Wellington County, Ontario
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement
Wellington County is a county and census division located in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The county consists of two towns and five townships, with its seat in the City of Guelph, which is geographically within the county but administered independently. According to the 2021 census, the population of the census division was 241,026.<ref name="census2021"/>
Many of the residents in the southern part of the county commute to urban areas such as Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo, Brampton, Mississauga, Toronto and Hamilton for employment. The northern part of the county (comprising Minto, Mapleton, and Wellington North townships) is made up of mainly rural farming communities, except for a few larger towns such as Mount Forest and Arthur.
In 2018, the warden of the county was Kelly Linton, the mayor of Centre Wellington, and there were 14 councillors.<ref name=council>Template:Cite web</ref> Police services are provided by the Ontario Provincial Police.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schools are operated by the Upper Grand District School Board and by the Wellington Catholic District School Board.
Subdivisions
The county is made up of seven lower-tier municipalities (in order of population):
- Centre Wellington, Township of (population centres: Fergus, Elora)
- Guelph/Eramosa, Township of (population centre: Rockwood)
- Wellington North, Township of (population centres: Mount Forest, Arthur)
- Erin, Town of (population centre: Erin)
- Mapleton, Township of (population centre: Drayton)
- Minto, Town of (population centres: Palmerston, Harriston)
- Puslinch, Township of
The City of Guelph, although part of the Wellington census division, is a single-tier city; the municipality is independent of the county. The primary economy outside of the city consists of agriculture and aggregate mining.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county is a major supplier of sand and gravel for the western part of the Greater Toronto Area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
Evolution
In 1837, by an Act of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada, the District of Wellington was formed and a court house and jail in the town of Guelph were authorized.<ref>Template:Cite canlaw</ref> The District was named after England's Duke of Wellington and its territory formed the County of Waterloo for electoral purposes.<ref>1837 Act, s. 28</ref> The limestone county courthouse and jail in the castellated style was built in 1842-44 and was subsequently expanded.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1849, Wellington District was abolished, and Waterloo County remained for municipal and judicial purposes.<ref>Template:Cite canlaw</ref> The territory of the Bruce Peninsula became part of Waterloo in 1849,<ref>Template:Cite canlaw</ref> but was later withdrawn and transferred to Bruce County in 1851.<ref>Template:Cite canlaw</ref>
Template:CSS image crop In January 1852, Waterloo County became the United Counties of Wellington, Waterloo and Grey.<ref>Template:Cite canlaw</ref> The new county of Waterloo was withdrawn in January 1853, and the remainder was renamed the United Counties of Wellington and Grey.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In January 1854, the United Counties was dissolved, and Wellington and Grey were separate counties for all purposes.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Guelph was incorporated as a City in 1879 and withdrawn from the county.<ref>Template:Cite canlaw</ref> Amaranth, East Garafraxa, East Luther and Orangeville were transferred to Dufferin County during the period 1874–1882.<ref>Template:Cite canlaw</ref><ref>Template:Cite canlaw</ref><ref>Template:Cite canlaw</ref><ref name="history">Template:Cite web</ref>
The Wellington County Jail (in Late Gothic Revival Style) and the Governor's Residence (in Georgian style) at 74 Woolwich Street were built in 1911; they were designated by the city for "historic and architectural value" and as a National Historic Site in 1983. The property is now an Ontario Court of Justice.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Clear left
Historic townships
By 1881, the county had settled into its present form, with the following townships and related towns and villages:
| Township | Area | Description | Community centres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur | 64,494 acres (261 km2) | Opened in 1835, it was named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington | Arthur, Kenilworth and Mount Forest |
| Eramosa | 44,482 acres (180 km2) | Opened in 1821. The name is an attempt to render in English the Indigenous word "un-ne-mo-sa", which means dog | Eden Mills and Rockwood |
| Erin | 70,557 acres (286 km2) | Opened in 1820 | Erin, Hillsburgh, Mimosa |
| West Garafraxa | 46,950 acres (190 km2) | Opened in 1821. Name is believed to be from an Indigenous word meaning "the place of panthers." | Fergus (only partially in the township), Reading, Metz and Garafraxa |
| Guelph Township | 35,543 acres (144 km2) | Opened on April 23, 1827, by John Galt on behalf of the Canada Company | |
| West Luther | 49,830 acres (202 km2) | Opened in 1821 and named after the leader of the Reformation in Germany, Martin Luther. It was said that the surveyor, a Roman Catholic, having been embarrassed by the endless swamps he had encountered declared that this was "the meanest piece of country he had seen" and named it Luther for that reason | Monck, Stonywood, Damascus and Arthur |
| Maryborough | 56,728 acres (230 km2) | Opened in 1840 and named after a brother of the Duke of Wellington, Baron Maryborough | Drayton, Moorefield and Rothsay |
| Minto | 69,927 acres (283 km2) | Opened in 1840 and named after the Earl of Minto, a famous pro-consul in India. Settled mainly between 1861 and 1875 | Harriston, Palmerston, and Clifford |
| Nichol | 26,996 acres (109 km2) | One of the townships leased by Joseph Brant under power of attorney for the First Nations of the Grand River region. The Township was granted to Hon. Thomas Clark on a lease of 999 years for 3,564, but the contract was modified by the Crown. The Township was opened for settlement in 1822. Named in honour of Col Robert Nichol of Norfolk who distinguished himself in the War of 1812 and latter in political battles | Elora, Fergus, Salem and Barnet |
| Peel | 74,525 acres (302 km2) | Opened in 1835 and named in honour of Sir Robert Peel. Settled mainly between 1850 and 1853 | Drayton, Glenallan, Goldstone and Alma |
| Pilkington | 28,983 acres (117 km2) | Named in honour of Lieutenant Robert Pilkington (later General Pilkington) who accompanied John Graves Simcoe to Upper Canada. Pilkington acquired 20,000 acres (80 km2) of land | Elora in Nichol Township |
| Puslinch | 58,291 acres (236 km2) | Named after Puslinch, Devon, Lady Colborne's home before her marriage | Aberfoyle |
In 1999, seven new municipalities (Townships) were created within Wellington County through amalgamation.<ref name="history"/>
From "poorhouse" to museum
In 1877, the county opened the Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge, or Poorhouse as it was called, on Wellington Road 18 between Fergus and Elora. Over the years, approximately 1500 deserving poor, including those who were destitute, old and infirm or suffering from disabilities were housed here. The sixty bed house for inmates was surrounded by a 30-acre "industrial" farm with a barn for livestock that produced some of the food for the 70 residents and the staff and also provided work for them. Others worked in the House itself. According to a 2009 report by the Toronto Star, "pauperism was considered a moral failing that could be erased through order and hard work". A hospital was added in 1892. A nearby cemetery has 271 plots for those who died. In 1947 the House was converted into the Wellington County Home for the Aged and in 1975 the building reopened as the Wellington County Museum and Archives.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
A historic plaque was erected at the museum, indicating that the "government-supported poorhouse" was "the shelter of last resort for the homeless and destitute, who traded spartan accommodations for domestic or agricultural labour".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Demographics
As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Wellington County had a population of Template:Val living in Template:Val of its Template:Val total private dwellings, a change of Template:Percentage from its 2016 population of Template:Val. With a land area of Template:Convert, it had a population density of Template:Pop density in 2021.<ref name="census2021"/>
Template:Historical populations
Community involvement and awards
In October 2008, the County of Wellington was named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers by Mediacorp Canada Inc. and featured in Maclean's newsmagazine.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Later that month, the county was recognized as one of Waterloo Area's Top Employers and featured in the Guelph Mercury newspaper.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2014, the County of Wellington received Best Health and Wellness Strategy at the Canadian HR Awards. The award recognizes excellence in the area of corporate health and well-being.
In 2013 (Gold), and again in 2014 (Silver), the County of Wellington received Canada's Safest Employer in the Public Sector Award. Canada's Safest Employers Awards recognize organizations from all across Canada with outstanding accomplishments in promoting the health and safety of their workers.
In 2014 (Gold), and again in 2016 (Silver), the County of Wellington received Canada's Psychological Safety Award. Canada's Safest Employer Awards introduced a new Psychological Safety Award in 2014 to recognize organizations that are committed to employee mental health and are working towards implementing the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.
The County of Wellington in Ontario, Canada, embarked on the BR+E journey beginning in 2013. Two years later, the county has reaped significant rewards with the candle on the cake represented by two BREI awards at the BREI Annual Conference in 2014.
The County of Wellington proudly received the 2015 Employer of Distinction Award at an Award Ceremony presented by the Guelph and District Human Resources Professionals Association in Guelph.
In early 2018, Alma resident Jim deBock received the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship for his extensive volunteer work.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Travel Region
Wellington County is part of the Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association and Central Counties of Ontario, two tourism related associations.
In addition to the Museum, attractions in the County recommended by users of the Tripadvisor web site include Elora Rapids, Elora Gorge Conservation Area, the Fergus Grand Theatre and the Elora Cataract Railway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Popular parks with lakes for day use include Rockwood Conservation Area and Belwood Lake.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
External links
Template:Wellington County Template:Subdivisions of Ontario Template:Authority control