Compiled by Michael Dawber
In 1995, the Progressive Conservative government of Ontario began a campaign to reduce the number of municipalities in the province by one-half. By 1997, most counties, regions and districts in the province had undertaken some kind of local review of municipal government. The following chart summarizes the changes that have been enacted, or announced, to date.
In some cases, entire counties are being restructured simultaneously (ex. Frontenac, Lennox & Addington) . . . in others, restructuring is happening in a piecemeal fashion (ex. Hastings, Grey). Note that a number of very large municipalities, including the Regions of Durham, York, Peel, Halton, and Ottawa-Carleton, have yet to begin their restructuring process.
This page will be updated periodically with information from the above website and from other sources. Last update: February 29, 2000.
| NOTE TO RESEARCHERS |
|---|
| The amalgamation, re-organization, and in some cases, total abolishment of Ontario counties, townships and towns, will cause headaches for historical researchers. Anyone trying to contact Ontario libraries should check the libraries page of the Ministry of Citizenship, Culture & Recreation http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/ |
AMALGAMATION OF ONTARIO COMMUNITIES
| COUNTY | AMALGAMATION DETAILS |
|---|---|
| ALGOMA Effective July 1, 1998 | The geographic township of Tennyson moves from the District of Algoma to the District of Sudbury. |
| BRUCE Effective 1 Jan. 1999 | Twps. of Albemarle + Amabel + Village of Hepworth + Town of Wiarton = Town of Albemarle-Amabel-Hepworth-Wiarton. |
| Town of Port Elgin + Saugeen Twp. + Town of Southampton = Town of Port Elgin-Saugeen-Southampton. | |
| Twps. of Eastnor + Lindsay + St. Edmunds + Village of Lions Head = Twp. of Eastnor, Lindsay, St. Edmunds and the Village of Lion’s Head. (Seriously!) | |
| Arran Twp. + Elderslie Twp. = Twp. of Arran-Elderslie. | |
| Brant Twp. + Greenock Twp. + Town of Walkerton = Twp. of Brant-Greenock-Walkerton. | |
| Village of Mildmay + Carrick Twp. + Village of Teeswater + Culross Twp. = Twp. of Mildmay-Carrick-Teeswater-Culross. | |
| Huron Twp. + Kinloss Twp. = Twp. of Huron-Kinloss. | |
| Town of Kincardine + Bruce Twp. + Village of Tiverton = Twp. of Kincardine-Bruce-Tiverton. | |
| Local transition boards may suggest name changes before 1 January 1999. (Thank goodness!!) | |
| BRANT Effective 1 Jan. 1999 | Twps of Brantford + Oakland + Onondaga + South Dumfries + Burford + Town of Paris = City of Brant-on-the-Grand. |
| City of Brantford is unchanged. | |
| CARLETON | Ottawa + Nepean + Gloucester + Vanier + Rockcliffe Park + Cumberland + Osgoode + Rideau + Goulbourn + West Carleton = City of Ottawa. Part of West Carleton — the former townships of Fitzroy and Torbolton — have the option to separate from the new city and become a new constituent municipality of Lanark County. |
| ELGIN | Aldborough + West Lorne = Municipality of West Elgin (Status: Township) on 01 Jan 98. |
| Dunwich + Dutton = Municipality of Dunwich/Dutton. | |
| Yarmouth + Belmont + Port Stanley = Municipality of Central Elgin (Status: Township) on 01 Jan 98. | |
| Malahide + S. Dorchester + Springfield = Twp. of Malahide on 01 Jan 98. | |
| Bayham + Port Burwell + Vienna = Municipality of Bayham (Status: Township) on 01 Jan 98. | |
| Aylmer & Southwold unchanged. | |
| ESSEX Effective 1 Jan. 1999 | Town of Amherstburg + Anderdon Twp. + Malden Twp. = Town of Amherstburg. |
| Twps. of Lakeshore + Rochester + Tilbury North + Tilbury West = Town of Lakeshore. | |
| Town of Lasalle is unchanged. | |
| Town of Kingsville + Twps. of Gosfield North + Gosfield South = Town of Kingsville-Gosfield. | |
| Town of Essex + Town of Harrow + Twps. of Colchester South + Colchester North = Town of Colchester-Essex-Harrow. | |
| Town of Tecumseh + Village of St. Clair Beach + Twp. of Sandwich South = Town of Sandwich South. | |
| Town of Leamington + Twp. of Mersea = Town of Leamington. | |
| FRONTENAC | City of Kingston + Kingston Twp. + Pittsburgh Twp. = City of Kingston. |
| Wolfe Island + Howe Island = Twp. of Frontenac Islands. | |
| Portland + Loughborough + Storrington + Bedford = South Frontenac Twp. | |
| Hinchinbrooke + Kennebec + Olden + Oso = Central Frontenac Twp. (may be renamed Land O’ Lakes Twp. in 1998). | |
| Barrie + Clarendon-Miller + Palmerston, N. & S. Canonto = North Frontenac Twp.. | |
| NOTE: The County of Frontenac no longer exists as a municipal unit. The five new municipalities have a “Council of Mayors”, which, under a new section of the Municipal Act, is deemed to be a County government. The County courthouse has been sold to the City of Kingston for court purposes. | |
| GREY | Thornbury + Collingwood (Twp.) = Town of Thornbury – Collingwood which became Town of the Blue Mountains on 01 Jan 98. |
| Shallow Lake + Keppel = Twp. of Keppel. | |
| Flesherton + Artemesia = Twp. of Artemesia. | |
| Holland + Sullivan + Chatsworth = Twp. of Chatsworth. | |
| Derby + Keppel + Sarawak = Twp. of Derby-Keppel-Sarawak | |
| Bentinck + Glenelg + Normanby + Neustadt = Twp. of West Grey | |
| Proton + Egremont + Dundalk = Twp. of Southgate | |
| Artemesia + Euphrasia + Markdale + Osprey = Artemesia et al | |
| HALDIMAND- NORFOLK | The Regional Municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk will be split into two independent municipalities, the Town of Haldimand and the Town of Norfolk, corresponding (almost) to the former boundaries of the County of Haldimand and the County of Norfolk. |
| HAMILTON- WENTWORTH | Hamilton + Dundas + Ancaster + Glanbrook + Stoney Creek + Flamborough = City of Hamilton. Flamborough has the option to separate from the new city. |
| HASTINGS/ NORTHUMBERLAND | Trenton + Frankford + Sidney + Murray = City of Quinte West. |
| HASTINGS | Stirling + Rawdon = Twp. of Stirling-Rawdon. |
| Tweed + Hungerford + Elzevir & Grimsthorpe = Municipality of Tweed. | |
| Deloro + Marmora & Lake = Twp. of Marmora & Lake. | |
| Belleville + Thurlow = City of Belleville. | |
| Madoc (Village) + Huntingdon = Twp. of Centre Hastings. | |
| Town of Bancroft + Dungannon Twp. = Town of Bancroft. | |
| HURON | Hullett + Goderich + Clinton = Twp. of Central Huron |
| Stephen + Usborne + Exeter = Town of South Huron | |
| Hay + Stanley + Bayfield + Hensall + Zurich = Town of Bluewater | |
| KENORA | Dryden + Barclay Twp. = City of Dryden. |
| Golden Lake Twp. + Red Lake Twp. + unorganized twps. of Heyson and Baird = Municipality of Red Lake. | |
| Some unorganized land will be lost to Rainy River District (which see). | |
| Kenora + Keewatin + Jaffray-Melick = City of Kenora | |
| KENT | All municipalities in Kent County merged into a single municipality, City of Chatham-Kent on 1 Jan. 1998. |
| LAMBTON | Village of Watford + Warwick Twp. = Twp. of Warwick. |
| Dawn + Euphemia = Twp. of Dawn Euphemia. | |
| Bosanquet + Forest + Arkona + Grand Bend + Thedford = Municipality of North Lambton | |
| Brooke + Alvinston = Twp. of Brooke-Alvinston | |
| Plympton + Wyoming = Town of Plympton-Wyoming | |
| LANARK Took effect 1 Jan. 1998 | Lavant, Dalhousie & N. Sherbrooke + Lanark (Village) + Lanark (Twp.) + Darling = Twp. of Lanark Highlands. |
| Pakenham + Ramsay + Almonte = Twp. of Mississippi Mills. | |
| S. Sherbrooke + Bathurst + N. Burgess = Twp. of Bathurst Burgess Sherbrooke (probably will be renamed Twp. of Tay Valley in 1998). | |
| Drummond + N. Elmsley = Twp. of Drummond-North Elmsley. | |
| See note in Carleton County. | |
| LEEDS & GRENVILLE | S. Gower + Oxford-on-Rideau + Kemptville = Twp. of North Grenville. |
| Twps. of Bastard & S. Burgess + S. Elmsley + S. Crosby + N. Crosby + Village of Newboro = Twp. of Rideau Lakes. | |
| Twp. of Wolford + Village of Merrickville = Village of Merrickville – Wolford. Effective 1 Jan. 1998. | |
| The Town of Gananoque has opted out of proposed amalgamation plans. | |
| Edwardsburgh + Cardinal = Township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal. Effective Jan. 1, 2001. | |
| Athens + Rear of Yonge & Escott = Township of Athens & Rear of Yonge & Escott. Effective Jan. 1, 2001. | |
| Twps. of Front of Leeds & Lansdowne, Rear of Leeds & Lansdowne and Front of Escott = Twp. of Leeds and the Thousand Islands. Effective Jan. 1, 2001. | |
| LENNOX & ADDINGTON | Ernestown + Bath + Amherst Island = Loyalist Twp.. |
| Napanee + Richmond + N. Fredericksburgh + S. Fredericksburgh + Adolphustown = Town of Greater Napanee. | |
| Newburgh + Camden East + Sheffield = Stone Mills Twp.. | |
| Kaladar, Anglesea & Effingham + Denbigh, Abinger & Ashby = Addington Highlands Twp. | |
| MANITOULIN | Twp. of Howland + Town of Little Current = Town of Northeastern Manitoulin & The Island. Effective 01 Jan 98. |
| Burpee + Mills (unorganized) = Twp. of Burpee & Mills. | |
| Twps. of Carnarvon + Sandfield + Campbell (unorganized) = Twp. of Central Manitoulin. Effective 1 May 1998. | |
| Twp. of Rutherford-George Island + neighboring unincorporated areas in Manitoulin, Sudbury and Parry Sound Districts = Twp. of Killarney | |
| MIDDLESEX | Twps. of Lobo + London + Delaware = Twp. of Middlesex Centre on 1 Jan. 1998. |
| Lucan + Biddulph = Twp. of Lucan-Biddulph | |
| Strathroy + Caradoc + police village of Mount Brydges = Strathroy-Caradoc | |
| Parkhill + Ailsa Craig + McGillivray + East Williams + West Williams = Municipality of North Middlesex | |
| Adelaide + Metcalfe + police village of Kerwood = Twp. of Adelaide Metcalfe | |
| Glencoe + Wardsville + Ekfrid + Mosa = Municipality of Southwest Middlesex | |
| West Nissouri + North Dorchester = Municipality of Thames Centre | |
| NIPISSING | Cache Bay + Sturgeon Falls + Caldwell Twp + Field Twp + Springer Twp + “a number of unincorporated Townships surrounding them including Dana, McWilliams, Crerar, Gibbons, Bastedo, Fell, Hugel, Badgerow, Grant, Kirkpatrick, Pedley, Beaucage, MacPherson, Loudon, Falconer, Latchford, Bertram, and the east half of Janes” = Town of West Nipissing. |
| Twp. of Temagami + “a number of unincorporated Townships including Best, Chambers, Cassels, Briggs, Yates, Phyllis, Joan, Canton, Aston, Banting, LeRoche, Cynthia, Belfast, Riddell, Law, Askin, Vogt, Torrington, Olive, Milne, Sisk, and the east half of Scholes and Clement” = Town of Temagami. | |
| Airy + Dickens + Lyell + Sabine + Murchison = Twp. of South Algonquin. Effective 1 June 1998. | |
| Note on West Nipissing & Temagami: “Not included in either of the two new municipalities are the unincorporated Townships of Pardo, Hobbs and McCallum”. According to the Commission’s Order, neither of the new municipalities may attempt to annex this area without the consent of the other until at least Dec. 31, 2000. | |
| Also: “The unincorporated Townships of McLaren and Thistle will also not be included in either of the two new municipalities.” | |
| NORFOLK | See HALDIMAND-NORFOLK. |
| NORTHUMBERLAND | Brighton Village + Brighton Twp. = Town of Brighton. |
| Town of Campbellford + Seymour Twp = Municipality of Campbellford/Seymour (Status: Town). 01 Jan 98. | |
| Twps. of Cramahe + Colborne = Twp. of Cramahe | |
| Twps. of Alnwick + Haldimand = Twp. of Alnwick-Haldimand | |
| ONTARIO | Ontario County was wiped out by restructuring in 1974. Mostly replaced by Durham Region although some townships were taken by Simcoe County. |
| PARRY SOUND | Chapman Twp. + Village of Magnetawan = Twp. of Magnetawan on 01 Jan 1998. |
| Twps. of Humphrey + Christie + Foley + west half of Monteith (unorganized) + Village of Rosseau = Municipality of Seguin. | |
| McMurrich Twp. + Monteith Twp. (unorganized) = Twp. of McMurrich-Monteith on 01 Jan 1998. | |
| McDougall + unincorporated township of Ferguson = Municipality of McDougall. | |
| See note in MANITOULIN concerning Twp. of Killarney. | |
| PERTH | Wallace + Elma + Listowel = Town of North Perth. |
| Logan + Hibbert + Logan + Mitchell = Town of West Perth. | |
| Mornington + S. Easthope + N. Easthope + Milverton = Twp. of Perth East. | |
| Downie + Blanshard = Twp. of Perth South. | |
| PETERBOROUGH | Galway & Cavendish + Harvey = Twp. of Galway-Cavendish-Harvey. |
| Chados + Burleigh & Andstruther = Twp. of Burleigh-Anstruther-Chandos. | |
| Havelock + Belmont & Methuen = Twp. of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen. | |
| Dummer + Douro = Twp. of Douro-Dummer. | |
| Norwood + Asphodel = Twp. of Asphodel-Norwood. | |
| Otonabee + S. Monaghan = Twp. of Otonabee-S. Monaghan. | |
| Cavan + Millbrook + N. Monaghan = Twp. of Cavan-Millbrook-N. Monaghan. | |
| Smith + Ennismore = Twp. of Smith-Ennismore. | |
| The Village of Lakefield is merging with the Twp. of Smith-Ennismore (already amalgamated). The new municipality is the Twp. of Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield. | |
| PRESCOTT & RUSSELL | Twps. of Cambridge + S. Plantagenet + Caledonia + Village of St. Isidore = Twp. of Nation. |
| Town of Rockland + Twp. of Clarence = La Cité de Clarence – Rockland. | |
| Twps. of Hawkesbury West + Longueuil + Vankleek Hill + L’Orignal = Twp. of Champlain. | |
| Alfred (Village) + Alfred (Twp.) + Plantagenet (Village) + N. Plantagenet (Twp) = Twp. of Alfred-Plantagenet. | |
| PRINCE EDWARD | All municipalities in Prince Edward (i.e. Picton, Bloomfield, Wellington, N. Marysburgh, S. Marysburgh, Ameliasburg, Sophiasburgh, Hallowell, Hillier, Athol) combined into one municipality, the City of Prince Edward County [sic]. |
| RAINY RIVER | Twps. of Atwood + Blue + Dilke+ Worthington = Twp. of Dawson on 01 Jan 97. |
| Twps. of McCrosson + Tovell + Morson, in the District of Rainy River, + “a portion of the unorganized area on the Lake of the Woods, currently in the District of Kenora, including islands and portions of islands” = Twp. of Lake of the Woods which will lie entirely within Rainy River District. | |
| RENFREW | Pembroke Twp. + Stafford Twp. = Twp. of Stafford & Pembroke on 01 Jan 97. |
| Petawawa (Village) + Petawawa (Twp.) = Town of Petwawa on 01 July 1997. | |
| Braeside + McNab = Twp. of McNab and Braeside. | |
| Brougham + Bagot & Blythfield = Twp. of Bagot, Blythfield & Brougham. | |
| Brudenell-Lyndoch + Raglan = Twp. of Brudenell, Lyndoch and Raglan | |
| Barry’s Bay + Radcliffe + Sherwood, Jones & Burns =: Twp. of Barry’s Bay et al | |
| North Algona + Wilberforce = Twp. of North Algona Wilberforce | |
| Alice & Fraser + Stafford + Twp. of Pembroke = Twp. of Laurentian Valley | |
| Chalk River + Rolph, Buchanan, Wylie & McKay = Twp. of Chalk River et al | |
| Admaston + Bromley = Twp. of Admaston Bromley | |
| Killaloe + Hagarty & Richards = Twp. of Killaloe, Hagarty & Richards | |
| Grattan + Sebastapol + South Algona + Eganville = Twp. of Bonnechere Valley | |
| Ross + Westmeath + Beachburg + Cobden = Twp. of Whitewater Region | |
| The Twp. of Bagot, Blyfield & Brougham — already an amalgamation — is merging with the Twp. of Griffith & Matawatchan to form the Twp. of Greater Madawaska. | |
| STORMONT DUNDAS & GLENGARRY | Charlottenburgh + Lancaster (Twp.) + Lancaster (Village) = Twp. of South Glengarry. |
| Kenyon + Lochiel + Alexandria + Maxville = Twp. of North Glengarry. | |
| Osnabruck + Cornwall (Twp.) = Twp. of South Stormont. | |
| Finch (Twp.) + Finch (Village) + Roxburgh = Twp. of North Stormont. | |
| Matilda + Williamsburg + Iroquois + Morrisburg = Twp. of South Dundas. | |
| Mountain + Winchester (Twp.) + Winchester (Village) + Chesterville = Twp. of North Dundas. | |
| SUDBURY | Nairn + Hyman Twp. (unorganized) = Twp. of Nairn & Hyman. |
| Espanola (Town) + Merritt Twp. (unorganized) = Town of Espanola. | |
| Towns of Massey & Webbwood, the Twp. of the Spanish River, and the unorganized twps. of Gough, McKinnon, Shakespeare, & Tennyson.= Twp. of Sables-Spanish Rivers. As a result of this order, the geographic township of Tennyson moves from the District of Algoma to the District of Sudbury. Effective July 1, 1998. | |
| Twps. of Cosby, Mason and Martland, the unorganized twps. of Delamere, Hoskin, and Scollard, and portions of the unorganized twps. of Bigwood, Cherriman, and Haddo = Municipality of French River. Effective January 1, 1999. | |
| See note in MANITOULIN concerning Twp. of Killarney. | |
| Hagar + Ratter & Dunnet + unorganized township of Awrey + parts of unorganized townships of Hawley, Henry, Loughrin, and Street = Municipality of Markstay-Warren | |
| Casimir, Jennings + Appleby + unorganized townships of Cherriman and Haddo = Municipality of St. Charles | |
| Sudbury + Capreol + Nickel Centre + Onaping Falls + Rayside-Balfour + Valley East + Walden + the unincorporated townships of Cleland, Dill, Dryden, Fraleck, Parkin, Aylmer, Mackelcan, Rathbun & Scadding = Greater Sudbury | |
| THUNDER BAY | Oliver + Paipoonge = Twp. of Oliver and Paipoonge. |
| Geraldton + Longlac + Beardmore + Nakina “and unincorporated areas surrounding them, including those areas known locally as Keemle Lake, McDiarmid, Orient Bay, Jellicoe, Lindsley Twp., Camp 25 and Caramat” = Municipality of Greenstone. NOTE: Evidently this is tied up in a legal challenge. | |
| Neebing Twp. + unorganized twps. of Pearson and Scoble = Municipality of Neebing. | |
| TIMISKAMING | “The Twp. of Coleman will annex unorganized territory around it to form the new Twp. of Coleman.” No other details. |
| METROPOLITAN TORONTO Took effect 1 Jan. 1998 | All municipalities (i.e. Toronto, Scarborough, Etobicoke, East York, York, North York) combined into a single municipality, City of Toronto. |
| WELLINGTON Effective 1 Jan. 1999 | Erin Village + Erin Twp. = Town of Erin. |
| Drayton Village + Peel Twp. = Twp. of Mapleton. | |
| Twps of West Garafraxa + Fergus + Elora + Nichol + Pilkington = Twp. of Centre Wellington. | |
| Guelph Twp. + Eramosa Twp. = Twp. of Guelph-Eramosa | |
| Twp. of Puslinch is unchanged. | |
| Twps of Minto + Clifford + Harriston + Palmerston = Town of Minto. | |
| Arthur Twp. + Arthur Village + Mount Forest Village + W. Luther Twp. = Twp. of Arthur, Arthur, Mount Forest & West Luther. (sic!!) |