A township is a type of municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario. They can have either single-tier (not part of another higher tier government form, like a county) status or lower-tier (part of another higher tier government form, like a county) status.
Ontario has 200 townships that had a cumulative population of 990,396 and an average population of 4,952 in the 2011 Census. Ontario's largest and smallest townships are Centre Wellington and Cockburn Island with populations of 26,693 and 0 respectively.
History Under the former Municipal Act, 1990, a township was a type of local municipality. Under this former legislation, a locality with a population of 1,000 or more could have been incorporated as a township by Ontario's Municipal Board upon review of an application from 75 or more residents of the locality. It also provided that a township could include "a union of townships and a municipality composed of two or more townships".
In the transition to the Municipal Act, 2001, these requirements were abandoned and, as at December 31, 2002, every township that: "existed and formed part of a county, a regional or district municipality or the County of Oxford for municipal purposes" became a lower-tier municipality yet retained its name as a township; and "existed and did not form part of a county, a regional or district municipality or the County of Oxford for municipal purposes" became a single-tier municipality yet retained its name as a township. The current legislation also provides lower and single-tier municipalities with the authority to name themselves as "townships", or other former municipal status types such as "cities", "towns" or "villages", or generically as "municipalities".
Township municipalities in Ontario
Former township municipalities
Former townshipChange dateChange eventCurrent statusRemarks Barrie Island Dissolution — Amalgamated into Gordon/Barrie Island Dack Dissolution — Amalgamated into Charlton and Dack Delhi Dissolution — Amalgamated into Norfolk County Dymond Dissolution — Amalgamated into Temiskaming Shores Glanbrook Dissolution — Amalgamated into Hamilton Gordon Dissolution — Amalgamated into Gordon/Barrie Island Goulbourn Dissolution — Amalgamated into OttawaMarlboroughAmalgamated into Rideau Township Marmora and Lake Status change Municipality Michipicoten Status and name change Municipality Name changed to Wawa Norfolk Dissolution — Amalgamated into Norfolk County North GowerDissolutionAmalgamated into Rideau Township North Grenville Status change Municipality North Himsworth Status and name change Municipality Named changed to Callander Osgoode Dissolution — Amalgamated into Ottawa Rideau Dissolution — Amalgamated into Ottawa Shedden Status and name change Town Name changed to Spanish Shuniah Status change Municipality West Carleton Dissolution — Amalgamated into Ottawa West Grey Status change Municipality
See also List of cities in Ontario List of communities in Ontario List of municipalities in Ontario List of towns in Ontario List of townships in Ontario (includes historical townships) List of villages in Ontario
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