Essex, Ontario
Essex is a town with a population of 21,216 in Essex County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, whose municipal borders extend to Lake Erie. Essex is also the name of the largest community within the municipality.
History
The current Town of Essex was created on 1 April 1999 through the amalgamation of the former towns of Essex and Harrow, along with the former townships of Colchester North and Colchester South. Each community has a distinct history prior to amalgamation. Colchester South is notable for lying farther south than the northern border of California.Essex
The Talbot Trail has enabled Essex to increase in population in the last half of the 19th century, and achieve town status in 1890.On August 10, 1907, of nitro-glycerine on a train cart exploded at the train station in Essex. Shock waves were felt in parts of Michigan, and debris was sent. Two people were killed, and there was over 250,000 dollars' worth of property damage.
Geography
The town comprises the communities of Ambassador Beach, Barretville, Belcreft Beach, Colchester, Edgars, Essex Centre, Gesto, Harrow, Klie's Beach, Leslies Corner, Levergood Beach, Lypps Beach, Marshfield, McGregor, New Canaan, Oxley, Paquette Corners, Seymour Beach and Vereker.Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Essex had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2021.Arts and culture
Community fairs include the Essex Fun Fest, and the Harrow Fair, the oldest community fair in Ontario.Essex was once known region-wide for its large crow population, and the nightly infestation was acute in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The consistent use of "boomers" and other techniques that discourage roosting at sundown eventually led the crows to disperse, and the population has declined.
Sports
The Essex 73's are a Junior C hockey team that have won 19 Great Lakes Hockey League titles seven provincial titles.Government
Essex is divided into four wards which correspond to the four major communities involved in the 1999 amalgamation. During municipal elections, residents vote for a mayor, deputy mayor, and councillor in their geographical ward.- Ward 1 - Essex Centre
- Ward 2 - Colchester North
- Ward 3 - Colchester South
- Ward 4 - Harrow Centre
- Mayor - Richard Meloche
- Deputy Mayor - Steve Bjorkman
- Ward 1 Councillor - Morley Bowman
- Ward 1 Councillor - Joe Garon
- Ward 2 Councillor - Kim Verbeek
- Ward 3 Councillor - Chris Vander Doelen
- Ward 3 Councillor - Jason Matyi
- Ward 4 Councillor - Sherry Bondy
Education
English-language public education for kindergarten through secondary school grades in Essex County is administered by the Greater Essex County District School Board, along with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board which oversees English-language catholic education.French-language public and catholic education are overseen by the Conseil scolaire Viamonde and the Conseil scolaire de district des écoles catholiques du Sud-Ouest respectively. The scope of all of these organizations includes both the County and the City of Windsor.
Prior to 1998 the Essex County Board of Education operated Anglophone secular public schools.
One public secondary school of the Greater Essex County District School Board is situated in Essex. Essex District High School serves Essex Centre, Colchester North and areas of Tecumseh, Lakeshore, and Kingsville. Kingsville District High School serves Harrow Centre and Colchester South, following the closure of Harrow District High School in 2016. Public school students from certain areas of Essex may attend General Amherst High School in Amherstburg. While there is no separate secondary school within the boundaries of Essex, students in the town may attend the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board's St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic High School in LaSalle or Cardinal Carter Catholic High School in Leamington.
Elementary schools of the Greater Essex County District School Board include Essex Public School, Colchester North Public School, and Harrow Public School. Separate elementary schools of the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board include Holy Name Catholic Elementary School and St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School.