Wollaston is an incorporated township in Hastings County, Ontario, Canada. The township had a population of 670 in the Canada 2016 Census.
Property taxes provide the primary source of income for the township accounting for 61% of the revenue required to balance the 2017 budget. Another major source of revenue for the township was provincial funding via the Ontario Municipality Partnership Fund (OMPF) which provided approximately 80% of non-tax revenue. The Township's mayor Brandon Carter has stood behind the fund since it was first introduced, and has gone on record stating " This fund keeps the town alive".
This revenue provides the income to fund municipal programs. Among these programs is the Community Improvement Plan, the goal of which is to "promote the co-ordinated [sic] implementation of community planning and land use planning programs maintenance, rehabilitation and redevelopment of the physical, social, and economic environments."
Communities
The township of Wollaston comprises a number of villages and hamlets, including the following communities such as Coe Hill and The Ridge
Coe Hill
Coe Hill () is the main community in Wollaston Township and is located approximately 230 km (143 miles) north-east of Toronto. While referred to as the Hamlet of Coe Hill, it is not truly a hamlet in the strictest British meaning of the word as there are two churches located within the village; the Coe Hill Gospel Church and the Coe Hill United Church.
The local post office serves residents with lock boxes and four rural routes, two of which are for a neighbouring village, Gilmour in Tudor and Cashel Township. Wollaston Township Road 620 is the main road that runs through the community, connecting it to Highways 28 to the west and 62 to the east.
Coe Hill is named after William Pardee Coe, originally from Norfolk, England, and was incorporated in 1880. Original names for this community were Salem, Welch Corners and Coe Hill Mines.
In 1882, iron-ore deposits were discovered in the area. Coe, who was living in Madoc, Ontario at the time, formed the Coe Hill Mines company to commercialize these newly discovered deposits. Coe was also instrumental in getting the Central Ontario Railway (COR) to build a line that reached Coe Hill in 1884. Shipments began that same year. However, once the shipments were analyzed, it was discovered that the ore was too low-grade to be mined viably leading to the near bankruptcy of the Coe Hill Mines company. William Coe died in 1891 and is interred at the Lakeview Cemetery in Madoc.
With the failure of mining in the area, the main economic focus turned to lumber. Coe Hill remained the primary shipping point for the Rathburn Lumber company. Up to 100 loads of lumber a day were shipped south on the COR. The rail lines have now been abandoned, but have been repurposed as hiking, biking, and snowmobile trails that are used throughout the year. The old Coe Hill railway station still exists and is currently located on the grounds of the annual Coe Hill Fair.
There are several restaurants and shops along the main street offering arts and crafts, a range of services including a garage and a fully licensed bar complete with summertime patio. There is also a well-stocked grocery store and a Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) outlet often referred to as the "liquor trailer."
Wollaston Lake - Ontario
There are many lakes within Wollaston township including: King Lake, Bear Lake, and Snow Lake. However, the largest lake in the township lies just adjacent to Coe Hill: Wollaston Lake This lake should not be confused with Wollaston Lake in Saskatchewan. Although Wollaston Lake is the largest lake in the township, it is still relatively small, approximately 6.5 kilometres long and covering just 360 hectares. It is a deep coldwater lake deemed "at capacity" with a maximum depth of 31.1 meters (102.03 feet) and a mean depth of 9.4 meters (30.84 feet). The five principal fish species in the lake are lake trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, and walleye. Other nuisance species include rock bass and northern sunfish.
Seasonal cottages provide the largest part of the population on the lake, although some cottage owners have winterized cottages that they utilize year-round. The lake is serviced by two camp grounds, a public boat launch, and a public beach that is maintained by the township.