Midland is a town located on

Georgian Bay The Georgian Bay () is a large bay of Lake Huron, in the Laurentia bioregion. It is located entirely within the borders of Ontario, Canada. The main body of the bay lies east of the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island. To its northwest is t ...

Simcoe County Simcoe County is a county and census division located in the central region of Ontario, Canada. The county is located north of the Greater Toronto Area, and forms the north western edge of the Golden Horseshoe. The county seat is located in Mi ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. It is part of the Huronia/Wendat region of Central Ontario. Located at the southern end of

's 30,000 Islands, Midland is the economic centre of the region, with a 125-bed

hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...

and a local airport ( Midland/Huronia Airport). It is the main town of the southern Georgian Bay area. In the summer months, the area's population grows to over 100,000 with seasonal visitors to more than 8,000 cottages, resort hotels, provincial and national parks in the surrounding municipalities of Penetanguishene, Tiny, Tay, and Beausoleil First Nation.

History

The town of Midland was founded when, in 1871, the Midland Railway of Canada selected the sparsely populated community of Mundy's Bay as the new terminus of the Midland railway. At that time the Midland railway ran from Port Hope to Beaverton. The town site was surveyed in 1872–3 and the line to the town was completed by 1879. Settlers, attracted by the convenience of rail service, soon began to move into the area. The company sold off lots in town (Midland City) to help finance the settlement. The village (incorporated in 1878) thrived based on

shipping and the lumber and

grain trade The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals such as wheat, barley, maize, rice, and other food grains. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other agri ...

. Incorporated into a town in 1890, a number of light industrial companies have established themselves in the area and tourism in the southern Georgian Bay area also contributes to the economy.

2010 tornado

On June 23, 2010, Midland was struck by an F2 tornado, causing $15 million in damage. The most significant damage was reported at Smith's Camp, a trailer park at the south end of the town, where several mobile homes were completely destroyed. At one point, for the first time in 25 years, Emergency Management Ontario upgraded

Environment Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC; )Environment and Climate Change Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of the Environment (). is the Ministry (government department), department ...

's tornado warning to an extreme severe weather warning called "Red Alert" which was issued for most of

Southern Ontario Southern Ontario is a Region, primary region of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada, with approximately 13.5 million people, approximately 36% o ...

's cottage country due to the approaching severe weather and the possibility of violent tornadoes, informing residents in the area that they should seek shelter. In addition, a

State of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...

was also declared in Midland. While electrical service was knocked out for a time, there were no fatalities caused by the storm.

Geography and climate

Midland is located at the south end of the Georgian Bay and is the northern anchor of the Simcoe County. Midland has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

(Köppen ''Dfb'') and has four distinct seasons. The climate is nearly the same as much of Southern Ontario and has balmy summers and chilly winters. Thunderstorms, hailstorms, snowstorm, lake effect snow and freezing rain are also common for this city.

Local attractions

Around the centre of Midland there are a number of murals, most of which were painted by now deceased artist Fred Lenz. The largest, depicting a meeting between a local native and Jesuit missionary Jean de Brebeuf is on the silos overlooking the main harbour. This work was completed by Lenz's sons following his death in 2001. Notable sites in or near Midland include the

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

mission of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, which is now a living museum depicting missionary life in the 17th century. The Martyrs' Shrine is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church commemorating the Canadian Martyrs, eight missionaries from Sainte-Marie who were martyred during the Huron-

Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...

wars.

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

held a pastoral meeting at this site in September 1984. The Huronia Museum is a history and art museum which features the Huron Village, a reconstruction of a typical Huron/Ouendat (Wendat) village. The Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre is nearby. The

marsh In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p More in genera ...

provides habitat for

trumpeter swan The trumpeter swan (''Cygnus buccinator'') is a species of swan found in North America. The heaviest living bird native to North America, it is also the largest extant species of waterfowl, with a wingspan of 185 to 304.8 cm (6 ft 2 in ...

s, black terns and

least bittern The least bittern (''Botaurus exilis'') is a small heron, the smallest member of the family Ardeidae found in the Americas. This species was formerly placed in the genus ''Ixobrychus''. Taxonomy The least bittern was Species description, forma ...

s. The trumpeter swan is considered a symbol of Midland and a large statue of one has been erected by the harbour. An annual Butter tart festival, inaugurated in 2013, is held in early June. In 2016, the fourth annual Butter tart Festival sold more 100,000 butter tarts. Many tourists flock to Midland during the festival. There are two divisions: amateur and commercial. The day after the Butter tart festival is the Butter Tart Trot, a 5-km fun run for older people and a 2.5-km run for children under 5 years old. Little Lake Park is a tourist destination in the summer months. The park has a refreshment stand and a number of sports facilities including volleyball courts, a baseball field, skateboard park, disc golf course. The Midland Cultural Centre is a hub for various cultural activities, located in the core of downtown Midland. The Centre is home to the Huronia Players, Quest Art School and Gallery, and Rotary Hall.

Sports activities

Midland is the home of The Midland Flyers

Ice Hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

Club of the Provincial Junior Hockey League in the Carruthers division in the

Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the province of Ontario. Founded in 1890, the OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern ...

. It is also the home of the Midland Minor Hockey Association. Midland North Simcoe Sports & Recreation Centre is the home rink of these teams. The NSSRC is also the location of the Midland Sports Hall of Fame. Boating, both power and sail, is very popular with several

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : "related to the sea") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo ...

s and a sailing club based in the town. The town has easy access to the relatively sheltered waters of southeastern Georgian Bay. Among the

s nearby are Bay Port Yachting Centre on the northwest side of the bay, and Wye Heritage Marina along the southeast shore. There is also good fishing. Midland also has an ever-growing and active cycling base. The Midland Tri Club has increased the number of road riders in the area. Many of these riders also participate in the popular weekly Time Trial series and group rides throughout the summer months. Mountain View Ski Centre has also encouraged the growth of mountain bikers, with an extensive trail system in town. The Centre hosts a variety of races, including a summer-long weekly series, as well as a night race, high school event, and 9-hour relay. Also, an MTB club has been borne of the Centre, expanding its breadth into competition and other pursuits. The provincial

cyclo-cross Cyclo-cross (cyclocross, CX, cyclo-X or cross) is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter (the international or "World Cup" season is October–February), and consist of many laps of a short (2.5–3.5&nb ...

championships will be hosted in Midland on November 13, 2016, as part of the Silver Goose CX Race. In the winter, snowmobiling and ice fishing are popular activities. Mountain-view Ski Centre has of cross-country ski trails.

Notable people

* John W. Bald, photographer * Born Ruffians, indie rock band * Mark Bourrie, author * Sarah Burke, freestyle skier, three-time Winter X-Games gold medalist * Roy Conacher, former NHL hockey player and

Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...

inductee * Shayne Corson, former NHL hockey player * Adam Dixon, paralympian (sledge hockey) * Peter Donaldson, stage, TV & film actor (Stratford Festival, Road to Avonlea, The Sweet Hereafter) * Herb Drury, former NHL and Olympic hockey player *

George Dudley George Samuel Dudley (April 19, 1894 – May 8, 1960) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator. He joined the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) executive in 1928, served as its president from 1934 to 1936, and as its treasurer from 1936 to 1960 ...

, inductee of the

, president and secretary-manager of the

Canadian Amateur Hockey Association The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA; ) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada. Its jurisdiction included senior ice hockey leagues and the Allan Cup, ...

* William Finlayson, politician and lawyer * Chris Heintz (1938-2021), French-Canadian aeronautical engineer * Jack Hendrickson, former NHL hockey player * Glenn Howard, world champion curler * Russ Howard, Olympic champion curler * Scott Howard, world champion curler * Wayne King, former NHL hockey player * James LaBrie, Grammy award winning musician, lead singer of Dream Theater since 1991. * Alex McKendry, former NHL Hockey player * John Muckler, NHL coach * David Onley, former CITY-TV reporter and former

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

of Ontario * James Playfair, businessman *

Mike Robitaille Michael James David Robitaille (born February 12, 1948) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman (ice hockey), defenceman and commentator. He played in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wi ...

, former NHL hockey player * Angela Schmidt-Foster, former Olympic athlete * Susan Swan, writer * Steve Wolfhard, artist * Richard B. Wright, writer

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), 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 culture. It is headquartered in ...

, Midland 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.

Transportation

Midland is served by the Simcoe County LINX inter-community bus service on its Route 1 - Penetanguishene / Midland to Barrie.

Economy

Since 1952 ELCAN (Ernest Leitz CANada) is located in Ontario; it was founded in 1952 by Leica Camera and is owned by Raytheon Technologies since 1999.Leica Barnack-Berek-Blog 28 October 2016, ELCAN - Ernst Leitz Canada limited, retrieved 1 November 2020.

Media

MidlandToday.ca is an online local news source, and ''The Midland Mirror'' is a local print paper.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Lower-tier municipalities in Ontario Populated places on Lake Huron in Canada Towns in Ontario