Parry Sound District | |
|---|---|
 Location of Parry Sound District in Ontario | |
| Coordinates: 45°42′N 79°50′W / 45.700°N 79.833°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Ontario |
| Region | Northern Ontario and Central Ontario |
| Created | 1870 |
| Government | |
| • MPs | Scott Aitchison, Anthony Rota, Marc Serré |
| • MPPs | Norm Miller, Vic Fedeli |
| Area | |
| • Land | 9,322.80 km2 (3,599.55 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Total | 46,909 |
| • Density | 5.1/km2 (13/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Postal code FSA | |
| Area code(s) | 705 |
| Seat | Parry Sound |
Parry Sound District is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its boundaries are District of Muskoka to the south, the Sudbury District to the north-northwest, the French River and Lake Nipissing in the north, Nipissing District and North Bay in the north and east and parts of Algonquin Park in the northeast.
In 2016, the population was 42,824. The land area is 9,322.80 square kilometres (3,600 sq mi); the population density was 4.5 per square kilometre (12/sq mi).[3]
It is geographically in Southern Ontario, but the Ontario and federal governments administer it as part of Northern Ontario. Like other census divisions in Northern Ontario, it does not have an incorporated county, regional municipality, or district municipality level of government but instead serves as a purely territorial division, like the other districts of Northern Ontario. Instead of an upper tier of municipal administration, all government services in the district are provided by the local municipalities or by the provincial government itself.
Some communities that are not part of any incorporated municipality are served by local services boards. The district is also included in the service areas of FedNor and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. Accordingly, in most administrative contexts, the division is grouped with the Northern Ontario region instead of Southern Ontario, which is mainly geographic.
Along with the neighbouring Muskoka and Haliburton regions, the Parry Sound District is considered part of Ontario's cottage country, which is geographically in the primary region of Southern Ontario and the secondary region of Central Ontario. The district is commonly divided into two subregions, West Parry Sound and East Parry Sound, the latter of which is often referred to as the Almaguin Highlands.