A town is a sub-type of municipalities in the Canadian province of Ontario. A town can have the municipal status of either a single-tier or lower-tier municipality.
Ontario has 89 towns[1] that had a cumulative population of 1,813,458 and an average population of 22,316 in the 2016 Census.[2] In the 2021 Census, Ontario's largest and smallest towns are Oakville and Latchford with populations of 213,759[3] and 355[4] respectively.
History
Under the former Municipal Act, 1990, a town was both an urban and a local municipality.[5] Under this former legislation, a locality with a population of 2,000 or more could have been incorporated as a town by Ontario's Municipal Board upon review of an application from 75 or more residents of the locality.[5] It also enabled the Municipal Board to change the status of a village or township to a town if it had a population of 2,000 upon review of an application from the village or township.[5]
In the transition to the Municipal Act, 2001, these requirements were abandoned and, as at December 31, 2002, every town that:[6]
- "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 town; 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 town.
The current legislation also provides lower and single-tier municipalities with the authority to name themselves as "towns", or other former municipal status types such as "cities", "villages" or "townships", or generically as "municipalities".[7]
Towns in Ontario
See also
References
- ↑ "List of Ontario Municipalities". Ontario Municipal Affairs and Housing. September 21, 2012. Archived from the original on February 28, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ↑ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses (Ontario)". Statistics Canada.
- ↑ "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population: Profile table". Statistics Canada. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ↑ "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population: Profile table". Statistics Canada. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- 1 2 3 "Municipal Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter M.45". Service Ontario. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
- ↑ "Municipal Act, S.O. 2001, Chapter 25". Service Ontario. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
- ↑ "The Municipal Councillor's Guide". Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
- "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Ontario)". Statistics Canada. May 28, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2013.