Southwold, Ontario

Southwold
—  Township  —
Southwold
Coordinates:
Country  Canada
Province  Ontario
County Elgin
Settled
Incorporated 1852
Government
 • Mayor James McIntyre
 • Federal riding Elgin—Middlesex—London
 • Prov. riding Elgin—Middlesex—London
Area[1]
 • Land 301.71 km2 (116.5 sq mi)
Population (2006)[1]
 • Total 4,724
 • Density 15.7/km2 (40.7/sq mi)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code N0L
Area code(s) 519 and 226
Website www.twp.southwold.on.ca

Southwold is a township in Elgin County, in Ontario, Canada, located on the north shore of Lake Erie. It is a rich agricultural zone producing predominantly corn and soybeans.

Contents

History

Southwold was named in 1792 after Southwold in Suffolk, England. The municipality was incorporated in 1852.

Shedden's growth occurred when the Canada Southern Railway was built, bypassing Fingal. Later it was joined by the Pere Marquette railway, still further boosting Shedden's importance. Both railways are now defunct. Talbotville is situated at the intersection of highways 3 & 4, two of the oldest roads in the region.

Southwold was the site of the 2006 Shedden massacre.

Economy

The township is home to the Green Lane Landfill site, a large dump recently purchased by the City of Toronto. Waste from Toronto is expected to be shipped to the site in 2010. Southwold is also home of the Ford St. Thomas Assembly plant.

Communities

Demographics

Population trend:[4]

References