Devonshire, Gravenhurst

Devonshire (2010 population 5,442) is a township in central Gravenhurst Region. The township is a suburb of the City of Archemedes, Gravenhurst, and is situated entirely in the Archemedes Metropolitan Area. The township is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Gravenhurst Region, receiving an almost 300% growth between the last four censuses.

The area of the town is 53.11 kilometre squared.

The town is named after the County of Devon in England, United Kingdom.

History
Devonshire began as a tiny hamlet at the intersection of Gravenhurst Regional Road 3 (McCallister Avenue) and Gravenhurst Regional Road 1102 (Devonshire Avenue) in the early 1900s, as a farming town for the nearby farms in the area. The town quickly became a satellite township, or a bedroom community, for the Archemedes area, with commuters living in the locale and working in Archemedes.

The township is formally established in 1938, covering parts of the land that are currently part of other municipalities, such as the Town of Dixie - Dundas - Lloydminster and Wellington. However, it was splitted into two in 1962 into Devonshire and Devonshire East. Devonshire maintained its current boundaries, while Devonshire East assimilated into the town of Wellington in 2006. Devonshire East remained to be uninhabited for the entire time as a township.

In the 1990s, the town quickly boomed due to the urban sprawl of Archemedes. In a mere decade, the township's population tripled from 900 to over 2,700.

Recently, in response to the region's anti-urban sprawl policy and smart growth technologies, the township began constructing medium-density condos and townhouses near the core of the township, and on Eden Avenue, near its boundary with Archemedes. The township also plan a CBD and a town centre for medium to high density residential housing project, namely Devonshire Centre in 2008. Constructions began on February 3, 2009, and was originally proposed to be completed by April 2011. Due to budget constraints, the project has postponed its completion date to 2017.

Town Facilities
The township is serviced with one Gravenhurst Regional Transit (GRT) route. It has no railway station nor bus terminals.

There are also no expressways through the township.

The township is planning to construct a township office in Devonshire Centre, which is proposed to be completed by September 2010.

Economy
Since the township mostly acts as a bedroom community of Archemedes, the township does not have much economic activities. Most residents commute to the nearby City of Archemedes for job sources.

Demography
The township ranks 17th out of all 42 municipalities in the region in terms of population. The township continues to experience strong growth in population due to the urban sprawl from the City of Archemedes. The township is proposed to hit the 10,000 population mark by 2025.