North Perth, Ontario

North Perth
Municipality (lower-tier)
Municipality of North Perth
Listowel Main Street
North Perth
Coordinates: 43°44′N 80°57′W / 43.733°N 80.950°WCoordinates: 43°44′N 80°57′W / 43.733°N 80.950°W
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Perth
Formed	January 1, 1998
Government
• Mayor	Julie Behrns
• Federal riding	Perth—Wellington
• Prov. riding	Perth—Wellington
Area[1]
• Land	493.19 km^2 (190.42 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	12,631
• Density	25.6/km^2 (66/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code	N4W
Area code(s)	519 and 226
Website	www.northperth.ca

The Municipality of North Perth is a lower-tier municipality in Ontario, Canada. Its name is based on its location in the northern portion of Perth County. The major community in North Perth is Listowel.

History

Town of Listowel

Settler John Binning arrived in 1852 and was the first to create a permanent residence in the area originally named Mapleton. The name was changed to Listowel when a post office was established in 1856.^[2] The new name was chosen by a government official and refers to Listowel, Ireland. The majority of early settlers were of Protestant Irish origin (Ulster Scots Planters, or English Planters).^[3]

Listowel was incorporated as a town in 1874. It is located at the intersection of Highway 86 and Highway 23 and as of August 2015 was home to an estimated 7,000 residents.^[2]

Township of Elma

The Township of Elma was incorporated in 1857. It was named after Lady Elma Bruce, the daughter of Canada's newly arrived Governor General James Bruce better known as Lord Elgin. The earliest recorded settler in the area was John Grant in 1853.^[4]

Township of Wallace

Wallace was incorporated in 1858 and included the villages of Gowanstan and Kurtzville. It lies along the northern boundary of the current Municipality of Perth North and is bordered by Perth Lines 86 and 93, and Perth Road 140.^[5]

Municipal Restructuring

As part of provincial initiatives in the late 1990s, the Government of Ontario pursued a policy of municipal amalgamations to rationalize municipal levels of government services and "reduc[e] government entanglement and bureaucracy with an eye to eliminating waste and duplication as well as unfair downloading by the province".^[6] On June 26, 1997, an order from the Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs for the amalgamation of Wallace Township, Elma Township and the Town of Listowel into the Town of North Perth received Royal assent. The amalgamation came into effect on January 1, 1998.^[7]

Ontario Provincial Police currently provides law enforcement services in the community, through a satellite station in Listowel.^[8]

Geography

Communities

• Atwood
• Britton
• Donegal
• Gowanstown
• Kurtzville
• Listowel
• Monkton
• Newry
• Teviotdale
• Trowbridge
• Wallace

Demographics

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1996	11,808	—
2001	12,055	+2.1%
2006	12,254	+1.7%
2011	12,631	+3.1%
Source: Canada 1996 Census, Canada 2001 Census 2006 Census of Canada 2011 Census of Canada

According to the 2011 census, the Municipality of North Perth had a population of 12,631 people, a 3.1% increase from the 2006 population of 12,254.^[9] Children aged 9 and under account for approximately 13.4% of the population, while the percentage at retirement age (65 and over) is approximately 16.5%. The median age is 38.9 years of age.^[9]

According to the 2011 National Household Survey, 6.9% of the population have immigrant status. The most common countries immigrants come from are the Netherlands (30%) followed by the United Kingdom (12%) and Mexico (11%).^[10]

According to the 2011 National Household Survey, the majority of residents of North Perth are members of a Christian faith and account for 78.2% of the population. Less than 1% of the population is Muslim, and the remaining population reported no religious affiliation.^[10] Of the Christian population, the largest religious affiliation is Presbyterian (21.2%) followed by United Church (21.1%), Roman Catholic (12.5%), Lutheran (8,7%), Anglican (3.5%), Pentecostal (1.8%), Baptist (1.4% and other Christian (29.5%).^[10]

Economy

North Perth is home to over 300 businesses across a variety of business and service sectors.^[11] The Municipality is served by the Perth County Economic Development Office, Stratford/Perth Centre for Business, and Listowel Retail Merchants Association. These organizations work in tandem to identify opportunities for local economic growth and to provide resources and support for local business.^[12]

According to the 2011 National Household Survey, the largest economic sectors by number of workers employed are manufacturing (1,190 workers); retail trade (1,005 workers); agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (890 workers); health care and social assistance (715 workers) and; construction (500 workers). Other industries in the region employing more than 200 workers are finance and insurance; professional, scientific and technical services; educational services; and transportation and warehousing.^[10]

The average income reported in the 2011 National Household Survey was $37,155 with an average after-tax income of $32,131.^[10]

Government

Local Government

The Municipality of North Perth is governed by a Municipal Council composed of ten members including a Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and eight Councillors. Council positions are held for a four-year term. Councillors represent the wards of Elma, Listowel and Wallace.^[13]

The Mayor elected for the 2014-2018 term is Julie Behrns. She has previously served in the past as Ward Councillor and Deputy Mayor. She also served on Perth County Council for 12 years including three years as County Warden.^[14]

The Municipality's operations are overseen by the Chief Administrator's Office and include building & planning, Clerk's Office, Finance, Fire, Parks and Recreation, and Public Works.^[15]

Township Council 2014-2018^[14][16][17]

Position	Name	Committee Appointments
Mayor	Julie Behrns	Perth Adult Life Care Residences Committee Economic Development Committee Human Resources Committee Perth County Council
Deputy Mayor	Doug Kellum	Perth Adult Life Care Residences Committee North Perth Recreational Complex Committee Chair of the Human Resources Committee Chair of the Economic Development Committee Perth County Council Member
Councillor	Ken Buchanan	Bluewater Recycling Association Economic Development Committee
Councillor	Matt Duncan	Maitland Valley Conservation Authority Municipal Drains Committee
Councillor	Paul Horn	North Perth Library Board Economic Development Committee
Councillor	Vince Judge	North Perth Family Health Team/Physician Recruitment North Perth Police Services Board
Councillor	Matt Richardson	North Perth Recreation Advisory Committee Human Resources Committee North Perth Recreation Complex Committee
Councillor	David Ludington	Elma-Logan Arena and Park Committee North Perth Public Library Board North Perth Recreation Complex Committee
Councillor	Meredith Schneider	North Perth Police Services Board Municipal Drains Committee Perth County Council Member
Councillor	Terry Seiler	North Perth Cemetery Board Business Improvement Association

County Government

Because the Municipality of North Perth is part of the upper-tier municipality Perth County, Ontario, it has representation on the County Council. The Perth County Council is determined by a restructuring order that came into force on January 1, 1998. Under this order, the Municipality of North Perth has three members appointed to the County Council.^[18] North Perth Mayor Julie Behrns, Deputy Mayor Doug Kellum, and Councillor Meredith Schneider serve as North Perth's representatives on County Council.^[19]

Provincial Government

Perth—Wellington is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since the 2007 provincial election. It was created in 2003 from parts of Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey,Perth—Middlesex and Waterloo—Wellington ridings.

It consists of the County of Perth, and the Town of Minto and the townships of Mapleton and Wellington North in the County of Wellington.^[20] As of October 6, 2011, the MPP for the riding is Randy Pettapiece.^[21]

Perth—Wellington
Assembly	Years	Member		Party
Riding created from Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey, Perth—Middlesex and Waterloo—Wellington
39th	2007–2011		John Wilkinson	Liberal
40th	2011–2014		Randy Pettapiece	Progressive Conservative
41st	2014–Present

Federal Government

Perth—Wellington is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2004. It was created in 2003 from parts of Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey,Perth—Middlesex and Waterloo—Wellington ridings.

It consists of the County of Perth, the City of Stratford, the Town of St. Mary's and the Town of Minto and the townships of Mapleton and Wellington North in the County of Wellington.^[22]

Parliament	Years	Member		Party
Perth—Wellington Riding created from Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey, Perth—Middlesex and Waterloo—Wellington
38th	2004–2006		Gary Schellenberger	Conservative
39th	2006–2008
40th	2008–2011
41st	2011–Present

See also

• List of townships in Ontario
• Perth County, Ontario

References

1. "North Perth, Ontario (Code 3531040) census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
2. "Listowel - Municipality of North Perth". www.northperth.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
3. Deborah Welch And Michael Payne. "Listowel". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
4. "Elma - Municipality of North Perth". www.northperth.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
5. "Wallace - Municipality of North Perth". www.northperth.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
6. Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. 1994. The Common Sense Revolution. Toronto: Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.
7. "Municipal Restructuring Activity Summary Table". www.mah.gov.on.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-16.
8. Ontario Provincial police: Western Region Detachment Directory
9. "Census Profile". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
10. "National Household Survey (NHS) Profile, 2011". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
11. "Economic Profile - Municipality of North Perth". www.northperth.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
12. "Retail Prospectus for North Perth" (PDF). County of Perth. 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
13. "Municipal Council - Municipality of North Perth". www.northperth.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
14. "Mayor Julie Behrns". www.northperth.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
15. "Departments - Municipality of North Perth". www.northperth.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
16. "Deputy Mayor Doug Kellum - Municipality of North Perth". www.northperth.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
17. "Municipal Council - Municipality of North Perth". www.northperth.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
18. "Perth County • Cultivating Opportunity • Council Composition". www.perthcounty.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
19. "Perth County • Cultivating Opportunity • Council". www.perthcounty.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
20. "Perth-Wellington". www.elections.on.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
21. "Legislative Assembly of Ontario | Members (MPPs) | Current MPPs | Randy Pettapiece, MPP (Perth—Wellington)". www.ontla.on.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
22. "Perth–Wellington | Maps Corner | Elections Canada Online". elections.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-17.

External links

• Town of North Perth (official)