Ashfield–Colborne–Wawanosh
Ashfield–Colborne–Wawanosh is a rural municipality in Huron County, Ontario, formed in 2001 by merging the former townships of Ashfield, Colborne and West Wawanosh. It covers about 587 square kilometres and sits in the northwest corner of the county, with Lake Huron along its western edge providing roughly 35 kilometres of shoreline. The Maitland River forms the southern boundary, and the eastern border runs along Huron Road 22 from Auburn to near Whitechurch; Huron Road 86 is generally the northern border (except for the Lucknow area in Bruce County).
The township includes several communities, including Port Albert along Highway 21. During World War II, No. 31 Air Navigation School operated nearby as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The 402-acre site was later used as a race car track and is now farmland; a memorial cairn and plaque sit at 83700 Highway 21. The airfield was located across the road from the cairn.
Today, the Huron Country Museum in Goderich holds artifacts from No. 31 ANS. Highway 21 runs through the western part of the township, and Goderich Municipal Airport is located within ACW. Huron Road 1 travels north from Benmiller through Carlow toward Lucknow, while Huron Road 25 runs east to reach Huron Road 22 near Auburn. The municipal offices are located near Carlow, on Council Line, just south of Goderich.
In the 2021 census, Ashfield–Colborne–Wawanosh had a population of 5,884 living in 2,357 of its 3,149 private dwellings, up from 5,422 in 2016. The land area is about 586.9 square kilometres, giving a population density of roughly 10 people per square kilometre.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 06:46 (CET).