Georgina (2006 Population 42,346) is a town in south-central Ontario, and the northernmost municipality in the Regional Municipality of York. It forms part of the northern boundary of the Greater Toronto Area and is situated on the southern shores of Lake Simcoe. It is not so much one cohesive town as a large area containing three primary subsections: the community of Keswick, the communities of Sutton and Jackson's Point, and the smallest main subsection of Pefferlaw and Port Bolster.

The town was incorporated in 1986 and was formed by the merger of the Village of Sutton, the Township of Georgina and the Township of North Gwillimbury in 1971, but the area's history dates back to the 1700s. North Gwillimbury took its name from the family of Elizabeth Simcoe, nee Gwillim.

Municipal composition

The main centres in Georgina are the communities of:

• Keswick
• Belhaven, Ontario
• Sutton founded as Bouchier Mills in 1831, name changed in 1864
• Jackson's Point
• Baldwin
• Virginia
• Pefferlaw - founded by Captain William Johnson in 1819
• Port Bolster
• Udora
• Willow Beach

The following is a listing of localities and communities within the Town of Georgina which over the years have merged with the larger communities but still remain distinct landmarks, and retain their unique and interesting history.

Baldwin, Balfour Beach, Belhaven, Beverly Hills, Beverly Isles, Briar's Park, Brighton Beach, Brown Hill. Cedarbrae, Claredon Beach, Craigmawr Beach, Crescent Beach, Cryderman, Doyle Beach, Duclos Point, Eastbourne, Egypt, Elmhurst Beach, Elmgrove, Franklin Beach, Filey Beach, Glenwood Beach, Holmes Point, Indianola Beach, Island Grove, Islandview Beach, Jackson's Point, Jersey, Keswick Beach, Maskinonge Park, McCrae Beach, Miami Beach, Moore's Beach, Mossington Park, Mossington Point, Mount Pleasant, North Gwillimbury, Orchard Beach, Paradise Beach, Pefferlaw, Pine Beach, Port Bolster, Port Bolster Beach, Roche's Point, Riverview Beach, Royal Beach, Sibbald Point, Sunkist Beach, Sunset Beach, Vachell, Virginia, Virginia Beach, Willow Beach, Wynhurst Beach, Udora, and Young's Harbour.

Demographics

According to the 2006 Statistics Canada Census:

• Population: 42,346
• % Change (2001-2006): 7.9%
• Dwellings: 15,518 (2001)
• Area (km².): 287.72
• Density (persons per km².): 136.5 (2001)

The Town of Georgina is growing at a fast rate mostly due to beach lovers leaving the hustle and bustle of Toronto to relax. It has been a favourite for retirees.

Racial profile

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

Religions

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

Government

The Town of Georgina operates under a ward system, and its Municipal Council consists of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and a Councillor for each of the five wards. The current council consists of:

• Mayor: Robert Grossi
• Deputy Mayor: Danny Wheeler
• Councillor Ward 1: Margaret Jordan
• Councillor Ward 2: Ross Jamieson
• Councillor Ward 3: Dave Szollosy
• Councillor Ward 4: Ken Hackenbrook
• Councillor Ward 5: Brad Smockum

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor represent Georgina at meetings of York Region Council.

Georgina is part of the Federal riding of York—Simcoe, represented by Peter Van Loan of the Conservative Party, elected in 2006.

Provincially, it is part of the riding of York North, represented by Julia Munro of the Progressive Conservative Party, who was first elected in 1995.

Location

• Latitude: 44.2963
• Longitude: -79.4362

Notable residents

• Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame member Whipper Billy Watson was a life-long 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 for a while home) of NHL goaltender Curtis Joseph (or Cujo) who currently plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
• Jim Carrey and his family resided in Georgina area.
• Captain William Johnson.

Attractions

• Canadian Ice Fishing Championships Annual Ice Fishing Championships.
• Captain William Johnson's Old Mill
• St. George's Anglican Church, built in 1877 by the pioneering Sibbald family and burial place of Stephen Leacock and Mazo de la Roche
• Roche's Point Anglican Church, built in 1862
• Red Barn Theatre, Canada's oldest summer stock theatre.
• Stephen Leacock Theatre
• Duclos Point Nature Reserve
• Georgina Arts Centre and Gallery
• Georgina Pioneer Village & Museum
• The Peter Gzowski Festival of Stories
• Georgina Public Libraries
• Georgina Skate Park
• Georgina Studio Tour
• York Regional Forests
• Sibbald Point Provincial Park
• Sutton Fair and Horse Show
• Walking Trails
• The Briars Resort and Golf Club, built and owned by the Sibbald family
• Ice Fishing, Georgina was proclaimed the Ice Fishing Capital of North America in the 1990s
• Willow Beach Conservation Area

Local clubs and associations

• Georgina Ice Junior C Hockey
• Georgina-Brock Garden Club
• Georgina Girls Hockey Association
• Georgina Minor Baseball Association
• Georgina Minor Hockey Association
• Georgina Trail Riders Snowmobile Club
• Kinsmen Club of Keswick
• Lake Simcoe Gardeners
• Lake Simcoe Soccer Club
• Sail Georgina
• South Lake Simcoe Naturalists (Nature Group)
• Sutton Agricultural Society
• Kinsmen Club Of Sutton (Service Club)

References

External links

• Town of Georgina
• York Region
• Ontario Plaques - Eildon Hall
• Ontario Plaques - Robert Alexander Laidlaw
• Ontario Plaques - Stephen Butler Leacock

	North: Lake Simcoe	Northeast: Beaverton
West: Cook's Bay, Lake Simcoe	Georgina	East: Brock
	South: East Gwillimbury, Uxbridge