Bloomingdale, Ontario
| Woolwich | |
|---|---|
| Township (lower-tier) | |
| Township of Woolwich | |
 |
|
 Woolwich
|
|
| Coordinates: 43°34′N 80°29′W / 43.567°N 80.483°WCoordinates: 43°34′N 80°29′W / 43.567°N 80.483°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
|
| Province |
 Ontario
|
| Regional municipality | Waterloo |
| Settled | 1798 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Township |
| • Mayor | Sandy Shantz |
| • Governing Body | Woolwich Township Council |
| • Councillors | Scott Hahn, Patrick Merlihan, Murray Martin, Larry Shantz, Mark Bauman |
| • MP | Harold Albrecht (CPC) |
| • MPP | Michael Harris (PC) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 326.15 km2 (125.93 sq mi) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 25,006 |
| • Density | 76.7/km2 (199/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Area code(s) | 519 and 226 |
| Website | www.woolwich.ca |
The Township of Woolwich is a rural township in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, considered as a municipality. A full ten small communities make up the Township which is located in the northeast part of Waterloo Region and is made up of 10 small communities, with Elmira, Ontario the largest and St. Jacobs, Ontario the second largest. The population at the time of the 2016 Census was 25,006, up slightly from the 2011 population of 23,145. Waterloo Region is still home to the largest population of Old Order Mennonites in Canada, particularly in the areas around St Jacobs and Elmira. They are often seen on the local roads using their traditional horse and buggy transportation; many also use horses to pull the implements in their farm fields.
Woolwich is part of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and is located directly to the north and east of the City of Waterloo. It is bounded by the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge. The township is a municipality as established by the Regional Municipality of Waterloo Act 1972, which created a regional government structure and established limits of the local municipalities effective January 1, 1973. Woolwich Township has its own municipal government consisting of five Councillors and a Mayor; the latter also serves on the Waterloo Region Council.
The land which now makes up Woolwich Township, with the Grand River on the East, and the Conestogo River on the West, originally belonged to the Huron Nation followed by the Mohawk Nation. The first settlers arrived in the late 18th century. In 1798, William Wallace was one of the first settlers after he was deeded 86,078 acres (348 km2) of land on the Grand River for a cost of $16,364. Originally Block three of Indian Lands, this area now comprises a large part of Woolwich Township. The parcel of land called "Woolwich" was probably named (in 1816) after a town in Kent, England. The early settlers were primarily from England or Ireland until about 1830; they settled to the east of the Grand River. Afterwards, German Mennonite families from Pennsylvania and from Waterloo Township settled west of the river.
...
Wikipedia