Community Profile

Information used in this article are sourced from: Rural Oxford Economic Development, Statistics Canada 2006 Community Profiles, and Statistics Canada 2011 Census.

For a complete list of our current and future development projects, visit the Current Initiatives page.

Communities and History

The township was formed through the amalgamation of numerous communities, including: Braemar, Cassel, East Zorra, Hickson, Huntingford, Innerkip, Perry Mine, Perrys Lane, Strathallan, Tavistock, Tollgate, and Willow Lake. The largest three towns are Tavistock, Innerkip, and Hickson.

Location

The Township of East Zorra-Tavistock (View rough boundaries on map) is a lower-tier township in South Western Ontario. It is part of Oxford County and is situated above the City of Woodstock.

East Zorra-Tavistock is accessible by highway, air and railway. The settled areas are a short drive from Highway 401, 402 and 403.

East Zorra-Tavistock is located near several airports, including the Region of Waterloo Airport, Hamilton International Airport, London International Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport.

The township also has access to the Canadian Pacific and Canadian National Rail Line

Driving Distances:
Kitchener/Waterloo	45 minutes
London	55 minutes
Sarnia	2 hours
Toronto	1 hour 45 minutes
Buffalo	3 hours
Detroit	3 hours 25 minutes

Business

East Zorra-Tavistock’s economy has historically been heavily dependent on the agricultural industry, which continues to be a major part of the economy today. The township also attracts many skilled workers in the manufacturing sector (the largest employer is Saputo Cheese), as well as people in the health care sector.

The major industries in East Zorra-Tavistock include:

Agriculture
Construction
Finance and Insurance
Management of Companies and Enterprise
Manufacturing
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Real Estate and Rental & Leasing
Retail
Transportation and Warehousing
Wholesale Trade

Demographics, Education, Labour

In 2011, the Township of East Zorra-Tavistock had a population of 6,836. Over 60% of the population is of working age. All demographic information is sourced from Statistics Canada 2011 Census.

Education

There are many post-secondary training opportunities available within close proximity to East Zorra-Tavistock to help residents meet the needs of the community. This includes a satellite campus of Fanshawe College in Woodstock, and Conestoga College in Ingersoll. East Zorra-Tavistock is close to many of Ontario’s top post-secondary schools located in Brantford, Guelph, London and Waterloo.

Education Levels, Ages 15 +
	East Zorra-Tavistock	East Zorra-Tavistock %	Ontario %
No certificate, diploma or degree	1680	29%	22%
High school certificate or equivalent	1655	29%	27%
Apprenticeship or trades certificate of diploma	460	8%	8%
College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma	1310	23%	18%
University certificate or diploma below the bachelor level	125	2%	4%
University certificate, diploma or degree	475	8%	21%

Labour Force

East Zorra-Tavistock is home to a multi-skilled labour force. Compared to the provincial average, East Zorra-Tavistock has a high number of workers in agricultural based industries, as well as manufacturing and health care and social services.

Experienced Labour Force, Ages 15 +
	East Zorra-Tavistock	East Zorra-Tavistock %	Ontario %
Agriculture and other resource-based industries	510	13%	3%
Construction	235	6%	6%
Manufacturing	745	18%	14%
Wholesale trade	185	5%	5%
Retail trade	330	8%	11%
Finance and real estate	195	5%	7%
Health care and social services	500	12%	9%
Educational services	110	3%	7%
Business services	680	17%	20%
Other services	575	14%	18%

All data sourced from Statistics Canada 2006 Community Profiles.

East Zorra-Tavistock