Selwyn | |
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Township (lower-tier) | |
Township of Selwyn | |
Lakefield
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Coordinates: 44°25′N 78°20′W / 44.417°N 78.333°WCoordinates: 44°25′N 78°20′W / 44.417°N 78.333°W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Ontario |
County | Peterborough |
Settled | 1822 |
Formed | January 1, 2001 |
Government | |
• Type | Township |
• Reeve | Mary Smith |
• Federal riding | Peterborough—Kawartha |
• Prov. riding | Peterborough |
Area | |
• Land | 315.64 km2 (121.87 sq mi) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 16,846 |
• Density | 53.4/km2 (138/sq mi) |
Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
Postal Code | K0L 2H0 & K0L 0A0 |
Area code(s) | 705 |
Website | [1] |
Selwyn is a township in central-eastern Ontario, Canada, located in Peterborough County.
Formerly known as Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield, the township passed a by-law changing its name to Selwyn in 2012. The change became official on January 15, 2013.
The township comprises the communities of Bridgenorth, Chemong Heights, Chemong Park, Connaught Shore, Deer Bay, Emerald Isle, Ennismore, Fife's Bay, Flood's Landing, Fowlers Corners, Gannon Beach, Gannon Village, Kawartha Park, Kimberley Park, Lakefield, Selwyn, Selwyn Shores, Stewart Heights, Tera View Heights, Tindle Bay, Victoria Springs, Village Meadowa, Windward Sands, Woodland Acres, Young's Cove, Young's Point and Youngstown.
The township is 67 percent rural including small villages and hamlets, along with the urban areas of Lakefield, Bridgenorth - Chemong Park, and Woodland Acres (part of the urban area of Peterborough). Farms have been established on most of the flat areas that are intermixed between the rolling hills and lakes. The Trent-Severn Waterway passes through the township.
On January 1, 1998, Ennismore and Smith Townships were merged to form the Township of Smith-Ennismore. On January 1, 2001, a Minister's Order created the township in its current form by amalgamating the formerly independent Village of Lakefield with the Township of Smith-Ennismore and part of Douro–Dummer Township.
On December 11, 2012 the township council voted to select a new name after Canada Post notified many residents that addresses would have to be changed to reflect the municipality due to a phasing out of its rural route system. By a vote of 3 to 2, the township council voted to adopt the new name of Selwyn.
The region is in the heart of Ontario's eastern cottage country, where urban residents (mostly from the Toronto region) have cottages on many of the small lakes. Many of the retail and services offered in the region cater to this seasonal market.
Small scale farms are a large industry, and dairy and meat production are some of the notable goods.
In the 2010 municipal election, Mary Smith won the position of reeve (now mayor) from former reeve Ron Millen by 1,355 votes. Former federal Member of Parliament Andy Mitchell succeeded Smith as deputy reeve.