Selwyn, Ontario, a township nestled in the heart of Peterborough County in central-eastern Ontario, Canada, is a place where history and charm intertwine. Formerly known as Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield, the township adopted its current name in 2013, following a by-law passed in 2012.
The history of Selwyn, Ontario, dates back to January 1, 1998, when Ennismore and Smith Townships merged to form the Township of Smith-Ennismore. A few years later, on January 1, 2001, a Minister's Order amalgamated the formerly independent Village of Lakefield with the Township of Smith-Ennismore and part of Douro–Dummer Township, creating the township in its current form.
The name change to Selwyn occurred on December 11, 2012, when the township council voted 3 to 2 in favor of a new name. This decision was prompted by Canada Post's notification to many residents about the need to change addresses to reflect the municipality due to the phasing out of its rural route system.
Selwyn, Ontario, is a diverse township comprising several communities, including Bridgenorth, Chemong Heights, Chemong Park, Connaught Shore, Deer Bay, Emerald Isle, Ennismore, Fife's Bay, Flood's Landing, Fowlers Corners, Gannon Beach, Gannon Village, Kawartha Park, Kimberley Park, Lakefield, Selwyn Shores, Stewart Heights, Tera View Heights, Tindle Bay, Victoria Springs, Village Meadows, Windward Sands, Woodland Acres, Young's Cove, Young's Point, and Youngstown.
The township is predominantly rural, with 67 percent of its area encompassing small villages, hamlets, and the urban areas of Lakefield, Bridgenorth - Chemong Park, and Woodland Acres. Farms dot the flat areas, nestled between rolling hills and lakes. The Trent-Severn Waterway, a significant feature of the township, passes through it.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Selwyn, Ontario, had a population of 18,653 living in 7,483 of its 8,540 total private dwellings. This figure represents a 9.3% increase from its 2016 population of 17,060. With a land area of 316.12 km2 (122.05 sq mi), the township had a population density of 59.0/km2 (152.8/sq mi) in 2021.
The majority of the population speaks English as their first language (92.4%), followed by French (1.3%), and other languages (6.3%).
Selwyn, Ontario, particularly Lakefield, has been the setting for various works of fiction and film. In Paul Nicholas Mason's novel Battered Soles (2005), Lakefield is the site of a pilgrimage that attracts thousands of pilgrims from around the world. Mason's second novel, The Red Dress (2008), is also set in Lakefield.
In film, Lakefield and Lakefield College School were used as the location for the 1977 Canadian film Age of Innocence (aka Ragtime Summer). In the winter of 2010, Verizon shot a commercial at Lakefield's Ontario Speed Skating Oval outdoor speed skating rink. The National Film Board documentary Unheralded (2011), directed by Aaron Hancox, focuses on the Lakefield Herald and its journalists as they cover events in and around the town.
