Ontario Historical Geography

Ontario did not have that name until 1867. Before that time, the province was known as Upper Canada or Canada West. Between 1841 and 1867 Canada West was affiliated with Canada East (Quebec) to form the "Province of Canada." Canada West was renamed Ontario in 1867, when it joined the new Dominion of Canada. For the sake of consistency, the name Ontario is used in most sections of this research outline.

Counties and Districts. Although they were designated by 1800, Ontario counties did not always have their own governments. Before 1850, the counties served only as geographical areas for land registration, where the militia was levied, and as "ridings" or precincts for voting purposes. Early Ontario was divided into a varying number of "districts," and most government records were organized on the basis of those districts.

When the old districts began to be abolished in 1849, the counties became functioning governments in southern Ontario. New districts began to be established in northern Ontario in the 1850s. Today, most of the northern part of the province is divided into districts for judicial and administrative purposes, while southern Ontario has retained many of its counties.

Electoral Counties. Beginning in 1871 in Ontario boundaries of the "electoral counties" often have different boundaries from those of the municipal counties of the same names, as townships are transferred back and forth from one "electoral county" to the other. From 1871 until about 1924, Ontario had three electoral counties (Bothwell, Cardwell, and Monck) which never had government functions but were only election and census districts.

Maps. For a series of historical maps showing the evolution of Ontario townships, districts, and counties south of Lake Nipissing see:

Map of Part of the Province of Upper Canada. Scale 1:760,320. [N.p.: n.d., 19--]. (Family History Library map case 971.3 E7m; Family History Library film 982195.) Maps are scattered on the film as follows:

References. The standard reference on the topic is:


 * Jonasson, Eric. The Districts and Counties of Ontario, 1777-1979, Two Centuries of Evolution, in Families. Volume 20, number. 2 (1981), 91-102. (Family History Library book 971.3 B2f; not on microfilm.)

Development of Ontario townships and counties is also discussed in:


 * Armstrong, Frederick H. Handbook of Upper Canadian Chronology. Revised Edition. Toronto, Ontario: Dundurn Press, 1985. (Family History Library book 971.3 N27a 1985.) Includes helpful charts and diagrams.