The Archipelago is a township

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...

 in central 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...

, along the Georgian Bay

Georgian Bay

Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...

 in the District of Parry Sound

Parry Sound District, Ontario

Parry Sound District is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its seat is Parry Sound. Its boundaries are Muskoka to the south, the Sudbury District, the French River and Lake Nipissing in the north, Nipissing District, Ontario and North Bay in the north and east and parts of...

.

The municipality consists of two non-contiguous parts, separated by Carling Township

Carling, Ontario

Carling is a township in Ontario, Canada, located in the District of Parry Sound on Georgian Bay. Killbear Provincial Park is located in the municipality.The CBC Television series The Rez was shot there at Harrison's Landing.-Communities:*Adanac...

 and the Parry Sound

Parry Sound

Parry Sound is a sound or bay of Georgian Bay, in Ontario, Canada. It is highly irregularly shaped with many deep bays and islands. Killbear Provincial Park is located on the large peninsula that separates the sound from Georgian Bay, while it is bordered on the south side by Parry Island, home of...

. The northern part includes the village of Pointe au Baril

Pointe au Baril, Ontario

Pointe au Baril is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on the east coast of Georgian Bay.The community is located in the township of The Archipelago in the Parry Sound District.-History of the name:...

 on the mainland and most of the geographic townships of Shawanaga and Harrison. This covers the islands and shoreline of Georgian Bay from the Twin Sisters (at the northern boundary of Carling Township) north to Charles Inlet and the Naiscoot River, a few miles south of Britt

Britt, Ontario

Britt is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the unincorporated township of Wallbridge in the Parry Sound District.The community is located on the north shore of the Magnetawan River at Byng Inlet, approximately 5 kilometres west of Highway 69, at the end of Highway 526.Like...

. The southern part consists of the geographic townships of Cowper and Conger that includes the islands and shoreline of Georgian Bay southwest of Parry Sound, from Twelve Mile Bay (at the Muskoka District boundary) to Parry Island and up the South Channel almost to the Town of Parry Sound

Parry Sound, Ontario

Parry Sound is a town in Central Ontario, Canada, located on Parry Sound on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay. Parry Sound is located south of Sudbury and north of Toronto. It is the seat of Parry Sound District, a popular cottage country region for Southern Ontario residents. It is also the...

. Almost a third of the population of the southern part lives on the islands in the Sans Souci and Copperhead area, centred around Frying Pan Island.

The township is characterized by numerous islands (hence its name) and bays that attract large amounts of vacationers and boaters in the summer. Much of its area is undeveloped and crown-owned land: in the north, 96 percent of the mainland and 50 percent of the islands remain in the public domain, and in the south, 83 percent of the mainland and 70 percent of the islands, a large part of it protected in the Massasauga Provincial Park

Massasauga Provincial Park

Massasauga Provincial Park is a provincial park in Parry Sound District, Ontario, Canada, stretching from the town of Parry Sound south to the Moon River. The park has an area of 131.05 km²....

.

Communities

• Bayfield Inlet
• Blackstone Lake
  Blackstone Lake, Ontario
  Blackstone Lake, in The Archipelago of the Parry Sound district in Ontario, Canada, is primarily a small, boat-access lake containing nine islands...
  
  
• Copperhead
• Five Mile Bay
• Georgian Inlet
• Manbert
• Manitou Dock
• Naiscoot
• Nares Inlet
• Niweme
• Ojibway Island
• Pointe au Baril
  Pointe au Baril, Ontario
  Pointe au Baril is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on the east coast of Georgian Bay.The community is located in the township of The Archipelago in the Parry Sound District.-History of the name:...
  
  
• Pointe au Baril Station
• Sans Souci
• Seven Mile Narrows
• Skerryvore
• Woods Bay

History

On January 1, 1980, the townships of Georgian Bay South Archipelago and Georgian Bay North Archipelago were formed out of unincorporated geographic townships from the Parry Sound District, primarily in order to provide proper planning in the islands and waterways of the area. These two townships were intended to be set up as one municipality but the Ontario Legislature created two townships, with a provision for their later amalgamation, if requested by the elected Councils. Soon after the formation of the townships, both councils passed identical by-laws calling for the amalgamation of the two municipalities. Therefore, the Township of the Archipelago was formed on April 1, 1980, when the townships of Georgian Bay South Archipelago and Georgian Bay North Archipelago merged.

Demographics

According to the 2006 Statistics Canada

Statistics 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: 576
  • % Change (2001–2006):+14.1
  • % Change (1996–2001): -9.0
• Area (km²): 602.30
• Density (persons per km²): 1.0
• Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 254 (total dwellings: 3312)
• Mother tongue:
  • English as first language: 90.4 %
  • French as first language: 0 %
  • English and French as first language: 0 %
  • Other as first language: 8.6 %

Population trend:

• Population in 2006: 576
• Population in 2001: 505
• Population in 1996: 555
• Population in 1991: 720

External links

• Township of The Archipelago

North part
South part