The Blue Mountains, Ontario

The Blue Mountains
Town (lower-tier)
Town of The Blue Mountains
Thornbury harbour from the Royal Harbour Resort
The Blue Mountains
Coordinates: 44°29′N 80°23′W / 44.483°N 80.383°WCoordinates: 44°29′N 80°23′W / 44.483°N 80.383°W
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Grey
Formed	January 1, 2001
Government
• Mayor	John F. McKean
• Federal riding	Simcoe—Grey
• Prov. riding	Simcoe—Grey
Area[1]
• Land	287.23 km^2 (110.90 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	6,453
• Density	22.5/km^2 (58/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code	N0H 2P0
Area code(s)	519 & 226
Highways	Highway 26
Website	www.thebluemountains.ca

The Blue Mountains is a town in Grey County, southwestern Ontario, Canada, located where the Beaver River flows into Nottawasaga Bay. It is named for the Blue Mountain, and hence the economy of the town is centred on tourism, particularly on the Blue Mountain ski resort and the private Craigleith and Alpine Ski Clubs.

The town was formed on January 1, 2001, when the Town of Thornbury was amalgamated with the Township of Collingwood. Thornbury is home to the architecturally unique L.E. Shore Memorial Library, named after the founding partner of the architectural practice of Shore Tilbe Irwin + Partners, and designed by the firm.

The Bruce Trail passes through sections of the town. The Kolapore area for mountain biking and cross-country skiing, Metcalfe Rock which is popular with rock climbers as well as the Duncan Crevice Caves Nature Reserve are in the area as well.

During the Southern Ontario Tornado Outbreak of 2009, a tornado passed through the Blue Mountains area on August 20. The F2 tornado passed by Thornbury and hit Craigleith before moving out onto Georgian Bay.

Ravenna is the setting for the novel Ravenna Gets by author Tony Burgess.

Recreation

The Blue Mountains has a host recreational activities for all the seasons. Most notably is the winter Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing and Cross-country Skiing. In the summer there is hiking, downhill/cross-country biking, an extravagant mini putt,^[2] the Ridge Runner^[3] and events such as Met Con Blue.^[4] If physical activities are not what you are looking for, The Village at Blue Mountain^[5] has a plethora of boutiques, coffee shops, restaurants, hotels and chalets, as well as golf courses within walking distance. Less than a 5 minute drive away there is the Scandinave Spa^[6] which situated on 25 acres of natural Ontario birch, as well as the Scenic Caves^[7] for those who want to experience a different kind of adventure.

Communities

The primary population centre is Thornbury. Additionally the town's territory also includes the communities of Banks, Camperdown, Castle Glen Estates, Christie Beach, Clarksburg, Craigleith, Duncan, Gibraltar, Heathcote, Kolapore, Little Germany, Lora Bay, Loree, Ravenna, Red Wing, Slabtown, and Victoria Corners.

Demographics

Population trend:^[10]

• Population total in 1996: 5667
  • Collingwood (township): 3904
  • Thornbury (town): 1763
• Population in 1991:
  • Collingwood (township): 3390
  • Thornbury (town): 1646

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1991	5,036	—
1996	5,667	+12.5%
2001	6,116	+7.9%
2006	6,825	+11.6%
2011	6,453	−5.5%

Canada 2006 Census		Population	% of Total population
Visible minority group Source:[11]	South Asian	0	0
	Chinese	10	0.1
	Black	15	0.2
	Filipino	0	0
	Latin American	0	0
	Southeast Asian	0	0
	Other visible minority	25	0.4
Total visible minority population		50	0.7
Aboriginal group Source:[11]	First Nations	0	0
	Métis	15	0.2
	Inuit	0	0
Total Aboriginal population		15	0.2
White		6,675	91.9
Total population		6,750	100

Notable residents

• Cecil Dillon – NHL hockey player of the 1930s
• Captain Charles Stuart – Anglo-American abolitionist who helped freed slaves make their way to Ontario via the Underground Railroad

Images

• 

  The eponymous Blue Mountains

• 

  The Craigleith Provincial Park on the shore of the Georgian Bay

See also

• List of townships in Ontario

References

1. "The Blue Mountains census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
2. Cascade Putting Course
3. Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster
4. Met Con Blue Mountain Adventure Race
5. Blue Mountain Village
6. Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain
7. Scenic Caves Nature Adventures
8. "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
9. "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
10. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
11. "Blue Mountains, Ontario (Town) Census Subdivision". Community Profiles, Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada.

• "Blue Mountains". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
• "Toporama - Topographic Map Sheet 41A9". Atlas of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2010-07-11.

External links

• The Town of The Blue Mountains
• The Town of The Blue Mountains Accommodation
• Blue Mountains Tourism