Middlesex County, Ontario
Middlesex County | |
|---|---|
| County of Middlesex | |
 Location of Middlesex census division | |
| Coordinates:43°00′N81°30′W/ 43.000°N 81.500°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Named for | Middlesex,England |
| County seat | London |
| Municipalities | |
| Area | |
| • Land | 2,821.00 km2(1,089.19 sq mi) |
| Population (2016)[1] | |
| • Total | 71,551 |
| • Density | 25.4/km2(66/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-5(EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4(EDT) |
| Website | www.middlesex.ca |
Middlesex County(2016population: 71,551)[1]is a primarily rural county inSouthwestern Ontario,Canada. Landlocked, the county is bordered byHuronandPerthcounties on the north,Oxford Countyon the east,Elgin Countyon the south, andChatham-KentandLambton Countyon the west.
The county seat is the city ofLondon,although the city is politicallyindependentfrom the county. The Middlesexcensus division,which consists of the county together with the City of London and threeFirst Nationsreserves, had a population of 455,526 in 2016.[2]Part of the county is also included in the Londoncensus metropolitan area.
Administrative divisions[edit]
Middlesex County is composed of eight incorporated municipalities (in order of population):
- Strathroy-Caradoc, Township of
- Population centres: Strathroy and Mount Brydges. Other communities: Cairngorm, Campbellvale, Caradoc, Christina, Falconbridge, Glen Oak, Longwood, Melbourne (part) and Muncey.
- Middlesex Centre, Municipality of
- Population centre: Ilderton. Other communities: Arva, Ballymote, Birr, Bryanston, Coldstream, Delaware, Denfield, Duncrief, Elginfield, Ettrick, Ivan, Kilworth, Komoka, Littlewood, Lobo, Lobo Siding, Maple Grove, Melrose, Poplar Hill, Sharon, Southgate, Southwold, Telfer and Vanneck.
- Thames Centre, Municipality of(township)
- Population centres: Dorchester and Thorndale. Other communities: Avon, Belton, Cherry Grove, Crampton, Cobble Hill, Derwent, Devizes, Evelyn, Fanshawe Lake, Friendly Corners, Gladstone, Harrietsville, Kelly Station, Mossley, Nilestown, Oliver, Plover Mills, Putnam, Salmonville, Silvermoon, Three Bridges and Wellburn.
- North Middlesex, Municipality of(township)
- Population centre: Parkhill. Other communities: Ailsa Craig, Beechwood, Bornish, Bowood, Brinsley, Carlisle, Corbett, Greenway, Hungry Hollow, Lieury, Moray, Mount Carmel, Nairn, Sable, Springbank, Sylvan and West McGillivray.
- Southwest Middlesex, Municipality of(township)
- Population centre: Glencoe. Other communities: Appin, Ekfrid, Lewis Corners, Macksville, Mayfair, Melbourne (part), Newbury Station, North Appin Station, North Ekfrid, North Glencoe Station, Riverside, Strathburn, Tate Corners, Wardsville and Woodgreen.
- Lucan Biddulph,Township
- Population centre: Lucan. Other communities: Biddulph, Clandeboye and Granton.
- Adelaide Metcalfe,Township
- Communities: Adelaide, Crathie, Dejong, Kerwood, Keyser, Mullifarry, Napier, Napperton, Springfield, Walkers and Wrightmans Corners.
- Newbury,Village
First Nations reserves located within the Middlesex census division but separate from Middlesex County:
History[edit]
The area was originally organized asSuffolk County,created in July 1792 by GovernorJohn Simcoeby his first proclamation issued at Kingston, which also defined it as aconstituencyfor the purposes of returning a member to the newLegislative Assembly of Upper Canada,and was described as having the following territory:[3]
... bounded on the east by thecounty of Norfolk,on the south bylake Erie,until it meets thecarrying-placefrompoint au Pinsunto theThames,[4]on the west by the said carrying-place, thence up the said river Thames until it meets the northwesternmost boundary of the county of Norfolk.
Simcoe toured the southwestern portion of the province's territory in early 1793 and concluded that the lower forks of the Thames would be best suited as the future site of the provincial capital. The names London in Middlesex were considered more appropriate for this.[citation needed]Suffolk County was reorganized as Middlesex County, as part of theLondon District,in 1798 by theLegislative Assembly of Upper Canada,[5]consisting of the townships of London, Westminster, Dorchester, Yarmouth, Southwold, Dunwich, Aldborough and Delaware.
Middlesex County was expanded several times thereafter, starting in 1821 with the addition of the townships of Moza, Ecfrid(sic),Carradoc(sic)and Lobo.[6]Adelaide Township came from theHuron Tractin 1835,[7]and Williams Township was withdrawn fromHuron Countyand annexed to Middlesex in 1845.[8]In 1837, Bayham and Malahide Townships were transferred to Middlesex fromNorfolk County.[9]Metcalfe Township was formed from the north part of Ekfrid and the south part of Adelaide in 1845.[10]
Upon the abolition of the London District in January 1850, Middlesex County was constituted for municipal purposes.[11]The County was reorganized as the United Counties of Middlesex and Elgin in 1851, with its townships divided thus:
| Elgin County | Middlesex County |
|---|---|
|
- ^abdivided in 1851 (1851 Act, Sch. D)
- ^separated from Nissouri Township ofOxford County(1851 Act, Sch. D)
Elgin Countywas separated from Middlesex in September 1853.[13]
The townships of Biddulph and McGillivray were withdrawn fromHuron Countyand annexed to Middlesex in 1862.[14]
The historic townships of the County (including those originally part of Huron County marked in red) are shown below:
Withdrawal and evolution of the City of London[edit]
London,when it became a city in 1855, separated from Middlesex County,[15]and it expanded later in stages:
| Year | Community |
|---|---|
| 1885 |
|
| 1890 |
|
| 1897 | |
| 1912[15] |
|
| 1961 |
|
| 1993[19] |
|
- ^previously known as Petersville or Kensington
Demographics[edit]
As acensus divisionin the2021 Census of Populationconducted byStatistics Canada,Middlesex County had a population of500,563living in204,157of its216,736total private dwellings, a change of9.9% from its 2016 population of455,526.With a land area of 3,317.76 km2(1,280.99 sq mi), it had a population density of150.9/km2(390.8/sq mi) in 2021.[20]
Middlesex County has 38,231 people over the age of 15, with 45% of them working in the same municipality as the one they live in.[21]That implies that more than 50% of them commute to other municipalities.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 64,140 | — |
| 2001 | 66,635 | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 69,032 | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 70,796 | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 71,551 | +1.1% |
| All data from the Census of Canada | ||
Municipal government[edit]
Members of the County Council are the mayors (or reeves) of the municipalities of Adelaide Metcalfe, Lucan Biddulph, Middlesex Centre, North Middlesex, Southwest Middlesex, Strathroy-Caradoc and Thames Centre as well as the Village of Newbury. Centres with a population exceeding 5,000 also get an additional seat for their deputy mayors. The head of council is one of its members who is elected as reeve for a one year term by the councillors.[22]
See also[edit]
- List of municipalities in Ontario
- List of townships in Ontario
- List of secondary schools in Ontario#Middlesex County
References[edit]
- ^abcSum of the eight municipalities in Middlesex County from"Census Profile".2016 Census of Population.Statistics Canada.Retrieved2017-02-08.
- ^"Census Profile".2016 Census of Population.Statistics Canada.Retrieved2017-02-08.
- ^Proclamation of July 16, 1792
- ^a portion of which became part ofHighway 40in the 20th Century
- ^An act for the better division of this province,S.U.C. 1798, c. 5, s. 36-37
- ^An Act to repeal part of an act passed in the thirty-eighth year of his late Majesty's reign, entitled, "An act for the better division of this province," and to make further provision for the division of the same into counties and districts,S.U.C. 1821, c. 3, s. 11
- ^An Act to form certain Townships in the London District into a County, and to attach certain Townships to the Counties of Middlesex and Kent, in the London and Western Districts,S.U.C. 1835, c. 46
- ^An Act for better defining the limits of the Counties and Districts in Upper Canada, for erecting certain new Townships, for detaching Townships from some Counties and attaching them to others, and for other purposes relative to the division of Upper Canada into Townships, Counties and Districts,S.Prov.C. 1845, c. 7, Sch. B
- ^effectively withdrawn upon the passage ofAn Act to authorise the erection of the County of Oxford into a separate District, by the name of the District of Brock,S.U.C. 1837, c. 30 andAn Act erecting the County of Norfolk into a separate District, by the name of the District of Talbot,S.U.C. 1837, c. 33
- ^1845 Act, Sch. A
- ^An Act for abolishing the Territorial Division of Upper-Canada into Districts, and for providing temporary Unions of Counties for Judicial and other purposes, and for the future dissolutions of such Unions, as the increase of wealth and population may require,S.Prov.C. 1849, c. 78, Sch. C
- ^An Act to make certain alterations in the Territorial Divisions of Upper Canada,S.Prov.C. 1851, c. 5, Sch. A, par. 35-36; Sch. B
- ^"Proclamation".Canada Gazette.XII(29): 1452–1453.
- ^An Act to separate the Townships of Biddulph and McGillivray from the County of Huron, and to annex the same to the East Riding of the County of Middlesex,S.Prov.C. 1862, c. 28
- ^ab"Founding of the Forest City".london.ca.July 26, 2016.
- ^An Act respecting the City of London and the Town of London East,S.O. 1885, c. 63
- ^An Act respecting the City of London,S.O. 1890, c. 89
- ^An Act respecting the City of London,S.O. 1898, c. 46
- ^London-Middlesex Act, 1992,S.O. 1992, c. 27
- ^"Population and dwelling counts: Canada and census divisions".Statistics Canada.February 9, 2022.RetrievedApril 2,2022.
- ^"Middlesex Workforce".
- ^"Government".Middlesex County.
External links[edit]
Places adjacent to Middlesex County, Ontario | ||||||||||||||||
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