Acton, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Acton is a community located in the Town of Halton Hills
, in Halton Region, Ontario
, Canada.
Acton is located on Highway 7
(running between Brampton
and Guelph
) and the former Highway 25. Acton is served by GO Transit
bus service on the Georgetown line corridor.
in West London, England. Originally part of Esquesing Township, Acton was incorporated as a village in 1874.
On January 1, 1974, Acton became part of the Town of Halton Hills when it amalgamated with the Town of Georgetown
and most of the Township of Esquesing. Together with the Town of Milton
, the Town of Oakville
and the City of Burlington
, the Regional Municipality of Halton was formed, replacing Halton County.
and the Grand River
which is just west of the urban area, where the Blue Springs Creek begins. Acton also has fairy lake.
is a two-branch library system. Both branches reflect the historic character of the community. The Georgetown Branch (9 Church Street) is co-located with the Halton Hills Cultural Centre, anchored by the former Methodist Church (now the Art Gallery) and The John Elliott Theatre. The Acton Branch (17 River Street) was built as the community's centennial project in a park setting, across a foot bridge over a creek.
Library Highlights in 2007 include:
stopped at their station at Mill Street East and Eastern Avenue next the Beardmore leather store (now Olde Hide House). The train station disappeared, but the stop served both Via Rail
and GO Transit
train service until the 1990s. A new GO Transit station
will return to this location in 2011.
Gordon Rugg has owned the property since 1850 and his family owns it until present day.
which now has four times the population. The area was attractive to the leather industry because of the large numbers of trees in the area. The nickname is still reflected today by the Olde Hide House, a large leather goods store in an old warehouse, and Beardmore Leather downtown. The town also features Fairy Lake, a manmade lake accessible from many locations within the town, but most often from Prospect Park.
Halton Hills, Ontario
Halton Hills is a town in the Regional Municipality of Halton, west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located within the Greater Toronto Area....
, in Halton Region, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada.
Acton is located on Highway 7
Highway 7 (Ontario)
King's Highway 7, commonly referred to as Highway 7 and historically as the Northern Highway, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
(running between Brampton
Brampton
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada.Brampton may also refer to:- Canada :* Brampton, a city in Ontario** Brampton GO Station, a station in the GO Transit network located in the city- United Kingdom :...
and Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
) and the former Highway 25. Acton is served by GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
bus service on the Georgetown line corridor.
History
Acton was first named Danville when Settler Wheeler Green opened a dry-goods store in 1828. It was later called Adamsville, after three settlers from a family of that name. In 1846, the postmaster named the community after the area of ActonActon, London
Acton is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...
in West London, England. Originally part of Esquesing Township, Acton was incorporated as a village in 1874.
On January 1, 1974, Acton became part of the Town of Halton Hills when it amalgamated with the Town of Georgetown
Georgetown, Ontario
Georgetown is a community in the town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada and is part of the Regional Municipality of Halton. It is situated on the Credit River, located approximately 60 km west of Toronto making it part of the Greater Toronto Area...
and most of the Township of Esquesing. Together with the Town of Milton
Milton, Ontario
Milton is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Milton received a tremendous amount of awareness following the release of the results of the 2006 Census, which indicated that Milton is the fastest growing municipality in the Greater Golden...
, the Town of Oakville
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
and the City of Burlington
Burlington, Ontario
Burlington , is a city located in Halton Region at the western end of Lake Ontario. Burlington is part of the Greater Toronto Area, and is also included in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Physically, Burlington lies between the north shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment...
, the Regional Municipality of Halton was formed, replacing Halton County.
Geography
The town's location was chosen because of the good source of waterpower from the Black Creek, and the flour mill established at the beginning is still in operation today, although its source of power has changed. It is also near the watershed between the Credit RiverCredit River
The Credit River is a river in southern Ontario which flows from headwaters above the Niagara Escarpment to empty into Lake Ontario at Port Credit, Mississauga. It drains an area of approximately 1,000 km²...
and the Grand River
Grand River (Ontario)
The Grand River is a large river in southwestern Ontario, Canada. From its source, it flows south through Grand Valley, Fergus, Elora, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Paris, Brantford, Caledonia, and Cayuga before emptying into the north shore of Lake Erie south of Dunnville at Port Maitland...
which is just west of the urban area, where the Blue Springs Creek begins. Acton also has fairy lake.
Population
The population began to increase significantly in the 1990s. Previously, growth was limited for almost thirty years due to limitations in the water and sewer systems. Current construction in the north and east ends of town will allow the population to rise to almost 10,000.Media
Acton is covered by local newspapers and television through the following services:Library
The Halton Hills Public LibraryHalton Hills Public Library
Halton Hills Public Library is the public library system for the Town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada.Through its two branches and its website, , the Halton Hills Public Library provides a range of services for Halton Hills residents...
is a two-branch library system. Both branches reflect the historic character of the community. The Georgetown Branch (9 Church Street) is co-located with the Halton Hills Cultural Centre, anchored by the former Methodist Church (now the Art Gallery) and The John Elliott Theatre. The Acton Branch (17 River Street) was built as the community's centennial project in a park setting, across a foot bridge over a creek.
Library Highlights in 2007 include:
- Town council approved the Georgetown Branch Renovation/Expansion Project in principle.
- Popular material was made more accessible through the "Rapid Reads" collection and the "Hot Off The Press" service.
- A record breaking donation of $79,291 was received from the Georgetown Homecoming Committee for the Georgetown Branch Renovation/Expansion Project.
- Convenience was increased through the installation of wireless Internet access and debit service.
- Business collections were expanded to offer more programming for small business operators.
- General interest programs were reintroduced for adults.
- Profile was raised through media coverage partnerships and greater participation in community events.
Transportation
Acton had train service to the town in 1856 when the Grand Trunk RailwayGrand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
stopped at their station at Mill Street East and Eastern Avenue next the Beardmore leather store (now Olde Hide House). The train station disappeared, but the stop served both Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
and GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
train service until the 1990s. A new GO Transit station
Acton GO Station
Acton GO Station is a future GO Transit railway and bus station to be constructed in the community of Acton, part of the Town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada. The station site is located adjacent to the Old Hide House, where a previous formerly stood. The new Acton station was approved as part of...
will return to this location in 2011.
Gordon Rugg has owned the property since 1850 and his family owns it until present day.
Leathertown
The town is nicknamed Leathertown because of the extensive tanning industry that was located in the area during the 19th Century and early 20th Century. During this time, Acton was the main urban community of Esquesing Township, much larger than nearby Georgetown, OntarioGeorgetown, Ontario
Georgetown is a community in the town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada and is part of the Regional Municipality of Halton. It is situated on the Credit River, located approximately 60 km west of Toronto making it part of the Greater Toronto Area...
which now has four times the population. The area was attractive to the leather industry because of the large numbers of trees in the area. The nickname is still reflected today by the Olde Hide House, a large leather goods store in an old warehouse, and Beardmore Leather downtown. The town also features Fairy Lake, a manmade lake accessible from many locations within the town, but most often from Prospect Park.
Actonite or Actonian
It is interesting to note in older books and papers of the area that not one, but two designations have existed for residents of the area at the same time. "Actonite" was used to identify people who moved to the area, and "Actonian" referred to people who grew up there. The first designation now predominates, due to the last influx of new residents in the 1960s, but older residents still remember it.Notable Actonians
- George ElliottGeorge Elliott (Canadian writer)George Matthew Elliott was a Canadian short story writer.-Biography:Born in London, Ontario, Elliott attended the University of Toronto, where he was an editor for the student newspaper, The Varsity. He later became editor of the Strathroy Age-Dispatch, in Strathroy, Ontario, and was that...
- novelist - Donald MannDonald MannSir Donald Mann was a Canadian railway contractor and entrepreneur.Born at Acton, Ontario, Mann studied as a Methodist minister but worked in lumber camps in Ontario and Michigan before moving to Winnipeg, Manitoba...
- industrialist - Jeff McEneryJeff McEneryJeff McEnery is a Canadian comedian from born in 1984 and raised in the small town of Acton, Ontario.He graduated from Humber College’s Comedy: Writing and Performance Program, and in 2004 won the college’s Best First Year Stand-Up Award. He won the Tim Sims Encouragement Award in 2005 and Yuk...
http://www.hahaha.com/en/2006/festival/comedian/mcenery-jeff.html - comic - Jamie TarasJamie TarasJamie Taras is a former professional Canadian football player with the Canadian Football League British Columbia Lions, and current Director of Community Relations with the BC Lions...
- former professional Canadian footballCanadian footballCanadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
player - Lar deSouza http://www.licd.com Least I Could DoLeast I Could DoLeast I Could Do is a humor webcomic by Ryan Sohmer and Lar deSouza , which debuted on February 10, 2003.The original artist for the strip was Trevor Adams, who was with Least I Could Do for about six months. Adams was followed by Chad W.M. Porter, who drew the strip for two years...
http://www.lfgcomic.com Looking for GroupLooking for GroupLooking for Group is a fantasy-themed Canadian webcomic written by Ryan Sohmer and drawn by Lar DeSouza. The Comic follows the adventures of Cale'Anon and Richard , as well as their companions...
- artist - Roz WestonRoz WestonRoz Weston is a Canadian entertainment reporter employeed by ET Canada and Toronto's Kiss 92.5.Weston interned with Howard Stern. He was a producer for a Toronto-based radio morning show before joining TV station Toronto 1. While there, he hosted Toronto's first live, late night talk show Last Call...
- television personality
External links
- Plaque commemorating the founding of Acton
- Halton Hills Public Library
- A street map of Acton
- Esquesing Historical Society's history of Acton
- Acton Business Improvement Area
- Current Weather Conditions in Acton
- Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce Serving Halton Hills (Acton, Georgetown and surrounding area)
- Election Topix Information on Halton Hills (Acton) Municipal Election
- Acton, Ontario Urban Area Profile
- Acton at Geographical Names of Canada
- Off The Wall Youth Centre Acton Youth Resource Centre