Archemedes Census Metropolitan Area

Archemedes Census Metropolitan Area (Summer 2010 population 632,631) is a census metropolitan area (CMA), and is the most populous CMA in the region. According to unofficial population estimates, the area is home more than 600,000 people in August 2010, a bit more than half of the entire region's population. The CMA is expecting a population pushing close to 850,000 by Spring 2011. The CMA is the region's commercial and government centre. Most of the headquarters of companies in the Gravenhurst Region locate within the CMA.

The CMA consists of nine municipalities, Archemedes, Borden, Courners, Devonshire, Dixie - Dundas - Lloydminster, Donsley, Guelph South, Muskoka Lake, and Old Minister.

The metropolitan area is the most prosperous out of all divisions in Gravenhurst Region. It is noted that this metropolitan area has a GDP per capita higher than the region's overall.

Economy
Most commercial activity occurs in Central Archemedes, where the central business district of Archemedes is located. The area contains headquarter offices of numerous companies in its high-rise towers across the district. The district attracts commuters from far and wide from the CMA.

More commercial activity are being created in East Archemedes, where a new Downtown is scheduled to be constructed. Several office complexes have been completed, and more to come in the following 2 decades, providing to an upwards of 200,000 jobs.

There are also scattered commercial activities and offices in Borden (such as the Borden Office Complex) and Donsley throughout the CMA. Local downtowns of various municipalities throughout the CMA also contribute to the affluent commercial activities.

In addition, the CMA is also home to some of the manufacturing industries of the region. There is a major enterprise park of manufacturing plants and high tech industrials in West Archemedes and Borden. In the recent years, the manufacturing industries have started to move out from the CMA to Lethbridge CMA and Vandehogan CMA due to cheaper land out in those less-populated divisions.

Roads
Due to high traffic demands, the Archemedes (capitol area) and its suburb are serviced by the Perimeter Highway, a highway that encircles the urban, most populated area of the CMA. Some parts of this highway is still under construction, and is entirely funded by the CMA and the City of Archemedes. The City of Archemedes also fund the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway and Airport Expressway.

Almost all municipalities in the CMA (with the exception of Courners) has a grid-like system of arterial roads, funded by the local municipal government.

In Courners, the roads exist in a contour manner due to the village's odd geometrical shape.

In addition, the CMA is served with Highways 1, 2, 3, 10, 505, and 506.

Public Transit
The CMA is served with over 60 routes of Gravenhurst Regional Transit (GRT) routes throughout the CMA. In additional, the Golden Corridor Line, Airport Bullet Trains, and the Gravenhurst Corridor Line of GO Transit together serve the CMA as well.

Due to Archemedes' population size, the city is also served with two subway lines, provided by The Linx. GMini buses are also provided to provide service to gaps not provided elsewhere.

Air
The CMA relies on Archemedes The Great International Airport for air transports. The airport serves international flights, as well as domestic flights to other airfields and airports across the region.

Water
Since the CMA is located in the Central Plains of the region, there are no accessible means to the water. Goods produced by the industries are usually transported by trucks to Lisi, where it is shipped out internationally via the Lisi Seaport.

However, the historical Waterway Canal, did at one point, provide access for big ships from Lake Haldimond to access the city. The Canal is still sometimes used as industrial purposes during designated times of weekdays, unloading and loading at a small seaport off Cherryshill Lake. At other times, the canal is used for recreational uses.

Municipalities
As of the 2009 defined boundaries of the CMA, there are a total of nine member municipalities.

Populations of the Nine Member Municipalities

* Officially recognized as a DSC, though publicly not considered as one due to its population size.


 * 1) Excluding certain communities in the municipality as this municipality spans over two or more CMA / CA.

Controversial
Due to the Borden Separatist Movement, Bloc Borden, the political party that supports Borden sovereignty, proposes to separate the Archemedes CMA, and creating Borden's own Census Agglomeration. Such agglomeration would follow the boundaries of what was Borden County back in the early 1900s. This was believed to be the first crucial step to lead to Borden's independence from Gravenhurst Region.

However, for this to happen, more than 50% of the region's population must vote in favor for this. According to a recent survey done by Viv Tele Inc., only 0.46% of the region's population is currently supporting this. More than 98% objects this as they believe that this is unnecessary.

Borden will likely stay within the Archemedes CMA due to economic interests.

As well, Old Minister was at one point, considered to be part of the Manhatten Agglomeration, but joined the Archemedes Metro Area in 2002 due to economic interests.