GEORGINA, ONTARIO

'Georgina' (2006 Population 42,346) is a town in south-central Ontario, in the Regional Municipality of York in the Greater Toronto Area on Lake Simcoe. The town was incorporated in 1986 and was formed by the merger of Georgina Township and North Gwillimbury Township in 1971, but the area's history dates back to the 1700s. North Gwillimbury took its name from the family of Elizabeth Simcoe, nee ''Gwillim''.

Contents

Municipal composition

Demographics

Government

Location

Notable Residents

Attractions

Local clubs and associations

External links

Municipal composition

The main centres in Georgina are the communities of:

★ Keswick

★ Sutton founded as Bouchier Mills in 1831, name changed in 1864

★ Jackson's Point

★ Virginia

★ Pefferlaw - founded by Captain William Johnson in 1819

★ Port Bolster

★ Udora.

★ Willow Beach

Demographics

According to the 2006 Statistics Canada Census:^[1]

★ Population: 42,346

★ % Change (2001-2006): 7.9%

★ Dwellings: 15,518 (2001)

★ Area (km².): 287.72

★ Density (persons per km².): 136.5 (2001)
The town of Georgina is growing at a fast rate mostly due to beach lovers leaving the hustle and bustle of Toronto to relax. It has been a favourite for retirees.
'Racial profile'

★ 96.1% White

★ 1.6% Aboriginal

★ 0.5% Black

★ 0.3% Chinese
'Religions'

★ 45.7% Protestant

★ 22.4% Roman Catholic

★ 3.3% other Christian

★ 0.3% Jewish

★ 28.3% non-religious

Government

The Town of Georgina operates under a ward system, and its Municipal Council consists of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and a Councillor for each of the five wards. The current council consists of:

★ Mayor: Robert Grossi

★ Deputy Mayor: Danny Wheeler

★ Councillor Ward 1: Margaret Jordan

★ Councillor Ward 2: Ross Jamieson

★ Councillor Ward 3: Dave Szollosy

★ Councillor Ward 4: Ken Hackenbrook

★ Councillor Ward 5: Brad Smockum
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor represent Georgina at meetings of York Region Council.
Georgina is part of the Federal riding of York—Simcoe, represented by Peter Van Loan of the Conservative Party, elected in 2006.
Provincially, it is part of the riding of York North, represented by Julia Munro of the Progressive Conservative Party, who was first elected in 1995.

Location

★ Latitude: 44.2963

★ Longitude: -79.4362

Notable Residents

★ Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame member Whipper Billy Watson was a life-long resident, and he spearheaded the campaign to build the Georgina Cultural Centre in the 1980s, which also houses the Stephen Leacock Theatre.

★ Keswick is the birthplace (and for a while home) of former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender and current Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Curtis Joseph or Cujo.

★ Jim Carrey also once resided for a time near Keswick at Jackson's Point.

★ Captain William Johnson.

Attractions

★ Captain William Johnson's Old Mill

★ St. George's Anglican Church

★ Roche's Point Anglican Church

★ Cedardale Church of the Nazarene - The Walk to Bethlehem

★ Red Barn Theatre

★ Stephen Leacock Theatre

★ Duclos Point Nature Reserve

★ Georgina Arts Centre and Gallery

★ Georgina Pioneer Village & Museum

★ The Peter Gzowski Festival of Stories

★ Georgina Skate Park

★ Georgina Studio Tour

★ Regional Forests

★ Sibbald Point Provincial Park

★ Walking Trails

★ The Briars Resort and Golf Club

★ Ice Fishing (Georgina was proclaimed the Ice Fishing Capital of North America in the 1990s)

★ Willow Beach conservation area

Local clubs and associations

★ Georgina Ice Junior C Hockey

★ Georgina-Brock Garden Club

★ Georgina Girls Hockey Association

★ Georgina Minor Baseball Association

★ Georgina Minor Hockey Association

★ Georgina Trail Riders Snowmobile Club

★ Kinsmen Club of Keswick

★ Lake Simcoe Gardeners

★ Lake Simcoe Soccer Club

★ Sail Georgina

★ South Lake Simcoe Naturalists (Nature Group)

★ Sutton Agricultural Society

★ Kinsmen Club Of Sutton (Service Club)

External links

★ Town of Georgina

★ York Region

★ Ontario Plaques - Eildon Hall

★ Ontario Plaques - Robert Alexander Laidlaw

★ Ontario Plaques - Stephen Butler Leacock

	'North:' Lake Simcoe	'Northeast:' Beaverton
'West:' Cook's Bay, Lake Simcoe	'Georgina'	'East:' Brock
	'South:' East Gwillimbury, Uxbridge