Billings, Ontario

Billings is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, as well as the name of a community within that township.

Billings
Township (single-tier)
Township of Billings
Billings Show map of Manitoulin District Billings Show map of Ontario
Coordinates: 45°54′N 82°15′W
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
District	Manitoulin
Incorporated	1884
Government
• Type	Township
• Mayor	Bryan William Barker
• MP	Jim Belanger (Conservative)
• MPP	Bill Rosenberg (PC)
Area [1]
• Land	208.81 km2 (80.62 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	753
• Density	3.6/km2 (9/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code	P0P 1J0
Area codes	705, 249
Website	www.billingstwp.ca

Located in the Manitoulin District, the township had a population of 753 in the 2021 Canadian census. It is named after Elkanah Billings.^[2]

Communities

The primary community in the township is Kagawong. There are three smaller communities: Billings, Bowser's Corner, and Pleasant Valley.

Kagawong

The waterfront of Kagawong

Kagawong's harbour is located on Mudge Bay and is home to the Kagawong Lighthouse, which has been in continuous service since 1888. The name Kagawong means "where mists rise from falling waters" in the Ojibwe language, a reference to the nearby Bridal Veil Falls on the Kagawong River.

Kagawong is home to numerous tourist attractions. The most popular being the famed Bridal Veil Falls. The legend is that those who swim under the falls are rewarded with good luck. The falls begin at the end of the upper Kagawong river, and flow past a series of small, cascading waterfalls down a winding trail towards Mudge Bay. The trails are spotted with art pieces, benches and picnic tables. In addition to the falls, Kagawong is also home to a Transportation and Communication Museum, Art Gallery, Anglican Church, several sandy beaches, and many camping and cottage rental opportunities.

Kagawong is the nearest port of call to the islands of the North Channel, being directly south of Clapperton Island and the Benjamin Islands.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Billings had a population of 753 living in 343 of its 675 total private dwellings, a change of 24.9% from its 2016 population of 603. With a land area of 208.81 km² (80.62 sq mi), it had a population density of 3.6/km² (9.3/sq mi) in 2021.^[1]

Canada census – Billings community profile

	2021	2016	2011
Population	753 (+24.9% from 2016)	603 (+19.2% from 2011)	506 (-6.1% from 2006)
Land area	208.81 km2 (80.62 sq mi)	209.64 km2 (80.94 sq mi)	209.30 km2 (80.81 sq mi)
Population density	3.6/km2 (9.3/sq mi)	2.9/km2 (7.5/sq mi)	2.4/km2 (6.2/sq mi)
Median age	56.8 (M: 57.2, F: 56.8)	51.4 (M: 50.9, F: 51.9)
Private dwellings	675 (total)  343 (occupied)	731 (total)	704 (total)
Median household income	$81,000	$68,779

References: 2021^[3] 2016^[4] 2011^[5]

Historical census populations – Billings, Ontario

Year Pop. ±% 1881 584 —     1891 635 +8.7% 1901 751 +18.3% 1911 535 −28.8% 1921 369 −31.0% 1931 408 +10.6% 1941 397 −2.7% 1951 369 −7.1%	Year Pop. ±% 1956 353 −4.3% 1961 385 +9.1% 1966 370 −3.9% 1971 398 +7.6% 1976 437 +9.8% 1981 394 −9.8% 1986 353 −10.4% 1991 435 +23.2%	Year Pop. ±% 1996 538 +23.7% 2001 551 +2.4% 2006 539 −2.2% 2011 506 −6.1% 2016 603 +19.2% 2021 753 +24.9%
Source: Statistics Canada[1][6][7]

Mother tongue (2021):^[1]

• English as first language: 85.4 %
• French as first language: 9.9 %
• English and French as first language: 0 %
• Other as first language: 3.3 %

Transportation

Highway 540 is the main road in the township and provides connections to Gore Bay and Mindemoya.

See also

• List of francophone communities in Ontario
• List of townships in Ontario