175th Anniversary of Essa Township celebrated with the release of Commemorative Publication
Special edition weaves the tale of early life and times of the communities and activities that form the foundations of today’s Essa Township.
October 9, 2025 (Essa Township) – To commemorate the 175th Anniversary of Essa Township, a special publication – A Celebration of Community - has been released by the Essa Historical Society in partnership with the Friends of the Utopia Gristmill & Park. This beautiful keepsake tells a story of community, legacy and life together, highlighting the area’s natural heritage and days of the original inhabitants to the times of the early settlers and the economic engines that drove growth, influencing development both locally and beyond the township’s borders.
“On the eve of the Thanksgiving Weekend 2025, we are very pleased to celebrate our community’s life and times with this publication,” said John Beischer, President, Essa Historical Society. “Considerable growth has occurred in our township and within each town and hamlet. It is appropriate that we use this milestone anniversary to share some of the history of our Township and how this has shaped “the now”, from which we all benefit.”
“We have been fortunate to have had a great depth of written history about our Township and local activities from which to draw upon to create our celebratory publication,” said Susan Antler, Chair, Friends of the Utopia Gristmill & Park. “The support from folks within our organizations, the Simcoe County Historical Society, Essa Township and local advertisers have been important forces which have made this issue come alive and for which we give thanks.”
“For 175 years, Essa has been a place where the warmth of small-town spirit blends beautifully with the open embrace of farming and country living. Special thanks to the Essa Historical Society and Friends of the Utopia Gristmill & Park for partnering together to deliver this amazing Historical Commemorative publication celebrating Essa’s 175th Birthday,” said Sandie Macdonald, Mayor, Township of Essa.
The publication will be unveiled on Friday October 17 at 5pm at the Utopia Hall (8396 6th Line, Utopia L0M 1T0), with the public being invited to attend this free celebratory event. Free copies of this limited-quantity issue will be made available then as well as through various distribution channels across the Township including the Essa Township Administration Centre (5786 Simcoe County Rd 21, Utopia) and Essa Public Library (Angus and Thornton Branches).
For more information, please contact Susan Antler @ 416-670-0510 or John Beischer @ 705-726-5308.
