Grey County

Grey County consists of the following municipalities (in order of population):

The first European settlement was in the vicinity of Collingwood or Meaford. Exploring parties arrived from York in 1825 by travelling from Holland Landing and down the Holland River into Lake Simcoe and Shanty Bay. From there they travelled by land to the Nottawasaga River into Georgian Bay and along the thickly wooded shore.

In 1837 the village of Sydenham was surveyed by Charles Rankin. In 1856 it was incorporated as the Town of Owen Sound with an estimated population of 2,000.

In 1840, the area became part of the new District of Wellington, and its territory formed the County of Waterloo for electoral purposes.{{Cite canlaw|short title =An Act erecting certain parts of the Counties of Halton and Simcoe into a new District, by the name of the District of Wellington|abbr =S.U.C.|year =1837 (1st Session)|chapter =116|link= https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.35112103435170?urlappend=%3Bseq=476}}, implemented by Proclamation of June 18, 1840{{cite book|last= Armstrong|first= Frederick H.|date= 1985|title= Handbook of Upper Canadian Chronology|url= https://www.dundurn.com/books/Handbook-Upper-Canadian-Chronology|location= Toronto|publisher= Dundurn Press|page= 195|isbn= 0-919670-92-X|access-date= 2018-01-16|archive-date= 2017-09-19|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170919002626/https://www.dundurn.com/books/Handbook-Upper-Canadian-Chronology|url-status= dead}} In 1849, Wellington District was abolished, and Waterloo County remained for municipal and judicial purposes.{{Cite canlaw|short title =An Act for abolishing the Territorial Division of Upper-Canada into Districts, and for providing for temporary Unions of Counties for Judicial and other purposes, and for the future dissolutions of such Unions, as the increase of wealth and population may require|abbr =S.C.|year =12 Vic.|chapter =78|schedule = C|link=https://books.google.com/books?id=MLxRAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA614&ots=1MREstwySD&pg=PA440#v=onepage&f=false}} The territory of the Bruce Peninsula became part of Waterloo in 1849,{{Cite canlaw|short title =An Act to divide the District of Huron, in the Province of Canada, and for other purposes therein mentioned|abbr =S.Prov.C.|year =1849|chapter = 96|link= https://books.google.ca/books?id=ulQ1AQAAMAAJ&lpg=RA1-PA55&ots=lChHrd_pK9&pg=PA625#v=onepage&f=false}} but was later withdrawn and transferred to Bruce County in 1851.{{Cite canlaw|short title =An Act to make certain alterations in the Territorial Divisions of Upper Canada|abbr =S.Prov.C.|year =1851|chapter =5|schedule =A, par. 29|link = https://books.google.ca/books?id=TwgvAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA1799#v=onepage&q&f=false}}

In January 1852, Waterloo County became the United Counties of Wellington, Waterloo and Grey.{{Cite canlaw|short title =An Act to make certain alterations in the Territorial Divisions of Upper Canada|abbr =S.Prov.C.|year =1851|chapter =5|schedule =A and B|link =https://archive.org/stream/statutesofprovin1851cana#page/1799/mode/1up}} Grey County was named in honour of the British Colonial Secretary's father, Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1830-1834.{{cite book |last= Marsh|first= Edith L.|date= 1931|title= A History of the County of Grey|url=https://archive.org/details/localhistory_2HO|location= Owen Sound|publisher= Fleming|page= 217}} Its territory was declared to consist of the following townships, together with part of the Indian Reserves on the Bruce Peninsula:S.Prov.C. 1851, c. 5, Sch. A, par. 28

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

• Artemesia
• Bentinck
• Collingwood
• Derby
• Egremont
• Euphrasia
• Glenelg
• Holland
• Melancthon
• Normanby
• Osprey
• Proton
• Saint Vincent
• Sullivan
• Sydenham

{{div col end}}

File:1857 Colton Map of Ontario, Canada - Geographicus - CanadaWest-colton-1857.jpg in 1857. Grey County is marked in dark pink.]]

The Indian lands were later surveyed and became the townships of Keppel{{cite book |last= Marsh|first= Edith Louise|date= 1931|title= A History of the County of Grey|chapter=XXII: The Township of Keppel, its villages and Griffiths Island|chapter-url= http://www.ourroots.ca/page.aspx?id=2529523&qryID=f401aa2b-574a-4000-a96b-aeefa1a95fd5|location= Owen Sound|publisher= Fleming}} and Sarawak.{{cite book |last= Marsh|first= Edith Louise|date= 1931|title= A History of the County of Grey|chapter=XXIII: The Township of Sarawak and its villages|chapter-url= http://www.ourroots.ca/page.aspx?id=2529538&qryID=f401aa2b-574a-4000-a96b-aeefa1a95fd5|location= Owen Sound|publisher= Fleming}} A Provisional Municipal Council was organized for the County in April 1852, with the Town of Sydenham named as the county town.{{cite journal |author= |date= 1 March 1852|title= Proclamation|url= http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=8160&document_id_nbr=1631&f=p&PHPSESSID=lo8ck4rjqsf1su6h1limdg5gd5|journal= Canada Gazette|issue= Extra|pages= 2–3 }}

Waterloo was withdrawn from the United Counties in January 1853, and the remainder was renamed the United Counties of Wellington and Grey.{{cite journal |author= |date= 22 January 1853|title= Proclamation|url= http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=14422&document_id_nbr=2280&f=p&PHPSESSID=b4rkhqavd3eo3ten3s4m29v0a1|journal= Canada Gazette|volume= 12|issue= 3|page= 75}} In January 1854, the United Counties was dissolved, and Wellington and Grey were separate counties for all purposes.{{cite journal |author= |date= 7 January 1854|title= Proclamation|url= http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=16660&document_id_nbr=2353&f=p&PHPSESSID=b4rkhqavd3eo3ten3s4m29v0a1|journal= Canada Gazette|volume= 13|issue= 1|pages= 2–3 }}

In 1861-1862 the first gravel roads were constructed into Owen Sound at a cost of $300,000. The four colonization roads were:

:* the Garafraxa Road running from Fergus to Owen Sound (now Highway 6);

:* the Durham Road leading east and west from the village of Durham (formerly part of Highway 4, and now County Road 4);

:* the Lake Shore Road from Collingwood to Owen Sound (now Highway 26); and

:* the Toronto-Sydenham Road leading from Shelburne to Owen Sound (now Highway 10).

Prior to the road building it often took two days to walk up to Owen Sound.The Orangeville Banner, March 8, 1951.

In 1881, the township of Melancthon and the village of Shelburne were withdrawn from Grey and transferred to the new Dufferin County.{{Cite canlaw|short title =An Act to separate the Town of Orangeville and certain Townships in the Counties of Wellington, Grey and Simcoe, from the said Counties, and to erect the same into the County of Dufferin|abbr =S.O.|year =1874 (2nd Sess.)|chapter = 31|link= https://archive.org/stream/statutesofprovi1874p2onta#page/100/mode/2up}}{{Cite canlaw|short title =An Act to confirm certain preliminary proceedings, and make further provision for the formation of the County of Dufferin|abbr =S.O.|year =1880|chapter =37|link=https://archive.org/stream/statutesofprovin1880onta#page/110/mode/2up}}

On January 1, 2001, Grey County underwent a major restructuring, resulting in the reduction in number of the local municipalities:County of Grey - [https://web.archive.org/web/20120203082117/http://www.grey.ca/explore-grey/about-grey/municipal-amalgamations/ Municipal Amalgamations]

As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Grey County had a population of {{val|100905|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|42309|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|50183|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:100905-93830}}|93830|1}} from its 2016 population of {{val|93830|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|4497.93|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|100905|4497.93|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.

{{Canada census

|location = Grey

|2021_population=100,905 | 2021_pop_delta=+7.5 | 2021_land_area=4,497.93 | 2021_pop_density=22.4

|2021_median_age=49.6 | 2021_median_age_m=48.0 | 2021_median_age_f=50.8

|2021_total_pvt_dwell=50,183 |2021_occ_pvt_dwell=42,309 |2021_mean_hh_income=78,000

|2021_geocode=2021A00033542 | 2021_access_date=2023-10-19

|2016_population= 93,830 |2016_pop_delta=+1.4|2016_land_area= 4,513.50|2016_pop_density=20.8

|2016_median_age=49.3 |2016_median_age_m=48.1 |2016_median_age_f=50.4

|2016_total_pvt_dwell= 47,560 |2016_mean_hh_income=62,935 |2016_access_date=2019-08-06

|2011_population= 92,568|2011_pop_delta= +0.2|2011_land_area= 4,513.21|2011_pop_density=20.5

|2011_median_age= |2011_median_age_m= |2011_median_age_f=

|2011_total_pvt_dwell= 46,481|2011_mean_hh_income= |2011_access_date=2012-02-08

|2006_population= 92,411| 2006_pop_delta=+3.7| 2006_land_area= 4,508.12| 2006_pop_density=20.5

|2006_median_age= 44.4| 2006_median_age_m= 43.4| 2006_median_age_f= 45.4

|2006_total_pvt_dwell= 44,387| 2006_mean_hh_income= 49,912| 2006_access_date=2012-02-08

|2001_population= 89,073| 2001_pop_delta=+1.7| 2001_land_area= 4,508.20| 2001_pop_density=19.8

|2001_median_age= 41.9| 2001_median_age_m= 40.9| 2001_median_age_f=42.8

|2001_total_pvt_dwell= 42,396|2001_mean_hh_income= 43,107| 2001_access_date=2012-02-08

|notes=

}}

{{Historical populations

|title = {{Nowrap|Historical census populations –}} Grey County

|align = none

|cols = 3

|percentages =

|footnote = Population counts are not adjusted for boundary changes.

|source = Statistics Canada{{cite journal |title=1971 Census of Canada - Population Census Subdivisions (Historical) |journal=Catalogue 92-702 Vol I, Part 1 (Bulletin 1.1-2) |date=July 1973 |pages=76, 139 |publisher=Statistics Canada}}

| 1921 |59051

| 1931 |57699

| 1941 |57160

| 1951 |58960

| 1956 |60971

| 1961 |62005

| 1966 |62592

| 1971 |66403

| 1976 |72,176

| 1981 |73,824

| 1986 |74,759

| 1991 |84,071

| 1996 |87,632

| 2001 |89,073

| 2006 |92,411

| 2011 |92,568

| 2016 |93,830

| 2021 |100,905

}}

• List of municipalities in Ontario
• Census divisions of Ontario
• List of townships in Ontario
• Saugeen Kame Terraces
• List of secondary schools in Grey County, Ontario

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikivoyage}}

{{Commons category|Grey County}}

• {{official website|http://www.grey.ca}}

{{Geographic location

| Centre = Grey County

| North = Georgian Bay

| Northeast =

| East = Simcoe County

| Southeast = Dufferin County

| South = Wellington County

| Southwest = Huron County

| West = Bruce County

| Northwest =

}}

{{Subdivisions of Ontario}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1852 establishments in Canada

Category:States and territories established in 1852

Category:Counties in Ontario

Category:Southwestern Ontario

Category:Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey