Scugog is a township in the Regional Municipality of Durham, south-central Ontario, Canada. It is northeast of Toronto and just north of Oshawa. The anchor and largest population base of the township is Port Perry. The township has a population of roughly 22,500. A smaller Scugog Township was also a historic municipality and geographic township prior to the amalgamation that formed the current municipality.
History
The original township of Scugog used to be divided between Reach and Cartwright townships in Ontario County and Northumberland and Durham County, respectively. When Lake Scugog was created by a dam in Lindsay in 1834, flooding created an island known as Scugog Island. The island was separated from Reach and Cartwright to form Scugog Township in 1856. In 1872 George Currie built a grain elevator which is currently Canada's oldest grain elevator. The new township was part of Ontario County.
According to Alan Rayburn's Place Names of Ontario, the name Scugog is derived from the Mississauga word sigaog, which means "waves leap over a canoe." This refers to the creation of Lake Scugog. Other sources indicate that it is an Ojibwe word meaning swampy or marshy land.[citation needed] The existence of two other lakes by the same name[3] (neither of which is artificial) lends support to the latter etymology.
The creation of the Regional Municipality of Durham in 1974 resulted in municipal restructuring of the various townships in Ontario County. The current township of Scugog was created through the amalgamation of the original townships of Scugog, Reach and Cartwright and the town of Port Perry.
Local government
Interactive map of Scugog electoral wards
The Township of Scugog is governed by a mayor, a regional councillor and five councillors elected on the basis of one per ward. Ward 1 includes Greenbank, Seagrave, Epsom, Utica and Manchester. Ward 2 is Port Perry (South of 7A) and Prince Albert. Ward 3 is Scugog Island. Ward 4 is Blackstock, Nestleton Station, Nestleton and Caesarea. Ward 5 is Port Perry (north of 7A). The council holds regular meetings, open to the public at the town hall in Port Perry.[citation needed]
The regional councillor joins the mayor to attend meetings at the Durham Regional Council.[4] The members of council elected in 2018 are:[5]
Mayor: Wilma Wotten Regional Councillor: Ian McDougall
Reserves # 34 consists of two tracts, east of Mississauga's Trail between Hood Drive and Pogue Road as well
as west of Mississauga's Trail from Pogue Road to Seven Mile Island Road/Chandler Drive.
Great Blue Heron Casino is located on the reserve. A Health and Resource Centre and Reserves Administration Office are located on Island Road.
The largest private-sector employer in the area is the Great Blue Heron Casino, located on the Scugog First Nation on Scugog Island. Schneider Meats also has a facility in the Township. The Township is also a popular tourist destination due to the casino and recreational opportunities from Lake Scugog. Many residents also commute to other Durham Region communities and further afield by road.
Nonquon Provincial Wildlife Area – 1,120-hectare (2,800 acre) protected area located northwest of Port Perry and managed by Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Ocala Orchards Farm Winery – 100 acre winery established in 1995 by Irwin and Alissa Smith south of Utica
Scugog Shores Museum
Oakridges Moraine Trail – located at south end of Scugog
Historic Downtown Port Perry
Lake Scugog waterfront
Transportation
Roads and highways
Main roads in Scugog are:
Simcoe Street (Durham Regional Road 2) – connect communities north and south from Port Perry
Highway 7/Highway 12 – connects communities south and north of Greenbank, as well as to Oshawa
Highway 7A – connects communities east and west of Port Perry
Island Road (Durham Regional Road 7) – north and south areas on the west side of Scugog Island
Airports
There are two airports in Scugog, both are public airfields used by small propeller aircraft:
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Scugog had a population of 21,581 living in 8,243 of its 8,734 total private dwellings, a change of -0.2% from its 2016 population of 21,617. With a land area of 474.38 km2 (183.16 sq mi), it had a population density of 45.5/km2 (117.8/sq mi) in 2021.[6]
The 1973 TV movie, The Thanksgiving Treasure, starring Jason Robards, was partially filmed at the general store in Seagrave, and at a farm on Old Simcoe Road just to the west of Seagrave.[9]
The 1978 TV movie, Home to Stay, starring Henry Fonda, was shot on a farm on 12 Scugog Line and at Seagrave.
Parts of the 1996 film Fly Away Home were filmed in Scugog.
The downtown scenes from Hemlock Grove were shot in Port Perry.
In Season 3 "Lakeside" of American Gods, some parts were shot in downtown Port Perry. They painted the mill black and made other little changes around the town.
Canada
Ontario
