Situated south and west of Barrie, it’s bounded by County Road 90 to its north, County Road 27 to its east, Highway 89 to its south and Adjala-Tosorontio Township to the west. Just 100 km northwest of Toronto, 20 km west of Barrie and 10 km north of Alliston, it’s ideally located for both commuters and those seeking a more affordable town and country lifestyle.
Residents of Essa Township appreciate the more relaxed lifestyle it offers, while enjoying the benefits of the larger surrounding municipalities. Unique in its location, it’s truly a place "where town and country truly meet".
Essa is a mix of urban and rural development with the larger communities being Angus, Baxter and Thornton. Thornton has emerged as the upscale residential neighbour with several estate subdivisions in the village. Located on County Road 27 (previously Hwy 27) just south of Innisfil Beach Road, Thornton attracts executive home buyers looking for larger, quality-built homes with easy commuter access to Hwy 400. In Angus, new home neighbourhoods have grown up, as well, attracting hundreds of families to the area. A new high school, as well as, a new retail development are making Angus and Essa Township even more attractive to newcomers.
A significant contributor to Essa Township is Canadian Forces Base Borden which has been located here for almost 100 years. CFB Borden trains approx. 20,000 military personnel annually, employs ~ 3,250 military members and 1,500 civilians. Many Francophone families move to Angus and surrounding communities during their posting to Base Borden, further adding to Essa Township’s cultural mosaic.
Unlike many other Townships in Simcoe County, Essa lacks the attraction of Georgian Bay or Lake Simcoe waterfront. However, the Nottawasaga River flows through bringing fresh water that’s so crucial to local farms for irrigation. As an environmentally sensitive natural resource, the “Notty” provides an important fish spawning habitat for many species including salmon, steelhead and rainbow trout. Fishing along the river is a common sport, attracting avid sportsmen from near and far in September for the annual Essa Riverbank Salmon Derby hosted in Angus.
Although public transit is more limited outside major urban centres, the County of Simcoe has launched a new bus service between Wasaga Beach and Barrie on weekdays, with stops in Stayner and Angus. Additionally, Essa has partnered with Barrie to provide a transit service to/from Borden-Angus to Barrie’s Allandale GO Station on weekdays, with the option to get a transfer and board the Barrie Transit bus to get to your destination. This now enables seniors and those without cars greater mobility.
When location and that town and country feel is important to you and your family, come and explore Essa Township… it may just be the place you’ve been looking for.
