Ramara, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Ramara is a township
municipality in Simcoe County
, Ontario
, Canada
.
Ramara was formed in 1994 through the amalgamation of the townships of Rama and Mara. The municipality stretches along the northeastern shore of Lake Simcoe
from Gamebridge to Orillia, and along the entire eastern shore of Lake Couchiching
from Orillia to Washago. Farming, tourism and aggregate are the primary industries, and are supported by a wide variety of local enterprises. The area is perhaps best known as the home of Casino Rama
, which is actually located on the neighbouring First Nations reserve
of Chippewas of Mnjikaning First Nation
in Rama
.
, Fawkham, Floral Park, Fountain Beach, Gamebridge, Gamebridge Beach, Geneva Park, Glenrest Beach, Grays Bay, Floral Park, Hopkins Bay, Joyland Beach, Lagoon City, Lakeview Beach, Little Falls, Longford Mills, Mara Beach, Mariposa Beach, McDonald Beach, Millington (ghost town), Murphy Beach, New Gamebridge Beach, Oaklawn Beach, O'Connell, Orkney Point, Orkney Beach, Paradise Point, Point of Mara Beach, Prophet Beach, Rathburn, Riverside Beach, Sandy Beach, Sandy Pine Beach, Southview Cove, Talbot, Tanglewood Beach, Udney, Uptergrove, Val Harbour and Washago.
references (rama for Ramah
, the biblical town of Benjamin
in ancient Israel
, and mara for Marah
, named in the biblical Book of Exodus as the place where Moses
sweetened the bitter waters for the Israelites.) As both styles of place naming were popular in Ontario at the time, it is not clear which one Lieutenant-Governor Sir Peregrine Maitland
had in mind.
The townships were originally part of York County
, but were transferred to Ontario County
when they were first incorporated as an amalgamated municipality in 1852. They were later reincorporated as separate municipalities in 1869.
A portion of Rama Township was allocated to form what became the Mnjikaning First Nation 32 Indian reserve
of the Chippewas of Mnjikaning First Nation
. Many natives were living on the narrow strip of land that separates lakes Simcoe
and Couchiching
between Atherley and Orillia
. These lands were surrendered by treaty
in 1836. After that time, the local Indian Agent began purchasing lands in Rama Township and the natives were relocated there. The main settlement on the reserve is also known as Rama
and is the site of Casino Rama
.
North of Rama, the community of Longford Mills was established in 1868. In 1867 American lumberman Henry W. Sage
had purchased blocks of land in Rama Township after buying timber berths in Oakley Township in Muskoka District
. Sage had considered relocating his mill from Bell Ewart to a point between the Black River and Lake Couchiching, or possibly at Wasdell Falls. This area lacked rail transport
, so the sawn lumber would have to be barge
d to the Northern Railway
at Bell Ewart. Instead, Sage came up with the idea of a canal
to float logs from the Black River to supply the mills of Lake Simcoe. The Rama Timber Transport Company
was formed in 1868. Not only did it allow the logs of Muskoka and Victoria
reach the mills of Lake Simcoe, but helped establish the community of Longford Mills.
Ontario County was dissolved upon the formation of the Regional Municipality of Durham
in 1974, and both townships were transferred to Simcoe County. As part of the municipal restructuring of Simcoe County, Mara and Rama Townships were reamalgamated to form Ramara in 1994.
.
Census:
Township (Canada)
The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. However in some systems no town needs to be involved. The specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, usually to describe a local rural or semi-rural government within the county...
municipality in Simcoe County
Simcoe County, Ontario
Simcoe County is located in central portion of Southern Ontario. The County is situated just north of the Greater Toronto Area stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west...
, 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...
.
Ramara was formed in 1994 through the amalgamation of the townships of Rama and Mara. The municipality stretches along the northeastern shore of Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
from Gamebridge to Orillia, and along the entire eastern shore of Lake Couchiching
Lake Couchiching
Lake Couchiching, from the Ojibwe gojijiing meaning "inlet", is a small lake in Central Ontario separated from Lake Simcoe by a narrow channel. The Trent-Severn Waterway enters Lake Simcoe by the Talbot River and exits this lake by the Severn River which empties into Georgian Bay...
from Orillia to Washago. Farming, tourism and aggregate are the primary industries, and are supported by a wide variety of local enterprises. The area is perhaps best known as the home of Casino Rama
Casino Rama
Casino Rama is a large casino, hotel and entertainment complex located on the reserve land of Chippewas of Rama First Nation, in the town of Rama, Ontario, Canada...
, which is actually located on the neighbouring First Nations reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
of Chippewas of Mnjikaning First Nation
Chippewas of Mnjikaning First Nation
Chippewas of Rama First Nation, also known as Chippewas of Mnjikaning and Chippewas of Rama Mnjikaning First Nation, is Anishinaabe First Nation located in the province of Ontario in Canada...
in Rama
Rama, Ontario
Rama is the Ontario, Canada home of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation and Casino Rama. The community sports complex is called the Mnjikaning Arena Sports Ki, which was the home arena of the Couchiching Terriers ice hockey team, once affiliated with the Barrie Colts. The Ramakings lacrosse team...
.
Communities
The township comprises the communities of Atherley, Bayshore Village, Bayview Beach, Bonnie Beach, Brechin, Brechin Beach, Brechin Point, Concord Point, Cooper's FallsCooper's Falls, Ontario
Cooper's Falls is a hamlet in central Ontario, on the Black River near the village of Washago in Ramara Township. It is named after Thomas Cooper, the first settler in this location...
, Fawkham, Floral Park, Fountain Beach, Gamebridge, Gamebridge Beach, Geneva Park, Glenrest Beach, Grays Bay, Floral Park, Hopkins Bay, Joyland Beach, Lagoon City, Lakeview Beach, Little Falls, Longford Mills, Mara Beach, Mariposa Beach, McDonald Beach, Millington (ghost town), Murphy Beach, New Gamebridge Beach, Oaklawn Beach, O'Connell, Orkney Point, Orkney Beach, Paradise Point, Point of Mara Beach, Prophet Beach, Rathburn, Riverside Beach, Sandy Beach, Sandy Pine Beach, Southview Cove, Talbot, Tanglewood Beach, Udney, Uptergrove, Val Harbour and Washago.
History
The former townships of Rama and Mara were first named in 1820. The origins of the names are unclear, as both may be either Spanish words (rama for "branch" and mara for "sea") or BiblicalBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
references (rama for Ramah
Ramah in Benjamin
Ramah in Benjamin is a city of ancient Israel. It was located near Gibeon and Mizpah to the West, Gibeah to the South, and Geba to the East. It is identified with modern Er-Ram, about 8 km north of Jerusalem. The city is first mentioned in Joshua 18:25, near Gibeah of Benjamin. A Levite came...
, the biblical town of Benjamin
Benjamin
Benjamin was the last-born of Jacob's twelve sons, and the second and last son of Rachel in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition. He was the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Benjamin. In the Biblical account, unlike Rachel's first son, Joseph, Benjamin was born in Canaan. He died in Egypt on...
in ancient Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and mara for Marah
Marah (Bible)
Marah is one of the locations which the Torah identifies as having been travelled through by the Israelites, during the Exodus.The liberated Israelites set out on their journey in the desert, somewhere in the Sinai Peninsula...
, named in the biblical Book of Exodus as the place where Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
sweetened the bitter waters for the Israelites.) As both styles of place naming were popular in Ontario at the time, it is not clear which one Lieutenant-Governor Sir Peregrine Maitland
Peregrine Maitland
Sir Peregrine Maitland, KCB, GCB was a British soldier and colonial administrator who played first-class cricket from 1798 to 1808....
had in mind.
The townships were originally part of York County
York County, Ontario
York County is a historic county in Upper Canada, Canada West, and the Canadian province of Ontario.York County was created in 1792 and was part of the jurisdiction of Home District of Upper Canada...
, but were transferred to Ontario County
Ontario County, Ontario
Ontario County was the name of two historic counties in the Canadian province of Ontario.The original Ontario County existed from 1792 to 1800 as part of the Eastern District, and consisted of the islands in the St. Lawrence River...
when they were first incorporated as an amalgamated municipality in 1852. They were later reincorporated as separate municipalities in 1869.
A portion of Rama Township was allocated to form what became the Mnjikaning First Nation 32 Indian reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
of the Chippewas of Mnjikaning First Nation
Chippewas of Mnjikaning First Nation
Chippewas of Rama First Nation, also known as Chippewas of Mnjikaning and Chippewas of Rama Mnjikaning First Nation, is Anishinaabe First Nation located in the province of Ontario in Canada...
. Many natives were living on the narrow strip of land that separates lakes Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
and Couchiching
Lake Couchiching
Lake Couchiching, from the Ojibwe gojijiing meaning "inlet", is a small lake in Central Ontario separated from Lake Simcoe by a narrow channel. The Trent-Severn Waterway enters Lake Simcoe by the Talbot River and exits this lake by the Severn River which empties into Georgian Bay...
between Atherley and Orillia
Orillia, Ontario
Orillia, pronounced ōrĭl'ēə, is a city located in Simcoe County in Southern Ontario, Canada, between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe, 135 kilometres north of Toronto.Originally incorporated as a village in 1867, the history of...
. These lands were surrendered by treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
in 1836. After that time, the local Indian Agent began purchasing lands in Rama Township and the natives were relocated there. The main settlement on the reserve is also known as Rama
Rama, Ontario
Rama is the Ontario, Canada home of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation and Casino Rama. The community sports complex is called the Mnjikaning Arena Sports Ki, which was the home arena of the Couchiching Terriers ice hockey team, once affiliated with the Barrie Colts. The Ramakings lacrosse team...
and is the site of Casino Rama
Casino Rama
Casino Rama is a large casino, hotel and entertainment complex located on the reserve land of Chippewas of Rama First Nation, in the town of Rama, Ontario, Canada...
.
North of Rama, the community of Longford Mills was established in 1868. In 1867 American lumberman Henry W. Sage
Henry W. Sage
Henry W. Sage was a wealthy New York State businessman, philanthropist, and early benefactor and trustee of Cornell University....
had purchased blocks of land in Rama Township after buying timber berths in Oakley Township in Muskoka District
Muskoka District Municipality, Ontario
The District Municipality of Muskoka, more generally referred to as the District of Muskoka, or simply Muskoka, is a Regional Municipality located in Central Ontario, Canada. Muskoka extends from Georgian Bay in the west, to the northern tip of Lake Couchiching in the south, to the western border...
. Sage had considered relocating his mill from Bell Ewart to a point between the Black River and Lake Couchiching, or possibly at Wasdell Falls. This area lacked rail transport
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
, so the sawn lumber would have to be barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
d to the Northern Railway
Northern Railway of Canada
The Northern Railway of Canada was a historical Canadian railway located in the province of Ontario. It was eventually acquired by the Grand Trunk Railway, and is therefore a predecessor to the modern Canadian National Railway.- Early history :...
at Bell Ewart. Instead, Sage came up with the idea of a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
to float logs from the Black River to supply the mills of Lake Simcoe. The Rama Timber Transport Company
Rama Timber Transport Company
The Rama Timber Transport Company was a Canadian canal and railway company that was incorporated in 1868 to construct and operate the Black River & Lake St...
was formed in 1868. Not only did it allow the logs of Muskoka and Victoria
Victoria County, Ontario
The County of Victoria, or Victoria County, was a county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was formed in 1854 as The United Counties of Peterborough and Victoria, and gained independence in 1863. In 2001, the county was dissolved and reformed as the city of Kawartha Lakes...
reach the mills of Lake Simcoe, but helped establish the community of Longford Mills.
Ontario County was dissolved upon the formation of the Regional Municipality of Durham
Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario
The Regional Municipality of Durham, informally referred to as Durham Region, is a regional municipality located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto, Ontario. It has an area of approximately 2,500 square kilometres. Durham Region is considered part of the Greater Toronto Area, with the communities...
in 1974, and both townships were transferred to Simcoe County. As part of the municipal restructuring of Simcoe County, Mara and Rama Townships were reamalgamated to form Ramara in 1994.
Transportation
Washago railway station is located within the township. There is bus service from Toronto to Washago. As well, there is extensive charter bus service to Casino RamaCasino Rama
Casino Rama is a large casino, hotel and entertainment complex located on the reserve land of Chippewas of Rama First Nation, in the town of Rama, Ontario, Canada...
.
Demographics
According to the 2006 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....
Census:
- Population: 9,427
- % Change (2001-2006): 9.4
- Dwellings: 5,797
- Area (km²): 417.25
- Density (persons per km²): 22.6