Parry Sound District
It is geographically in Southern Ontario, but the Ontario and federal governments administer it as part of Northern Ontario. Like other census divisions in Northern Ontario, it does not have an incorporated county, regional municipality, or district municipality level of government but instead serves as a purely territorial division, like the other districts of Northern Ontario. Instead of an upper tier of municipal administration, all government services in the district are provided by the local municipalities or by the provincial government itself.
Some communities that are not part of any incorporated municipality are served by local services boards. The district is also included in the service areas of FedNor and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. Accordingly, in most administrative contexts, the division is grouped with the Northern Ontario region instead of Southern Ontario, which is mainly geographic.
Along with the neighbouring Muskoka and Haliburton regions, the Parry Sound District is considered part of Ontario's cottage country, which is geographically in the primary region of Southern Ontario and the secondary region of Central Ontario. The district is commonly divided into two subregions, West Parry Sound and East Parry Sound, the latter of which is often referred to as the Almaguin Highlands.
Subdivisions
Communities within these subdivisions are added in parentheses.
Towns:
Townships:
Villages:
Unorganized areas:
First Nations
Reserves:
Original geographic townships
Township | Unorganized | Incorporated | Annexed/Amalgamated |
---|---|---|---|
Armour | |||
Bethune | Annexed by the Town of Kearney. | ||
Blair | |||
Brown | |||
Burpee | Part of the Municipality of Whitestone. | ||
Burton | Part of the Municipality of Whitestone. | ||
Carling | |||
Chapman | Part of the Municipality of Magnetawan. | ||
Christie | Part of the Municipality of Seguin. | ||
Conger | Part of the Municipality of the Archipelago, with a small part in the Municipality of Seguin. | ||
Cowper | Part of the Municipality of the Archipelago. | ||
Croft | Part of the Municipality of Whitestone, with a small part in the Municipality of Magnetawan. | ||
East Mills | |||
Ferguson | Annexed by McDougall Township. | ||
Ferrie | Part of the Municipality of Whitestone. | ||
Foley | Part of the Municipality of Seguin. | ||
Gurd | Annexed by Nipissing Township. | ||
Hagerman | Part of the Municipality of Whitestone. | ||
Hardy | |||
Harrison | (part) | Most became part of the Municipality of the Archipelago. | |
Henvey | (part) | Northern section was transferred to the Town of Killarney in Sudbury District. | |
Humphrey | Part of the Municipality of Seguin. | ||
Joly | |||
Laurier | |||
Lount | |||
Machar | |||
McConkey | |||
McDougall | |||
McKellar | |||
McKenzie | Part of the Municipality of Whitestone. | ||
McMurrich | Part of the Township of McMurrich/Monteith. | ||
Monteith | Western two-thirds became part of the Municipality of Seguin, while the eastern third became part of the Township of McMurrich/Monteith. | ||
Mowat | (part) | Part transferred to the Town of Killarney in Sudbury District | |
North Himsworth | Now the Municipality of Callander. | ||
Nipissing | |||
Patterson | |||
Perry | |||
Pringle | |||
Proudfoot | Annexed by the Town of Kearney. | ||
Ryerson | |||
Shawanaga | (part) | Most became part of the Municipality of the Archipelago. | |
South Himsworth | Annexed by the Municipality of Powassan. | ||
Spence | |||
Strong | |||
Wallbridge | |||
Wilson |
History
The district falls under the Robinson-Huron Treaty in 1850. The Anishinaabeg/Anishinaabek - Ojibway, Odawa, and Potawatomi communities reside in the District of Parry Sound, which also encompasses the lands of the Wasauksing, Shawanaga, Magnetawan, Dokis, and Henvey Inlet First Nations.
During the early part of the 20th century, the area was a popular subject for the many scenic artworks of Tom Thomson and members of the Group of Seven.
Forest fire protection history
The Parry Sound Forest Fire District was founded by Ontario's former Department of Lands and Forests (now the MNR) in 1922 as one of 17 districts to help protect Ontario's forests from fire by early detection from fire towers. The headquarters for the district were housed in the town of Parry Sound. It was the central location for 21 fire tower lookouts, including the Parry Sound fire tower, which was erected in the same location as the modern lookout tower at 17 George Street. The other 20 towers in the district were: Pickerel River CPR, Byng Inlet, Still River, Pointe au Baril, Pakesley, Pickerel River CNR, Key Junction, Ardbeg, Spence, Go Home, Loring, Stormy Lake (Restoule), Nipissing, Boulter, Lount, Laurier, Strong, Proudfoot, Stisted and Draper. When a fire was spotted in the forest a tower man would get the degree bearings from his respective tower and radio back the information to headquarters. When one or more tower men from other towers in the area would also call in their bearings, the forest rangers at headquarters could get a 'triangulation' read and plot the exact location of the fire on their map. This way a team of forest firefighters could be dispatched as soon as possible to get the fire under control. In 1969 there remained only 4 actively staffed towers: Ardbeg, Go Home, Stormy Lake, and Boulter. These would all be phased out shortly after when aerial firefighting techniques were employed in the 1970s.
Demographics
As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Parry Sound District had a population of 46,909 living in 20,848 of its 35,640 total private dwellings, a change of 9.5% from its 2016 population of 42,824. With a land area of 9,113.92 km (3,518.90 sq mi), it had a population density of 5.1/km (13.3/sq mi) in 2021.
2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
---|---|---|---|
Population | 46,909 (+9.5% from 2016) | 42,824 (+1.6% from 2011) | 42,162 (3.0% from 2006) |
Land area | 9,113.92 km (3,518.90 sq mi) | 9,326.48 km (3,600.97 sq mi) | 9,322.80 km (3,599.55 sq mi) |
Population density | 5.1/km (13/sq mi) | 4.6/km (12/sq mi) | 4.5/km (12/sq mi) |
Median age | 55.2 (M: 55.2, F: 55.6) | 52.6 (M: 52.3, F: 53.0) | |
Private dwellings | 35,640 (total) 20,848 (occupied) | 35,226 (total) 18,679 (occupied) | 33,764 (total) |
Median household income | $72,500 | $60,251 |
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Population counts are not adjusted for boundary changes. Source: Statistics Canada |
See also
- Canadian census divisions
- Central Ontario
- Almaguin Highlands
- List of secondary schools in Ontario#Parry Sound District
References
- ^ "Parry Sound, District (DIS) Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Land Acknowledgement". District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board. District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
- ^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
- ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
- ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
- ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
- ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
- ^ "1971 Census of Canada - Population Census Subdivisions (Historical)". Catalogue 92-702 Vol I, part 1 (Bulletin 1.1-2). Statistics Canada: 76, 139. July 1973.
External links
- Parry Sound Tourism
- The Parry Sound Area Chamber of Commerce
- Parry Sound and Area information
- Map of Parry Sound District showing its municipalities
- Rooted in Stone: Reflections on West Parry Sound's Past
- Almaguin Highlands Ontario East Parry Sound's Almaguin Highlands Regional Portal
- Almaguin Highlands Digital Collection A service of Knowledge Ontario