Georgina (Canada 2016 Census population 45,418) is a town in south-central Ontario, and the

northernmost municipality in the Regional Municipality of York and therefore the Greater
Toronto Area. The town is bounded to the north by Lake Simcoe. Although incorporated as a
town, it operates as a township, in which dispersed communities share a common administrative
council. The largest communities are Keswick, Sutton and Jackson's Point; smaller communities
include Pefferlaw, Port Bolster, Udora and Willow Beach. The town was formed by the merger
of the Village of Sutton, the Township of Georgina and the Township of North Gwillimbury in
1971, and was incorporated in 1986. North Gwillimbury had previously been part of Georgina,
but became its own township in 1826. It took its name from the family of Elizabeth Simcoe, ne
Gwillim.

Georgina was the proposed name for London, Ontario by John Graves Simcoe.

Contents
1 Municipal composition
2 Demographics
3 Government
4 Notable residents
5 Attractions
6 Local clubs and associations
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

Municipal composition
The main centres in Georgina are the communities of Keswick, Belhaven, Sutton West,
Jackson's Point,[3] Baldwin, Virginia, Pefferlaw, Port Bolster, Udora and Willow Beach. Other
settlements include Jersey, Cedarbrae, Brown Hill, Island Grove, Elm Grove, Roche's Point
(named for the family of Author Mazo de la Roche, who is buried in the cemetery, at St.
George's Anglican Church, Sibbald Point), Sibbald Point, Virginia / Virginia Beach (originally
called Frenchtown), McRae Beach, Duclos Point, Balfour Beach, Varney, Brighton Beach and a
variety of other beach communities.[4]

Demographics
Historical population

Year Pop. %

1991 29,746
 1996 34,777 +16.9%

2001 39,263 +12.9%

2006 42,346 +7.9%

2011 43,517 +2.8%

2016 45,418 +4.4%

According to the Canada 2016 Census conducted by Statistics Canada:[2]

Population: 45,418
Population % Change (2011-2016): 4.4%
Dwellings: 16,821
Dwellings % Change (2011-2016): 6.1%
Area (km.): 287.75 (+ .03)
Density (persons per km.): 157.8 (+ 6.6)

Racial profile As per the 2011 Canadian Census

96.1% White
1.6% Aboriginal
0.5% Black
0.3% Chinese

Religions[5]

45.7% Protestant
22.4% Roman Catholic
3.3% other Christian
0.3% Jewish
28.3% non-religious

Mother Tongue[6]

90.3% English
1.2% French
1.0% German
1.0% Italian

Government
Georgina and other communities on Lake Simcoe, Ontario

The Town of Georgina operates under a ward system, and its municipal council consists of the
mayor, regional councillor (known procedurally as deputy mayor) and a councillor for each of
the five wards. The current council consists of:

Mayor: Margaret Quirk

Deputy mayor/regional councillor: Naomi Davison (was Danny Wheeler until his passing
Nov. 1, 2016)[7]
Councillor Ward 1: vacant
Councillor Ward 2: Dan Fellini
Councillor Ward 3: Dave Neeson
Councillor Ward 4: Frank Sebo
Councillor Ward 5: Dave Harding

The mayor and deputy mayor represent Georgina at meetings of York Regional Council.

Georgina is part of the Federal riding of YorkSimcoe, represented by Peter Van Loan of the
Conservative Party of Canada, first elected in 2006.

Provincially, it was part of the riding of York North until 2007 and is now part of the provincial
riding of York-Simcoe, represented by Julia Munro of the Progressive Conservative Party of
Ontario, who was first elected in 1995.

Notable residents
Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame member Whipper Billy Watson was a lifelong resident,
and he spearheaded the campaign to build the Georgina Cultural Centre in the 1980s,
which also houses the Stephen Leacock Theatre.
Keswick is the birthplace and childhood home of former NHL goaltender Curtis Joseph
 Captain William Johnson, former Royal Navy officer and founder of Pefferlaw, Ontario.
Noted writer Stephen Leacock settled on a farm near Egypt, a hamlet within Georgina.
Jim Carrey, a Canadian actor, comedian, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer. His
family settled in Sutton, Ontario for his early life.

Attractions
Canadian Ice Fishing Championship annual event[8]
Captain William Johnson's Old Mill[9]
St. George's Anglican Church, built in 1877 by the pioneering Sibbald family and burial
place of Stephen Leacock and Mazo de la Roche[9]
Roche's Point Anglican Church, built in 1862[9]
The ROC (Recreational Outdoor Campus), including the Georgina Pioneer Village
Museum and Archives
The Red Barn Theatre, Canada's oldest summer stock theatre. [Currently not operating
due to a fire in 2010.[10]][9]
Stephen Leacock Theatre
Duclos Point Nature Reserve
Georgina Arts Centre and Gallery
The Peter Gzowski Festival of Stories[11]
Georgina Public Libraries
York Regional Forests
Sibbald Point Provincial Park
Sutton Fair and Horse Show
The Briars Resort and Golf Club, built and owned by the Sibbald family
Willow Beach Conservation Area

Local clubs and associations

Georgina Ice Junior C Hockey
Georgina Girls Hockey Association
Georgina Minor Baseball Association
Georgina Minor Hockey Association
Jericho Youth Services
Lake Simcoe Minor Softball Association
Lake Simcoe Soccer Club
Sail Georgina
Sutton Agricultural Society
Georgina-Brock Garden Club
Lake Simcoe Gardeners
Georgina Trail Riders Snowmobile Club
Georgina Military Museum
Sutton & District Lions Club
Kinsmen Club of Keswick
Kinsmen Club of Sutton (Service Club)
 South Lake Simcoe Naturalists (Nature Group)
Canadian Madeira Club - Madeira Park

See also

York Region, Ontario portal

List of townships in Ontario

References
1.

Some sources say 1971 Welch, Deborah; Michael Payne. "Georgina". The Canadian
Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2008-01-02., some say 1970 "York County Maps and Facts". York
Region Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society. Retrieved 2008-01-02."History of the Town of
Georgina". Georgina Village Museum. Archived from the original on 2008-03-02. Retrieved
2008-01-02.
Statistics Canada 2016 Census - [1]
Kibble, Tracy (2009-08-27). "Jackson's Point offers alluring gem". YorkRegion.com.
Retrieved 2009-08-28.
"Brighton Beach". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved
2013-05-13.
Statistics Canada. (2002). Georgina 2001 Community Profiles. Released June 27, 2002. Last
modified: 2005-11-30. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 93F0053XIE
Statistics Canada (2011). [2] Census Profile for Georgina, Ontario (Town). Released Oct
24, 2011
"Councillor Naomi Davison to fill Regional Council seat". Town of Georgina. Retrieved 2
December 2016.
Canadian Ice Fishing Championship
"Town of Georgina Historical Sites". Archived from the original on 2008-01-11.
"Ontario's oldest summer theatre closes down". The Toronto Star. 4 July 2010.
"Peter Gzowski Festival of Stories". Archived from the original on 2005-12-18.