Police village

A police village was a form of municipal government used in the province of Ontario, Canada, beginning in the early 19th century. It was used in cases where the finances or population of the area did not permit the creation of a village.

Unlike a village, a police village was not incorporated by the provincial government but was created by a bylaw of the regional government (district or county) which defined the political boundaries of the police village. A police village had its own elected governing body of trustees, who could establish fire and safety regulations, erect streetlights and build sidewalks but otherwise remained a part of the township from which it had been created.

In 1965, the Ontario Municipal Act was amended to prevent the creation of new police villages, and almost all of the communities which once held that status have since been erected into villages, towns or cities, or have been amalgamated into other municipalities. Russell still exists as such a body.

Police villages were dissolved with provincial acts creating new municipalities. In 1971, the creation of York Region resulted in the dissolution of Holland Landing, King City, Maple, Mount Albert, Nobleton, Queensville, Schomberg, Sharon, Thornhill, and Unionville as police villages. The responsibilities of the police village boards were shifted to other boards or the municipality to which the police village was amalgamated. For example, the trustees of the police village of King City were deemed a commission for the King City Hydro-Electric System, which became a local board of the township of King with full transfer of all rights and obligations.

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