LOCATION

• The Township of Springwater is a local municipality within the County of Simcoe, in the Province of Ontario, Canada.
  
  
• The Township is located approximately 100 kilometres northwest of Toronto between the City of Barrie and the Town of Wasaga Beach.
  
  
• Highway 400 runs through the southeastern portion of the municipality and forms part of its eastern boundary.

HISTORY

• The Township of Springwater was incorporated on January 1, 1994 as a result of restructuring in Simcoe County.
  
  
• The Townships of Flos and Vespra (excluding the Craighurst area) were amalgamated with the Village of Elmvale and the Hillsdale/Orr Lake area from the Township of Medonte.
  
  
• A small 200 acre parcel from the Town of Wasaga Beach was also merged with the new municipality.
  
  

GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE

• The Council of the Township of Springwater is made up of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and five Councillors.
  
  
• The Township of Springwater is governed by a seven-member elected Council.  Council is comprised of a Mayor and Deputy Mayor, elected at large by the whole Township, and five Ward Councillors (one elected per ward).
  
  
• Council meetings are held in the Council Chambers of the Township of Springwater Administration Centre on the first and third Monday of every month.
  
  
• Springwater's Mayor and Deputy Mayor are also appointed to sit on Simcoe County Council, along with the other Heads of Council from the 16 municipalities that comprise the County of Simcoe.

POPULATION

• The Township is a collection of urban and rural communities.
  
  
• The population of over 17 000 is concentrated in nine urban settlement areas.
  
  
  • The largest is Midhurst with a population of approximately 3100. Midhurst is located in south Springwater just north of the City of Barrie.
    
    
  • Elmvale is located at the junction of County Roads 19, 27 & 92 in the northern part of Springwater. Elmvale's commercial district serves its 1700 residents and tourist traffic destined for the cottage areas at Orr Lake and along the shores of Georgian Bay.
    
    
  • Other settlement areas include Anten Mills, Centre Vespra, Hillsdale, Minesing, Orr Lake, Phelpston and Snow Valley.

LAND

• About half of the Township's 53 000 hectares are utilized for agricultural purposes.
  
  
• Another third of the land base is forested.
  
  
• These "greenlands" include the 6000 hectare Minesing Swamp which has been internationally recognized as a RAMSAR site.

SPRINGWATER STATISTICS