Grey County, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Grey County is a county
and census division
of the Canadian province of Ontario
. The county seat is in Owen Sound. The population was 92,411 in 2006. It is located in the subregion of Southern Ontario
named Southwestern Ontario
. Grey County is also a part of the Georgian Triangle
.
or Meaford
. Exploring parties arrived from York
in 1825 by traveling from Holland Landing
and down the Holland River
into Lake Simcoe
and Shanty Bay. From there they traveled by land to the Nottawasaga River
into Georgian Bay
and along the thickly wooded shore.
In 1837 the village of Sydenham was surveyed by Charles Rankin
, P.L.S. In 1856 it was incorporated as the Town of Owen Sound with an estimated population of 2,000.
The county was formed in 1852 and was named in honor of Earl Grey
. In 1861-1862 the first gravel roads were constructed into Owen Sound at a cost of $300,000. The four roads graveled were The Garafraxa Road running from Fergus
to Owen Sound (now Highway 6); the Durham Road leading east and west from the village of Durham
(now County Road 4); the Lake Shore Road from Collingwood to Owen Sound (now Highway 26) and the Toronto
and Sydenham Road leading from Toronto to Owen Sound (now Highway 10). Prior to the road building it often took two days to walk up to Owen Sound.
On January 1, 2001, Grey County underwent a major reorganization. The majority of towns, villages, and townships were amalgamated, reducing the number of municipalities from 26 to 9. Only Owen Sound and Hanover were unaffected.
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
and census division
Census division
Census division is an official term in Canada and the United States. The census divisions of Canada are second-level census geographic unit, below provinces and territories, and above "census subdivisions" and "dissemination areas". In provinces where they exist, the census division may correspond...
of the Canadian province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The county seat is in Owen Sound. The population was 92,411 in 2006. It is located in the subregion of Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
named Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
. Grey County is also a part of the Georgian Triangle
Georgian Triangle
The Georgian Triangle is the name of a geographic region in Southern Ontario containing the counties surrounding Georgian Bay, mostly Nottawasaga Bay, in particular. The main urban centers in the region are Collingwood, Owen Sound, and situated on Lake Simcoe Barrie...
.
History
Grey County was created in 1852 with the first settlement in the vicinity of CollingwoodCollingwood, Ontario
Collingwood is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is situated on Nottawasaga Bay at the southern point of Georgian Bay.-History:...
or Meaford
Meaford, Ontario
Meaford is a Canadian municipality in Grey County, Ontario. Meaford is located on Nottawasaga Bay, a sub-basin of Georgian Bay, in southern Ontario....
. Exploring parties arrived from York
York, Ontario
York is a dissolved municipality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is located northwest of Old Toronto, southwest of North York and east of Etobicoke, where it is bounded by the Humber River. Formerly a separate city, it was one of six municipalities that amalgamated in 1998 to form...
in 1825 by traveling from Holland Landing
Holland Landing, Ontario
Holland Landing is a village in the town of East Gwillimbury, located in the northern part of the Regional Municipality of York, in south-central Ontario, Canada. Its major road is Yonge Street and the village has bus service by GO Transit and York Region Transit...
and down the Holland River
Holland River
The Holland River is a river in Ontario, Canada that drains the Holland River watershed into Cook's Bay, the southern extremity of Lake Simcoe. It is named after Captain Samuel Holland, , Dutch born first Surveyor General of British North America. The river flows generally north, and its...
into Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
and Shanty Bay. From there they traveled by land to the Nottawasaga River
Nottawasaga River
The Nottawasaga River is a river in southern Ontario, Canada. Its headwaters are located on the Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine. It flows through the Minesing Swamp, recognized as a wetland of international significance , and empties into Nottawasaga Bay, an inlet of Georgian Bay, at...
into Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
and along the thickly wooded shore.
In 1837 the village of Sydenham was surveyed by Charles Rankin
Charles Rankin
Charles Rankin 1797 - 1886, born in Enniskillen, Ireland, died at Owen Sound, Ontario. Charles Rankin moved to Upper Canada in his early years, in 1820 he was appointed deputy provincial surveyor and worked in the Southwestern Ontario area. He began work in Nottawasaga Bay in 1833 and settled on...
, P.L.S. In 1856 it was incorporated as the Town of Owen Sound with an estimated population of 2,000.
The county was formed in 1852 and was named in honor of Earl Grey
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, KG, PC , known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 22 November 1830 to 16 July 1834. A member of the Whig Party, he backed significant reform of the British government and was among the...
. In 1861-1862 the first gravel roads were constructed into Owen Sound at a cost of $300,000. The four roads graveled were The Garafraxa Road running from Fergus
Fergus, Ontario
Fergus is the largest community in Centre Wellington, a township within Wellington County in Ontario, Canada. It lies on the Grand River about 25 km north of Guelph.-History:...
to Owen Sound (now Highway 6); the Durham Road leading east and west from the village of Durham
Durham, Ontario
Durham is a community in the municipality of West Grey, Grey County, Ontario, Canada. Durham is located near the base of the Bruce Peninsula.-Location:...
(now County Road 4); the Lake Shore Road from Collingwood to Owen Sound (now Highway 26) and the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Sydenham Road leading from Toronto to Owen Sound (now Highway 10). Prior to the road building it often took two days to walk up to Owen Sound.
On January 1, 2001, Grey County underwent a major reorganization. The majority of towns, villages, and townships were amalgamated, reducing the number of municipalities from 26 to 9. Only Owen Sound and Hanover were unaffected.
Towns
- The Blue MountainsThe Blue Mountains, OntarioThe Blue Mountains is a town in Grey County, southwestern Ontario, Canada, located where the Beaver River flows into Nottawasaga Bay. It is named for the Blue Mountains, and hence the economy of the town is centered around tourism, particularly on the Blue Mountain ski resort and the private...
- HanoverHanover, OntarioHanover is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in southern Grey County, west of Durham and east of Walkerton on Grey/Bruce Road 4. Hanover marks the border between Grey County and Bruce County.-History:...
- MeafordMeaford, OntarioMeaford is a Canadian municipality in Grey County, Ontario. Meaford is located on Nottawasaga Bay, a sub-basin of Georgian Bay, in southern Ontario....
Townships
- ChatsworthChatsworth, OntarioChatsworth is a township in south-western Ontario, Canada, in Grey County, located at the headwaters of the Styx River, the Saugeen River, the Sauble River, the Bighead River, the Spey River, and the Sydenham River....
- Georgian BluffsGeorgian Bluffs, OntarioGeorgian Bluffs is a township in southwestern Ontario, Canada, in Grey County located between Colpoy's Bay and Owen Sound on Georgian Bay.The township was incorporated on January 1, 2001 by amalgamating the former townships of Derby, Keppel, and Sarawak, and the village of Shallow...
- Grey HighlandsGrey Highlands, OntarioGrey Highlands is a municipality in the southeast corner of Grey County, Ontario, Canada that was formed on January 1, 2001 by the amalgamation of the village of Markdale and the townships of Artemesia, Euphrasia and Osprey, which included the unincorporated hamlets of Eugenia Ceylon, Maxwell,...
- SouthgateSouthgate, OntarioSouthgate is a township in western Ontario, Canada, in the southeast corner of Grey County. Southgate was formed on January 1, 2000, when the Village of Dundalk, the Township of Proton and the Township of Egremont were amalgamated...
- West GreyWest Grey, OntarioWest Grey is a township in western Ontario, Canada, in Grey County spanning across the River Styx, the Rocky Saugeen River, the Beatty Saugeen River, and the South Saugeen River...