Elmvale is a rural town in Springwater Township,

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. It is located at the intersection of County Road 27 and County Road 92 (Queen Street), 20 minutes north of

Barrie Barrie is a city in Central Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay. Although it is physically in the county, Barrie is politically independent. The city is part ...

. Elmvale is home to 2,314 people, as of 2016.

History

Elmvale is located near

Ossossané The Huron Feast of the Dead was a mortuary custom of the Wyandot people of what is today central Ontario, Canada, which involved the disinterment of deceased relatives from their initial individual graves followed by their reburial in a final commu ...

, which was the largest 16th century Wendat settlement and capital of the confederacy. Modern-day Elmvale, Ontario developed near that site. The Wendat (named `Huron` by French explorers) called their traditional territory Wendake. Elmvale first got its name when the post office opened in 1859. It had previously been known as ''Four Corners'', ''Elm Flats'', and ''Saurin''. On June 2, 1998 a tornado struck Elmvale, but caused no serious damage. On May 21, 2003 a confirmed F0 tornado struck Elmvale. Minor damage was reported to a barn roof and silo, and around 65 mature trees were uprooted.

Schools

In 1877 Elmvale's two-story brick school which was partitioned to include secondary classes. The largest schools in Elmvale are the Huronia Centennial Public School and the Elmvale District High School. They are both part of the

Simcoe County District School Board Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB, known as English-language Public District School Board No. 17 and Simcoe County Board Of Education prior to 1999) is an Ontario, Canada, English speaking public school board, serving Simcoe County. The ...

. The public school has one of the few

marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...

s in Ontario.

Overview and events

*Identified in 2011 as having the purest water in the world, it has been studied for decades and proven to have one fifth the lead contaminants that even the cleanest layer of ice in the arctic has. Even more impressive is the fact that those ice layers are thousands of years old, predating atmospheric lead pollution. *The Elmvale Water Festival runs each fall to raise awareness for water-quality issues in local politics and agriculture. *The Elmvale Maple Syrup Festival draws thousands of visitors each year, and dates back to 1966. There are sugarbush rides, treats at the SugarShack, and many pancakes. The festival regularly attracts visitors from across the province and beyond, and generates thousands of dollars of funding for local community projects each year. *The Elmvale Fall Fair runs each October. * The Elmvale Flea and Farmers Market, located on Hwy 92, is one of Ontario’s largest independent flea markets * Elmvale is also home to the

Elmvale Jungle Zoo The Elmvale Jungle Zoo is a zoo in Springwater, Ontario, Canada. It is a seasonal business open from Victoria Day weekend until Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. It was founded in 1967. It is run by Sam Persi, whose family purchased the zoo in 1972 ...

, which hosts 300 animals.

Transportation

Elmvale is served by the Simcoe County LINX inter-community bus service on its Route 1 - Penetanguishene / Midland to Barrie.

References

{{authority control Communities in Simcoe County Former villages in Ontario