King (2021 population 27,333) is a township in York Region north of Toronto, within the

Greater Toronto Area The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater T ...

in Ontario, Canada. The rolling hills of the Oak Ridges Moraine are the most prominent visible geographical feature of King. The Holland Marsh, considered to be Ontario's "vegetable basket", straddles King Township and Bradford West Gwillimbury. King is known for its horse and cattle farms. Though King is predominantly rural, most of its residents inhabit the communities of King City, Nobleton, and Schomberg.

History

Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe named King Township for John King (1759–1830), an English Under-Secretary of State for Home Office from 1794 to 1801 for the Home Department in the Portland administration when

Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, (7 June 1770 – 4 December 1828) was a British Tory statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1812 to 1827. He held many important cabinet offices such as Foreign Secret ...

was Secretary of State. The township was created as part of the subdivision of York County, itself a subdivision of the

Home District The Home District was one of four districts of the Province of Quebec created in 1788 in the western reaches of the Montreal District and detached in 1791 to create the new colony of Upper Canada. It was abolished with the adoption of the county ...

. The lands were originally acquired by the British in an agreement with the

Mississaugas The Mississauga are a subtribe of the Anishinaabe-speaking First Nations peoples located in southern Ontario, Canada. They are closely related to the Ojibwe. The name "Mississauga" comes from the Anishinaabe word ''Misi-zaagiing'', meaning "hose ...

, known as the Toronto Purchase; it was enacted in British parliament as the Toronto Purchase Act in 1787. Acquisition of the lands for the townships of Etobicoke, King, Vaughan, and York, Upper Canada was completed at a meeting between the Mississaugas and the British at the Credit River on 1 August 1805, where were exchanged for £1,700. Simcoe planned Yonge Street, which was built between 1793 and 1796 by the Queen's Rangers. The first seven land patents were issued in 1797. By 1801, Timothy Rogers, a

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

from Vermont, had travelled the road and found an area on its western boundary immediately southwest of Newmarket very appealing. He applied for and received a grant for land totalling 40 farms, each of , and subsequently returned to Vermont to recruit families to operate those farms. By February 1802, he had set out for King Township with the first group of settlers for those forty farms. A second group followed later that month. The area would become known as ''Armitage'', in honour of its first settler Amos Armitage. It was the first of King's settlements, and now part of Newmarket. Soon after the establishment of Armitage, the communities of Kettleby and

Lloydtown Lloydtown is a hamlet located in King Township, Ontario, Canada. It is often associated with the surrounding and larger Schomberg, though it has its own unique characteristics and heritage. History The Lloydtown Rebellion of 1837 was part of th ...

were established to the west. More settlers arrived from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, Pennsylvania, and other Loyalist enclaves over the subsequent years to populate the region, drawn by the abundant, fertile land being apportioned relatively cheaply to newcomers. A "considerable area of land...in different concessions" of King were patented to the

Canada Company The Canada Company was a private British land development company that was established to aid in the colonization of a large part of Upper Canada. It was incorporated by royal charter on August 19, 1826, under an act of the British parliament,, ...

after its establishment in 1826. By 1842, the township consisted of of land, of which had been cleared and was being cultivated. The principal villages at the time were Lloydtown, Brownsville (now Schomberg), Bogarttown (now a part of Newmarket), and Tyrwhitt's Mills (now Kettleby). In 1851, the township annexed from

West Gwillimbury Bradford West Gwillimbury is a town in south-central Ontario, in the County of Simcoe in the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area on the Holland River. West Gwillimbury takes its name from the family of Elizabeth Simcoe, née ''Gwillim''. The former ...

the portion of land north of its extant and east of the Holland River as a result of the formation of Simcoe County. Approximately of land were administered by the township in 1878, according to the ''Historical Atlas of York County'', but by 1973 this had been reduced to 82,000; some of its land has been ceded to what are now known as Newmarket, Aurora and Oak Ridges. The first survey of King Township was conducted in 1800 by

Hessian soldier Hessians ( or ) were German soldiers who served as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. The term is an American synecdoche for all Germans who fought on the British side, since 65% came from the German states ...

Johann Stegmann. At the time, the area's population was twenty residents. According to a letter by Benjamin Cody to the Newmarket Era published on 7 May 1892, there were church records listing births in the area, and the first white child in King may have been Sarah Rogers, born April 1800. At least four children were born in King by July 1802. By 1809, the township's population had increased sevenfold, to 160. It wasn't until 1820, with the construction of roads into the township, that its population began to grow. By 1842, the population of 2,625 residents was principally Irish, and also included those of English, Scottish, Canadian, and American descent. Further surveys were conducted in 1836–1838 by Callighan, in 1852 by John Ryan, and completed in 1859 by Whelock. The townships population grew to 5574 in 1850, and nearly 8000 in 1875, after which it declined to 4588 in 1914. There is some evidence of a large Huron encampment at Hackett Lake. Residents in the area in the 1950s and 1960s discovered arrowheads and other archaeological items indicating a Huron presence. This is consistent with the fact that the Toronto Carrying-Place Trail, a major route used in the 17th and 18th centuries, passes through the township. The route was used by explorer Étienne Brûlé, who first travelled along the trail with twelve Huron guides in 1615. Early settlements in the area developed primarily around gristmills and sawmills. These were important economic engines in the region during the 19th century, which resulted in the establishment of other communities and businesses nearby. By 1842, there were eight grist mills and 12 saw mills in King. Some settlements have since been abandoned, or are no longer communities per se, including ''Bell's Lake'', ''Davis Corners'', and ''King Ridge''. In 1971, with the formation of the Regional Municipality of York and dissolution of York County, the township's boundaries were changed, shifting west by one concession from Yonge Street to Bathurst Street, and north by one lot from the King-Vaughan town line. In 2017, the township lent its name to the

Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian rock band formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario. The band developed a following in Canada, with their self-titled 1991 cassette becoming the first independent release to be certified gold in Canada. They reach ...

song "Township of King," written by band member

Kevin Hearn Kevin Neil Hearn (born July 3, 1969) is a Canadian musician who is a member of Barenaked Ladies, and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He primarily plays keyboards and guitars. He is also a member of Rheostatics. Early life Hearn was ...

Geography

Map of the Township of King, Ontario, southern portion, 1878

The township's boundaries are * East: Bathurst Street * South: a line north of the King-Vaughan Road * West: the Caledon/King Townline, which connects two roads (Caledon/King Townline North and Caledon/King Townline South) in a roughly straight line * North:

Highway 9 Route 9, or Highway 9, may refer to: International * European route E09 * European route E009 Albania * SH-9 Road in Albania. Argentina * National Route 9 Australia New South Wales * A9 (Sydney) South Australia * ** Port River Expr ...

from the Caledon/King Townline to slightly east of

Highway 27 Route 27, or Highway 27, may refer to: Australia * Burke Developmental Road (Queensland) * Zeehan Highway (Tasmania) Canada * Alberta Highway 27 * British Columbia Highway 27 * Manitoba Highway 27 * Prince Edward Island Route 27 * Saskatchewan ...

, then cuts north following branches of the Holland River until it meets Bathurst Street The majority of King is located on the Oak Ridges Moraine, which is the origin for the headwaters of many rivers throughout its extent, including the Humber River in King. Numerous interconnected provincially and regionally significant areas are located in the township. The most prominent are seven Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest, and the wetland complexes adjacent to or within those areas.

Climate

Slightly removed from the UHI of Toronto, the climate is warm-summer humid continental ( Köppen: ''Dfb'').

Local Government

King Township was incorporated in 1850 as The Corporation of the Township of King. Its current mayor is Steve Pelligrini, who was sworn into office in December 2010. The Town Council includes the mayor and six councillors representing the township's six wards. The mayor is also a member of York Regional Council via double direct election.

2018 Municipal Election

Mayor: Steve Pellegrini Councillors: * Ward 1 (Eastern King City, Eversley, Snowball, Temperanceville): Jordan Alexander Cescolini * Ward 2 ( Nobleton, King Creek, Laskay,

Strange Strange may refer to: Fiction * Strange (comic book), a comic book limited series by Marvel Comics * Strange (Marvel Comics), one of a pair of Marvel Comics characters known as The Strangers * Adam Strange, a DC Comics superhero * The title char ...

): David Boyd * Ward 3 ( Hammertown, Happy Valley, Holly Park, Linton, New Scotland): Jakob Schneider * Ward 4 ( Schomberg, Pottageville,

): Bill Cober * Ward 5 (Western King City, Heritage Park, Kettleby, Kinghorn): Debbie Schaefer * Ward 6 (

Ansnorveldt Ansnorveldt is a hamlet located at the northeastern extent of King Township, in Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Holland Marsh, north of Highway 9. Whereas most of King township is in the Oak Ridges—Markham electoral district, Ansnorvel ...

, Glenville and northeastern King Township): Avia Eek

2014 municipal election

In the 2014 municipal election, the mayorship was uncontested and Steve Pellegrini was acclaimed for a second term. Cleve Mortelliti was acclaimed for Ward 1 owing to no opposing candidates. Candidates for the other wards were: *Ward 2: Joe Buscema, David Boyd, Peter Grandilli, and Jim Streb *Ward 3: Linda Pabst and John Workman *Ward 4: Greg Locke and Bill Cober *Ward 5: Chris Gafoor, Anna Roberts, and Debbie Schaeffer *Ward 6: Avia Eek and Simon Lloyd The elected candidates were Steve Pelligrini (acclaimed, mayor), Cleve Mortelliti (acclaimed, ward 1), David Boyd (ward 2), Linda Pabst (ward 3), Bill Cober (ward 4), Debbie Schaeffer (ward 5), and Avia Eek (ward 6).

Budget

The township draws revenues from various sources. The most significant in 2007 were municipal taxes (67.9% of revenue), fees and service charges (14.0%), water charges (4.3%), grants (3.5%) and reserves (2.9%). The most significant expenditures for 2007 were general municipal government (27.6%), recreation and culture (21.7%), transportation (17.8%), protection (16.6%) and environmental projects (11.6%). The Township offices reside at the King City Plaza, a strip mall purchased by the municipal government in the 1990s which also has several business tenants. In 2013, the township purchased the disused former Holy Name Catholic Elementary School building and adjacent of land from the York Catholic District School Board for $2.95 million. In 2016, township planning staff announced that the school building would be redesigned for use as office space for the township, for community and non-profit groups, and to house a satellite office for the York Regional Police. In May 2016, the Police Services Board approved the King City substation and announced that a 20-year lease would be executed for use of about of space in the building. In June 2016, township staff announced the building would be destroyed in mid-2016 and replaced by a structure on the site at a cost of about $15 million. It will include a public-use gymnasium. The capital project will be partially financed by selling the strip mall.

Provincial and federal politics

As a result of the federal electoral redistribution of 2012, starting with the 2015 federal election the township is represented in the House of Commons by the Members of Parliament of the King—Vaughan and York—Simcoe electoral districts. The portion of King north of

is part of the York—Simcoe electoral district, represented by

Scot Davidson Scot Davidson is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in a by-election on February 25, 2019.Anna Roberts of the

Conservative Party of Canada The Conservative Party of Canada (french: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a federal political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of the two main right-leaning parties, the Progressive Con ...

. Previously, King was part of the Oak Ridges—Markham, created for the 2004 election because of rapid growth in York Region, and before that in the Vaughan—King—Aurora electoral district. The provincial riding of King—Vaughan is represented by Stephen Lecce, a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. It was created as part of Ontario's re-districting to match provincial electoral districts with their federal equivalents. King was part of the Oak Ridges—Markham electoral district from 2007 to 2018, the Vaughan—King—Aurora electoral district from 1999 to 2007,

York—MacKenzie York North was a federal riding in Ontario, Canada, that was in the House of Commons of Canada from Confederation in 1867 until 2004. The federal riding was eliminated in 2003 when it was redistributed between two new ridings of Newmarket� ...

from 1995 to 1999, and

York North York North was a federal riding in Ontario, Canada, that was in the House of Commons of Canada from Confederation in 1867 until 2004. The federal riding was eliminated in 2003 when it was redistributed between two new ridings of Newmarket� ...

from Confederation to 1995. The portion of King north of Highway 9 is part of the York—Simcoe electoral district, represented by Caroline Mulroney of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

, King had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Median age as of 2021 was 43.2, slightly higher than the Ontario median age of 41.6. In 2021, Visible minorities represented 22.6% of the population. According to 2021 Census data, English is the mother tongue of 67.5% of the residents of King. Italian is the most predominant

mother tongue A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongu ...

for 8.6% of the population, followed by Russian (2.6%),

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

(2.0%). As of 2021, most reported religion among the population was Christianity (69.3%), with Catholicism (47.0%) making up the largest denomination. This was followed by

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

(3.6%), Judaism (1.6%), Hinduism (1.6%), Sikhism (1.4%) and Buddhism (0.8%). 21.2% of the population did not identify with a particular religion.

Transportation

The Township of King is located between Toronto and Barrie, stretching from Bathurst Street to just east of

Highway 50 The following highways are numbered 50: International * European route E50 Brazil * BR-050 Canada * Alberta Highway 50 * Manitoba Highway 50 * Newfoundland and Labrador Route 50 * Ontario Highway 50 (Also referred to as Peel Regional Road 50 ...

. King is accessible by Highways

400 __NOTOC__ Year 400 ( CD) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Stilicho and Aurelianus (or, less frequently, year 11 ...

, 27, 9 and 11. Highway 27 bypass north of Schomberg

Public transportation is provided by York Region Transit (bus service) and GO Transit (bus and train services), but their services are limited in the township due to low population density.

King City GO Station King City GO Station is a train and bus station in the GO Transit network located in King City, Ontario in Canada. It also serves the nearby communities of Nobleton, Oak Ridges, the northern parts of Maple (in Vaughan), and other communities in ...

is the only train station in the township. York Region Transit's services are confined to the southeastern area, and GO bus serves the Nobleton and King City communities. Most air travel is served by Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada's largest airport, located south of the township in

Mississauga Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...

. The township's only airport,

King City Airport King City Airport was an airport located in King City, Ontario, King City, Ontario, Canada, north of Toronto. It was located on the northeast intersection of Highway 400 (Ontario), Highway 400 and the King–Vaughan Town Line. Home to Dominion He ...

, was a general aviation airfield that closed in the 1990s.

Education

Public schools with classes from kindergarten through grade twelve are administered by the York Region District School Board and the York Catholic District School Board. The only public secondary school in King, King City Secondary School, serves students residing in a relatively large geographic area, including some from adjacent towns. A private Catholic high school,

St. Thomas of Villanova College Villanova College is a high school and middle school in King City, Ontario, Canada. Established by lay educators Paul Paradiso and Grant Purdy with the blessing of the Archdiocese Toronto and in cooperation with the Order of Saint Augustine's fr ...

, and private JK -12 school, The Country Day School, are also located in the township. Seneca College owns a campus located in the southeastern portion of King Township, where the College offers various programs.

Settlements

King's earliest settlement, Armitage, is now part of Newmarket. Its establishment was followed by those of Lloydtown and Kettleby. Subsequent settlements were founded near rivers, which provided the energy necessary to operate various mills. The earliest were based in Laskay, Kinghorn, and Eversley. The hamlet of Springhill was established later and flourished; it was renamed King City, now the largest community in the township. *Eversley is a hamlet that, although it has its own historical development, has slowly been subsumed into King City. It lies on King City's north-eastern edge, south of Snowball. It was also known as Tinline's Corners in the 1800s. *Glenville is a hamlet located in northeastern King, just south of the community of Ansnorveldt. *Hammertown is a former hamlet located near the intersection of the 12th concession and 17th sideroad. *Heritage Park is a community of King City. It is a natural and wildlife park characterized by ravines and creeks, some of which feed the East Humber River. Portions of the park are in the King City Trail. *Kinghorn is a community of King City, located at the Jane Street-King Road intersection. It is a sparse residential area adjacent to Highway 400, and is home to the King Township Museum and The Kingbridge Centre. *Laskay is a hamlet located just west of King City and south of the King Road—Weston Road intersection. * Snowball is a growing hamlet located just north of Eversley, west of Aurora. Other hamlets in King include Holly Park, Linton, and New Scotland.

Heritage sites

In the township, there are eleven sites designated ''Heritage Sites'', including: *King Station was built in 1852 along the Northern Railway to serve ''Springhill'' (now King City). It was moved in 1989 to the grounds of the

King Township Museum The King Heritage & Cultural Centre in King City, Ontario, Canada is a local history museum for the township of King at 2920 King Road. It was previously known as ''Kinghorn Museum'', and is located on what was once known as Kinghorn, now subsum ...

. It is believed to be the oldest surviving railway station in Canada, and was designated a heritage site in 1990. *King Emmanuel Baptist Church, formerly the ''King Christian Church'' until 1931, it was moved to the grounds of the King Township Museum in 1982, and designated a heritage site in 1992. *King City Cemetery, established in 1886, was designated a heritage site in July 2007. *King City Cemetery Dead House built circa 1887 was designated a heritage site in 2001. It is an octagonal structure that was used to preserve the dead during the winter, during which grave-digging was not feasible. Octagonal dead houses were unique to the area bordering Yonge Street north of Toronto during the late 19th and early 20th century. *Eversley Presbyterian Church, a stone structure built in 1848, demonstrates the Scottish influence common in the area's early development. It was designated in 1984. *Glenville Methodist Church, a small frame structure built in 1859, which remained operational until 1952. It was designated in 1983 as a township heritage site. *King Christian Church Cemetery was the first burial grounds for Kettleby, built in 1850. It was designated a heritage site in 1986. *Laskay Temperance Hall, built in 1859 by the Sons of Temperance. It had been operated by the ''Laskay Women's Institute'' since 1910, and is now operated by the municipality. It was designated a Heritage Site in 1986.

Public services

The township's municipal tax revenue is divided into three streams. One portion is combined with that from other municipalities for education purposes, a second portion is used to finance regional projects managed by York Region, and the last portion is used for local services. The most significant cultural service provided via municipal funding is the King Township Public Library, which operates four branches in the township. Waste management is provided through the region, and is co-ordinated with programs offered in other towns in York Region. Weekly green bin compost collection began in September 2007 to complement the weekly blue box collection of recyclable material; collection of all other waste was reduced to once every two weeks. Water and wastewater management is operated by the township, though these services are not available ubiquitously; some areas rely on well water and septic tanks.

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

* * {{York Region Lower-tier municipalities in Ontario Populated places established in 1800 Township municipalities in Ontario