Parry Sound District

Parry Sound District
District

Location of Parry Sound District in Ontario
Coordinates: 45°42′N 79°50′W / 45.700°N 79.833°W / 45.700; -79.833Coordinates: 45°42′N 79°50′W / 45.700°N 79.833°W / 45.700; -79.833
Country  Canada
Province  Ontario
Region Central Ontario
Created 1870
Government
  MPs Tony Clement, Anthony Rota, Marc Serré
  MPPs Norm Miller, Victor Fedeli
Area[1]
  Land 9,322.80 km2 (3,599.55 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
  Total 42,162
  Density 4.5/km2 (12/sq mi)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
  Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code FSA P0C, P0E, P0G, P0H, P2A
Area code(s) 705
Seat Parry Sound

Parry Sound District is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its seat is Parry Sound. Its boundaries are Muskoka to the south, the Sudbury District, 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.

In 2011, the population was 42,162. 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).[1]

Although geographically in Southern Ontario, the Parry Sound District is the only census division in the southern part of the province which does not have an incorporated county, regional municipality or district municipality level of government, instead serving as a purely territorial division like the districts of Northern Ontario.

In lieu 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 some contexts the division is grouped with the Northern Ontario region instead of Southern Ontario.

Along with the neighbouring Muskoka and Haliburton regions, the Parry Sound District is considered part of Ontario's cottage country region. 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

Census subdivisions in Parry Sound District
Towns
Townships
Villages
Unorganized areas

Local services boards in the unorganized areas:

First Nation reserves

Original geographic townships

Status of geographic townships in Parry Sound District
Township Unorganized Incorporated Annexed/Amalgamated
Armour Green tick
Bethune Annexed by the Town of Kearney.
BlairGreen tick
BrownGreen tick
Burpee Part of the Municipality of Whitestone.
Burton Part of the Municipality of Whitestone.
Carling Green tick
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 MillsGreen tick
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.
HardyGreen tick
HarrisonGreen tick (part) Most became part of the Municipality of the Archipelago.
HenveyGreen tick (part) Northern section was transferred to the Town of Killarney in Sudbury District.
Humphrey Part of the Municipality of Seguin.
Joly Green tick
LaurierGreen tick
LountGreen tick
Machar Green tick
McConkeyGreen tick
McDougall Green tick
McKellar Green tick
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.
MowatGreen tick (part) Part transferred to the Town of Killarney in Sudbury District
North Himsworth Green tick Now the Municipality of Callander.
Nipissing Green tick
PattersonGreen tick
Perry Green tick
PringleGreen tick
Proudfoot Annexed by the Town of Kearney.
Ryerson Green tick
ShawanagaGreen tick (part) Most became part of the Municipality of the Archipelago.
South Himsworth Annexed by the Municipality of Powassan.
SpenceGreen tick
Strong Green tick
WallbridgeGreen tick
WilsonGreen tick

Demographics

Canada census – Parry Sound District community profile
2011 2006 2001
Population: 42,162 (3.0% from 2006) 40,918 (3.2% from 2001) 39,665 (-0.6% from 1996)
Land area: 9,322.80 km2 (3,599.55 sq mi) 9,222.04 km2 (3,560.65 sq mi) 9,222.25 km2 (3,560.73 sq mi)
Population density: 4.5/km2 (12/sq mi) 4.4/km2 (11/sq mi) 4.3/km2 (11/sq mi)
Median age: 47.9 (M: 47.3, F: 48.4) 44.2 (M: 43.7, F: 44.8)
Total private dwellings: 33,764 35,404 34,931
Median household income: $46,180 $38,676
References: 2011[1] 2006[2] 2001[3]

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. 1 2 3 4 "Parry Sound District census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  2. "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  3. "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012. Retrieved 2011-08-22.

External links

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