TOWNSHIP QUICK FACTS
Includes quick facts on Geographic Area, Population, Historical Information, Beaches, Roadways, Water System, and Attractions
Geographic Area:
The Township of Tiny is part of Simcoe County in south-central Ontario and can be found in the Southern Georgian Bay region. It is the most northerly township of Simcoe County and occupies most of the Penetanguishene peninsula.
The Township has a total area of 344 square kilometers and has a coastline on Georgian Bay measuring 70 kilometers. The southern boundary, about 16 kilometers long, abuts on Springwater Township and the northern tip of the Town of Wasaga Beach. The eastern boundary, 17 kilometers long, marks the western boundary of Tay Township. The Township skirts the municipalities of Midland and Penetanguishene and the embraces the coastline in a sweep around the peninsula.
The Township of Tiny includes the following communities/hamlets:
- Lafontaine
- Perkinsfield
- Wyevale
- Wyebridge
In addition to the mainland and Giant’s Tomb Island, the Township also has three First Nations Islands; Christian, Hope, and Beckwith. Christian Island is home to the Chippewa people of the Beausoleil First Nation and is a self governing body. The Beausoleil First Nation also owns an 8 hectare shoreline property on the mainland, specifically in the Cedar Point area, which accommodates private dwellings for individuals who wish to live on the main land. It is also used for the ferry service to and from Christian Island.
The Township of Tiny is surrounded by the following municipalities:
- Town of Midland
- Town of Penetanguishene
- Township of Tay
- Township of Springwater
Population:
According to the 2006 Population and Dwelling Counts from Statistics Canada:
- Permanent Population = 10,784
- Private Dwellings = 9,056 (Permanent/4,323 and Seasonal/4,733)
In the summer months, the Township’s population doubles to approximately 27,000.
For more Statistics Canada information as it relates to the Township, please follow the link below:
Statistics Canada - Township of Tiny
Historical Information:
How Tiny Got its Name
The Township was named, in 1822, after a pet dog of Lady Sarah Maitland (1792-1873), wife of Sir Peregrine Maitland, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. Two other adjoining townships were also named for her pet dogs, Tay and Flos (now Springwater Township).
Incorporation Date
The Corporation of the Township of Tiny and Tay was created by the Parliament of Canada under the Baldwin Act of 1850. In 1868, Simcoe County passed a by-law that separated the United Townships into the Township of Tiny and the Township of Tay.
The history of Tiny Township reflects its three founding cultures: Native, French and British. Located within Wendake, the historical homeland of the Huron people, the region is closely tied to early missionary exploration of the region, including the Jesuit mission of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons in nearby Midland.
In 1798, the British government purchased the land in the area and soon after established a naval base at Penetanguishene. By the mid 1800s, families from Quebec began moving to the Tiny Township area for the cheap and fertile land to farm.
Today, the Tiny Township area is still very much a bilingual (French and English) area of Ontario, and is one of 25 municipalities in Ontario designated for bilingual government services under the French Language Services Act.
For more information on the history of the Township, please follow the link below to see the various publications the Township’s Historical and Heritage Committee has to offer.
Roadways:
430 kms. of roads within the Township are maintained by the municipality.
40 kms. of roads (sections of County Road 6, 25, 26 and 29) are maintained by the County of Simcoe.
For more information on the Township’s Road system, please follow the link below.
Water System:
There are 19 water systems in the Township of Tiny. The water systems are supplied by 43 drilled wells and 25 pump stations where the raw water is treated with chlorine and pumped into the distribution system.
For more information on the Township’s water system, please follow the link below.
Recreation:
Township Beaches
The Township of Tiny has 70 km of shoreline. In the Township's Official Plan, a total of five parks have been recognized as large water township parks. It is also a policy of the Official Plan that these five parks function as the primary locations for public use and activity on the western shoreline. These large water parks are Woodland Beach, Bluewater Beach, Jackson Park, Balm Beach and Lafontaine Beach Park.
For more information on Township Beaches, please follow the link below.
Tiny Trail
The Tiny Trail is a 23 kilometre recreation trail. It was one of Ontario’s first rail-to-trail conversions when it was purchased in 1978. It is registered as part of the Trans Canada Trail System. The trail passes over prime agricultural land and into areas of hardwood forest. The Wye Rive and Copeland Creek meander across the rail, requiring eleven trail bridges which were constructed utilizing funds from the Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Program. There are 14 historic bridges on the Tiny Trail, 11 of which are located between its northern entrance and Concession 12 E. This section of the trail is paved. The remaining trail is surfaced with crushed stone.
For more information on the Township's trail system, follow the link below:
Tiny Marsh
The Tiny Marsh is Ontario’s first provincially owned and managed wetland. It is one of approximately 1,200 Important Bird Areas (IBA) recognized in Canada. It offers visitors year-round use of approximately 600 hectares (1,482 acres) of marsh and 300 hectares (741 acres) of field and forest. There is an interpretive centre with displays and a theatre open to the public during spring and summer (and all year to groups by appointment). It features a companion self-use trail guide, two observation towers, a marsh viewing mound, a wildlife blind and a boardwalk. The MTM Conservation Association is a non-profit organization responsible for the management of the Tiny Marsh Provincial Wildlife Area.
Awenda Provincial Park
Awenda Provincial Park is located in a beautiful setting on the shores of Georgian Bay across the bay from Georgian Bay National Park. The park is mostly hardwood or mixed forest, with areas of fen and bogs along with the fields remaining from earlier farms and homesteads. You'll find several good hiking trails along with beautiful natural beaches alternating with rugged rock strewn shores. Above the beaches is a 35m bluff which is accessible from the trail system. This is a great campers’ park, with lots of shaded sites and all the amenities.
For more details on the Tiny Marsh and Awenda Provincial Park, please follow the link below:
Simcoe County Forest
The Township has within its borders approximately 1,385.27 hectares (3,422 acres) of Simcoe County forest. The County forests were originally established to rehabilitate damaged land. With increased population and public need for forests, the role of the County forests has changed. The purposes of the County Forests, past and present include:
- Restore waste lands and abandoned farm lands to productive use
- Prevent soil erosion and restore and conserve water resources
- Manage forests in a scientific manner to produce the best growth for forest products
- Preserve, conserve and improve wildlife habitat
- Provide educational opportunities and encourage scientific research
- Make the forests available for public recreation
- Encourage private landowners in their reforestation efforts
- Support the County’s natural heritage and greenlands policy
For more information on the Simcoe County Forests, please follow the link below:
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