Georgina, Ontario

Georgina (Canada 2016 Census population 45,418) is a town in south-central Ontario, and the northernmost municipality in the Regional Municipality of York. The town is bounded to the north by Lake Simcoe. Although incorporated as a town, it operates as a township in which dispersed communities share a common administrative council. The largest communities are Keswick, Sutton and Jackson's Point. Smaller communities include Pefferlaw, Port Bolster, Roches Point, Udora and Willow Beach. The town was formed by the merger of the Village of Sutton, the Township of Georgina and the Township of North Gwillimbury in 1971 and incorporated in 1986. North Gwillimbury had previously been part of Georgina but became its own township in 1826. It took its name from the family of Elizabeth Simcoe, née Gwillim.

Georgina
Town (lower-tier)
Town of Georgina
Location of Georgina within York Region
Georgina
Location of Georgina within York Region
Coordinates (Civic Centre): 44°18′N 79°26′W
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
Regional MunicipalityYork Region
Namedlate 1790s
Amalgamated1971 (township)[1]
Incorporated1986 (town)
Named forGeorge III
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
 • MayorMargaret (Jordan) Quirk
 • Regional Councillor / Deputy MayorRob Grossi
 • Councillor
  • Mike Waddington (Ward 1),
  • Dan Fellini (Ward 2),
  • Dave Neeson (Ward 3),
  • Frank Sebo (Ward 4),
  • David A. Harding (Ward 5),
Area
 • Total287.75 km2 (111.10 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[2]
 • Total45,418
 • Density157.8/km2 (409/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code FSA
L0E, L0C, L4P
Area code(s)905, 289 and 705
NTS Map031D03
GNBC CodeFBHBU
Websitewww.georgina.ca

Georgina was the proposed name for London, Ontario, by John Graves Simcoe.

Municipal composition

The main centres in Georgina are the communities of Keswick, Belhaven, Sutton West, Jackson's Point,[3] Baldwin, Virginia, Pefferlaw, Port Bolster, Udora and Willow Beach. Other settlements include Jersey, Cedarbrae, Brown Hill, Island Grove, Elm Grove, Roches Point (named for the family of Author Mazo de la Roche, who is buried in the cemetery, at St. George's Anglican Church, Sibbald Point), Sibbald Point, Virginia / Virginia Beach (originally called Frenchtown), McRae Beach, Duclos Point, Balfour Beach, Varney, Brighton Beach and a variety of other beach communities.[4]

Demographics
Historical population
YearPop.±%
199129,746—    
199634,777+16.9%
200139,263+12.9%
200642,346+7.9%
201143,517+2.8%
201645,418+4.4%

According to the Canada 2016 Census conducted by Statistics Canada:[2]

  • Population: 45,418
  • Population % Change (2011-2016): 4.4%
  • Dwellings: 16,821
  • Dwellings % Change (2011-2016): 6.1%
  • Area (km².): 287.75 (+ .03)
  • Density (persons per km².): 157.8 (+ 6.6)

Racial profile As per the 2011 Canadian Census

  • 96.1% White
  • 1.6% Aboriginal
  • 0.5% Black
  • 0.3% Chinese

Religions[5]

Mother Tongue[6]

Government
Georgina and other communities on Lake Simcoe, Ontario

The Town of Georgina operates under a ward system, and its municipal council consists of the mayor, regional councillor (known procedurally as deputy mayor) and a councillor for each of the five wards. The current council consists of:

  • Mayor: Margaret Quirk
  • Deputy mayor/regional councillor: Rob Grossi
  • Councillor Ward 1: Mike Waddington
  • Councillor Ward 2: Dan Fellini
  • Councillor Ward 3: Dave Neeson
  • Councillor Ward 4: Frank Sebo
  • Councillor Ward 5: Dave Harding

The mayor and deputy mayor represent Georgina at meetings of York Regional Council.

Georgina is part of the Federal riding of York—Simcoe, represented by Scot Davidson of the Conservative Party of Canada, who was elected in a by-election on February 25, 2019.[7]

Provincially, it was part of the riding of York North until 2007 and is now part of the provincial riding of York—Simcoe, represented by Julia Munro of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, who was first elected in 1995.

Attractions
  • Captain William Johnson's Old Mill[8]
  • St. George's Anglican Church, built in 1877 by the pioneering Sibbald family and burial place of Stephen Leacock and Mazo de la Roche[8]
  • Roche's Point Anglican Church, built in 1862[8]
  • The ROC (Recreational Outdoor Campus), including the Georgina Pioneer Village Museum and Archives
  • The Red Barn Theatre, Canada's oldest summer stock theatre. [Currently not operating due to a fire in 2010.[9]][8]
  • Stephen Leacock Theatre
  • Georgina Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information Centre
  • Duclos Point Nature Reserve
  • Georgina Arts Centre and Gallery
  • The Peter Gzowski Festival of Stories[10]
  • Georgina Public Libraries
  • York Regional Forests
  • Sibbald Point Provincial Park
  • Sutton Fair and Horse Show[11]
  • Ramada Jacksons Point Resort and Spa
  • Willow Beach Conservation Area
  • Georgina Military Museum[12]

Notable residents
  • Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame member Whipper Billy Watson was a lifelong resident, and he spearheaded the campaign to build the Georgina Cultural Centre in the 1980s, which also houses the Stephen Leacock Theatre.
  • Keswick is the birthplace and childhood home of former NHL goaltender Curtis Joseph.
  • Captain William Johnson, former Royal Navy officer and founder of Pefferlaw, Ontario.
  • Noted writer Stephen Leacock settled on a farm near Egypt, a hamlet within Georgina.
  • Jim Carrey, a Canadian actor, comedian, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer. He was born in nearby Newmarket. His family settled in Sutton for his early life.
  • Caroline Mulroney and her husband own land in Jacksons Point.

Local media
  • Georgina Advocate (Metroland Media Group)

See also

References
  1. Some sources say 1971 Welch, Deborah; Michael Payne. "Georgina". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2008-01-02., some say 1970 "York County Maps and Facts". York Region Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society. Retrieved 2008-01-02."History of the Town of Georgina". Georgina Village Museum. Archived from the original on 2008-03-02. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
  2. "Census Profile, 2016 Census: Georgina". Statistics Canada. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  3. Kibble, Tracy (2009-08-27). "Jackson's Point offers alluring gem". YorkRegion.com. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
  4. "Brighton Beach". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
  5. Statistics Canada. (2002). Georgina 2001 Community Profiles. Released June 27, 2002. Last modified: 2005-11-30. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 93F0053XIE
  6. Statistics Canada (2011). Census Profile for Georgina, Ontario (Town). Released Oct 24, 2011
  7. "February 25, 2019 By-elections Election Results". Elections Canada. February 28, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  8. "Town of Georgina Historical Sites". Archived from the original on 2008-01-11.
  9. "Ontario's oldest summer theatre closes down". The Toronto Star. 4 July 2010.
  10. "Peter Gzowski Festival of Stories". Archived from the original on 2005-12-18.
  11. "Sutton Fair & Horse Show". Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  12. "Georgina Military Museum". Retrieved May 8, 2020.
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