Ontario is the most populous province in Canada with 14,223,942 residents as of 2021 and is third-largest in land area[a] at 892,412 km2 (344,562 sq mi).[2] Ontario's 444 municipalities[3] cover only 17% of the province's land mass yet are home to 99% of its population.[4] These municipalities provide local or regional municipal government services within either a single-tier or shared two-tier municipal structure.[5]
A municipality in Ontario is "a geographic area whose inhabitants are incorporated" according to the Municipal Act, 2001.[6] Ontario's three municipality types include upper and lower-tier municipalities within the two-tier structure, and single-tier municipalities (unitary authorities) that are exempt from the two-tier structure.[5] Single and lower-tier municipalities are grouped together as local municipalities.[6] Of Ontario's 444 municipalities, 30 of them are upper-tier municipalities and 414 are local municipalities—241 lower-tier municipalities and 173 single-tier municipalities.
The Municipal Act, 2001 is the legislation that enables incorporation and stipulates governance of Ontario's municipalities, excluding the City of Toronto, which is subject to the City of Toronto Act, 2006.[7] The Municipal Act, 2001 provides lower and single-tier municipalities with the authority to incorporate as cities, towns, villages, townships, or generically as municipalities.[5][8] There are no minimum population thresholds or other requirements for these municipal sub-types. A municipality can change its status to any of these so long as its resulting name is not being used by another municipality.[9] For upper-tier municipalities, the act provides them with the authority to incorporate as counties, regions and district municipalities.[5][8]
Ontario's largest municipality by population is the City of Toronto with 2,794,356 residents, while the largest by land area is the City of Greater Sudbury at 3,186.26 km2 (1,230.22 sq mi).[4] The City of Ottawa, Canada's capital city, is the province's second-most populous municipality with 1,017,449 residents.[4] Ontario's smallest municipality by population is the Township of Cockburn Island with 16 residents while the smallest by land area is the Village of Newbury at 1.77 km2 (0.68 sq mi).[4] The first community to incorporate as a municipality in Ontario was Brockville in 1832.[10]
- ^ "Land and freshwater area, by province and territory". Statistics Canada. February 1, 2005. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, 2021 and 2016 censuses – 100% data". Statistics Canada. March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
- ^ "List of Ontario Municipalities". Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Archived from the original on February 28, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference
2021censuswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c d "The Municipal Councillor's Guide" (PDF). Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
- ^ a b "Municipal Act, S.O. 2001, Chapter 25". Service Ontario. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
- ^ "City of Toronto Act, 2006". e-Laws. Government of Ontario. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
- ^ a b "Ontario Municipalities". Association of Municipalities of Ontario. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
- ^ "Town of Markham ready to take another shot at city status". Metro. Free Daily News Group Inc. May 10, 2013. Archived from the original on August 18, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
- ^ Doug Grant. "A Short History: Brockville – Ontario's First Incorporated Town". City of Brockville. Archived from the original on August 21, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
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