Ontario Locator is a directory of past and present place names in Ontario, Canada, created for genealogists to assist with locating the township, county or district needed to research family histories in Ontario.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly will I find on this site?
A listing of Ontario, Canada place names – past & present
What does “Tags” mean?
Tags are a combination of the current place name, former place names and ‘also known as’ place names. This way if you are seeking a place name that is no longer current (for example ‘Berlin’), you’ll be directed to the current place name (for example ‘Kitchener’).
I can’t find the place I’m looking for… why isn’t it listed?
There are three possible answers:
1. The place is listed but under a different spelling, or it’s a former name and listed under the current name.
2. The place doesn’t exist, or doesn’t exist in Ontario.
3. It has not yet been added. Ontario Locator is a work in progress.
What can I do to get a place listed on this site?
Submit a query or addition! All submissions are carefully researched and if your place is found or can be verified, it will be added on the next update.
What’s the difference between a query and an addition?
– A query is a question. You think a place is/was in Ontario but you’re not 100% sure.
– An addition is a statement. You *know* a place is/was in Ontario and can provide proof.
Why don’t you list addresses, buildings or streets?
Because this site was designed to help you find out which county or district of Ontario you need for genealogy research. This is not a 411 service (see Canada 411 for that!)
What does it mean when a place has two Townships or two Townships and two Counties listed?
It means that the place is found on a border or boundary. For instance — Avon, North Dorchester Twp & South Dorchester Twp’s, Middlesex & Elgin Co’s. Avon is found on the boundary of North Dorchester Twp, Middlesex Co and South Dorchester Twp, Elgin Co.
I just submitted a query, where and when will it be answered?
Queries are collected and researched once a month. Once the answer for all queries collected at that time has been researched they will be added to the website. Please be patient as this research can take awhile.
I submitted a query and it wasn’t answered.
There are two possibilities:
1. If your query was submitted within one week of an update it’s likely that it will appear on the next update.
2. The place you queried about was already listed on the website at the time of your query. Try the search again and use our search tips.
You have a place name listed as ‘No Longer Exists’, but I KNOW it still exists.
There are two possible answers:
1. It may still ‘exist’ but the place name may no longer be officially recognized by the government. It’s not the place that doesn’t exist, but the name.
2. The place is not the one you seek but a different place with the same name. It was not uncommon for several Ontario places to have the same name. The government did its best to rectify the situation which is why you rarely see two places in Ontario now with the same name.
‘Osgoode’ is a good example. There were two Osgoodes, both located in the same township. One was renamed and one remained the same. Therefore if you are looking for Osgoode you will see one listed as ‘No Longer Exists’ and one as ‘Currently Exists’. You then have a dilemma figuring out which one you need!
You have a Township/County listed as ‘Currently Exists’. It merged with another Township/County and hasn’t existed in quite awhile, so why is it listed as ‘Currently Exists’?
If a place name is still legally recognized by the government of Canada, it will be listed as ‘currently exists’.
You have a Place listed as ‘Currently Exists’, but it’s a “ghost town”
The place name still refers to the area, and the place name is still recognized.
I found a place in the census but it’s in a different county than what is shown on the Ontario Locator
The “counties” used in a census are enumeration districts, not geographic or municipal counties. These districts were used for enumeration and changed from census year to census year (which is why some places are in one district one year and a different district the next). Most enumeration districts mirrored geographic townships & geographic counties but there are some that did not. The information presented on the Ontario Locator refers to the geographic location of a place name, not the enumeration district. OntarioGenWeb’s Census Project offers a list of places and their enumeration districts.
You have incorrect information posted. How do I let you know?
Under each place name is a form for submitting corrections or additions.
Partial names and wildcards will work. You can search by using part of the name, for example a search for Otta will bring up all place names that include otta within the name.
You can also use % as a wildcard. For example Otta% will bring up all place names that start with Otta.
“Quotations” won’t work. If seeking a multi-word place name, use one of the words instead (e.g. Point Edward, search just for Edward)
Periods are not included (e.g. if seeking St. Marys remove the period – St Marys)
A search for *any* of these words will NOT be effective:
Township (will list every Township in Ontario)
County (same as Township)
District (same as Township)
The more common the word is (such as ‘Ville’) the more hits you will get.
The more unusual your search, the more effective it will be.
Try ALL possible spelling variations: e.g. Elmer could be spelled Elmer, Almer, Ilmer, Aylmer, etc. Howell could be spelled Howl, Howle, Howel, Howal, etc.
Don’t Be Fooled By Handwriting. Much of the handwriting found on old documents is difficult to read. What you think is an ‘R’ may be a ‘B’, a ‘T’ may be an ‘S’.
Switch Letters Around. ‘A’ ‘E’ and ‘I’ can sound similar, use all three (for instance – Elmer, Almer, Ilmer; Elmar, Almar, Ilmar; Elmir, Almir, Ilmir)
Also try interchanging the following letters: ‘K’ and ‘C’; ‘C’ and ‘S’; ‘S’, ‘C’ and ‘X’
Re / Er and Ie / Y: If looking for a place name that may end with and ‘re’ brings up negative results, try searching with ‘er’. The same with ‘ie’ and ‘y’
One word or two? If you’re seeking a place name that could be viewed as two or more words, try searching it as one word, then again as two words (or three?). e.g. Bondhead can be found under Bond Head, Old Castle is found under Oldcastle.
Place Name: The current or last known name of a place
Type of Place: What kind of place this is. A City, Town, Village, Land Formation, etc.
For a listing of the types of places represented on the Ontario Locator please the Dictionary.
Status of Place Name:
– “Currently Exists” (place is still an officially recognized place name)
– “No Longer Exists” (perhaps known by another name or completely extinct)
– “Misplaced” (existence or location cannot be confirmed)
Other Names (also known as): Other Names this place may be currently known as
Former Name(s): Names this place used to have (e.g. Ottawa used to be called Bytown)
Geographic / Historic Location: Where this place was geographically or historically located.
Municipal Location: The municipality this place is part of
Other Location: A more specific location such as “4 miles from”
Former Locations: Where this place was formerly located if a township, county, district or municipality boundary changed. (e.g. All places currently in Leeds and Grenville United Counties were formerly either in Leeds County or Grenville County)
History
A brief history of this place if available
Notes:
Other information about this place that may be useful
Source of Information: Where any of the information used to compile the data on this place originated. This is a new field and blank for most place names.
City
An incorporated/municipal area that has a population of 25,000 or more. Most incorporated cities became a city due to a dense population; but some cities are municipal creations that are a combination of urban and rural communities whose combined populations add up to 25,000 or more
Amalgamation
The blending of places into one municipality
Borough
An administrative area within a city or large town
Broken Front
An area of land (usually a Concession or Lot) that is bordered by a body of water, therefore making the size of the concession or lot near the water larger, smaller or differently shaped than the other concessions/lots within that township. Usually “Broken Front” is written “BF” (ie, Concession BF)
Community
A populated area with less than 1,000 inhabitants that has not been incorporated; Or it can also refer to any populated area including villages, towns, cities, your neighbourhood, etc.
Concession
A tract of land within a Township. Townships were divided into Concessions, and then Concessions were divided into Lots and sold to settlers.
County
A geographic (sometimes municipal) division of a province. Counties are divided into townships which have certain powers of government.
Currently Exists
A place name that is still in use, whether locally or governmentally.
District
A geographic (sometimes municipal) division of a province
District Town
A village/town/city within a District that is comparable to what a capital city (ie, Toronto) is today; The administrative area of a District
Enumeration District
A district created for the purpose of census taking.
Geographic District
See: District
Geographic Location
Where a place is geographically located (as on a map). This information may have nothing to do with the governing body (municipality)
Geographic Township
See: Township
Incorporated
A politically independent area. In Ontario an area may become incorporated once it reaches a certain population. After incorporation the area is a separate municipality and no longer considered part of the township municipality
Land Formation
A natural or man-made formation of land such as a mountain or man-made lake
Lot
A tract of land within a concession
Misplaced
Lost, or in the case of Ontario Locator a place name where existence and location cannot be confirmed
Municipal Location
The municipality a place is part of
Municipal Township
See: Municipality
Municipality
An area that has powers of self-government
No Longer Exists
A place that is either completey non-existent, no longer officially recognized as a place name, or now known by another name
Non-Incorporated
See: Un-incorporated
Place Name
The name under which a place is known
Province
A geographic and self-governing area of Canada
Query
A question or inquiry
Rural
Also referred to as “the country”, area with a spread out population, and/or an area meant for agricultural or non-development purposes
Town
A place with 2,000 or more inhabitants that has not been incorporated as a city
Township
A geographic or municipal division of a county or district.
Un-Incorporated
An area that does not have self-government. Governing of this area is taken care of by either the township (if this is an un-incorporated community), or by the province (if this is an un-incorporated township)
Urban
A densely populated area
Village
A place with 1,000 or more inhabitants that has not been incorporated as a town