Bruce County

Bruce County
Gaelic: Siorramachd Bhruis
County (upper-tier)
County of Bruce

Motto: "In Deo Imperium Sed Populus Administrat"  (Latin)
"Administration by the People, but under the authority of God"


Location of Bruce County In Ontario
Coordinates: 44°30′N 81°15′W / 44.500°N 81.250°W / 44.500; -81.250Coordinates: 44°30′N 81°15′W / 44.500°N 81.250°W / 44.500; -81.250
Country  Canada
Province  Ontario
County seat Walkerton, Ontario
Subdivisions
Government
  Warden Mitch Twolan
  Chief Administrative Officer Kelley Coulter
Area
  Land 3,982.52 km2 (1,537.66 sq mi)
Population (2016)
  Total 68,423[1]
  Density 16.2/km2 (42/sq mi)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
  Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Primary Highways 21, 9, and 6

Bruce County, located in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, is named for James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, sixth Governor General of the Province of Canada. The Bruce name is also linked to the Bruce Trail and the Bruce Peninsula. The best way to describe the Bruce is geographically. It has three distinct areas all featuring unique attributes. The Peninsula is part of the Niagara Escarpment and is known for its breathtaking views, rock formations, cliffs and hiking trails. The Lakeshore includes nearly a hundred kilometers of fresh water and soft sandy beaches. Finally, a strong history in farming exists in the Interior Region, also known as the bread basket.These three areas come together to make the County appealing to a diverse market with strengths in tourism, agriculture and energy.

Subdivisions

Bruce County's 8 local municipalities are:

Two First Nation communities are also included within the Bruce census division, but are separate from the county administration:

These First Nations maintain reserves that have never been ceded to the Crown:

Demographics

Figures below are for the Bruce census division, which consists of Bruce County and two First Nations reserves.

Canada census – Bruce County community profile
2011 2006 2001
Population: 66,102 (1.2% from 2006) 65,349 (2.3% from 2001) 63,892 (-2.7% from 1996)
Land area: 4,087.76 km2 (1,578.29 sq mi) 4,079.17 km2 (1,574.98 sq mi) 4,155.53 km2 (1,604.46 sq mi)
Population density: 16.2/km2 (42/sq mi) 16.0/km2 (41/sq mi) 15.4/km2 (40/sq mi)
Median age: 45.1 (M: 44.5, F: 45.7) 42.4 (M: 41.8, F: 43.0)
Total private dwellings: 40,033 38,342 36,864
Median household income: $54,403 $45,369
References: 2011[2] 2006[3] 2001[4]

Government

The County of Bruce is governed by a council consisting of a warden and mayors of the area municipalities. County council meetings are held in the Bruce County Administration building in Walkerton, Ontario.

Economic Development

Business to Bruce

The function of the Business to Bruce Program is to support business development, business recruitment and business enhancement. This program focuses on inspiring, attracting and supporting business owners and entrepreneurs by engaging and mobilizing the local business communities and municipalities while using County level resources to give the project reach and scale.

Explore the Bruce

Explore the Bruce, a tourism sub-brand of Bruce County, markets and promotes the area as a place to visit.

Explore the Bruce runs the annual Adventure Passport program. This program is a Bruce County-wide scavenger hunt that takes participants off the beaten track in Bruce County. It takes place from May 1st until October 31st each year and families, couples, and individuals of all ages can participate.[5] In 2015, the Adventure Passport program was presented with a Tourism Marketing Campaign Award at the Ontario Tourism Summit in Toronto.[6]

Spruce the Bruce

Spruce the Bruce supports local community efforts to facilitate long-term downtown revitalization plans, bringing together stakeholders to build community capacity and assist with strategic policy and capital investment. The program provides communities with the resources to develop strategies and implementation methods necessary to maintain and grow healthy commercial areas in association with the County and various partners.

Environment

Protected Areas

National Parks

Bruce Peninsula National Park

Fathom Five National Marine Park

Provincial Parks

Inverhuron Provincial Park

MacGregor Point Provincial Park

Sauble Falls Provincial Park

Black Creek Provincial Park

Conservation Areas

Bruce County is home to many conservation areas with the jurisdiction of Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority and Grey Sauble Conservation Authority.

Endangered Species

Massasauga Rattlesnake

Hungerford's crawling water beetle

See also

References

  1. "2011 Community Profiles". Canada 2011 Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  2. "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  3. "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  4. Explore the Bruce Adventure Passport launched | Kincardine News
  5. "Bruce County Wins Tourism Marketing Award". Blackburn News, By John Chippa November 13, 2015
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