- West Elgin, Ontario
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West Elgin — Township — West Elgin Arena
West ElginCoordinates: 42°35′N 81°40′W / 42.583°N 81.667°WCoordinates: 42°35′N 81°40′W / 42.583°N 81.667°W Country 
CanadaProvince 
OntarioCounty Elgin Settled Formed January 1, 1998 Government – Mayor Bernhard Wiehle – Federal riding Elgin—Middlesex—London – Prov. riding Elgin—Middlesex—London Area[1] – Land 322.52 km2 (124.5 sq mi) Population (2006)[1] – Total 5,349 – Density 16.6/km2 (43/sq mi) Time zone EST (UTC-5) – Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4) Postal Code N0L Area code(s) 519 and 226 Website www.westelgin.net 
West Lorne is home to Dynamotive Energy Systems bio-oil plant
West Elgin is a municipality and census subdivision in Elgin County, Ontario, Canada. The township was created on January 1, 1998, by amalgamating the former township of Aldborough with the village of West Lorne.
The two main population centres within the township are Rodney and West Lorne. Additionally, it also includes the smaller communities of Eagle, New Glasgow, and Port Glasgow.
Contents
History
The original township of Aldborough was named in 1792 after Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England.
The community of Rodney was originally named Stewart's Mills after the owner of the first sawmill in the community. From 1840 to 1865, it was called Centreville due to its central location at the intersection of Furnival Road and 7th Concession (now Downie Line). In 1865, the community was renamed Rodney after British naval officer George Brydges Rodney. The centre of the village was relocated three kilometres to the south when the Canada Southern Railway was built in the area in 1872.
The community of West Lorne also had its origins the Canada Southern Railway. Originally named Bismarck after the German chancellor, the community was renamed West Clayton, Dutton, Lorne and finally West Lorne. The name came from the Lorne Mills on the south side of the railway, themselves named for the Marquess of Lorne. The station itself was renamed West Lorne in 1907 to avoid confusion with a community named Bismarck in Lincoln County.
The villages of Rodney and West Lorne were incorporated as municipalities in 1907 and 1908 respectively, and separated from the township. Subsequently, Aldborough remained a mainly rural municipality.
In 1994, Aldborough and Rodney amalgamated to form an expanded Township of Aldborough. In 1998, Aldborough amalgamated with West Lorne to form West Elgin.
Infrastructure
West Lorne is home to western Elgin County's only high school, West Elgin Secondary School.
West Lorne is linked by Elgin County Road 76 to the 401, a major arterial highway link in Ontario affording easy access to Windsor, Chatham, St. Thomas, London, Brantford, Toronto, and many other places.
Local agriculture includes dairy farming, mixed farming, fruit growing and a sizeable tobacco industry. The town of West Lorne was greatly influenced by the railroad that crosses through the heart of the village. The railroad provided jobs for the first residents of the area. There is also some light manufacturing in the town.
Demographics
Canada census – West Elgin, Ontario Community Profile 2006 2001 Population:
Land area:
Population density:
Median age:
Total private dwellings:
Mean household income:5349 (-2.1% from 2001)
322.52 km2 (124.53 sq mi)
16.6 /km2 (43 /sq mi)
42.9 (males: 42.4, females: 43.4)
2216
$49,4155464 (-2.0% from 1996)
322.52 km2 (124.53 sq mi)
16.9 /km2 (44 /sq mi)
39.4 (males: 38.7, females: 40.3)
2221
$44,217Population trend:[4]
- Population in 2006: 5349
- Population in 2001: 5464
- Population total in 1996: 5573
- Aldborough (township): 4042
- West Lorne (village): 1531
- Population in 1991:
- Aldborough (township): 3889
- West Lorne (village): 1477
Notable attractions
- Ontario has had some historical claimants, by towns, for the smallest jailhouse in the province. These have included: Tweed, Coboconk and Creemore. However, the jailhouse in Rodney has proven to be smaller than all three, measuring in at 4.5 metres by 5.4 metres. Today, it serves as a part-time tourist information centre. Other villages in Ontario with similar jailhouse dimensions include: Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Providence Bay, Ontario, the ghost town of Berens River and Ray.
References
- ^ a b "West Elgin community profile". 2006 Census data. Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3534042&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=West%20Elgin&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
- ^ "2006 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. Government of Canada. 2009-02-24. http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/index.cfm?Lang=E. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
- ^ "2001 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. Government of Canada. 2007-02-01. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/CP01/Index.cfm?Lang=E. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
- ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
External links
- Municipality of West Elgin
- The St.Thomas - Elgin Tourist Association - West Elgin
- West Lorne Lakers Junior Hockey Club
- Western Elgin Experience
- West Elgin Chronicle
Southwest Middlesex
Thames RiverDutton/Dunwich 
West Elgin 
Chatham-Kent Lake Erie Categories:- Township municipalities in Ontario
- Municipalities in Elgin County, Ontario
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