Zorra

{{other uses}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox settlement |name = Zorra |official_name = Township of Zorra |other_name = |native_name =  |nickname = |settlement_type = [[List of township municipalities in Ontario|Township]] ([[List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities|lower-tier]]) |motto =  |image_skyline = Embro ON.JPG |image_caption = Embro |image_flag = Flag of Zorra Township, Canada.svg |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |image_blank_emblem = Logo of Zorra Township, Canada.svg |blank_emblem_type = Logo |blank_emblem_size = |image_map = |mapsize = |map_caption = |pushpin_map = Canada Southern Ontario |pushpin_label_position = top |coordinates = {{coord|43|09|N|80|57|W|region:CA-ON|display=inline,title}}  |subdivision_type = [[Country]] |subdivision_name = {{CAN}} |subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Province]] |subdivision_name1 = {{ON}} |subdivision_type2 = [[County]] |subdivision_name2 = [[Oxford County, Ontario|Oxford]] |subdivision_type3 = |subdivision_name3 =  |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Marcus Ryan |leader_title1 = Federal riding |leader_name1 = [[Oxford (federal electoral district)|Oxford]] |leader_title2 = Prov. riding |leader_name2 = [[Oxford (provincial electoral district)|Oxford]] |established_title = Formed |established_date = 1975  |area_magnitude = |area_footnotes = <ref name="cp_2016"/> |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = 528.94 |area_water_km2 = |area_water_percent =  |population_as_of = 2016 |population_footnotes = <ref name="cp_2016">{{cite web |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3532027&Geo2=CD&Code2=3532&Data=Count&SearchText=Zorra&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&TABID=1 |title=Zorra census profile |publisher=Statistics Canada |work=[[Canada 2016 Census|2016 Census of Population]] |date=8 February 2017 |access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref> |population_note = |population_total = 8,138 |population_density_km2 = 15.4  |timezone = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern Standard Time (EST)]] |utc_offset = -5 |timezone_DST = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)]] |utc_offset_DST = -4 |elevation_footnotes =  |elevation_m =  |postal_code_type = [[Canadian postal code|Postal Code]] |postal_code = N0J, N0M |area_codes = [[Area code 519|519]], [[Area code 226|226]], [[Area code 548|548]] |website = [http://www.zorra.on.ca/ www.zorra.on.ca] |footnotes = }}

'''Zorra''' is a township in [[Oxford County, Ontario|Oxford County]], situated in south-western [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]. A predominantly rural municipality, Zorra was formed in 1975 through the amalgamation of East Nissouri, West Zorra and North Oxford townships. It is best known for the Highland Games weekend held each summer in Embro, celebrating the heritage of the Scottish pioneer families which grew from the 1830s to form nearly a quarter of the county's population.

==Government== The municipal government is led by a mayor and a councillor from each of the township's four geographic wards:<ref>Corporation of the Township of Zorra, [http://www.zorra.on.ca/OurTownship/TownshipCouncil.aspx Township Council] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806070828/http://www.zorra.on.ca/OurTownship/TownshipCouncil.aspx |date=2012-08-06 }}</ref>

* Ward 1: Southern portion of township, the former North Oxford township (including Banner, Golspie), excluding Thamesford * Ward 2: Thamesford * Ward 3: Northwest portion of township, the former East Nissouri township (including Kintore, Uniondale) * Ward 4: Northeast portion of township, the former West Zorra township (including Embro, Maplewood)

Marcus Ryan is the current mayor, following the [[2018 Ontario municipal elections]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zorra.on.ca/Portals/8/Documents/Election/2018/2018%20certified%20election%20results.pdf|title=Certificate of election results|date=23 October 2018|access-date=February 10, 2018|archive-date=10 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190210044542/http://www.zorra.on.ca/Portals/8/Documents/Election/2018/2018%20certified%20election%20results.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Communities== The township comprises the communities of Banner, Bennington, Brooksdale, Brown's Corners, Cody's Corners, Dicksons Corners, Dunn's Corner, Embro, Golspie, Granthurst, Harrington, Harrington West, Holiday, Kintore, Lakeside, Maplewood, McConkey, Medina, Rayside, Thamesford, Uniondale, Youngsville, and Zorra Station.

== Demographics == {{Historical populations |title = |type = Canada |align = right |width = |state = |shading = |percentages = |footnote = |[[2006 Canadian Census|2006]]|8,125 |[[2011 Canadian Census|2011]]|8,058 |[[2016 Canadian Census|2016]]|8,138 }}

In the [[2021 Canadian census|2021 Census of Population]] conducted by [[Statistics Canada]], Zorra had a population of {{val|8628|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|3162|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|3284|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:8628-8138}}|8138|1}} from its 2016 population of {{val|8138|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|529.19|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|8628|529.19|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.<ref name=2021census>{{cite web | url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000235 | title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario | publisher=[[Statistics Canada]] | date=February 9, 2022 | accessdate=April 2, 2022}}</ref>

==Cultural resources== Branches of the Oxford County Library include: Thamesford Public Library,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ocl.net/branches-hours/thamesford|title=Oxford County Library > Branches & hours > Thamesford|website=www.ocl.net|access-date=April 20, 2016|archive-date=March 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322134546/http://www.ocl.net/Branches-hours/Thamesford|url-status=dead}}</ref> Embro Public Library, and Harrington Community Library.

*Harrington Schoolhouse (Community Centre), initially referred to as S.S. number 17, and subsequently renumbered S.S. number 4, was originally constructed of logs in the mid-1800s. An entrance was located at the north side of the school, and a box stove was used for heating. In 1869, a contract was granted to enlarge the school with a stone addition, to address seating, lighting and other requirements. Purchased by several local residents to be used as a community centre, after the formal closure of one room schools. *Thamesford District Recreation Centre includes the Haverford arena and skatepark.

Schools include the [[Zorra Highland Park Public School]], Thamesford Public School, A. J. Baker Public School and St. Joseph's Catholic School.

==Attractions== *Embro Highland Games, hosted annually by the Zorra Caledonian Society<ref>{{cite web |title=Embro Highland Games |url=http://embrohighlandgames.ca |publisher=Zorra Caledonian Society |access-date=June 25, 2019}}</ref> *Embro Truck & Tractor Pull<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.embrotractorpull.com/ |title=Embro Truck and Tractor Pull|access-date=June 25, 2019}}</ref> *Wienerfest Dog Festival, celebrating the world of [[Dachshund]]s to provide funding for pet rescue<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wienerfest.ca/ |title=Wienerfest Home County Festival|access-date=June 25, 2019}}</ref> *Garagefest, an annual local music festival to raise funds for various charities<ref>{{cite web |title=Garagefest |url=https://www.facebook.com/Garagefest10/ |website=Facebook |access-date=June 25, 2019}}[[Wikipedia:SPS|{{sup|[''self-published'']}}]]</ref> *Embro Fall Fair<ref>{{cite web |url=https://embrofair.com/embro-fair/ |title=Embro Fair |publisher=Embro & Zorra Agricultural Society |access-date=June 25, 2019 |archive-date=February 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190222151923/https://embrofair.com/embro-fair/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> *Calathumpian a celebration of Thamesfords heritage and history

==Famous people==

* [[Henry John Cody]] (1868–1951), [[Member of Provincial Parliament (Ontario)|MPP]] and [[President of the University of Toronto]] * [[Ralph Connor]] (1860–1937), novelist * [[Jonathan Goforth]] (1859–1936), missionary to China * [[Mark Hominick]] * [[Bob Hayward]] * [[James K.A. Smith]] * [[George Leslie Mackay]] * [[Thomas Oliver (Canadian politician)|Thomas Oliver]] * [[Randy Sageman]] * [[Elizabeth Wettlaufer]], convicted serial killer<ref name="cbc">{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/sh/TBk79oWhpi/elizabeth-wettlaufer-nurse-senior-deaths/|website=cbc.ca|title=Seeing red|access-date=January 3, 2022}}</ref>

==See also== *[[List of townships in Ontario]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{official website|http://www.zorra.on.ca}}

{{Geographic location | Centre = Zorra | North = [[Perth South, Ontario|Perth South]] | Northeast = [[Perth East, Ontario|Perth East]] | East = [[East Zorra-Tavistock]] | Southeast = | South = [[South-West Oxford]], [[Ingersoll, Ontario|Ingersoll]] | Southwest = | West = [[Thames Centre]] | Northwest = }}

[[Category:Lower-tier municipalities in Ontario]] [[Category:Municipalities in Oxford County, Ontario]] [[Category:Township municipalities in Ontario]]