Tiny, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Tiny is a township
, part of Simcoe County
in south-central Ontario
, Canada
. The Township of Tiny can be found in the Southern Georgian Bay
region and is approximately 43 miles (69.2 km) long or 160 square miles (414.4 km²). While the regular population is fairly small, the region is a popular summer destination both for tourism and cottage
rs.
, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. Two other adjoining townships were also named for her pet dogs, Tay and Flos (now Springwater Township).
The history of Tiny Township reflects its three founding cultures: Native, French and British. Located within Wendake
, the historical homeland of the Huron people, the region is closely tied to early missionary exploration of the region, including the Jesuit mission of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
in nearby Midland
. The township is also the location of an important archaeological site, the 17th century ossuary
of the community of Ossossane, the capital of the Huron Confederacy.
In 1798, the British government purchased the land in the area and soon after established a naval base at Penetanguishene. By the mid-19th century, families from Quebec began moving to the Tiny Township area for the cheap and fertile land to farm. Today, the Tiny Township area is still very much a bilingual (French and English) area of Ontario, and is one of 25 municipalities in Ontario designated for bilingual government services under the French Language Services Act
. In honour of the region's French history, Lafontaine hosts the annual Le Festival du Loup, a festival of francophone music and culture which celebrates the death of a wolf that terrorised the village in the 19th century, which takes place in July.
Lafontaine was originally called Sainte-Croix (French for Holy Cross) due to many large crosses found in the area that were planted by the Jesuits. It was renamed Lafontaine to honor the politician Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
, one of the early Joint Premiers of the Province of Canada
.
and Nottawasaga Bay
at the south end of Georgian Bay
, comprising the peninsula which separates them, and extending southward into the Wye River watershed. The municipality is home to Awenda Provincial Park
on Georgian Bay at the north end, and the Tiny Marsh Provincial Wildlife Area
, source of the Wye River, in the south.
Tiny contains an artesian well
that produces some of the purest spring water in the world. Many residents were concerned that a proposed garbage dump over the aquifer would contaminate the water, and a series of protests achieved a one-year moratorium on the dump (which may be extended).
from five stations located in Lafontaine, Wyevale, North West Basin, Wyebridge and Woodland Beach. The township falls within the jurisdiction of the Ontario Provincial Police
and is policed by members of the Southern Georgian Bay detachment.
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...
, part of 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...
in south-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...
. The Township of Tiny can be found in the Southern Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
region and is approximately 43 miles (69.2 km) long or 160 square miles (414.4 km²). While the regular population is fairly small, the region is a popular summer destination both for tourism and cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
rs.
Communities
The township comprises the communities of Allenwood Beach, Ardmore Beach, Balm Beach, Belle-Eau-Claire Beach, Bluewater Beach, Cawaja Beach, Cedar Point, Clearwater Beach, Cove Beach, Crescent Beach, Coutenac Beach, Deanlea Beach, Dorion's Corner, East Tay Point, Edmore Beach, Georgian Bay Estates, Georgian Heights, Georgian Highlands, Georgian Sands Beach, Georgina Beach, Gibson, Ishpiming Beach, Kettle's Beach, Kingwood Acres, Lafontaine, Lafontaine Beach, Mary Grove, Mountain View Beach, Nottawaga Beach, Ossossane Beach, Perkinsfield, Rowntree Beach, Sandcastle Beach, Sandy Bay, Sawlog Bay, Silver Birch Beach, Sloane Point, Thunder Beach, Tiny Beach, Toanche, Wahnekewaning Beach, Wendake Beach, Woodland Beach, Wyebridge, Wyevale and Wymbolwood Beach.History
The township was named, in 1822, after a pet dog of Lady Sarah Maitland (1792–1873), wife of Sir Peregrine MaitlandPeregrine Maitland
Sir Peregrine Maitland, KCB, GCB was a British soldier and colonial administrator who played first-class cricket from 1798 to 1808....
, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. Two other adjoining townships were also named for her pet dogs, Tay and Flos (now Springwater Township).
The history of Tiny Township reflects its three founding cultures: Native, French and British. Located within Wendake
Wendake
Wendake may refer to:* the historical homeland of the Huron/Wendat/Wyandot nation, on the south shore of Georgian Bay in modern-day Simcoe and Grey counties in Ontario,...
, the historical homeland of the Huron people, the region is closely tied to early missionary exploration of the region, including the Jesuit mission of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
Sainte-Marie among the Hurons was a French Jesuit settlement in Wendake, the land of the Wendat, near modern Midland, Ontario, from 1639 to 1649. It was the first European settlement in what is now the province of Ontario. Eight missionaries from Sainte-Marie were martyred, and were canonized by...
in nearby Midland
Midland, Ontario
Midland is a town located on Georgian Bay in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada.Situated at the southern end of Georgian Bay's 30,000 Islands, Midland is the economic centre of the region, with a 125-bed hospital and a local airport. It is the main town of the southern Georgian Bay area...
. The township is also the location of an important archaeological site, the 17th century ossuary
Ossuary
An ossuary is a chest, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after some years the skeletal remains are removed and placed in an ossuary...
of the community of Ossossane, the capital of the Huron Confederacy.
In 1798, the British government purchased the land in the area and soon after established a naval base at Penetanguishene. By the mid-19th century, families from Quebec began moving to the Tiny Township area for the cheap and fertile land to farm. Today, the Tiny Township area is still very much a bilingual (French and English) area of Ontario, and is one of 25 municipalities in Ontario designated for bilingual government services under the French Language Services Act
French Language Services Act
The French Language Services Act is a law in the province of Ontario, Canada which is intended to protect the rights of Franco-Ontarians, or French-speaking people, in the province....
. In honour of the region's French history, Lafontaine hosts the annual Le Festival du Loup, a festival of francophone music and culture which celebrates the death of a wolf that terrorised the village in the 19th century, which takes place in July.
Lafontaine was originally called Sainte-Croix (French for Holy Cross) due to many large crosses found in the area that were planted by the Jesuits. It was renamed Lafontaine to honor the politician Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine , 1st Baronet, KCMG was the first Canadian to become Prime Minister of the United Province of Canada and the first head of a responsible government in Canada. He was born in Boucherville, Lower Canada in 1807...
, one of the early Joint Premiers of the Province of Canada
Joint Premiers of the Province of Canada
Joint Premiers of the Province of Canada were the leaders of the Province of Canada, from the 1841 unification of Upper Canada and Lower Canada until Confederation in 1867....
.
Geography
Tiny Township is located between Severn SoundSevern Sound
Heart Gloucestershire is an Independent Local Radio station that broadcasts to Gloucestershire, England. The station now has just two programmes a day broadcasting live from Gloucestershire with the majority of its output being the same as most other stations in the Heart network, owned by Global...
and Nottawasaga Bay
Nottawasaga Bay
Nottawasaga Bay is a bay of Lake Huron in Ontario, at the southernmost end of Georgian Bay. Communities on Nottawasaga Bay include Meaford, Collingwood and Wasaga Beach....
at the south end of Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
, comprising the peninsula which separates them, and extending southward into the Wye River watershed. The municipality is home to Awenda Provincial Park
Awenda Provincial Park
Awenda Provincial Park is a provincial park in western Ontario located on the northern tip of the Penetanguishene Peninsula on Georgian Bay. The park occupies an area of 29.15 km². It is classified as a Natural Environment Park and therefore all land is protected.Giants Tomb Island has...
on Georgian Bay at the north end, and the Tiny Marsh Provincial Wildlife Area
Tiny Marsh Provincial Wildlife Area
The Tiny Marsh Provincial Wildlife Area, located in Simcoe County, Central Ontario, Canada, is Ontario’s first provincially owned and managed wetland and is one of approximately 1200 Important Bird Areas recognized in Canada. The marsh is situated near Elmvale, approximately three kilometres inland...
, source of the Wye River, in the south.
Tiny contains an artesian well
Artesian aquifer
An artesian aquifer is a confined aquifer containing groundwater under positive pressure. This causes the water level in a well to rise to a point where hydrostatic equilibrium has been reached. This type of well is called an artesian well...
that produces some of the purest spring water in the world. Many residents were concerned that a proposed garbage dump over the aquifer would contaminate the water, and a series of protests achieved a one-year moratorium on the dump (which may be extended).
Services
The township's fire protection services are provided by the Township of Tiny Fire and Emergency Services. The service has a complement of 95 firefighters operating 15 pieces of fire apparatusFire apparatus
A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
from five stations located in Lafontaine, Wyevale, North West Basin, Wyebridge and Woodland Beach. The township falls within the jurisdiction of the Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
and is policed by members of the Southern Georgian Bay detachment.