Wallaceburg(2016 population10,098) is an unincorporated community in the municipality ofChatham-KentinSouthern(Southwestern)Ontario,Canada. Originally a small settlement, it was recognized for its significant contribution to the lumber and boat building industries and strategic location along the banks of the scenicSydenham River.In more recent years, 1895–1999, the town was known for its glass making industry. For that reason, Wallaceburg is locally known as the "glass town of Canada".
Wallaceburg, Ontario | |
|---|---|
Unincorporated community | |
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  Wallaceburg, Ontario  Wallaceburg, Ontario | |
| Coordinates:42°35′41″N82°23′03″W/ 42.59472°N 82.38417°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Municipality | Chatham-Kent |
| Government | |
| • Governing body | Chatham-Kent Municipal Council |
| •MPs | Bev Shipley(CPC) Dave Van Kesteren(CPC) |
| •MPPs | Rick Nicholls(OPC) Monte McNaughton(OPC) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 8.83 km2(3.41 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 198 m (650 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 10,098 |
| • Density | 1,143.9/km2(2,963/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-5(EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4(EDT) |
| Forward sortation area | |
| Area code(s) | 519 and 226 |
| NTSMap | 040J09 |
| GNBCCode | FDATX |
| Website | wallaceburg.ca |
Wallaceburg is the home of WAMBO (Wallaceburg Antique Motor and Boat Outing), an annual antique car, boat, bus, and fire truck show that began in 1988.
History
editThe town was founded in the early 19th century and named afterScotland's national hero, SirWilliam Wallace.It was incorporated as a village in 1875 and then as a town in 1896. In 1998, it was amalgamated into the new municipality of Chatham–Kent.
The Baldoon settlement
editThe first settlers to the Wallaceburg area came in 1804. They initially settled along the Snye River at a location they called the Baldoon Settlement.Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk,provided an opportunity for poor farmers and peasants fromKirkcudbrightshire,Scotland to come to what is now known as Wallaceburg to build better lives for themselves. He is often considered a great philanthropist for his efforts working with his poor countrymen. Unfortunately, the early Baldoon settlers faced a plethora of difficulties: malaria,[2]harsh winters, marshland, lack of food, and American invaders during the War of 1812. By the 1820s, the settlement was deemed a failure by Lord Selkirk and other interested parties. TheBaldoonsettlers, however, did not give up; many of them contributed to the early success and development of the town of Wallaceburg.[3]
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1871 | 600 |
| 1881 | 1,625 |
| 1891 | 2,726 |
| 1901 | 2,763 |
| 1911 | 3,438 |
| 1921 | 4,006 |
| 1931 | 4,326 |
| 1941 | 4,986 |
| 1951 | 7,688 |
| 1961 | 7,881 |
| 1971 | 10,550 |
| 1981 | 11,506 |
| 1991 | 11,846 |
| 2001 | 11,114 |
| 2006 | 10,703 |
| 2011 | 10,127 |
| 2016 | 10,098 |
The Baldoon mystery
editTheBaldoon Mysteryis one ofOntario's greatesthauntingstories, handed down by word of mouth. The strange events of this case are alleged to have occurred between 1829 and 1840, within a few kilometres of Wallaceburg, Ontario.[4]
Industrial history
editThe town's first major industry was the lumber trade. It was highly successful during the mid- to late 19th century. The most notable business that developed during this era was the Wallaceburg Cooperage Company. It was opened byDavid Alexander Gordonand his uncle Captain James Steinhoff in 1887. By the end of the 19th century it was difficult to make large profits off of a declining hardwood supply. Industrialists needed to find other business ideas to sustain the local economy.[5]
When historians think of Wallaceburg they often remember its three major modern industries: glass, brass, and sugar. In 1894 the Sydenham Glass Company began. The glassmaking industry in Wallaceburg lasted over 100 years. The factory closed in 1999. This left approximately 1000 workers unemployed.
Another notable industry was the Canadian and Dominion Sugar Company. It was opened in 1901. The company was known for producing raw sugar from sugar beets. It closed in 1960.
The Wallaceburg Brass Company was the third staple industry. It opened in 1905 and was famous for creating brass faucets and plumbing supplies. The company later merged with Kindred industries, founded byRobbert Hartog,and was known thereafter as known asWaltec.[6]The factory stopped manufacturing in Wallaceburg as late as 2006.[7]
The Lee rifle prototype
editIn 1878,James Paris Lee(1832–1904) and his brother John perfected a rifle with abox magazinein Wallaceburg.[8]This rifle later became an antecedent to the famousLee–Enfieldrifle. A well-trained person could fire approximately 15 to 30 shots a minute. The prototype was tested successfully in Wallaceburg and is currently housed at theWallaceburg and District Museum.[8]
Tourist attractions
editWallaceburg is home to a number attractions and yearly events. Tourists come to Wallaceburg to experience fishing, hunting, golf, and pleasure boating. Fishers enjoy a variety of species, includingbass,walleye,perch,pike,muskie,trout,andpanfish.Hunters take pleasure in searching for the area's abundant population ofwater fowl,deer,andrabbits.Boaters enjoy a vast array of rivers and lakes. There is still water forknee boardersandwake boarders.There is also open water nearby for those who enjoysailingandscuba diving.
TheWallaceburg and District Museumdocuments the history of Wallaceburg, starting with the area's First Nations groups dating back thousands of years. It then moves to the first European settlement started by Lord Selkirk's Baldoon settlers, in 1804. However, the museum's current major focus is on the community's rich industrial heritage. Some of the major industries highlighted include glass, brass, and sugar.
The museum is also home to the Wallaceburg Sports Hall of Fame and a number of other temporary and rotating exhibits.[9]Arguably the most internationally significant artifact on display is the Lee Rifle prototype, the precursor to theLee–EnfieldRifle. This dates back to 1878 and was invented and perfected in Wallaceburg by James Paris and John Lee. The first shots of the rifle were believed to be taken at the Lee Foundry on the banks of the Sydenham River.[10]
The community also hosts a number of annual events that attract people from around North America.WAMBOis the most notable and is commented on at length below. Live theatre can be experienced at various times during the year. TheJeanne GordonTheatre puts on at least two productions annually.
Wallaceburg is only minutes fromUncle Tom's Cabin,and is within an hour's drive of Blenheim,Point Pelee National Park,andRondeau Provincial Park.
WAMBO
editTheWallaceburg Antique Motor and Boat Outingis Wallaceburg's largest annual summer festival and was started in 1988. It is the largest transportation show in Canada. It takes place on the second weekend in August every year. The event attracts approximately 30 000 visitors to see the boats, cars, motorcycles, airplanes, fire trucks, tractors, and various other antique vehicles.
In addition to antique vehicle exhibitions, WAMBO also includes a number of other significant events, including a car dream cruise,soap box races,a toy show, art in the park, live bands, food vendors, art and craft vendors, pioneer crafts at the museum, camping in Crothers Park, and free admission to theWallaceburg and District Museum.[11]
Education
editSchool boards serving the community includeLambton Kent District School Board,theSt. Clair Catholic District School Board,theConseil scolaire catholique Providence(CSC Providence), and theConseil scolaire Viamonde.
Wallaceburg has six elementary schools and a high school. The public elementary schools are A. A. Wright, and H. W. Burgess. The Catholic elementary schools include St Elizabeth, Holy Family, and Christ the King. There is also Wallaceburg Christian School.Wallaceburg District Secondary Schoolis the town's high school. It accommodates children from Wallaceburg and the surrounding rural communities. In 2018 Edward International Academy opened in the former D. A. Gordon Public school as a private high school with boarding available for foreign and domestic students.
Climate
edit| Climate data for Wallaceburg (1951–1980) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 18.3 (64.9) |
16.1 (61.0) |
29.4 (84.9) |
30.6 (87.1) |
33.5 (92.3) |
38.3 (100.9) |
38.9 (102.0) |
40.0 (104.0) |
37.2 (99.0) |
30.0 (86.0) |
26.1 (79.0) |
18.3 (64.9) |
40.0 (104.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.4 (29.5) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
4.8 (40.6) |
12.8 (55.0) |
19.9 (67.8) |
24.9 (76.8) |
27.4 (81.3) |
26.5 (79.7) |
22.4 (72.3) |
16.0 (60.8) |
8.0 (46.4) |
1.2 (34.2) |
13.5 (56.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −4.9 (23.2) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
0.9 (33.6) |
7.7 (45.9) |
14.2 (57.6) |
19.3 (66.7) |
21.8 (71.2) |
21.1 (70.0) |
17.2 (63.0) |
11.3 (52.3) |
4.6 (40.3) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
8.9 (48.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −8.2 (17.2) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
2.5 (36.5) |
8.4 (47.1) |
13.7 (56.7) |
16.2 (61.2) |
15.8 (60.4) |
12.0 (53.6) |
6.5 (43.7) |
1.2 (34.2) |
−4.9 (23.2) |
4.4 (39.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −30 (−22) |
−30 (−22) |
−22 (−8) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
1.1 (34.0) |
1.7 (35.1) |
2.2 (36.0) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−27.2 (−17.0) |
−30 (−22) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 49.1 (1.93) |
51.3 (2.02) |
67.3 (2.65) |
72.8 (2.87) |
62.7 (2.47) |
78.3 (3.08) |
60.0 (2.36) |
71.8 (2.83) |
62.5 (2.46) |
58.2 (2.29) |
61.2 (2.41) |
64.7 (2.55) |
759.9 (29.92) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 25.4 (1.00) |
32.6 (1.28) |
55.0 (2.17) |
70.2 (2.76) |
62.7 (2.47) |
78.3 (3.08) |
60.0 (2.36) |
71.8 (2.83) |
62.5 (2.46) |
57.7 (2.27) |
53.8 (2.12) |
39.9 (1.57) |
669.9 (26.37) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 23.8 (9.4) |
19.4 (7.6) |
12.3 (4.8) |
2.6 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.5 (0.2) |
7.1 (2.8) |
23.2 (9.1) |
88.9 (35.0) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 110 |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 4 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 89 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 23 |
| Source:Environment Canada[12][13][14] | |||||||||||||
Healthcare
editWallaceburg and Chatham-Kent as a whole are served by the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance. The Public General Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital in Chatham were moved to a single campus in 2004, while the former Sydenham District Hospital remains in Wallaceburg. The Sydenham District Hospital was opened in 1957 after many years of lobbying. Wallaceburg is one of the few smaller communities in Ontario that has a fully functioning facility. It has an emergency room, surgical department, x-ray facility, laboratory, and several qualified doctors and surgeons.
Sports
edit
Wallaceburg is home to an assortment of amateur sports teams. TheWallaceburg Thunderhawksare the local Junior C hockey team. TheWallaceburg Red Devilsare the local Junior B lacrosse team. Other teams include the Wallaceburg Warriors, men's and women's baseball teams, and theWallaceburg District Secondary SchoolTartans. In 2001, the Wallaceburg Red Devils won theFounders Cup,the national Championship for Canadian Junior B lacrosse.
Wallaceburg was one of the stops on the historic Olympic Torch Relay (Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics) on Christmas Eve, 2009 (Day 56).
In 2011, Wallaceburg was selected to win a community grant of $25,000 fromTSNandKraft Foodsto refresh outdoor lacrosse fields. Many town members spent hours voting continuously over that 24-hour span, and even booked the local UAW hall in town to hold a voting session. Some townspeople also had friends in Australia, England, the United States and South Korea voting for the town.[15]
Transportation
editWallaceburg is linked toChatham,Blenheim,Sarniaand theBlue Water Bridgeto the United States byHighway 40.TheSydenham Riverruns through the town of Wallaceburg, and provides a water connection to Lake St. Clair and the rest of the Great Lakes water basin. The Sydenham River is dredged to a depth of approximately 20 feet (6.1 m).[16]
TheWalpole Island Ferryserves as the closest method of transportation to the United States, located just outside of Wallaceburg.[17]
Media
edit- TheWallaceburg Courier Pressis a local paper owned and operated byPostmedia Network.It was owned by Gary O'Flynn from its debut in September 1972 to 1991. O'Flynn was a former mayor of the town (1989–1991). TheCourier Presscontinues to print weekly and is online.
- TheWallaceburg Newswas a local paper owned and operated by theOsprey Media Group.It was the oldest paper in Wallaceburg. It closed in 1996, and later reformed in 1999 as theWallaceburg Community News.It became theWallaceburg Newsin 2003. TheWallaceburg Newsshut down in October 2007, and closed their office after a four-year newspaper war with theCourier Press.
Radio
edit- CKXS-FMis Wallaceburg's only local radio station, which launched on October 20, 2009. The station broadcasts at 99.1FMwith anadult contemporaryformat.
Politics
editIn the November 2006 municipal election Tom McGregor and Sheldon Parsons were elected as Ward Five Chatham-Kent councillors. These two men are responsible to constituents in the Wallaceburg area. Go toChatham-Kent Municipal Councilfor a list of other municipal politicians.
Previous representatives:
- 2003–2006 Chip Gordon and Tom McGregor
- 2000–2003 Chip Gordon and Tom McGregor
- 1997–2000 Chip Gordon and Jeff Wesley
Following is a partial list of Wallaceburg Mayors[18]prior to amalgamation into Chatham-Kent:
- 1991–1997 Jeff Wesley
- 1989–1991 Gary O'Flynn
- 1981–1989 Don Truan
- 1977–1981 Lou Stonehouse
- 1976 Joseph Taylor
- 1970–1975 Cecile Bechard
- 1966–1969 Nigel Savage
- 1963–1965 Alan B. Cousins
- 1962 George Clement
- 1959–1961 Robert Newberry
- 1957–1958 Jack Thompson
- 1952–1956 William Collins
- 1951 Wilfred Picard
Community organizations
editWallaceburg is home to a number of strong community organizations, including theWallaceburg & District Chamber of Commerce,theBIA,Rotary(1945–2020),Knights of Pythias,Knights of Columbus,Royal Canadian Legion,andKinsmen.
Notable residents
edit- Brigitte Belton(1970-) -Canada convoy protestfounder
- David Corrente(1983–) – formerMinor League Baseballplayer and coach; member of Canada's Olympic Baseball Team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008
- David Alexander Gordon(1858–1919) – Liberal Party MP, Wallaceburg mayor; co-founder of Sydenham Glass Company
- Jeanne Gordon(1885–1952) –Metropolitan Operasinger, daughter of D. A. Gordon
- Seth Griffith(1993–) – NHL player forBuffalo Sabres
- Tim Landeryou(1984–) – racquetball player
- John Lee– co-inventor of the Lee rifle (1878)
- Stef Sanjati(1995–) – YouTube personality and vlogger
- Doug Shedden(1961–) – NHL player,EV Zughead coach
- Shaun Suisham(1981–) –Pittsburgh Steelersplayer (placekicker)
References
edit- ^ab"Wallaceburg Ontario (Population Centre)".Census Profile,Canada 2016 Census.Statistics Canada.18 March 2017.Retrieved26 November2018.
- ^Lauriston, Victor “Romantic Kent: More than Three Centuries of History 1626-1952”, Chamberlain Press, Chatham Ontario (1952), p 51
- ^Campey, Lucille H. The Silver Chief: Lord Selkirk and the Scottish Pioneers of Belfast, Baldoon, and Red River. Toronto: Natural Heritage Books, 2003, 51-60
- ^"The Baldoon Mystery".Chatham-Kent; A place of refuge.The Living History Multimedia Association.Retrieved26 November2018.
- ^Mann, Alan and Frank.Settlement on The Sydenham: The Story of Wallaceburg.Wallaceburg: Standard Press, 1984, 2-4.
- ^"Robbert Hartog Named Fellow of Georgian College".Midland Free Press.3 October 2003.ProQuest352538157.
- ^Mann, Alan and Frank.Settlement on The Sydenham: The Story of Wallaceburg.Wallaceburg: Standard Press, 1984, 10-14
- ^ab"Page 13: Lee-Enfield Rifle".Chatham-Kent: A place of refuge.The Living History Multimedia Association.Retrieved26 November2018.
- ^"The Wallaceburg Museum".Retrieved26 November2018.
- ^Myszkowski, Eugene. The Remington-Lee Rifle. New York: Excalibur Publications, 1994, 11-15.
- ^Wallaceburg Antique Motor and Boat Outing, WAMBO, one of Canada’'s foremost transportation displays of antique, classic and specialty vehicles
- ^ "Canadian Climate Normals 1951–1980 Volume 2: Temperature".Environment Canada.Retrieved21 October2020.
- ^ "Canadian Climate Normals 1951–1980 Volume 3: Precipitation".Environment Canada.Retrieved21 October2020.
- ^ "Wallaceburg".Canadian Climate Normals 1961–1990.Environment Canada.Retrieved21 October2020.
- ^Kennedy, Ian (13 July 2011)."Wallaceburg Wins Kraft Celebration Tour Bid".CKSN - Chatham-Kent Sports Network.Retrieved4 February2012.
- ^NOAA BookletChart for small boaters for the St. Clair River - NOAA Chart 14852
- ^Corporate Applications / Corporate Systems Division / Solutions Directorate / Information, Science & Technology Branch / Canada Border Services Agency (17 May 2013)."Directory of CBSA Offices and Services, Walpole Island Ferry".www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.Retrieved25 November2024.
- ^Settlement on the Sydenham
External links
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