Halton Hills

Not to be confused with Haldon Hills.

Halton Hills
Town (lower-tier)
Town of Halton Hills
Main Street, Georgetown
Coat of arms Logo
Motto: Hereditas Integritas Veritas (Latin: Heritage, integrity, truth)
Location of Halton Hills in Halton Region
Location of Halton Hills in Ontario
Coordinates:
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Region	Halton
Incorporated	1974
Government
• Mayor	Rick Bonnette
• Federal riding	Wellington—Halton Hills
• Prov. riding	Wellington—Halton Hills
Area
• Land	276.26 km2 (106.66 sq mi)
• Urban	39.52 km2 (15.26 sq mi)
• Rural	236.74 km2 (91.41 sq mi)
Highest elevation	411 m (1,348 ft)
Lowest elevation	197 m (646 ft)
Population (2011)
• Town (lower-tier)	59,008
• Density	213.60/km2 (553.2/sq mi)
• Urban	49,854
• Urban density	1,300/km2 (3,300/sq mi)
• Rural	9,154
• Rural density	39/km2 (100/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s)	905, 289 and 365
NTS Map	030M12
GNBC Code	FBLIE
Website	www.haltonhills.ca

Halton Hills is a town in the Regional Municipality of Halton, located in the northwestern end of the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada.

The primary population centres are Georgetown and Acton. Additionally, there are a number of hamlets and rural clusters within the town, including Ashgrove, Ballinafad (straddling the boundary with Erin), Bannockburn, Crewsons Corners (straddling the boundary with Erin, Guelph-Eramosa and Milton), Glen Williams, Henderson's Corners, Hornby, Limehouse, Mansewood, Norval, Scotch Block, Silver Creek, Speyside, Stewarttown, Terra Cotta (straddling the boundary with Caledon), and Wildwood.

There are also natural features within these bounds, including the Niagara Escarpment, and the Bruce Trail. Many of these local features are protected by the Conservation Halton, Credit Valley Conservation & Grand River Conservation Authority.

Geography

Natural and environmental features in Halton Hills

Black Creek
River
Basin	79.28 km2 (31 sq mi)
Discharge	for
- average	0.231 m3/s (8 cu ft/s)
- max	0.353 m3/s (12 cu ft/s)
- min	0.142 m3/s (5 cu ft/s)

Credit River, West Branch
River
Basin	127.00 km2 (49 sq mi)
Discharge	for
- average	1.33 m3/s (47 cu ft/s)
- max	2.06 m3/s (73 cu ft/s)
- min	0.683 m3/s (24 cu ft/s)

The town is bisected by the Niagara Escarpment from southwest to northeast, and a significant portion of the rural area is located within the provincial Greenbelt. Above the Escarpment, a large proportion of the rural area is classified as environmentally sensitive wetlands, and there are several sites that are licensed for aggregate extraction, for which expansion requires detailed environmental assessment. Below the Escarpment, the rural area is mainly agricultural, with the exception of an industrial area currently being development between Highway 401 and Steeles Avenue.

The town also forms part of three watersheds:

• to the west of Acton, a small area flows toward the Grand River
• the northern half flows into the Credit River, including the Black Creek and Silver Creek tributaries
• the southern half flows into the Sixteen Mile Creek

The Water Survey of Canada operates two hydrometric monitoring stations in the town, on the Black Creek below Acton, and at Norval on the Credit River.

Vegetation

Halton Hills is located in the transition zone between the Huron-Ontario Forest Section of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest zone to the north and the Niagara Section of the Carolinian forest zone to the south. Both forest zones are part of the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone. The natural vegetation in the Huron-Ontario Section is dominated by mixed wood forests. It is a transitional type between the southern deciduous forests and the northern coniferous forests. The forest communities of the Niagara Section are dominated by broad-leaved trees. Overall, Halton Hills consists predominantly of agricultural lands with scattered woodlands and wetlands. The woodlands are mainly deciduous forest and the wetlands are either cedar swamp or cattail marsh.

Endangered and threatened species

American ginseng exists in the town, and is protected under the Endangered Species Act, 2007. Butternut trees are also threatened by the butternut canker. The hooded warbler and the Jefferson salamander are also designated as threatened species.

Brook trout had been eliminated from the Black Creek watershed for many years, following an environmental disaster south of Acton in March 1946. The trout have sinced returned, and anglers report that fishing is good.

Geology

The physiography and distribution of surface material in the Town of Halton Hills are the result of glacial activity which took place in the Late Wisconsinan Substage of the Pleistocene Epoch. This period of time, which lasted from approximately 23,000 to 10,000 years ago, was marked by the repeated advance and melting back of massive, continental ice sheets.

The Niagara Escarpment dominates the physiography of the town and greatly influenced the pattern of glaciation in the region. The Escarpment, formed by erosion over millions of years, is a high relief bedrock scarp which trends to the north through the central part of the town. To the west, on the upper surface of the Escarpment, hummocky morainic ridges deposited by glacial ice form part of the Horseshoe Moraines physiographic region. To the southeast below the Escarpment, is a smooth glacial till plain partially bevelled by lacustrine action, which forms part of the South Slope and Peel Plain physiographic regions.

The Town of Halton Hills is underlain by Ordovician shales of the Queenston Formation east of the Niagara Escarpment, and by Silurian dolostones of the Amabel Formation west of the Escarpment. The escarpment face exposes a complex succession of shales, sandstones, limestones and dolostones of the Clinton and Cataract Groups. Red shales of the Queenston Formation underlie the eastern half of the town and are generally covered by more than 15 m of glacial sediments, predominantly the Halton Till. There are several areas of thin drift cover south of Georgetown.

The quarrying of limestone has been undertaken since the 19th century, and the lime industry was once quite prevalent. In 1886, the Toronto Lime Company had operations in Limehouse and Acton, employing a total of four draw kilns and eleven set kilns, producing common lime and water lime. At Limehouse, rock from the Clinton formation yielded green and brown shales and blue marl, which were used in the manufacture of mineral paints.

Small oil and gas deposits have been discovered northwest and south of Acton, and around Hornby. While exploration had occurred as early as 1908, with oil being discovered in 1912, significant strikes did not occur until 1954.

The town is located in an area that is considered to be of low seismic potential, and the largest recent earthquake to take place within its limits was of magnitude 3 on 29 June 1955. There is a POLARIS seismic monitoring station located just west of Acton.

Climate

Halton Hills has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb).

The Town has two distinct climate zones:

• Zone 5a - north of the Niagara Escarpment
• Zone 5b - south of the Escarpment

Environment Canada operates one climate monitoring station at Georgetown.

Climate data for Georgetown WWTP (Halton Hills), 1981−2010
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	17.0 (62.6)	15.5 (59.9)	25.0 (77)	31.5 (88.7)	34.5 (94.1)	36.0 (96.8)	37.0 (98.6)	36.5 (97.7)	35.5 (95.9)	29.5 (85.1)	22.0 (71.6)	20.5 (68.9)	37.0 (98.6)
Average high °C (°F)	−1.7 (28.9)	−0.2 (31.6)	4.6 (40.3)	12.1 (53.8)	19.1 (66.4)	24.4 (75.9)	26.9 (80.4)	25.8 (78.4)	21.4 (70.5)	14.3 (57.7)	7.3 (45.1)	1.1 (34)	12.9 (55.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−6.3 (20.7)	−5.2 (22.6)	−0.9 (30.4)	6.0 (42.8)	12.3 (54.1)	17.4 (63.3)	20.0 (68)	19.0 (66.2)	14.8 (58.6)	8.4 (47.1)	2.8 (37)	−2.9 (26.8)	7.1 (44.8)
Average low °C (°F)	−10.9 (12.4)	−10.2 (13.6)	−6.4 (20.5)	−0.2 (31.6)	5.3 (41.5)	10.4 (50.7)	13.0 (55.4)	12.1 (53.8)	8.1 (46.6)	2.4 (36.3)	−1.7 (28.9)	−6.9 (19.6)	1.3 (34.3)
Record low °C (°F)	−33.0 (−27.4)	−31.5 (−24.7)	−28.0 (−18.4)	−13.0 (8.6)	−5.0 (23)	−0.5 (31.1)	3.0 (37.4)	0.0 (32)	−4.0 (24.8)	−8.5 (16.7)	−15.5 (4.1)	−29.5 (−21.1)	−33.0 (−27.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	67.8 (2.669)	60.0 (2.362)	57.2 (2.252)	76.5 (3.012)	79.3 (3.122)	74.8 (2.945)	73.5 (2.894)	79.3 (3.122)	86.2 (3.394)	68.3 (2.689)	88.5 (3.484)	65.9 (2.594)	877.4 (34.543)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	29.7 (1.169)	28.4 (1.118)	35.2 (1.386)	71.3 (2.807)	79.0 (3.11)	74.8 (2.945)	73.5 (2.894)	79.3 (3.122)	86.2 (3.394)	67.8 (2.669)	79.9 (3.146)	36.4 (1.433)	741.5 (29.193)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	38.1 (15)	31.7 (12.48)	22.1 (8.7)	5.2 (2.05)	0.3 (0.12)	0.0 (0)	0.0 (0)	0.0 (0)	0.0 (0)	0.5 (0.2)	8.6 (3.39)	29.5 (11.61)	135.9 (53.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)	12.6	9.4	10.6	12.4	11.9	11.2	10.6	10.6	11.7	12.3	13.3	12.3	138.9
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)	4.1	4.1	6.4	11.6	11.8	11.2	10.6	10.6	11.7	12.2	11.4	6.5	112.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm)	9.4	6.2	4.8	1.4	0.04	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.27	2.5	6.9	31.5
Source: Environment Canada

History

Halton Hills was established in 1974 through the amalgamation of the former Towns of Georgetown and Acton, together with much of the former Township of Esquesing, and a small portion of the Town of Oakville lying north of Ontario Highway 401.

On August 1, 2013, Toronto Premium Outlets, the first Premium Outlets Centre in Canada, opened for business.

Demographics

Halton Hills
Year	Pop.	±%
1981	35,190	—
1991	36,816	+4.6%
1996	42,390	+15.1%
2001	48,184	+13.7%
2006	55,289	+14.7%
2011	59,008	+6.7%

According to the Canada 2011 Census, the population of Halton Hills is 59,008, a 6.7% increase from 2006. The population density is 213.6 people per square km. The median age is 39.9 years old, almost on par with the national median at 40.6 years old. There are 20,548 private dwellings with an occupancy rate of 98.6%. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, the median value of a dwelling in Halton Hills is $400,491 which is significantly higher than the national average at $280,552. The median household income (after-taxes) in Halton Hills is $80,266, a lot higher than the national average at $54,089.

Halton Hills is mostly made up of European descents. The racial make up of Halton Hills is:

• 93.5% White
• 1.6% South Asian; 0.9% Indian, 0.7% Pakistani, 0.1% Sri Lankan
• 1.4% Aboriginal; 0.8% First Nations, 0.4% Metis
• 1.0% Black
• 0.9% East Asian; 0.6% Chinese, 0.1% Korean, 0.2% Japanese
• 0.6% Southeast Asian; 0.4% Filipino
• 0.6% Latin American
• 0.1% West Asian
• 0.0% Arab
• 0.3% Multiracial; 0.7% including Metis
• 0.2% Other

Religiously, most people in Halton Hills identify or affiliate either with Christianity (72.1%), or with no religion (26.3%). The remaining 1.6% affiliate with another religion.

Visible Minorities and Aboriginals

Group	2011 Census		2006 Census		2001 Census		1996 Census
	Population	% of total	Population	% of Total	Population	% of Total	Population	% of Total
Aboriginal	1,645	2.8	480	0.9	205	0.4	140	0.3
Visible Minority	2,980	5.2	2,235	4.1	1,625	3.4	1,195	2.8
All other	53,325	92.0	52,305	95.0	46,155	96.2	40,910	96.9
Total	57,950	100.0	55,020	100.0	47,985	100.0	42,245	100.0

Population by mother tongue

Group	2011 Census		2006 Census		2001 Census		1996 Census
	Population	% of total	Population	% of Total	Population	% of Total	Population	% of Total
English	50,525	86.0	47,765	86.8	42,305	88.2	37,425	88.6
French	1,270	2.2	1,025	1.9	1,035	2.2	750	1.8
English and French	170	0.3	75	0.1	45	-	90	0.2
All other	6,305	10.7	6,155	11.2	4,590	9.6	3,980	9.4
Total	58,725	100.0	55,020	100.0	47,985	100.0	42,245	100.0

(Other languages, 2011: Polish 1.4%, Portuguese 1.3%, Italian 1.1%, German 1.0%)

Mobility over previous five years

Group	2011 Census		2006 Census		2001 Census		1996 Census
	Population	% of total	Population	% of Total	Population	% of Total	Population	% of Total
At the same address	37,510	68.6	30,270	58.9	25,135	56.4	22,370	57.4
In the same municipality	7,460	13.6	8,480	16.5	17,540	39.3	7,175	18.4
In the same province	8,625	15.8	11,180	21.7			8,285	21.2
From another province	520	1.0	765	1.5	1,920	4.3	735	1.9
From another country	525	1.0	720	1.4			430	1.1
Total aged 5 or over	54,640	100.0	51,420	100.0	44,595	100.0	39,000	100.0

Local government

The town is divided into four wards, each of which elects two local councillors. Two regional councillors are also elected - one from Wards 1 and 2 (i.e., the area that was in the former Town of Acton and the former Township of Esquesing), and one from Wards 3 and 4 (i.e., the area in the former Town of Georgetown). The mayor is elected at large. The mayor and the regional councilors represent the town at the council meetings of the Regional Municipality of Halton.

The current membership of the town council is as follows:

Position	Ward 1	Ward 2	Ward 3	Ward 4
Mayor	Rick Bonnette
Regional Councillor	Clark Somerville		Jane Fogal
Local Councillor	Jon Hurst	Ted Brown	Moya Johnson	Bob Inglis
	Mike Albano	Bryan Lewis	David Kentner	Ann Lawlor

The libraries in the Town are managed by the Halton Hills Public Library Board.

Symbols

In 1975, the Lord Lyon King of Arms awarded arms to the town, followed by the grant of a badge in 1984. Both were subsequently registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority in 2005. They are specifically described as follows:

• Arms: Per pale, dexter Or two bendlets wavy Sable, sinister Azure two escarpes wavy Argent, a chief per fess dancetty Azure and Argent, overall a white pine tree (Pinus strobus) proper;
• Motto: Hereditas Integritas Veritas (Latin: Heritage, integrity, truth)
• Badge: On an oval Azure a white pine tree Argent within a wreath of five oak leaves alternating with five papyrus leaves Or.

Transportation

The town has four main roads:

East-west

• Highway 7 connecting Acton and Georgetown
• Regional Road 8 (Steeles Avenue) between Milton and Brampton

North-south

• Regional Road 25 between Acton and Milton
• Regional Road 3 (Trafalgar Road) between Ballinafad and Oakville

Georgetown railway station

Bus service is provided by GO Transit along Highway 7 on its Georgetown line corridor. Via Rail and GO Train service are provided at Georgetown GO Station.

The Grand Trunk Railway brought train service to the area in 1856, with stations at Acton and Georgetown. Passenger service to Acton ceased in the 1990s, but GO Train service is planned to be revived there in 2013.

Rail freight service is also provided by Canadian National on its Halton Subdivision from Georgetown southwest through Milton to Burlington. CN's Guelph Subdivision between Georgetown and London is currently managed by Goderich–Exeter Railway.

From 1917 to 1931, Norval, Georgetown and Acton were also served by the Toronto Suburban Railway.

Schools

Type	Halton District School Board	Halton Catholic District School Board	Independent
Secondary school	Acton District High School Georgetown District High School	Christ the King Catholic Secondary School
Primary school	Centennial Public School Gardiner Public School George Kennedy Public School Glen Williams Public School Harrison Public School Joseph Gibbons Public School Limehouse Public School McKenzie-Smith Bennett Public School Park Public School Pineview Public School Robert Little Public School Silver Creek Public School Stewarttown Middle School	Holy Cross St. Brigid St. Catherine of Alexandria St. Francis of Assisi St. Joseph	Halton Hills Christian School

Media

Halton Hills is covered by the following local newspapers and online media:

• Georgetown Independent
• Acton Free Press
• The Acton New Tanner
• The Halton Compass
• Halton Herald
• In Georgetown Community Website

In addition, the transmitter for clear channel radio station CFZM is located in Hornby. This facility had long been used by CBC Radio One flagship CBL.

See also

• List of townships in Ontario

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons