Zorra is a township in Oxford County, situated in south-western Ontario, Canada. A predominantly rural municipality, Zorra was formed in 1975 through the amalgamation of East Nissouri, West Zorra and North Oxford townships. It is best known for the Highland Games weekend held each summer in Embro, celebrating the heritage of the Scottish pioneer families which grew from the 1830s to form nearly a quarter of the county's population.
Zorra | |
|---|---|
| Township of Zorra | |
 Embro | |
 Flag  Logo | |
  Zorra | |
| Coordinates: 43°09′N 80°57′W / 43.150°N 80.950°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Ontario |
| County | Oxford |
| Formed | 1975 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Marcus Ryan |
| • Federal riding | Oxford |
| • Prov. riding | Oxford |
| Area | |
| • Land | 528.94 km2 (204.22 sq mi) |
| Population (2016)[1] | |
| • Total | 8,138 |
| • Density | 15.4/km2 (40/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern Standard Time (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)) |
| Postal Code | N0J, N0M |
| Area code(s) | 519, 226, 548 |
| Website | www.zorra.on.ca |
Government
editThe municipal government is led by a mayor and a councillor from each of the township's four geographic wards:[2]
- Ward 1: Southern portion of township, the former North Oxford township (including Banner, Golspie), excluding Thamesford
- Ward 2: Thamesford
- Ward 3: Northwest portion of township, the former East Nissouri township (including Kintore, Uniondale)
- Ward 4: Northeast portion of township, the former West Zorra township (including Embro, Maplewood)
Marcus Ryan is the current mayor, following the 2018 Ontario municipal elections.[3]
Communities
editThe township comprises the communities of Banner, Bennington, Brooksdale, Brown's Corners, Cody's Corners, Dicksons Corners, Dunn's Corner, Embro, Golspie, Granthurst, Harrington, Harrington West, Holiday, Kintore, Lakeside, Maplewood, McConkey, Medina, Rayside, Thamesford, Uniondale, Youngsville, and Zorra Station.
Demographics
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 8,125 | — |
| 2011 | 8,058 | −0.8% |
| 2016 | 8,138 | +1.0% |
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Zorra had a population of 8,628 living in 3,162 of its 3,284 total private dwellings, a change of 6% from its 2016 population of 8,138. With a land area of 529.19 km2 (204.32 sq mi), it had a population density of 16.3/km2 (42.2/sq mi) in 2021.[4]
Cultural resources
edit- Thamesford Public Library:[5] 165 Dundas Street, Thamesford. A branch of the Oxford County Library.
- Embro Public Library : 135 Huron St., Embro. A branch of the Oxford County Library, it is located in the former Embro Town Hall.
- Harrington Community Library : 539 Victoria St, Harrington. A branch of the Oxford County Library. Located in the former Broadview United Church that was built in 1924.
- Harrington Schoolhouse (Community Centre) : 963624 County Road 96. The Old Stone School; initially referred to as S.S. number 17, and subsequently renumbered S.S. number 4, was originally constructed of logs in the mid-1800s. An entrance was located at the north side of the school, and a box stove was used for heating. In 1869, a contract was granted to enlarge the school with a stone addition, to address seating, lighting and other requirements. Purchased by several local residents to be used as a community centre, after the formal closure of one room schools.
- Thamesford District Recreation Centre: 85 Middleton street the Haverford arena the skatepark located beside it is a popular location for teens
Schools include the Zorra Highland Park Public School, Thamesford Public School, A. J. Baker Public School and St. Joseph's Catholic School.
Attractions
edit- Embro Highland Games, hosted annually by the Zorra Caledonian Society[6]
- Embro Truck & Tractor Pull[7]
- Wienerfest Dog Festival, celebrating the world of Dachshunds to provide funding for pet rescue[8]
- Garagefest, an annual local music festival to raise funds for various charities[9]
- Embro Fall Fair[10]
- Calathumpian a celebration of Thamesfords heritage and history
Famous people
edit- Henry John Cody (1868–1951), MPP and President of the University of Toronto
- Ralph Connor (1860–1937), novelist
- Jonathan Goforth (1859–1936), missionary to China
- Mark Hominick
- Bob Hayward
- James K.A. Smith
- George Leslie Mackay
- Thomas Oliver
- Randy Sageman
- Elizabeth Wettlaufer, convicted serial killer[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Zorra census profile". 2016 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
- ^ Corporation of the Township of Zorra, Township Council Archived 2012-08-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Certificate of election results" (PDF). 23 October 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 February 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
- ^ "Oxford County Library > Branches & hours > Thamesford". www.ocl.net. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
- ^ "Embro Highland Games". Zorra Caledonian Society. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- ^ "Embro Truck and Tractor Pull". Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- ^ "Wienerfest Home County Festival". Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- ^ "Garagefest". Facebook. Retrieved June 25, 2019.[self-published]
- ^ "Embro Fair". Embro & Zorra Agricultural Society. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- ^ "Seeing red". cbc.ca. Retrieved January 3, 2022.