York County, Ontario

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York County
Dissolved county
(Restructured as regional municipality)
York County c. 1880s (1851-1953 boundaries)
York County c. 1880s (1851-1953 boundaries)
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
Incorporated1792 (created from Home District)
Dissolved1971 (reorganized into the Regional Municipality of York)
County seat
Administrative seat
Area
 • Total2,392.17 km2 (923.62 sq mi)
 The following figure was the size of the county from 1851 to 1953
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern)

York County is a historic county in Upper Canada, Canada West, and the Canadian province of Ontario. It was organized by the Upper Canada administration from the lands of the Toronto Purchase and others.

Created in 1792, at its largest size, it encompassed the area that presently comprises the City of Toronto, the regional municipalities of Halton, Peel, and York as well as portions of Regional Municipality of Durham and the City of Hamilton. However by 1851, York County only consisted of the areas presently comprising Toronto and Regional Municipality of York. In 1953, York County was split again, with the area south of Steeles Avenue forming the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto.

York County was formally dissolved in 1971, with its remaining municipalities reorganized as the Regional Municipality of York.

History[]

York County was created on 16 June 1792[1] and was part of the jurisdiction of the Home District of Upper Canada. It originally comprised all of what is now the City of Toronto, the regional municipalities of Halton, Peel, and York as well as portions of the Regional Municipality of Durham, and the City of Hamilton. The town of York, later incorporated as the City of Toronto in 1834, served as the initial seat for the county.

In 1816, Wentworth and Halton counties were created, with portions of York County transferred to the new counties. In 1851, the western portions of York County were separated to form Peel County. In the same year, the eastern riding of York County was separated from York to form Ontario County.

In April 1953 the Metropolitan Toronto Act was passed in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. This saw municipalities south of Steeles Avenue severed from York County and forming the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. As a result of this separation, the county offices for York County were moved from Toronto to Newmarket. The Act went into effect on 1 January 1954.

At a meeting in Richmond Hill on 6 May 1970, officials representing the municipalities of York County approved plans for the creation of a regional government entity to replace York County.[2] In 1971, the remaining portion of York County was dissolved by restructuring it into the new Regional Municipality of York.

Historic municipalities[]

The following table is a list of historic municipalities that were at one point situated within York County.

Type of municipality[note 1] Name of municipality Year severed from York County Present municipality Present upper-tier government
Township Albion 1851 Town of Caledon Peel Region
Town Aurora 1971[note 2] Town of Aurora York Region
Township Caledon 1851 Town of Caledon Peel Region
Township Chinguacousy 1851 City of Brampton
Town of Caledon 		Peel Region
Township East Gwillimbury 1971[note 2] Town of East Gwillimbury York Region
Township East York 1954 City of Toronto[note 3]
Township Etobicoke 1954 City of Toronto[note 3]
Village Forest Hill 1954 City of Toronto[note 3]
Township Georgina 1971[note 2] Town of Georgina York Region
Township King 1971[note 2] Township of King York Region
Town Leaside 1954 City of Toronto[note 3]
Village Long Branch 1954 City of Toronto[note 3]
Village Markham 1971[note 2] City of Markham York Region
Town Mimico 1954 City of Toronto[note 3]
Town New Toronto 1954 City of Toronto[note 3]
Township Nelson 1816 City of Burlington Halton Region
Town Newmarket 1971[note 2] Town of Newmarket York Region
Township North Gwillimbury 1971[note 2] Town of Georgina York Region
Township North York 1954 City of Toronto[note 3]
Village Oshawa 1851 City of Oshawa Durham Region
Township Pickering 1851 City of Pickering Durham Region
City Richmond Hill 1971[note 2] City of Richmond Hill York Region
Township Scarborough 1954 City of Toronto[note 3]
Village Stouffville 1971[note 2] Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville York Region
Village Swansea 1954 City of Toronto[note 3]
Township Thorah 1851 Township of Brock Durham Region
City Toronto 1954 City of Toronto[note 3]
Township Toronto 1851 City of Mississauga
City of Brampton 		Peel Region
Township Toronto Gore 1851 City of Brampton
City of Mississauga 		Peel Region
Township Trafalgar 1816 Town of Oakville Halton Region
Township Uxbridge 1851 Township of Uxbridge Durham Region
Township Vaughan 1971[note 2] City of Vaughan York Region
Town Weston 1954 City of Toronto[note 3]
Township Whitby 1851 Town of Whitby Durham Region
Township Whitchurch 1971[note 2] Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville York Region
Township York 1954 City of Toronto[note 3]

Governance[]

The seat of government for York County was situated in Toronto (named York prior to 1834) from 1792 to 1953. After the creation of Metropolitan Toronto in 1953, the seat of government for York County was moved to Newmarket.

County offices[]

Offices used by York County were namely various courthouses in York / Toronto:

  • First York County Courthouse 1800-1824 - housed with the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada on Front Street and Parliament Street and would meet at home of Major Alexander Montgomery Jr. (father of John Montgomery who operated the tavern which became site of the Battle of Montgomery's Tavern[3]) on north side of Richmond Street between Yonge and Victoria Streets (now Confederation Life Building) after legislature burned down during War of 1812
  • Second York County Courthouse 1824-1845 - located on Church Street and King Street near today's Court House Square
  • Adelaide Court House 1852-1900

From 1900 to 1953 they met at Toronto municipal offices.:

After 1953 it left Toronto to meet in Newmarket:

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ The type of municipality displayed is from the year the municipality was severed from York County, not its present type
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k In 1971, York County was dissolved, and reorganized into the Regional Municipality of York.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m The City of Toronto is a single-tier municipality, and does not form a part of an upper-tier municipality. The single-tier municipality was formed when Metropolitan Toronto was dissolved in 1998, and its lower-tier municipalities were amalgamated into the new City of Toronto.

References[]

  1. ^ "York's first major overhaul since 1850". The Era. 13 May 1970. p. 17. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  2. ^ Lott, John (13 May 1970). "Approval, relief first reactions of politicians". The Era. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  3. ^ "Biography – MONTGOMERY, JOHN (d. 1879) – Volume X (1871-1880) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography".
  • Middleton, Jesse Edgar; Landon, Fred (1927). Province of Ontario — A History 1615 to 1927. Toronto: Dominion Publishing Company.
  • Boylen, J.C. (1954). York Township: An Historical Summary 1850-1954. Toronto: Municipal Corporation of the Township of York and the Board of Education of the Township of York.
  • Sawdon, Herb H. (1961). The Woodbridge Story. pp. 13–14.

Coordinates: 43°51′25″N 79°25′23″W / 43.857°N 79.423°W / 43.857; -79.423

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