The County of Elgin

A General Overview

The County of Elgin is situated in the heart of southwestern Ontario along the north shore of Lake Erie and due south of Highway 401 in what can be best described as a rich agricultural zone complemented by a strong and developing industrial base. The County is an upper-tier municipality comprised of seven local municipalities covering a sprawling area of 460,000 acres, with a population of approximately 46,000 people.

Since the establishment of the Talbot settlement in 1803, the County has had an interesting and colourful history largely based on the development of lumbering, agriculture and tourism. The railways played an important role in the County's economic development due to the County's prime location in a major transportation corridor, employing many people and stimulating industrial development in the City of St. Thomas and adjacent areas. This industrial development continues to this day, with the County now boasting several large manufacturing and service industries [such as Ford of Canada].

At the time of the County's incorporation in 1852, the original municipalities included the Townships of Aldborough, Dunwich, Southwold, Yarmouth, Malahide, Bayham and South Dorchester and the Village of St. Thomas which also served as the County Seat. While the boundaries of the County have remained unchanged to this day, there have been a number of changes to local governments over time, with the emergence of new towns and villages and the departure of others. The most significant change occurred in 1998 when the County restructured into seven local municipalities.

These are:

• the Municipality of Bayham
• the Municipality of Central Elgin
• the Municipality of Dutton/Dunwich
• the Municipality of West Elgin
• the Town of Aylmer
• the Township of Malahide
• the Township of Southwold.
  

The County of Elgin offers a high quality of life, a strong sense of community, a temperate climate, numerous recreational opportunities and many economic advantages, making it an ideal location to live, work and prosper.