Strong, Ontario

Strong is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, as well as the name of a community within the township. Located in the Almaguin Highlands region of Parry Sound District, the township surrounds but does not include the village of Sundridge.

Strong
Township (single-tier)
Township of Strong
Lake Bernard in Strong Township
Motto:  Together for a strong tomorrow
Strong
Coordinates: 45°45′N 79°24′W
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
District	Parry Sound
Settled	1876
Incorporated	1877
Government
• Type	Township
• Mayor	Tim Bryson
• Fed. riding	Parry Sound-Muskoka
• Prov. riding	Parry Sound—Muskoka
Area [1]
• Land	158.88 km2 (61.34 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	1,566
• Density	9.9/km2 (26/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal Code	P0A
Area codes	705, 249
Website	www.strongtownship.com

The township includes the communities of Hartfell, Kennedys, Lake Bernard, Pevensey, Stirling Falls, and Strong. It is home to Lake Bernard.

Strong Township is accessible via Highway 11 and Highway 124. It is bisected by the CN railway.^[2]

History

Settlement of the township began after the The Free Grants and Homestead Act of 1868, with the first settlers arriving in 1876. The Township of Strong was incorporated the following year.^[2]

In 1885, the Northern and Pacific Junction Railway (now CN) was built through the township. In 1889, the village of Sundridge split off from the township to form a separate village municipality.^[3]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Strong had a population of 1,566 living in 660 of its 953 total private dwellings, a change of 8.8% from its 2016 population of 1,439. With a land area of 158.88 km² (61.34 sq mi), it had a population density of 9.9/km² (25.5/sq mi) in 2021.^[1]

Historical census populations – Strong, Ontario

Year Pop. ±% 1881 1,744 —     1891 1,500 −14.0% 1901 768 −48.8% 1911 659 −14.2% 1921 632 −4.1% 1931 665 +5.2% 1941 688 +3.5% 1951 676 −1.7%	Year Pop. ±% 1956 709 +4.9% 1961 733 +3.4% 1966 846 +15.4% 1971 972 +14.9% 1976 1,244 +28.0% 1981 1,278 +2.7% 1986 1,250 −2.2% 1991 1,377 +10.2%	Year Pop. ±% 1996 1,393 +1.2% 2001 1,369 −1.7% 2006 1,327 −3.1% 2011 1,341 +1.1% 2016 1,439 +7.3% 2021 1,566 +8.8%
Population counts are not adjusted for boundary changes. Source: Statistics Canada[1][4][5][6][7][8]

Mother tongue (2021):^[1]

• English as first language: 95.8%
• French as first language: 0.6%
• English and French as first languages: 0%
• Other as first language: 3.5%

Municipal office near Sundridge

See also

• List of townships in Ontario