Parry Sound District

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

Parry Sound District
District
Location of Parry Sound District in Ontario
Coordinates: 45°42′N 79°50′W
Country Canada
Province Ontario
RegionNorthern Ontario and Central Ontario
Created1870
Government
  MPsTony Clement, Anthony Rota, Marc Serré
  MPPsNorm Miller, Vic Fedeli
Area
  Land9,322.80 km2 (3,599.55 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[2]
  Total42,824
  Density4.5/km2 (12/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
  Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code FSA
P0C, P0E, P0G, P0H, P2A
Area code(s)705
SeatParry Sound

In 2016, the population was 42,824. The land area is 9,322.80 square kilometres (3,600 sq mi); the population density was 4.5 per square kilometre (12/sq mi).[2]

It is geographically in Southern Ontario, but the Ontario and federal governments admister 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 either by the local municipalities or by the provincial government itself. Some communities which 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 often referred to as the Almaguin Highlands.

Subdivisions

Communities within these subdivisions are added in parentheses

Towns

Name of Town Population Ref.
Kearney 882
Parry Sound 6,408
Powassan 3,455

Townships

Name of Township Population Ref.
The Archipelago 531
Armour 1,414
Callander 3,863
Carling 1,125
Joly 304
Machar 882
Magnetawan 1,390
McDougall 2,702
McKellar 1,111
McMurrich/Monteith 824
Nipissing 1,707
Perry 2,454
Ryerson 648
Seguin 4,304
Strong 1,439
Whitestone 916

Villages

Name of Village Population Ref.
Burk's Falls 981
South River 1,114
Sundridge 961
Rosseau N/A

Unorganized Areas

Name of Unorganized Area Population Ref.
Centre 2,143
North East 187
Restoule 455

First Nation Reserves

Name of Reserve Population Ref.
Dokis 204
French River 137
Henvey Inlet 28
Magnetawan 93
Naiscoutaing N/A
Shawanaga 213
Wasauksing 419

Original geographic townships

Status of geographic townships in Parry Sound District
TownshipUnorganizedIncorporatedAnnexed/Amalgamated
ArmourY
BethuneAnnexed by the Town of Kearney.
BlairY
BrownY
BurpeePart of the Municipality of Whitestone.
BurtonPart of the Municipality of Whitestone.
CarlingY
ChapmanPart of the Municipality of Magnetawan.
ChristiePart of the Municipality of Seguin.
CongerPart of the Municipality of the Archipelago, with a small part in the Municipality of Seguin.
CowperPart of the Municipality of the Archipelago.
CroftPart of the Municipality of Whitestone, with a small part in the Municipality of Magnetawan.
East MillsY
FergusonAnnexed by McDougall Township.
FerriePart of the Municipality of Whitestone.
FoleyPart of the Municipality of Seguin.
GurdAnnexed by Nipissing Township.
HagermanPart of the Municipality of Whitestone.
HardyY
HarrisonY (part)Most became part of the Municipality of the Archipelago.
HenveyY (part)Northern section was transferred to the Town of Killarney in Sudbury District.
HumphreyPart of the Municipality of Seguin.
JolyY
LaurierY
LountY
MacharY
McConkeyY
McDougallY
McKellarY
McKenziePart of the Municipality of Whitestone.
McMurrichPart of the Township of McMurrich/Monteith.
MonteithWestern two-thirds became part of the Municipality of Seguin, while the eastern third became part of the Township of McMurrich/Monteith.
MowatY (part)Part transferred to the Town of Killarney in Sudbury District
North HimsworthYNow the Municipality of Callander.
NipissingY
PattersonY
PerryY
PringleY
ProudfootAnnexed by the Town of Kearney.
RyersonY
ShawanagaY (part)Most became part of the Municipality of the Archipelago.
South HimsworthAnnexed by the Municipality of Powassan.
SpenceY
StrongY
WallbridgeY
WilsonY

Demographics

Canada census – Parry Sound District community profile
2016 2011 2006
Population: 42,824 (1.6% from 2011) 42,162 (3.0% from 2006) 40,918 (3.2% from 2001)
Land area: 9,326.48 km2 (3,600.97 sq mi) 9,322.80 km2 (3,599.55 sq mi) 9,222.04 km2 (3,560.65 sq mi)
Population density: 4.6/km2 (12/sq mi) 4.5/km2 (12/sq mi) 4.4/km2 (11/sq mi)
Median age: 52.6 (M: 52.3, F: 53.0) 47.9 (M: 47.3, F: 48.4)
Total private dwellings: 35,226 33,764 35,404
Median household income: $46,180
References: 2016[2] 2011[1] 2006[3] earlier[4]
  • 93.8% White
  • 5.5% Aboriginal (3.8% First Nations, 1.5% Métis)
  • 0.7% Visible Minorities

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 towerman would get the degree bearings from his respective tower and radio back the information to headquarters. When one or more towermen 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 manned towers: Ardbeg, Go Home, Stormy Lake, and Boulter. These would all be phased out shortly after when aerial fire fighting techniques were employed in the 1970s.

See also

References

  1. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  2. "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 21, 2017. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  3. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  4. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.