County is a census division and county of the province of Ontario, Canada. It is located on the southeast shore of its namesake, Lake Huron, in the southwest part of the province...
- Grey County, OntarioGrey County, OntarioGrey County is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is in Owen Sound. The population was 92,411 in 2006. It is located in the subregion of Southern Ontario named Southwestern Ontario...
- Wellington County, OntarioWellington County, OntarioWellington County is a county located in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat is Guelph, a city which is politically independent, but Guelph's status as the seat means it houses the county's administrative offices...
- Manitoulin District, OntarioManitoulin District, OntarioManitoulin District is a district in Northeastern Ontario within the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1888 from part of Algoma District. The district seat is Gore Bay....
See also
- Bruce County municipal elections, 2010Bruce County municipal elections, 2010Elections will be held in Bruce County, Ontario on October 25, 2010 in conjunction with municipal elections across the province.-Bruce County Council:-Arran-Elderslie:-Brockton:-Huron-Kinloss:-Kincardine:-Northern Bruce Peninsula:...
- Ontario municipal elections, 2010Ontario municipal elections, 2010The 2010 municipal elections in Ontario were held on October 25, 2010.Voters in the province of Ontario elected mayors, councillors, school board trustees and all other elected officials in all of the province's municipalities....
- Bruce PeninsulaBruce PeninsulaThe Bruce Peninsula is a peninsula in Ontario, Canada that lies between Georgian Bay and the main basin of Lake Huron. The peninsula extends roughly northwestwards from the rest of Southern Ontario, pointing towards Manitoulin Island, with which it forms the widest strait joining Georgian Bay to...
- List of counties and districts of Canada
- Sauble Beach