North Perth is a lower-tier municipality in

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Its name is based on its location in the northern portion of Perth County. The main community in North Perth is

Listowel Listowel ( ; , IPA: �lʲɪsˠˈt̪ˠuəhəlʲ is a heritage market town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is on the River Feale, from the county town, Tralee. The town of Listowel had a population of 4,820 according to the Central Statistics Of ...

. Other communities include Atwood, Monkton, Elma and Wallace township. The municipality was incorporated in 1998, and is heavily agricultural. As of the 2016 Census, the township had a population of 13,130 in a land area of 493.14 square kilometres. There were 5,098 occupied private dwellings.

History

Town of Listowel

Settler John Binning arrived in 1852 and was the first to create a permanent residence in the area originally named Mapleton. The name was changed to Listowel when a post office was established in 1856. The new name was chosen by a government official and refers to

, Ireland. The majority of early settlers were of Protestant Irish origin (Ulster Scots Planters, or English Planters). Listowel was incorporated as a town in 1874. It is located at the intersection of Highway 86 and Highway 23. Its population was 7,530 at the

Canada 2016 Census The 2016 Canadian census was an enumeration of Canadian residents, which counted a population of 35,151,728, a change from its 2011 population of 33,476,688. The census, conducted by Statistics Canada, was Canada's seventh quinquennial census ...

in a land area of 6.65 square kilometres; at the time there were 3,159 occupied dwellings.

Township of Elma

The Township of Elma was incorporated in 1857. It was named after Lady Elma Bruce, the daughter of Canada's newly arrived

Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

James Bruce James Bruce of Kinnaird (14 December 1730 – 27 April 1794) was a Scottish traveller and travel writer who confirmed the source of the Blue Nile. He spent more than a dozen years in North Africa and Ethiopia and in 1770 became the first Europ ...

better known as Lord Elgin. The earliest recorded settler in the area was John Grant in 1853.

Township of Wallace

Wallace was incorporated in 1858 and included the villages of Gowanstown and Kurtzville. It lies along the northern boundary of the current Municipality of Perth North and is bordered by Perth Lines 86 and 93, and Perth Road 140.

Municipal Restructuring

As part of provincial initiatives in the late 1990s, the

Government of Ontario The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor� ...

pursued a policy of municipal amalgamations. On June 26, 1997, an order from the Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs for the amalgamation of Wallace Township, Elma Township and the Town of Listowel into the Town of North Perth received

Royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in other ...

. The amalgamation came into effect on January 1, 1998.

Ontario Provincial Police The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is the provincial police service of Ontario, Canada. Under its provincial mandate, the OPP patrols provincial highways and waterways, protects provincial government buildings and officials, patrols unincorpo ...

currently provides law enforcement services in the community through its North Perth Detachment in Listowel.

Geography

Communities

The township comprises the communities of Atwood, Britton,

Donegal Donegal may refer to: County Donegal, Ireland * County Donegal, a county in the Republic of Ireland, part of the province of Ulster * Donegal (town), a town in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland * Donegal Bay, an inlet in the northwest of Ireland b ...

, Gowanstown, Kurtzville,

, Monkton,

Newry Newry (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland, divided by the Clanrye river in counties Armagh and Down, from Belfast and from Dublin. It had a population of 26,967 in 2011. Newry was founded in 1144 alongside a Cistercian monastery, althoug ...

Teviotdale Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh ( gd, Siorrachd Rosbroig) is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and Midlothian to the north-west, and Berw ...

Trowbridge Trowbridge ( ) is the county town of Wiltshire, England, on the River Biss in the west of the county. It is near the border with Somerset and lies southeast of Bath, 31 miles (49 km) southwest of Swindon and 20 miles (32 km) southe ...

and

Wallace Wallace may refer to: People * Clan Wallace in Scotland * Wallace (given name) * Wallace (surname) * Wallace (footballer, born 1986), full name Wallace Fernando Pereira, Brazilian football left-back * Wallace (footballer, born 1987), full name ...

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population 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 ...

, North Perth 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. Children aged 9 and under account for approximately 13.4% of the population, while the percentage at retirement age (65 and over) is approximately 16.5%. The median age is 38.9 years of age. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, 6.9% of the population have immigrant status. The most common countries immigrants come from are the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

(30%) followed by the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

(12%) and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

(11%). The 2011 survey also indicates that the largest economic sectors by number of workers employed are manufacturing (1,190 workers); retail trade (1,005 workers); agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (890 workers); health care and social assistance (715 workers) and; construction (500 workers). Other industries in the region employing more than 200 workers are finance and insurance; professional, scientific and technical services; educational services; and transportation and warehousing. The average income reported in the 2011 National Household Survey was $37,155 with an average after-tax income of $32,131. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, the majority of residents of North Perth are members of a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

faith and account for 78.2% of the population. Less than 1% of the population is Muslim, and the remaining population reported no religious affiliation. Of the Christian population, the largest religious affiliation is

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

(21.2%) followed by

United Church A united church, also called a uniting church, is a church formed from the merger or other form of church union of two or more different Protestant Christian denominations. Historically, unions of Protestant churches were enforced by the state ...

(21.1%),

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

(12.5%),

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

(8,7%),

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

(3.5%),

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

(1.8%),

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

(1.4%) and other Christian (29.5%).

Education

North Perth is served by the

Avon Maitland District School Board The Avon Maitland District School Board (known as English-language Public District School Board No. 8 prior to 1999) administers public school education in Huron and Perth Counties, including the city of Stratford, in southern Ontario. Second ...

or the

Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board The Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board (known as English-language Separate District School Board No. 36 prior to 1999) is a Catholic school board operating Catholic schools in the Huron and Perth area in Southern Ontario, Canada. The b ...

Services

Policing is done by the

, Perth County Detachment, based in Sebringville, Ontario with a satellite station in Listowel. The North Perth Fire Department is a volunteer service operating from three stations; Monkton, Atwood and Listowel. Emergency Medical and ambulance services are provided by Perth County EMS. Public Libraries are located in Listowel, Atwood and Monkton. Medical facilities include Listowel Memorial Hospital and the Fisher Family Primary Care Centre with family physicians' offices.

Economy

North Perth is home to over 300 businesses across a variety of business and service sectors. The Municipality is served by the Perth County Economic Development Office, Stratford/Perth Centre for Business, and Listowel Retail Merchants Association. These organizations work in tandem to identify opportunities for local economic growth and to provide resources and support for local business. North Perth includes companies such as Trillium Mutual (head office), Listowel Technologies, Erie Meats, Spinrite Yarns and large national retailers. The area's 57 acre business park is working to attract new industries from across the region. The

Campbell Soup Company Campbell Soup Company, trade name, doing business as Campbell's, is an American processed food and snack company. The company is most closely associated with its flagship canned soup products; however, through mergers and acquisitions, it has gro ...

, in Listowel, was a major local employer for 48 years, operating a frozen, foodservice and specialty food plant. This relationship ended abruptly with the announcement of the factory's pending closure on April 28, 2008. In 2010 the former plant was purchased by Erie Meat Products and expected to ship 50-60 million pounds of poultry to world markets on an annual basis. Since 1996 North Perth has attracted new industries, including Listowel Technology, Inc. a manufacturer of injection-moulded automotive parts with a 240,000-square-foot facility employing 500. In 2012, EFS Plastics constructed a 40,000 square foot plant in the North Perth Industrial Park. Other businesses in the park include Vision Manufacturing Solutions, Hutchison Precision Inc., Shredall and Energrow. HLA/Horst Welding was planning to complete a new 64,000 square foot metal fabrication facility in 2016. In addition to Listowel Technology and the Listowel Memorial Hospital, other major employers, and the number of employees, include the following according to County records: *Spinrite Inc. 375 *Erie Meat Products Ltd. 250 *Ideal Supply Company Ltd. 175 *L.H. Gray & Sons 85 *Benshaw Canada Controls 52 *B.T.E. Assembly 50

Government

Local Government

The Municipality of North Perth is governed by a Municipal Council composed of ten members including a Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and eight Councillors. The Councillors represent Elma, Listowel and Wallace. The Mayor for the 2018-2022 term is Todd Kasenberg. Kasenberg was a newcomer to local politics when he was elected in the fall of 2018. He owns a marketing consulting company, and is a member of the Atwood Lions Club and the Linguists of Listowel Toastmaster Club. The Municipality's operations are overseen by the Chief Administrator's Office and include building & planning, Clerk's Office, Finance, Fire, Parks and Recreation, and Public Works.

Township Council 2018-2022

County Government

Because the Municipality of North Perth is part of the upper-tier municipality

Perth County, Ontario Perth County is a county in the Canadian province of Ontario in Southwestern Ontario, west of Toronto. Its population centres are Listowel, Mitchell and Milverton. The City of Stratford and the Town of St. Marys are within the Perth census divis ...

, it has representation on the County Council. The Perth County Council is determined by a restructuring order that came into force on January 1, 1998. Under this order, the Municipality of North Perth has three members appointed to the County Council. North Perth Mayor Todd Kasenberg, Deputy Mayor Doug Kellum, and Councillor Matt Duncan serve as North Perth's representatives on County Council.

Provincial Government

Perth—Wellington is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since the 2007 provincial election. It was created in 2003 from parts of Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey, Perth—Middlesex and Waterloo—Wellington ridings. It consists of the County of Perth, and the Town of Minto and the townships of Mapleton and Wellington North in the County of Wellington. As of October 6, 2011, the MPP for the riding is Randy Pettapiece.

Federal Government

Perth—Wellington is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2004. The riding was created in 2003 from parts of

Perth—Middlesex Perth—Middlesex was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1997 to 2003 and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2007. This riding was created in 1996 from parts of ...

(76%),

Waterloo—Wellington Waterloo—Wellington was a federal electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1997 to 2003. It continued to be a provincial electoral district represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario until the 2007 provincia ...

(17%) and

Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1997 to 2004. Federal electoral district The federal riding was created as a result of redistri ...

(7%) ridings. It did not undergo any boundary changes in the 2012 electoral redistribution. It consists of the County of Perth, the City of Stratford, the Town of St. Mary's and the Town of Minto and the townships of Mapleton and Wellington North in the County of Wellington. Since 2015, the MP for this riding has been

John Nater John Nater (born February 14, 1984) is a Canadian politician. He is currently serving as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Perth—Wellington in the House of Commons of Canada. Education and early life Nater was born in Logan Towns ...

( CPC).

References

External links

* {{Communities in Perth County Lower-tier municipalities in Ontario Municipalities in Perth County, Ontario