Country Canada Formed 1994 Postal code FSA L0L & L9X Population 19,059 (2016) | Province Ontario Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) Area code(s) 705 Local time Thursday 9:05 AM | |
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Weather 0°C, Wind E at 14 km/h, 71% Humidity Points of interest Snow Valley, Elmvale Jungle Zoo, Springwater Provincial Park, Simcoe County Museum, Wasaga Beach Paintball | ||
Springwater is a township in central Ontario, Canada, in Simcoe County near Barrie. It is the County seat of Simcoe.
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Map of Springwater, ON, Canada
Springwater was formed in 1994 through the amalgamation of Flos and Vespra Townships, together with the Village of Elmvale and a portion of the former Township of Medonte.
Communities
Anten Mills is centred on the intersection of Horseshoe Valley Road West (formally County Road 22) and Wilson Drive (formally the 7th Concession of Vespra), 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northwest of Barrie. The community derived its name from a well known mill operating in the area in the late 1800s. The first syllables of this firm's name, Anderson & Tennant, after its owners Charles Anderson and a Mr. Tennant, were merged to create the word Anten. Most of the workforce living in Anten Mills are employed in nearby Barrie. The area surrounding Anten Mills is predominantly either farm or crown land; however, golf courses, ski resorts and hiking trails also dot the landscape. A further 25 km northwest of Anten Mills is Wasaga Beach, a popular summer tourist attraction. Country music star Jason McCoy grew up in Anten Mills.
Crown Hill is located at the municipal boundaries of Springwater and Oro-Medonte, just outside the northern city limits of Barrie. Prior to the provincial highway downloadings of 1997, Highway 11 left its expressway route through Oro-Medonte at Crown Hill, transferring onto Penetanguishene Road for the remainder of its southerly route into Barrie and Toronto. Highway 11 now continues past the Penetanguishene Road interchange along the former route of Highway 400A, ending at Highway 400 1.1 kilometres further southwest.
Elmvale is located at the intersection of County Road 27 and County Road 92 (Queen Street). The Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival draws thousands of visitors each year, and dates back to 1966. Elmvale was home to 2,369 people in 2011. Elmvale is home to the Elmvale Jungle Zoo.
Hillsdale is located on Highway 93 at its intersection with Mill St., just north of Highway 400. It was founded as the half-way point between Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay, which led to the creation of the (now abandoned) Simcoe House Hotel and Rumble's Gristmill on Sturgeon River. Hillsdale is currently home to approximately 1,000 people.
Midhurst is the largest population centre in the township. It is home to the Barrie Baycats of the Intercounty Baseball League. A tree nursery existed here that supplied trees for the province.
Minesing is a community near the Nottawasaga River on Highway 26, northwest of Barrie. The community is home to two major events every year, one in the late winter called Mini-fest, and a slo-pitch tournament that falls on labour day weekend. The community is the birthplace of Hockey Hall of Famer Frank Foyston. Minesing is home to a small school called Minesing Central Public School. The nearby Minesing Wetlands is an internationally recognized wetland of significant biological importance.
The township also contains the communities of Allenwood, Apto, Craighurst, Crossland, Dalston, Edenvale, Fergusonvale, Grenfel, Hendrie, Langman, Midhurst, New Flos, Orr Lake, Phelpston, Sandy Beach, Saurin, Snow Valley, Vespra Village, Strongville and Vigo. Two former ghost communities called Josephine and McKinnon existed in the Minesing Swamp within the township's borders.
Government
The current mayor of Springwater is Bill French.