Springwater, Ontario

Springwater
Township (lower-tier)
Township of Springwater
Elmvale
Springwater Location of Springwater, Ontario
Coordinates: 44°26′N 79°44′W / 44.433°N 79.733°WCoordinates: 44°26′N 79°44′W / 44.433°N 79.733°W
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Simcoe
Formed	1994
Government
• Mayor	Bill French
• MPs	Kellie Leitch, Alex Nuttall
• MPPs	Jim Wilson
Area[1]
• Land	536.23 km^2 (207.04 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	18,223
• Density	34.0/km^2 (88/sq mi)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code FSA	L0L
Area code(s)	705
Website	www.springwater.ca

Springwater is a township in central Ontario, Canada, in Simcoe County near Barrie. It is the County seat of Simcoe.

Springwater was formed in 1994 through the amalgamation of Flos and Vespra Townships, together with the Village of Elmvale and a portion of the former Township of Medonte.

Communities

Anten Mills is centred on the intersection of Horseshoe Valley Road West (formally County Road 22) and Wilson Drive (formally the 7th Concession of Vespra), 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northwest of Barrie. The community derived its name from a well known mill operating in the area in the late 1800s. The first syllables of this firm's name, Anderson & Tennant, after its owners Charles Anderson and a Mr. Tennant, were merged to create the word Anten.^[2] Most of the workforce living in Anten Mills are employed in nearby Barrie. The area surrounding Anten Mills is predominantly either farm or crown land; however, golf courses, ski resorts and hiking trails also dot the landscape. A further 25 km northwest of Anten Mills is Wasaga Beach, a popular summer tourist attraction. Country music star Jason McCoy grew up in Anten Mills.

Crown Hill is located at the municipal boundaries of Springwater and Oro-Medonte, just outside the northern city limits of Barrie. Prior to the provincial highway downloadings of 1997, Highway 11 left its expressway route through Oro-Medonte at Crown Hill, transferring onto Penetanguishene Road for the remainder of its southerly route into Barrie and Toronto. Highway 11 now continues past the Penetanguishene Road interchange along the former route of Highway 400A, ending at Highway 400 1.1 kilometres further southwest.

Elmvale is located at the intersection of County Road 27 and County Road 92 (Queen Street). The Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival draws thousands of visitors each year, and dates back to 1966.^[3] Elmvale was home to 2,369 people in 2011.^[4] Elmvale is home to the Elmvale Jungle Zoo.

Aerial photo of a portion of Hillsdale, Ontario, Canada.

Hillsdale is located on Highway 93 at its intersection with Mill St., just north of Highway 400. It was founded as the half-way point between Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay, which led to the creation of the (now abandoned) Simcoe House Hotel^[5] and Rumble's Gristmill^[6] on Sturgeon River. Hillsdale is currently home to approximately 1,000 people.

Midhurst is the largest population centre in the township. It is home to the Barrie Baycats of the Intercounty Baseball League. A tree nursery existed here that supplied trees for the province.

Minesing is a community near the Nottawasaga River on Highway 26, northwest of Barrie. The community is home to two major events every year, one in the late winter called Mini-fest, and a slo-pitch tournament that falls on labour day weekend. The community is the birthplace of Hockey Hall of Famer Frank Foyston. Minesing is home to a small school called Minesing Central Public School. The nearby Minesing Wetlands is an internationally recognized wetland of significant biological importance.

The township also contains the communities of Allenwood, Apto, Craighurst, Crossland, Dalston, Edenvale, Fergusonvale, Grenfel, Hendrie, Langman, Midhurst Station, New Flos, Orr Lake, Phelpston, Sandy Beach, Saurin, Snow Valley, Strongville and Vigo. Two former ghost communities called Josephine and McKinnon existed in the Minesing Swamp within the township's borders.

Government

The current mayor of Springwater is Bill French.

Demographics

See also

• List of townships in Ontario

References

1. "Springwater census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
2. History of Simcoe County: Wayne Cook's Genealogy and Historic Plaques Page
3. "Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival Official Website". Retrieved 28 Feb 2014.
4. "Statistics Canada Census Profile". Retrieved 28 Feb 2014.
5. "Simcoe House Hotel - Ontario Abandoned Places". Retrieved 28 Feb 2014.
6. "Hillsdale Grist Mill - Ontario Abandoned Places". Retrieved 28 Feb 2014.
7. "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
8. "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-07.

External links

• Township of Springwater
• Township of Springwater, Ontario - Midhurst community profile notes