St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church is located in Simcoe, Ontario, in the heart of Norfolk County. Simcoe gets its name from Governor John Graves Simcoe, who oversaw the colonization of much of the area in the late 1790's and early 1800’s by European settlers and British loyalists coming north from the United States.

Simcoe is a typical south-western Ontario town, with a population of approximately 15,000. This population has remained stable or has actually decreased slightly over the past ten years. About 12,500 of these folks are fifteen years of age or older, and the population is identified as having about 56% of Protestant faith, 21% Catholic and roughly 20% who have identified no religious affiliation.

The community boasts both a public high school and a relatively new Catholic high school - both are well-supported and have excellent gymnasium facilities available for community use. Several elementary schools are located in town, both public and Catholic supported, including Ecole Ste-Marie which is for children who have at least one parent who can speak French, and is currently referred to as an immersion school. It falls under the Southwestern Ontario District Catholic Francophone School Board. A branch campus of Fanshawe Community College is located on the east side of town. Simcoe has two arenas, as well as a year-round, municipally owned and operated swimming pool and recreation centre. Parks abound in the urban area of Simcoe, with the scenic Lynn River and its tributaries winding through the centre of town. Hiking and bicycling trails link Simcoe to Port Dover along the Lake Erie shoreline to the south (Lynn Valley Trail) and to Waterford in the north (Waterford Heritage Trail). Plans are underway to link the local trail network from Waterford to the Trans-Canada Trail at Brantford within the next year or two.

Shopping, restaurants and other facilities abound in Simcoe to meet every taste and preference. Many of Simcoe’s workers are employed at nearby industrial facilities of Ontario Power Generation, Lake Erie Steel (Stelco), Esso Refineries, as well as Canvil and Simcoe Leaf Tobacco Ltd. within the town. A recent announcement of a major auto parts plant to be built by Toyota will bring new employment opportunities to residents in 2007.

Simcoe is located in the heart of Norfolk County, formerly part of the Region of Haldimand-Norfolk. The county is home to approximately 61,000 residents, with about 49,000 of fifteen years or older. About 15% of the county’s residents first learned and still understand a language other than English. The county’s religious diversity roughly reflects that of Simcoe, with a slightly higher percentage of Catholic faith adherents (25% vs 21%).

Located on the shores of Lake Erie, within Canada’s "Carolinian Forest" region, Norfolk County has an abundance of forest lands and other natural features, including sandy beaches at Port Dover, Turkey Point and Long Point. About 23% of the county’s land area (1,600 sq. km) is forested. Many rare birds and other wildlife make the county home. Indeed the county’s " coat of arms" displays Hooded Warblers and Tulip Tree leaves as part of the emblem. The County, the Long Point Region Conservation Authority and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources all own significant tracts of forest land that are open and accessible to residents and visitors alike. Long Point itself, lying along the county’s southern boundary of Lake Erie, is designated as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, and is managed as a National Wildlife Area by the federal government.

Economically, the county has suffered in recent years due to the downturn of the tobacco-growing farming sector, and agriculture in general. However, a major "wind energy" power development along the county’s western lakeshore area as well as the auto parts manufacturing plant announced for Simcoe are signs of the renewed and diversified economic outlook for Norfolk.

All in all, Simcoe and Norfolk County have much to offer to residents (current and prospective) and visitors. The natural beauty of the landscape coupled with diverse and active urban communities make the area a great place to live, work and play.