The Archipelago

For other uses, see Archipelago (disambiguation).

Township in Ontario, Canada

The Archipelago

Township (single-tier)

Township of The Archipelago

Pointe au Baril Lighthouse

The Archipelago

Coordinates: 45°35′N 80°23′W﻿ / ﻿45.583°N 80.383°W﻿ / 45.583; -80.383
Country| Canada
Province| Ontario
District| Parry Sound
Incorporated| 1980
Government

• Type| Township
• Reeve| Bert Liverance
• Fed. riding| Parry Sound-Muskoka
• Prov. riding| Parry Sound—Muskoka
Area

[1]

• Land| 592.14 km2 (228.63 sq mi)
Population

(2021)[1]

• Total

| 979
• Density| 1.7/km2 (4/sq mi)
Time zone| UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)| UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code| 705
Website| www.thearchipelago.on.ca

The Archipelago is a township in central Ontario, Canada, along the Georgian Bay in the Parry Sound District.

## Geography

[edit]

The municipality consists of two non-contiguous parts, separated by Carling and the Parry Sound. The northern part includes the village of Pointe au Baril on the mainland and most of the geographic townships of Shawanaga and Harrison. This covers the islands and shoreline of Georgian Bay from the Twin Sisters (at the northern boundary of Carling Township) north to Charles Inlet and the Naiscoot River, a few miles south of Britt. The southern part consists of the geographic townships of Cowper and Conger that includes the islands and shoreline of Georgian Bay southwest of Parry Sound, from Twelve Mile Bay (at the District of Muskoka boundary) to Wasauksing First Nation and up the South Channel almost to the town of Parry Sound. Almost a third of the population of the southern part lives on the islands in the Sans Souci and Copperhead area, centred on Frying Pan Island.[2]

The township is characterized by numerous islands (hence its name) and bays that attract large numbers of vacationers and boaters in the summer. Much of its area is undeveloped and crown-owned land: in the north, 96 percent of the mainland and 50 percent of the islands remain in the public domain, and in the south, 83 percent of the mainland and 70 percent of the islands, a large part of it protected in The Massasauga Provincial Park.[2]

### Communities

[edit]

Henry's Fish and Chips, on Frying Pan Island, Sans Souci, Ontario.

* Bayfield Inlet
* Blackstone Lake
* Copperhead
* Five Mile Bay
* Georgian Inlet
* Manbert
* Manitou Dock
* Naiscoot
* Nares Inlet
* Niweme
* Ojibway Island
* Pointe au Baril
* Pointe au Baril Station
* Sans Souci
* Seven Mile Narrows
* Skerryvore
* Woods Bay

## History

[edit]

On January 1, 1980, the townships of Georgian Bay South Archipelago and Georgian Bay North Archipelago were formed out of unincorporated geographic townships from the Parry Sound District, primarily in order to provide proper planning in the islands and waterways of the area. These two townships were intended to be set up as one municipality, but the Ontario Legislature created two townships, with a provision for their later amalgamation, if requested by the elected Councils. Soon after the formation of the townships, both councils passed identical by-laws calling for the amalgamation of the two municipalities. Therefore, the Township of the Archipelago was formed on April 1, 1980, when the townships of Georgian Bay South Archipelago and Georgian Bay North Archipelago merged.[2]

## Demographics

[edit]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, The Archipelago had a population of 979 living in 497 of its 2,863 total private dwellings, a change of 84.4% from its 2016 population of 531. With a land area of 592.14 km2 (228.63 sq mi), it had a population density of 1.7/km2 (4.3/sq mi) in 2021.[1]

Canada census – The Archipelago community profile

| 2021| 2016| 2011

|
|
|

Population| 979 (+84.4% from 2016)| 531 (-6.2% from 2011)| 566 (-1.7% from 2006)
Land area| 592.14 km2 (228.63 sq mi)| 606.14 km2 (234.03 sq mi)| 606.56 km2 (234.19 sq mi)
Population density| 1.7/km2 (4.4/sq mi)| 0.9/km2 (2.3/sq mi)| 0.9/km2 (2.3/sq mi)
Median age| 60.4 (M: 61.2, F: 59.2)| 58.5 (M: 58.4, F: 58.6)|
Private dwellings| 2,863 (total)  497 (occupied)| 2,693 (total)  | 3,008 (total)
Median household income| $83,000| $67,712|

References: 2021[3] 2016[4] 2011[5]

Historical census populations – The Archipelago| Year| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1976 | 575| —
1981 | 670| +16.5%
1986 | 583| −13.0%
1991 | 720| +23.5%
1996| 555| −22.9%
| Year| Pop.| ±%

|
|

2001| 505| −9.0%
2006| 576| +14.1%
2011| 566| −1.7%
2016| 531| −6.2%
2021| 979| +84.4%
Source: Statistics Canada[1][6]

Mother tongue (2021):[1]

* English as first language: 92.9%
* French as first language: 1.5%
* English and French as first languages: 0.5%
* Other as first language: 4.6%

## Education

[edit]

The community is within the Near North District School Board.

As of 1975, Moon Island, within The Archipelago, was served by the Sugar Bay School. That year, it was one of 21 one-room schools in the province, and there were 12 students in grades 1-8 with ages ranging from 6 to 13. At the time, the closest high school to Moon Island was in Parry Sound, 19 miles (31 km) away from Moon Island. Moon Island residents who attended high school lived with relatives living in Parry Sound or stayed at boarding houses during the school year.[7]

## See also

[edit]

* Ontario portal

* List of municipalities in Ontario
* List of townships in Ontario

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e "The Archipelago (Code 3549005) Census Profile". 2021 census. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
2. ^ a b c "Township History". Township of The Archipelago. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
3. ^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
4. ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
5. ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019.
6. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006
7. ^ "One room school on an island." The Canadian Press at The Montreal Gazette. Friday December 5, 1975. p. 41. Retrieved from Google News (41 of 172) on October 2, 2013.

* "Topographic Map sheets 31E4, 31E5, 41H1, 41H8, 41H9, 41H10". Atlas of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. 2006-02-06. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
* "The Archipelago". 2006 Community Profiles. Statistics Canada. 2009-03-10. Retrieved 2009-06-13.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Archipelago, Ontario.

* Official website

Jurisdictions adjacent to The Archipelago

North part

|  | Naiscoutaing 17A, Unorganized Centre Parry Sound |

|
|

|  |
Georgian Bay / Shawanaga 17B |

The Archipelago (north part)

| Whitestone
|  |
| Carling, Shawanaga 17, Unorganized Centre Parry Sound (exclave) |

South part

|  | Wasauksing First Nation |

|
|

|  |
Georgian Bay |

The Archipelago (south part)

| Seguin
|  |
| Georgian Bay |

* v
* t
* e

Parry Sound District, Ontario

Towns|

* Kearney
* Parry Sound
* Powassan

Townships|

* The Archipelago
* Armour
* Callander
* Carling
* Joly
* Machar
* Magnetawan
* McDougall
* McKellar
* McMurrich/Monteith
* Nipissing
* Perry
* Ryerson
* Seguin
* Strong
* Whitestone

Villages|

* Burk's Falls
* South River
* Sundridge

First Nations|

* Dokis
* Henvey Inlet
* Magnetawan
* Shawanaga
* Wasauksing

Indian reserves|

* Dokis 9
* French River 13
* Henvey Inlet 2
* Magnetawan 1
* Naiscoutaing 17A
* Parry Island
* Shawanaga 17
* Shawanaga 17B

Local services boards|

* Britt and Byng Inlet
* Laurier
* Loring, Port Loring and District
* Restoule

Unorganized areas|

* Centre
* North East

See also
Communities in Parry Sound District
Census divisions of Ontario
*[Pop.]: Population
*[±%]: Percent change
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