Perth County, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Perth County is a census division
of the Canadian province of Ontario
. The county seat is Stratford
and is located in Southwestern Ontario
, 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of Toronto. It encompasses 548179 acre (856.53 sq mi; 2,218.4 km²), 90% of which is classified as prime agricultural land (Classes 1, 2, and 3). According to the 2006 census, the population of Perth County was 74,344.
The county includes:
The City of Stratford
and Town of St. Marys
are part of the census division, but both have been separated from the county's jurisdiction.
which opened a road from the site of Stratford to Goderich. It was officially created in January 1850 out of the former Huron and Wellington Districts and had 11 original townships:
Over time, another five additional towns were incorporated as urban municipalities: Stratford, St. Marys, Mitchell, Listowel and Milverton. On January 1, 1998, the county was restructured by reducing fourteen municipalities to four. Only the City of Stratford and the Town of St. Marys were unaffected.
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Census division
Census division is an official term in Canada and the United States. The census divisions of Canada are second-level census geographic unit, below provinces and territories, and above "census subdivisions" and "dissemination areas". In provinces where they exist, the census division may correspond...
of the Canadian province of 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....
. The county seat is Stratford
Stratford, Ontario
Stratford is a city on the Avon River in Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada with a population of 32,000.When the area was first settled by Europeans in 1832, the townsite and the river were named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It is the seat of Perth County. Stratford was...
and is located in Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
, 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of Toronto. It encompasses 548179 acre (856.53 sq mi; 2,218.4 km²), 90% of which is classified as prime agricultural land (Classes 1, 2, and 3). According to the 2006 census, the population of Perth County was 74,344.
The county includes:
- Town of North PerthNorth Perth, OntarioThe town of North Perth is a municipality in Ontario, Canada. Its name is based on its location in the northern portion of Perth County. The major community in North Perth is Listowel.- History :...
- Township of Perth EastPerth East, OntarioThe Township of Perth East is municipality located in Perth County, Ontario, Canada and situated north of Stratford.Milverton is the major community of the township, where the municipal administration is based...
- Township of Perth SouthPerth South, OntarioPerth South is a township in southwestern Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the River Thames and the Avon River in the County of Perth.-Communities:...
- Township of West PerthWest Perth, OntarioWest Perth is a municipality in Ontario, Canada, situated in Western Perth County, just west of the city of Stratford.Mitchell is the largest community within the municipality and all of the municipal offices, administration, and services are based there. Smaller communities include Bornholm,...
The City of Stratford
Stratford, Ontario
Stratford is a city on the Avon River in Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada with a population of 32,000.When the area was first settled by Europeans in 1832, the townsite and the river were named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It is the seat of Perth County. Stratford was...
and Town of St. Marys
St. Marys, Ontario
St. Marys is a town in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Thames River southwest of Stratford in Perth County, and surrounded by the Township of Perth South. The town is also known by its nickname, "The Stone Town", due to the abundance of limestone in the surrounding area, giving...
are part of the census division, but both have been separated from the county's jurisdiction.
Historic townships
Perth County, area 524571 acre (820 sq mi; 2,123 km²), was mainly settled through the agency of the Canada CompanyCanada Company
The Canada Company was a large private chartered British land development company, incorporated by an act of British parliament on July 27, 1825, to aid the colonization of Upper Canada. Canada Company assisted emigrants by providing good ships, low fares, implements and tools,and inexpensive land....
which opened a road from the site of Stratford to Goderich. It was officially created in January 1850 out of the former Huron and Wellington Districts and had 11 original townships:
- Blanshard Township, area 45952 acre (72 sq mi; 186 km²). Opened in 1830 and named from Richard Blanshard, Director of the Canada Company.
- Downie Township, area 48342 acre (76 sq mi; 196 km²). The township was opened for settlement in 1830 and named in honour of Robert Downie, M.P. , one of the directors of the Canada Company.
- Easthope Townships (North and South). Areas 43,117 and 23641 acre (37 sq mi; 96 km²). Named from Sir John Easthope, M.P. A Director of the Canada Company. Opened for settlement in 1830. Until 1843 the townships were one.
- Ellice Township. Area 54520 acre (85 sq mi; 221 km²). Opened in 1830 and named in honour of Rt. Hon. Edward Ellice, a Canadian-born director of the Canada Company. His father was managing director of the Hudson's Bay Company.
- Elma Township, Area 67413 acre (105 sq mi; 273 km²). Opened in 1849; although the first settlers, Samuel Boyd and George Code, came from the east, Lanark County, in 1848. Named in honour of Lady Elma Bruce, daughter of the eighth Earl of ElginJames Bruce, 8th Earl of ElginSir James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, KT, GCB, PC , was a British colonial administrator and diplomat...
, Governor-general of Canada. - Fullarton Township. Area 40198 acre (63 sq mi; 163 km²). Opened in 1830 and named from John Fullarton, Director of the Canada Company.
- Hibbert Township. Area 41421 acre (65 sq mi; 168 km²). Opened in 1830 and named in honour of William T. Hibbert, Director of the Canada Company. First settler was Thomas Fox who received 200 acre (0.809372 km²) of land from the Company on the condition he open an inn for travelers on the Huron Road.
- Logan Township. Area 53748 acre (84 sq mi; 218 km²). Opened for settlement in 1830. Named in honour of Hart Logan, Director of the Canada Company and uncle of Sir William E. Logan, the founder of the Canadian Geological Survey.
- Mornington Township Area 50087 acre (78 sq mi; 203 km²). Opened for settlement in 1845 and surveyed in 1850. Named in honour of the second Earl of MorningtonRichard Wellesley, 1st Marquess WellesleyRichard Colley Wesley, later Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley, KG, PC, PC , styled Viscount Wellesley from birth until 1781, was an Anglo-Irish politician and colonial administrator....
, eldest brother of the Duke of Wellington. - Wallace Township. Area 50508 acre (79 sq mi; 204 km²). Opened for settlement in 1849 and named in honour of Thomas, Baron Wallace, Vice-president of the British Board of Trade under Lord GoderichFrederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount GoderichFrederick John Robinson, 1st Earl of Ripon PC , styled The Honourable F. J. Robinson until 1827 and known as The Viscount Goderich between 1827 and 1833, the name by which he is best known to history, was a British statesman...
in 1820. - City of Stratford. In Downie, Ellice and Easthope Township. In 1831 William Sergeant was given a lot by the Canada Company on the condition that he open an inn. In 1832 he erected the first frame building in the region by the Avon River and called it the "Shakespeare Hotel." First purchaser of land was John Sharman (1834), a blacksmith from Bedfordshire, England. His son, Henry, was the first child born within the limits of the city.
Over time, another five additional towns were incorporated as urban municipalities: Stratford, St. Marys, Mitchell, Listowel and Milverton. On January 1, 1998, the county was restructured by reducing fourteen municipalities to four. Only the City of Stratford and the Town of St. Marys were unaffected.
North Perth
- AtwoodAtwood, OntarioAtwood is a small town located in Perth County, Ontario, Canada. Nearby centres include Listowel and Elmira. Campbell's soup factory was the main employer for the small town, which currently has between 500 and 1000 inhabitants. There are 3 local churches including the Atwood Presbyterian Church...
- BrittonBritton, OntarioBritton is a small community in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is located in the township of North Perth in Perth county. It is located around the intersection of Perth Road 147 and Perth Line 81...
- DonegalDonegal, Perth County, OntarioDonegal is a small community located in the township of North Perth, Perth County, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the intersection of Perth Road 147 and Perth Line 72....
- GowanstownGowanstown, OntarioGowanstown is a community in Southwestern Ontario. It is a part of the town of North Perth in Perth County. It is located around the intersection of Perth Road 164 and Perth Line 88...
- KurtzvilleKurtzville, OntarioKurtzville is a small settlement located in the former township of Wallace, which was amalgamated into the town of North Perth, Ontario in 1999. It is located around Perth Line 88 and Perth Road 175 There is an arena in Kurtzville as well as tennis courts. The Kurtzville arena is home to the...
- Listowel
- Monkton
- NewryNewry, OntarioNewry, formerly Newry Station, is a community in Perth County, Ontario, Canada located on the intersection of County Roads 72 and 164. It was named after the eponymous community in County Down, Ireland....
- TrowbridgeTrowbridge, OntarioTrowbridge is a community in Perth County, Ontario, Canada....
- WallaceWallace, OntarioWallace is a community in Perth County, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the intersection of Perth Line 88 and Perth Road 146. Although the hamlet is referred to as Wallace on many maps, it is known by locals as "Wallaceville". The name "Wallaceville" is shown on the community's entrance signs...
Perth East
- AmulreeAmulree, OntarioAmulree is a community in the Township of Perth East, Perth County, Ontario, Canada. It lies northeast of Stratford and west of Kitchener. Silver Creek runs past the community....
- BrunnerBrunner, OntarioBrunner is a community in the Township of Perth East, Perth County, Ontario, Canada. It lies north of Stratford on Perth County Road 119. Topping is the nearest community, east, and Milverton is north. The Stratford and Huron Railway, later part of Canadian National Railway, passes through the...
- Dorking
- Milverton
- Millbank
- Newton
- Gads Hill
- Poole
- Rostock
- ShakespeareShakespeare, OntarioShakespeare is a village and designated place within the municipality of Perth East in Perth County, Ontario, Canada with a population of 750 in 2006. Shakespeare is located on the Highway 7/8, just east of Stratford and west of Kitchener.-History:Shakespeare was founded in 1832 by David Bell, and...
- Wartburg
Perth South
- Anderson
- AvonbankAvonbank, OntarioAvonbank is a community on the Avon River in the township of Perth South, Perth County in Southwestern Ontario Ontario, Canada. It lies on 16th Line west of Perth Road 130, about southwest of Stratford and north of St. Marys....
- Avonton
- Conroy
- Flannigan Corners
- Harmony
- Kirkton
- Rannoch
- Sebringville
- St. Paul's
- Woodham
West Perth
- Bornholm
- Brodhagen
- Dublin
- Fullarton
- MitchellMitchell, OntarioMitchell is a community in Perth County, Ontario, Canada. Mitchell is located at the intersection of Highways 8 and 23, 20 km west of Stratford, and 60 km north of London, in the municipality of West Perth.-History:...
- Russeldale
- St. Columban
- Staffa
Other
- CarlingfordCarlingford, OntarioCarlingford is a community in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is located about 12 km due west of Stratford, and 20 km due north of St. Marys....
- CarthageCarthage, OntarioCarthage is a community in the Township of Perth East, Perth County, Ontario, Canada. It lies north of Milverton on Perth County Road 119 at 83rd Line. Tralee is the nearest community, north, Burns is south, and Hesson is east. Smith Creek passes through the community....
- CromartyCromarty, OntarioCromarty is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in West Perth, in Perth County, approximately 2 km south of Staffa, Ontario.Cromarty only recently acquired the ability to light homes in the community using electricity...
- Hesson
- Kinkora
- Lisbon
- Motherwell
- Nithburg
- Prospect Hill
- Sebastopol
- Topping
- Wallen Corners
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