Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 200th anniversary of the town of Innisfil. Yes, Innisfil is older than the Dominion of Canada.
The story of Innisfil began in 1820 with the official survey that laid out the boundaries and concessions. The first settlers were the Hewson and Soules families that arrived by way of the East Holland River and beautiful Lake Simcoe to settle at what is now Big Bay Point.
It was not long before John and George Warnica’s efforts cleared the way for Yonge Street and Highway 11 to be built through Innisfil, an important route connecting York and Barrie that was completed in 1825.
The earliest official recorded census shows that by 1842 the population of Innisfil was 762. Today, Innisfil is a growing, inclusive, vibrant and innovative town of distinct communities with a population of over 36,000.
Although the anniversary celebrations have not happened as planned because of COVID, I wish Mayor Lynn Dollin, council and all the residents of the town of Innisfil a very happy 200th anniversary.