Dufferin County
Dufferin County is a county and census division located in Central Ontario, Canada. The county seat is Orangeville, and the current Warden is Darren White. The current chief administrative officer is Sonya Pritchard. Dufferin covers an area of, and its population was 61,735 at the time of the 2016 Census.
History
It was originally organized as the "Provisional County of Dufferin", with preparatory work authorized by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1875 and the actual formation taking effect in 1881, being created from parts of the counties of Grey and Simcoe, on the north and east, and from the County of Wellington on the south and west.| From | Formation | Extension |
| Grey County |
| |
| Simcoe County | ||
| Wellington County |
The county gets its name from Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, who was Governor General of Canada between 1872-1878. Originally an agriculturally based economy, Dufferin's economy has diversified to include commercial and retail businesses, industries related to residential and commercial construction and manufacturing. A portion of Dufferin’s economy still depends on agriculture but tourism is becoming more important as the county takes a more positive role in attracting visitors.
Geography
Dufferin County is the highest plateau immediately south of Georgian Bay, and as such forms the watershed between the four lakes: Huron, Erie, Ontario and Simcoe. Four rivers — Saugeen, Grand, Credit and Nottawasaga — take their rise in Dufferin or in adjacent townships and drain through the county.The county is a lofty table-land that is about above sea-level and about above the level of downtown Toronto. A continuation of the Caledon Mountains skirts the eastern side of the county. The highest peaks, however, are no match for the Blue Mountains north of Dufferin or the Caledon Mountains on the south.
The County of Dufferin, sits on the fringe of the Greater Toronto Area, about 100 kilometres northwest of Toronto. It is largely a rural county with three urban settlement areas, namely Grand Valley, Orangeville and Shelburne. The Town of Orangeville, the county seat, is situated on the southern border of the county and is the largest urban centre, with just over half the population. Although Orangeville dominates in terms of population, in area it is very small and geographically compact.
| Township | Area | Origin |
| Amaranth | Opened in 1821 and named from a common weed-plant with green or purplish flowers, or it might be named after the "un-fading flower" of the classic poets. Settled mainly between 1840 and 1873. Communities were Orangeville, Laurel, Shelburne, Waldemar, Bowling Green | |
| East Garafraxa | Opened in 1821. Settled mostly between 1833 and 1850. | |
| East Luther | Settled mainly between 1860 and 1875. Community centres: Grand Valley, Monticello and Colbeck. | |
| Melancthon | Opened in 1821 and named after one of the leaders of the German Reformation. A swampy township like East Luther so it was slow to be settled. Not generally settled until after 1850. Community centres: Melancthon, Corbetton, Riverview, Hornings Mills. | |
| Mono | ||
| Mulmur | Opened in 1822. Origin of the name is forgotten, possibly a corruption of an Indian word or name. Settled mainly after 1867. Community centres: Mansfield, Honeywood, Terra Nova, Primrose. |