Essex is a vibrant town located in Essex County, southwestern Ontario, Canada. With a population of 21,216, the town extends its municipal borders all the way to Lake Erie. The largest community within the municipality also bears the name Essex.
Essex, Ontario is a diverse town comprising several communities. These include Ambassador Beach, Barretville, Belcreft Beach, Colchester, Edgars, Essex Centre, Gesto, Harrow, Klie's Beach, Leslies Corner, Levergood Beach, Lypps Beach, Marshfield, McGregor, New Canaan, Oxley, Paquette Corners, Seymour Beach, and Vereker.
The current Town of Essex was established on 1 April 1999 through the amalgamation of the former towns of Essex and Harrow, along with the former townships of Colchester North and Colchester South. Each community has a distinct history prior to amalgamation. Notably, Colchester South lies farther south than the northern border of California.
The Talbot Trail played a significant role in the growth of Essex in the last half of the 19th century, leading to the community achieving town status in 1890. However, the town has also faced significant challenges. On August 10, 1907, a massive explosion at the Essex Station sent shock waves across the county and even into parts of nearby Michigan. The explosion, caused by a train cart containing 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) of nitro-glycerine, resulted in two deaths and significant property damage. The town faced another devastating explosion in 1980, this time due to a natural gas meter being struck by a car. Despite these challenges, Essex has shown resilience and the Essex Station, rebuilt after the first explosion, remains a recognizable landmark today.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Essex had a population of 21,216 living in 8,391 of its 8,880 total private dwellings, a change of 3.9% from its 2016 population of 20,427. With a land area of 277.53 km2 (107.15 sq mi), it had a population density of 76.4/km2 (198.0/sq mi) in 2021.
Essex is home to the most successful Junior C hockey franchise in the province, the Essex 73's. The town also hosts the Essex Ravens football club and the Essex Energizers, a competitive jump rope team. Essex has two major annual festivals: The Essex Fun Fest in the second week of July and the Harrow Fair on each labour day weekend, the oldest community fair in Ontario.
Essex was once known for its large crow population, particularly in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, with the consistent use of "boomers" and other techniques that discourage roosting at sundown, the crows eventually dispersed. The crow population appears to have declined in recent times, likely due to susceptibility to the West Nile virus.
