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Elgin County and the City of St. Thomas are located in southwestern Ontario on the north shore of Lake Erie, bordered by Middlesex County to the north, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent to the West, Norfolk County to the east, and Oxford County to the northeast. Elgin County is an upper-tier municipality that is comprised of seven lower-tier municipalities: the Municipality of Bayham, Malahide Township, the Town of Aylmer, the Municipality of Central Elgin, Southwold Township, the Municipality of Dutton-Dunwich, and the Municipality of West Elgin. The City of St. Thomas is also located within Elgin County, but is considered a single-tier municipality with separate administration.

Elgin County is a largely rural area. Major industries in the Elgin County census division (including St. Thomas) include manufacturing, health care and social assistance, retail trade, and construction, employing 17%, 13%, 10%, and 10% of the workforce, respectively (2021). In comparison to Ontario as a whole, a larger proportion of Elgin County’s workforce is employed in both manufacturing and construction. Additionally, a larger proportion of Elgin County’s workforce is employed in the agriculture sector: 5% in Elgin County compared to 2% in Ontario (2021).

Major employers in Elgin County include the Integrated Grain Processing Co-Operative, Ontario Plants Propagation Limited, Steelway Building Systems, ETBO Tool and Die, and North Star Windows and Doors (source: Elgin County). Major manufacturing employers in St. Thomas include Masco Canada Limited and Formet Industries and Presstran Industries (both divisions of Magna Structural Systems Inc.) (Source: St. Thomas and District Chamber of Commerce)

Elgin County is situated on the traditional lands of the Attiwonderonk (Neutral), Haudenosaunee, and Anishinaabek, and later became home to the Lūnaapéewak Nations, on lands covered by the Upper Canada Treaties, specifically Treaty 2 (McKee Treaty, 1790) and Treaty 3 (Between the Lakes Purchase and Collins Purchase, 1792). This area is also covered by the Dish with One Spoon wampum, under which multiple nations came together in peace to care for the land and the resources of the Great Lakes. Today, Elgin County is also bordered by the communities of Munsee-Delaware First Nation, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, and Oneida Nation of the Thames.

Elgin County Census Division

Population: 94 752

Area: 1878 km2

Largest population centre: St. Thomas

Number & percentage of immigrants: 10 920 (11.5% of the total population)

Number & percentage of new immigrants*: 835 (0.8% of the total population)

*Immigrated in the last five years (2016-2021)

Number & percentage of visible minorities: 4275 (4.5% of the total population)

Most common ethnic or cultural origins: Canadian, English, Irish, Scottish, German, Dutch, French, Mennonite

English 27 645
Scottish 19 750
Canadian 18 575
Irish 17 250
German 13 460
Dutch 9 165
French 6 910
Mennonite 4 395

Most common knowledge of language other than English: German, French, Plautdietsch, Spanish and Dutch

German 4305
French 3900
Plautdietsch 2870
Low German* 370
Spanish 1530
Dutch 885

*Low German is not in the top four, but is used interchangeably to refer to Plautdietsch, and so has been included to give a full picture of Plautdietsch speakers. It is also likely that some people reporting German language knowledge are referring to Plautdietsch.

Educational attainment:

Highest certificate, diploma or degree* Count Percentage of population aged 25-64 years (25% sample data)
No certificate, diploma, or degree 16 070 21%
Secondary school diploma or equivalency 24 085 32%
Apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma 4860 6%
College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma 20 375 27%
University certificate or diploma below bachelor level 1000 1%
Bachelor’s degree or higher 10 010 13%

*For population aged 25-64 years, 25% sample data

Industries employing the largest percentage of the workforce: Manufacturing, Health Care and Social Assistance, Retail Trade, Construction, and Educational Services.

Industry Total Male Female
Manufacturing 7995 5745 2250
Health Care and Social Assistance 6190 825 5370
Retail Trade 4745 2335 2415
Construction 4695 4150 550
Educational Services 2935 755 2180

The Municipality of Bayham

The Municipality of Bayham is the easternmost municipality in Elgin County. The largest population centre is Port Burwell.

Population: 7096

Area: 244 km2

Largest population centre: Port Burwell

Number & percentage of immigrants: 1300 (18% of total population)

Number & percentage of new immigrants*: 75 (1%)

*Immigrated in the last five years (2016-2021)

Number & percentage of visible minorities: 145 (2%)

Most common ethnic or cultural origins: Mennonite, Canadian, Mexican, English, German

Malahide Township

A man fishing in a pond surrounded by leafy trees.

Malahide Township is situated between the Municipality of Central Elgin to the west and the Municipality of Bayham to the east and surrounds the Town of Aylmer. The largest population centre is Springfield.

Population: 9308

Area: 394 km2

Largest population centre: Springfield

Number & percentage of immigrants: 1495 (16% of total population)

Number & percentage of new immigrants*: 105 (1% of total population)

*Immigrated in the last five years (2016-2021)

Number & percentage of visible minorities: 155 (2% of total population)

Most common ethnic or cultural origins: English, Canadian, German, Mennonite, Scottish

The Town of Aylmer

A photograph of Aylmer Town Hall, a three storey red-brick building with a clock tower.

The Town of Aylmer is surrounded by Malahide Township.

Population: 7699

Area: 6 km2

Largest population centre: N/A

Number & percentage of immigrants: 1295 (17% of total population)

Number & percentage of new immigrants*: 75 (1% of total population)

*Immigrated in the last five years (2016-2021)

Number & percentage of visible minorities: 240 (3% of total population)

Most common ethnic or cultural origins: German, English, Canadian, Scottish, Mennonite

The Municipality of Central Elgin

The beach at Port Stanley, with a row of cottages behind it.

Central Elgin is located in the centre of Elgin County, bordered by Southwold Township to the west and Malahide Township to the east. The largest population centre is Port Stanley.

Population: 13 746

Area: 280 km2

Largest population centre: Port Stanley

Number & percentage of immigrants: 1340 (10% of total population)

Number & percentage of new immigrants*: 120 (1% of total population)

*Immigrated in the last five years (2016-2021)

Number & percentage of visible minorities: 420 (3% of total population)

Most common ethnic or cultural origins: English, Scottish, Irish, Canadian, German

The City of St. Thomas

The City of St. Thomas is surrounded by Central Elgin to the east and Southwold Township to the west.

Population: 42 840

Area: 36 km2

Largest population centre: N/A

Number & percentage of immigrants: 4400 (10% of total population)

Number & percentage of new immigrants*: 405 (1% of total population)

*Immigrated in the last five years (2016-2021)

Number & percentage of visible minorities: 2990 (7% of total population)

Most common ethnic or cultural origins: English, Scottish, Canadian, Irish, German

Southwold Township

A White man with short brown hair stands outside a large greenhouse structure.

Southwold Township is situated between the Municipality of Dutton-Dunwich to the west and the Municipality of Central Elgin to the east. The largest population centre is Shedden.

Population: 4851

Area: 301 km2

Largest population centre: Shedden

Number & percentage of immigrants: 310 (6% of total population)

Number & percentage of new immigrants*: 25 (0.5% of total population)

*Immigrated in the last five years (2016-2021)

Number & percentage of visible minorities: 105 (2% of total population)

Most common ethnic or cultural origins: English, Scottish, Canadian, Irish, Dutch

Municipality of Dutton-Dunwich

An old-style wooden barn in front of a harvested field. There are trees with orange leaves beside it.

The Municipality of Dutton-Dunwich is located between the Municipality of West Elgin to the west and Southwold Township to the east. The largest population centre is Dutton.

Population: 4152

Area: 294 km2

Largest population centre: Dutton

Number & percentage of immigrants: 230 (6% of total population)

Number & percentage of new immigrants*: 15 (0.4% of total population)

*Immigrated in the last five years (2016-2021)

Number & percentage of visible minorities: 80 (2% of total population)

Most common ethnic or cultural origins: English, Scottish, Irish, Canadian, German

Municipality of West Elgin

A photograph of a hay bale in a field, with a forest behind and a striking cloudy sky with sun peeking through.

The Municipality of West Elgin is the westernmost municipality in Elgin County. The largest population centre is West Lorne.

Population: 5060

Area: 322 km2

Largest population centre: West Lorne

Number & percentage of immigrants: 545 (11% of total population)

Number & percentage of new immigrants*: 20 (0.4% of total population)

*Immigrated in the last five years (2016-2021)

Number & percentage of visible minorities: 140 (3% of total population)

Most common ethnic or cultural origins: English, Scottish, Irish, Canadian, German

Bayham Malahide Aylmer Central Elgin St Thomas Southwold Dutton/Dunwich West Elgin Image Map

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