Orillia (2001 population 29,121) is a city on in south-central Ontario, Canada on Lake Couchiching, where it flows from Lake Simcoe, in Simcoe County towards Georgian Bay (Lake Huron).

People who were born in Orillia include:

• James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
• Franklin Carmichael, Group of Seven artist
• Leslie Frost, Premier of Ontario from 1949 to 1961
• Gordon Lightfoot, singer/songwriter
• Marnie Woodrow, novelist

People who resided in Orillia include:

• Stephen Leacock, humorist - (born in Swanmore, Hampshire)

Leacock's Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town is based on his experiences in Orillia, although Leacock stated that the fictional town of "Mariposa" could be any town.

Orillia is the site of the Mariposa Folk Festival as well as the OPP.

Look and Feel

The city of Orillia itself has no major industry nor elements of cultural significance; holding a high number of retirement homes the city has a feeling of being a place one goes to die.

Orillia has rejected the proposed construction of several factories and sources of income, such as a massive recylcing and incineration facility which was to be used for handling the trash of nearby cities and Toronto. The proposed incinerator was rejected due to environmental concerns, a small group of activists pressured the city council into a rejection.

The city's garbage dump is actually placed directly next to the two lakes which are its source of water, causing the water near the dump to have a putrid smell. Movements to shut down the dump and create a new one in another location have been consistently shot down due to the cost of such an effort, despite the environmental cost already being paid by the region.

Orillia is home to an annual Bass Fishing Festival, where farmed bass are released into the region to be caught for prize money.

Communities

• Orchard Point
• Orillia

According to the 2001 Statistics Canada Census:

• % Change (1996-2001): 4.6
• Dwellings: 12,172
• Area (sq. km.): 28.61
• Density (persons per sq. km.): 1,018.0