Midland, Ontario

Midlandis a town located onGeorgian BayinSimcoe County,Ontario, Canada.  It is part of theHuronia/Wendat region ofCentral Ontario.
Located at the southern end ofGeorgian Bay's 30,000 Islands, Midland is the economic centre of the region, with a 125-bedhospitaland a local airport (Midland/Huronia Airport). It is the main town of the southern Georgian Bay area. In the summer months, the area's population grows to over 100,000 with seasonal visitors to more than 8,000 cottages, resort hotels, provincial and national parks in the surrounding municipalities ofPenetanguishene,Tiny,Tay, andBeausoleil First Nation.
The town of Midland was founded when, in 1871, theMidland Railway of Canadaselected the sparsely populated community of Mundy's Bay as the new terminus of the Midland railway. At that time the Midland railway ran from Port Hope to Beaverton.  The town site was surveyed in 1872–3 and the line to the town was completed by 1879.  Settlers, attracted by the convenience of rail service, soon began to move into the area.The company sold off lots in town (Midland City) to help finance the settlement. The village (incorporated in 1878) thrived based onGeorgian Bayshipping and the lumber andgrain trade. Incorporated into a town in 1890, a number of light industrial companies have established themselves in the area and tourism in the southern Georgian Bay area also contributes to the economy.
On June 23, 2010, Midland was struck by an F2 tornado, causing $15 million in damage.The most significant damage was reported at Smith's Camp, a trailer park at the south end of the town, where several mobile homes were completely destroyed. At one point, for the first time in 25 years,Emergency Management OntarioupgradedEnvironment Canada'stornado warningto an extreme severe weather warning called "Red Alert" which was issued for most ofSouthern Ontario's cottage country due to the approaching severe weather and the possibility of violent tornadoes, informing residents in the area that they should seek shelter.  In addition, aState of emergencywas also declared in Midland.  While electrical service was knocked out for a time, there were no fatalities caused by the storm.
Midland is located at the south end of the Georgian Bay and is the northern anchor of the Simcoe County.
Midland has ahumid continental climateunder theKöppen climate classification(KöppenDfb) and has four distinct seasons. The climate is nearly the same as much of Southern Ontario and has balmy summers and chilly winters. Thunderstorms, hailstorms, snowstorm, lake effect snow and freezing rain are also common for this city.
Around the centre of Midland there are a number of murals, most of which were painted by now deceased artist Fred Lenz. The largest, depicting a meeting between a local native and Jesuit missionaryJean de Brebeufis on the silos overlooking the main harbour. This work was completed by Lenz's sons following his death in 2001.
Notable sites in or near Midland include theJesuitmission ofSainte-Marie among the Hurons, which is now aliving museumdepicting missionary life in the 17th century. TheMartyrs' Shrineis aRoman Catholicchurch commemorating theCanadian Martyrs, eight missionaries from Sainte-Marie who were martyred during theHuron-Iroquoiswars.Pope John Paul IIheld apastoral meetingat this site in September 1984.
TheHuronia Museumis a history and art museum which features the Huron Village, a reconstruction of a typicalHuron/Ouendat (Wendat) village.
TheWye Marsh Wildlife Centreis nearby.Themarshprovides habitat fortrumpeter swans,black ternsandleast bitterns. The trumpeter swan is considered a symbol of Midland and a large statue of one has been erected by the harbour.
An annualButter tartfestival, inaugurated in 2013, is held in early June. In 2016, the fourth annual Butter tart Festival sold more 100,000 butter tarts.Many tourists flock to Midland during the festival. There are two divisions: amateur and commercial. The day after the Butter tart festival is the Butter Tart Trot, a 5-km fun run for older people and a 2.5-km run for children under 5 years old.
Little Lake Park is a tourist destination in the summer months. The park has a refreshment stand and a number of sports facilities including volleyball courts, a baseball field, skateboard park, disc golf course.
TheMidland Cultural Centreis a hub for various cultural activities, located in the core of downtown Midland. The Centre is home to the Huronia Players, Quest Art School and Gallery, and Rotary Hall.
Midland is the home of TheMidland FlyersIce HockeyClub of theProvincial Junior Hockey Leaguein the Carruthers division in theOntario Hockey Association.  It is also the home of the Midland Minor Hockey Association.  Midland North Simcoe Sports & Recreation Centre is the home rink of these teams. The NSSRC is also the location of the Midland Sports Hall of Fame.
Boating, both power and sail, is very popular with severalmarinasand a sailing club based in the town. The town has easy access to the relatively sheltered waters of southeastern Georgian Bay. Among themarinasnearby are Bay Port Yachting Centre on the northwest side of the bay, andWye Heritage Marinaalong the southeast shore. There is also good fishing.
Midland also has an ever-growing and active cycling base.  The Midland Tri Club has increased the number of road riders in the area.  Many of these riders also participate in the popular weekly Time Trial series and group rides throughout the summer months. Mountain View Ski Centre has also encouraged the growth of mountain bikers, with an extensive trail system in town. The Centre hosts a variety of races, including a summer-long weekly series, as well as a night race, high school event, and 9-hour relay. Also, an MTB club has been borne of the Centre, expanding its breadth into competition and other pursuits. The provincialcyclo-crosschampionships will be hosted in Midland on November 13, 2016, as part of the Silver Goose CX Race.
In the winter, snowmobiling and ice fishing are popular activities. Mountain-view Ski Centre has 25 kilometres (16 mi) of cross-country ski trails.
In the2021 Census of Populationconducted byStatistics Canada, Midland had a population of17,817living in7,849of its8,295total private dwellings, a change of5.7% from its 2016 population of16,864. With a land area of 35.33 km(13.64 sq mi), it had a population density of504.3/km(1,306.1/sq mi) in 2021.
Midland is served by theSimcoe County LINXinter-community bus service on its Route 1 - Penetanguishene / Midland to Barrie.
Since 1952ELCAN(Ernest Leitz CANada) is located in Ontario; it was founded in 1952 byLeica Cameraand is owned byRaytheon Technologiessince 1999.
MidlandToday.ca is an online local news source, andThe Midland Mirroris a local print paper.