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
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
 • MPsScott Aitchison, Anthony Rota, Marc Serré
 • MPPsNorm Miller, Vic Fedeli
Area
[1]
 • 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 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 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

Unorganized Areas
Name of Unorganized Area Population Ref.
Centre 2,143
North East 187
Restoule (part of Unorganized Centre Parry Sound District) 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
ArmourGreen tickY
BethuneAnnexed by the Town of Kearney.
BlairGreen tickY
BrownGreen tickY
BurpeePart of the Municipality of Whitestone.
BurtonPart of the Municipality of Whitestone.
CarlingGreen tickY
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 MillsGreen tickY
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.
HardyGreen tickY
HarrisonGreen tickY (part)Most became part of the Municipality of the Archipelago.
HenveyGreen tickY (part)Northern section was transferred to the Town of Killarney in Sudbury District.
HumphreyPart of the Municipality of Seguin.
JolyGreen tickY
LaurierGreen tickY
LountGreen tickY
MacharGreen tickY
McConkeyGreen tickY
McDougallGreen tickY
McKellarGreen tickY
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.
MowatGreen tickY (part)Part transferred to the Town of Killarney in Sudbury District
North HimsworthGreen tickYNow the Municipality of Callander.
NipissingGreen tickY
PattersonGreen tickY
PerryGreen tickY
PringleGreen tickY
ProudfootAnnexed by the Town of Kearney.
RyersonGreen tickY
ShawanagaGreen tickY (part)Most became part of the Municipality of the Archipelago.
South HimsworthAnnexed by the Municipality of Powassan.
SpenceGreen tickY
StrongGreen tickY
WallbridgeGreen tickY
WilsonGreen tickY

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 km2 (3,518.90 sq mi), it had a population density of 5.1/km2 (13.3/sq mi) in 2021.[3]

Canada census – Parry Sound community profile
202120162011
Population46,909 (+9.5% from 2016)42,824 (1.6% from 2011)42,162 (3.0% from 2006)
Land area9,113.92 km2 (3,518.90 sq mi)9,326.48 km2 (3,600.97 sq mi)9,322.80 km2 (3,599.55 sq mi)
Population density5.1/km2 (13/sq mi)4.6/km2 (12/sq mi)4.5/km2 (12/sq mi)
Median age55.2 (M: 55.2, F: 55.6)52.6 (M: 52.3, F: 53.0)
Private dwellings20,850 (total)  35,226 (total)  33,764 (total) 
Median household income
References: 2021[4] 2016[2] 2011[1] earlier[5][6]

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.[7]

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
See also: wildfire suppression

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.

See also

References
  1. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  2. "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  3. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and census divisions". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  4. "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  5. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  6. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
  7. "Land Acknowledgement". District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board. District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Parry Sound District, Ontario.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.