Georgina, Ontario

Georgina and other communities on Lake Simcoe, Ontario

Georgina 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.

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.

Demographics

According to the 2001 Statistics Canada Census:
*Population: 39,263
*% Change (1996-2001): 12.9
*Dwellings: 15,518
*Area (km².): 287.72
*Density (persons per km².): 136.5

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 Yorkâ€"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

Adjacent Communities

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

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
* Georgina Skate Park
* Georgina Studio Tour http://www.georginastudiotour.com/
* Regional Forests
* Sibbald Point Provincial Park
* Walking Trails
* The Briars Resort and Golf Club (http://www.briars.ca/)

Local Clubs and Associations

* Georgina-Brock Garden Club
* Georgina Girls Hockey Association http://www.georginagirlshockey.com/
* Georgina Minor Baseball Association http://www.gmba.com/
* Georgina Minor Hockey Association http://www.georginahockey.com/
* Georgina Trail Riders Snowmobile Club
* Lake Simcoe Gardeners
* Lake Simcoe Soccer Club http://www.lakesimcoesoccer.com/
* Sail Georgina http://www.neptune.on.ca/~canoe/sailgeorgina/
* South Lake Simcoe Naturalists (Nature Group)
* Sutton Agricultural Society http://www.ils.net/~fair/
* Kinsmen Club Of Sutton (Service Club) http://www.suttonkin.com

External links

* Town of Georgina
* York Region
* Keswick
*Ontario Plaques - Eildon Hall
*Ontario Plaques - Robert Alexander Laidlaw
*Ontario Plaques - Stephen Butler Leacock