Norfolk | |
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City (single-tier) | |
Norfolk County | |
Lighthouse and docks in Port Rowan.
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Motto: History · Heritage · Diversity | |
Coordinates: 42°51′N 80°16′W / 42.850°N 80.267°WCoordinates: 42°51′N 80°16′W / 42.850°N 80.267°W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Ontario |
Established | 1792 (County) |
Restructured | 1974 (Regional Municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk) |
Amalgamated | 2001 (Single-tier municipality) |
Government | |
• Mayor | Charlie Luke |
• Governing Body | The Council of The Corporation of Norfolk County |
• MPs | Diane Finley (Con) |
• MPPs | Toby Barrett (PC) |
Area | |
• Land | 1,607.60 km2 (620.70 sq mi) |
Elevation | 200 m (700 ft) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 63,175 |
• Density | 39.3/km2 (102/sq mi) |
84th | |
Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
Postal code span | N0A, N0E, N3Y, N4B |
Area code(s) | 519 and 226 |
Website | www.norfolkcounty.ca |
Norfolk County /ˈnɔːrfoʊk/ is a rural single-tier municipality on the north shore of Lake Erie in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. There are many Communities in Norfolk County, Ontario, most small or very small; the largest is Simcoe, Ontario with a 2016 population of 13,922. The population of the entire County in 2016 was 64,044. In the late 1900s, the county was merged with Haldimand County but the merged entity was dissolved in 2000 and this area became The Town of the County of Norfolk.
Surrounding its many small communities is some of the most fertile land in Ontario. With a mild climate and lengthy growing season, the region has long been the centre of the Ontario tobacco belt. However, many farmers have begun the process of diversifying their crop selections to include lavender, ginseng, hazelnuts, and wolfberries as tobacco consumption continues to decrease.
Dennis' Horseradish is considered to be one of the longest lasting non-tobacco farming businesses in Norfolk County; currently being operated by the Jason Ryder family and operating five minutes south of Delhi and five minutes east of Lynedoch. The area also has an active greenhouse industry. Despite this, farmers have asked governments to reduce the financial losses of moving away from profitable tobacco operations.
A significant natural feature of Norfolk is Long Point, a 40 kilometre (25 mi) spit of land projecting into Lake Erie. It plays an important part in eastern North American bird migration, and was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986. Long Point Provincial Park is located on the point. More than 25% of Norfolk County is considered to be forested; especially near the major communities and hamlets that dot the county.