Clearview, Ontario
Clearview is an incorporated township in Simcoe County in Central Ontario, Canada, west of Barrie and south of Collingwood and Wasaga Beach in Simcoe County.
History
Clearview Township was established on January 1, 1994, when the Town of Stayner, the Village of Creemore and the Townships of Nottawasaga and Sunnidale were amalgamated. The Townships of Nottawasaga and Sunnidale were incorporated in 1851 and 1858, respectively.Early settlement on the site of Stayner coincided with the construction of a railway line from Toronto to Collingwood, Ontario between 1851 and 1855. The community of Stayner, which was originally called Nottawasaga Station, developed into a significant agricultural and lumbering centre. Stayner was incorporated as a village in 1872, and as a Town in 1888. The Village of Creemore was incorporated effective 20 November 1889.
Geography
The township comprises the communities of Avening, Batteaux, Brentwood, Cashtown Corners, Creemore, Dunedin, Duntroon, Glen Huron, Maple Valley, New Lowell, Nottawa, Pretty River Valley, Smithdale, Stayner, Sunnidale, Sunnidale Corners and Websterville.It borders on the following municipalities:
- North Collingwood, Wasaga Beach
- East Springwater, Essa
- South Adjala-Tosorontio, Mulmur, Melancthon
- West Grey Highlands, The Blue Mountains
Located in the Great Lakes lowlands, it has fertile soil quite suitable for farming. As a result of the proximity to the Great Lakes it suffers from Lake Effect.
Demographics
Economy
As of 2006, compared to Ontario as a whole, Construction, Agriculture, and Manufacturing industries employ a greater than average percentage of the workforce. The employment rate was 67.1% and the unemployment rate was 4.5%. 40% of the workforce worked outside the municipality and 13% worked from home.The well-known Creemore Springs Brewery is located in Creemore.
Health Canada medical marijuana licensed producers The Peace Naturals Project and Agripharm Corp. produces their medicinal Cannabis in Clearview Township.
The Stayner Sun is the township's newspaper of record. It has published continually since 1877. The newspaper is owned by Metroland Media Group.
Attractions
Creemore was one of the original claimants for the location of Ontario's smallest jailhouse. Its jailhouse, with dimensions at 4.5 metres by 6 metres, make it smaller than the other early claimants, Tweed, Ontario and Coboconk; however, others in Rodney, Ontario, Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Providence Bay, Ontario and Berens River are smaller. Today, the jail has been converted into a museum.There are two arenas, 3 Baseball Parks and 2 Golf Courses in Clearview. Devil's Glen Provincial Park and Carruther's Memorial Conservation Area as well as the Mel McKean Memorial Park, Gowan Memorial Park, Ives Park, Kinsmen Participark, and Legion Park are also located there. There is also a small conservation area with a large pond in the village of New Lowell.
The Great Northern Exhibition is held annually in Clearview Township.
Government
The township is administered by a Town Council with one member from each of the seven wards, a Mayor and Deputy-mayor.The administration of the town is divided into the Departments of Finance, Planning and Development, Public Works, an Administration staff as well as the Public Library and Fire Department. All the main administrative buildings of Clearview are located in Stayner.
The 2019 approved budget for the township was $28.98 million.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Major roads in Clearview include Highway 26, County Road 124,, County Road 42, as well as other county roads such as 7, 9, 10, and 91. Despite its name, Collingwood Airport is also located in Clearview.Clearview Public Transit is a small system that runs in the Clearview Township operating one route that connects in Wasaga Beach. The system started November 21, 2016 and is operated by Sinton-Landmark.
The Simcoe County LINX inter-community bus service's 2 Wasaga Beach to Barrie route has stops in Clearview at the Brentwood Community Centre in Brentwood and the Clearview Administration Centre in Stayner.
Services
Clearview is served by Collingwood General And Marine Hospital in Collingwood. Policing services are provided by the Huronia West detachment of the OPP out of Wasaga Beach. Fire protection is provided by volunteer fire stations located throughout the township.Education
Clearview township is served by the Simcoe County District School Board, Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board and the French Catholic School Board Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir. A number of schools, although located in other municipalities, have catchment areas that extend into Clearview.| Name | Type | Location | Board | Municipality |
| Byng Public School | Primary | Stayner | SCDSB | Clearview |
| Clearview Meadows Elementary School | Primary | Stayner | SCDSB | Clearview |
| Duntroon Central Public School | Primary | Duntroon | SCDSB | Clearview |
| New Lowell Central Public School | Primary | New Lowell | SCDSB | Clearview |
| Our Lady of the Assumption School | Primary | New Lowell | SMCDS | Clearview |
| Nottawa Elementary School | Primary | Nottawa | SCDSB | Clearview |
| Nottawasaga & Creemore Public School | Primary | Creemore | SCDSB | Clearview |
| St. Mary's School | Primary | Collingwood | SMCDS | Collingwood |
| St. Noel Chabanel | Primary | Wasaga Beach | SMCDS | Wasaga Beach |
| Stayner Collegiate Institute | Secondary | Stayner | SCDSB | Clearview |
| Collingwood Collegiate Institute | Secondary | Collingwood | SCDSB | Collingwood |
| Jean Vanier High School | Secondary | Collingwood | SMCDS | Collingwood |
While there is no post-secondary education in Clearview itself, the main campus of Georgian College is in nearby Barrie with a satellite campus in Collingwood nearby.
The Clearview Public Library maintains branches in Stayner, Creemore and New Lowell.