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Skip Navigation LinksSimcoe County > Departments > Warden and CAO > History of County Wardens

History of County Wardens

​​​County Council is made up of all the mayors and deputy mayors of all 16 member municipalities. The Warden is the head of government for the County and is elected by his or her peers on County Council. In 2010 County Council changed the County’s procedures to make the Office of Warden a two-year term. The warden is elected at an 'Inaugural Meeting' of County Council held in December in the first and the third years of every term of Council.

Some of the Warden's responsibilities include:

  • presiding over and acting as Head of County Council
  • speaking publicly on matters affecting the County of Simcoe
  • serving on external boards and agencies

Simcoe County was first known as Simcoe District. The first two wardens of Simcoe County were J.A. Irving who served in 1843 and James Dallas who served in 1844-45. Both these wardens were appointed to the position by the Crown. It was an Act of the Crown in 1841 that made the warden, clerk, treasurer, surveyor, and other officers nominees (appointments) of the Crown. Within a short time, amendments placed the appointments in the purview of the municipal councils themselves.

County Council elected Basil Clarke (Mayor of the Township of Ramara) to his first term as Warden during it's Inaugural Ceremony on December 13, ​2022.

Following is a complete list of Simcoe County Wardens:

Year Name Municipality
​2022-2024
​Basil Clarke
Township of Ramara
​2020-2022
​George Cornell

​Tiny Township
​2018-2020
​George Cornell​Tiny Township
​2016-2018 (Resigned August 22, 2018)Gerry Marshall​​Penetanguishene
2014-2016
Gerry Marshall​
​Penetanguishene
2012-2014
Cal Patterson
Wasaga Beach
2010-2012
Cal Pa​ttersonWasaga Beach
2009Tony GuergisSpringwater
2008Tony GuergisSpringwater
2007Tony GuergisSpringwater
2006Terry GeddesCollingwood
2005Dennis RoughleyBradford  West Gwillimbury
2004George MacDonaldMidland
2003George MacDonaldMidland
2002Thomas V. GarryRamara Township
2001Robert DavisEssa Township
2000Robert DavisEssa Township
1999Helen CouttsSpringwater Township
1998Garfield DunlopSevern Township
1997Jack Hunter Tay Township
1996John BrownSpringwater Township
1995Joan SutherlandNew Tecumseth
1994Robert DruryOro-Medonte Township
1993Ross HastingsTiny Township
1992Stewart FisherInnisfil
1991Nancy KeefeMidland
1990Donald BellFlos Township
1989Harry AdamsVespra Township
1988  Ken KnoxElmvale
1987Eldon BellStayner
1986Edward McDermottAdjala Township
1985John Blaze MoreauPort McNicoll
1984E. Ross WhitesideEssa Township
1983Arthur StewartPenetanguishene
1982Russell CooperRama Township
1981John L. FennellWest Gwillimbury Township
1980Allan K. McLeanOro Township
1979William A. GibbinsInnisfil Township
1978Morris DarbyTiny Township
1977Allan GlassfordTecumseth Township
1976Orville HughesWest Gwillimbury Township
1975Edgar CurrieNottawasaga Township
1974Earl ElliottFlos Township
1973James A. WalesTosorontio Township
1972Lloyd A. PridhamSunnidale Township
1971R. Bruce StewartBradford
1970George F. DavisEssa Township
1969Arnold VanciseNottawasaga Township
1968Alex C. McAuleyElmvale
1967George MacKayOro Township
1966George McCagueAlliston
1965Herbert HughesWest Gwillimbury Township
1964Dalton JermeyMedonte Township
1963A.L. DeConkeyMatchedash Township
1962J. C. N. McDonaldOrillia Town
1961Montcalm MauriceTiny Township
1960George LiskTecumseth Township
1959W. J. PattonNottawasaga Township
1958D. A. EvansBradford
1957Fisher GantonMedonte Township
1956John J. SmallAdjala Township
1955Roy N. HicklingVespra Township
1954Smith Campbell Oro Township
1953W.T. ReedOrillia Township
1952Jimmy W. HartBarrie
1951George H. ShepherdCreemore
1950W. R. BensonPenetanguishene
1949C. T. S. EvansBradford
1948G. Walter MiddletonFlos Township
1947D.K. HarveyTecumseth Township
1946Ernie G. MillerColdwater
1945H. M. BarkerSunnidale Township
1944G. D. BantingEssa Township
1943Orville E. ToddInnisfil Township
1942Albert A. TonerFlos Township
1941George Barr Medonte Township
1940Percy A. Neff Nottawasaga Township
1939Walter E. DowneyVespra Township
1938George PattersonPort McNicoll
1937C. D. StewartBarrie
1936John S. DrinkwaterOrillia Town
1935H. J. Crawford Oro Township
1934Edward DuttonVictoria Harbour
1933Isaac Scott Creemore
1933W. J. CunninghamAlliston (Acting Warden)
1932John CarltonBeeton
1931George W. GloverNottawasaga Township
1930W. A. TomCollingwood
1930H. H. CreswickeBarrie
1929Charles J. GratrixTay Township
1928E. J. LambertStayner
1927A. A. CunninghamOrillia Town
1926George L. DavisEssa Township
1925D. McKinlayOro Township
1924J. E. CoombsBradford
1923C. H. EplettColdwater
1922J. J. D. BantingEssa Township
1921J. J. McKnight Tottenham
1920Amos TrainFlos Township
1919Eben ToddInnisfil Township
1918Harry CarterTecumseth Township
1917Digby HorrellMidland
1916James MartinSunnidale Township
1915A. P. PotterTottenham
1914William WoodWest Gwillimbury Township
1913J. T. SimpsonTiny Township
1912A. E. ScanlonBradford
1911James MooreTosorontio Township
1910Arthur C. GardenBarrie
1909Richard BellEssa Township
1908D. C. BarrCollingwood
1907William Alves BoysBarrie
1906Joseph WhitesideAlliston
1905R. H. Jupp Orillia Town
1904G. W. BruceCollingwood
1903R. MurphyTosorontio Township
1902D. QuinlanVespra Township
1901C. E. WrightPenetanguishene
1900W. H. HamiltonNottawasaga Township
1899Patrick RonanAdjala Township
1898Thomas DevittMedonte Township
1897W. A. Sneath Flos Township
1896James S. BoddyBradford
1895James RossOro Township
1894R. J. FletcherBarrie
1893Joseph WrightBeeton
1892Walter LawsonTay Township
1891Jonathan SissonsVespra Township
1890John RossInnisfil Township
1889Charles McGibbonPenetanguishene
1888William SwitzerSunnidale Township
1887John StewartAlliston
1886Arthur CraigMedonte Township
1885Robert PatonSunnidale Township
1884David DunnEssa Township
1883G. M. EvansWest Gwillimbury Township
1882James QuinnOrillia Town
1881O. J PhelpsFlos Township
1880Christopher CookeTecumseth Township
1879Charles CameronCollingwood
1878David DunnEssa Township
1877W. N. RutledgeMedonte Township
1876William McDermottTecumseth Township
1875John C. SteeleOro Township
1874Thomas AtkinsWest Gwillimbury Township
1873John HoggCollingwood
1872George DavisEssa Township
1871W. D. ArdaghBarrie
1870W. D. ArdaghBarrie
1869W. D. ArdaghBarrie
1868John KeanOrillia Township
1867Thomas R. FergusonInnisfil Township
1866Thomas R. FergusonInnisfil Township
1865Thomas R. FergusonInnisfil Township
1864Thomas R. FergusonInnisfil Township
1863Thomas R. FergusonInnisfil Township
1862Thomas R. FergusonInnisfil Township
1861T. D. McConkeyBarrie
1860T. D. McConkeyBarrie
1859George McManusMono Township
1858Thomas R. FergusonInnisfil Township
1857John CraigMedonte Township
1856James SansonOrillia Township
1855James SansonOrillia Township
1854James SansonOrillia Township
1853James SansonOrillia Township
1852William ArmsonWest Gwillimbury Township
1851William ArmsonWest Gwillimbury Township
1850William ArmsonWest Gwillimbury Township
1849William ArmsonWest Gwillimbury Township
1848William ArmsonWest Gwillimbury Township
1847William ArmsonWest Gwillimbury Township
1846William ArmsonWest Gwillimbury Township
1845James DallasAppointed by Governor-General
1844James DallasAppointed by Governor-General
1843Jacob Æmilius IrvingAppointed by Governor-General