Blenheim, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Blenheim is a community located in south-central Chatham-Kent, Ontario
, Canada
, with a population of 4,800.
. There were also settlers in the Niagara
and Kingston
region, but no real settlers to speak of in the Kent County
region. In 1790, Alexander McKee negotiated a treaty with Native Indians to acquire what is now Southwestern Ontario
. With this area now being British owned, settlers began moving rapidly into this new land area, and eventually, the County of Kent, and Blenheim.
Land began being surveyed in 1791 in Harwich township under the order of Lt.-Col. John Graves-Simcoe
. Joining his crew was a man named Thomas Talbot
who expressed great interest in this land, and Simcoe granted him any plot of land he so desired. He decided on a plot where present day Fingal resides. Being a man with great finances, he set out to begin road building in Southwestern Ontario in 1800. His main road was designed to go all the way to Detroit. It consequently ran directly along a ridge of high land, and on that ridge is where present day Blenheim stands. The great Talbot Project was put on hold until the completion of the War of 1812
.
After the war, North American settlers began arriving to this area to live peaceful lives after a violent war, as did settlers who came from England
after a European war with France
. After timber clearing, this land was ready for growth. Blenheim itself was established in 1825-1850. It was amidst 10 miles (16.1 km) of dense forest, and its development lagged behind other close by settlements. Albert Robertson purchased this land, and after the real estate traded hands over a few years, Harvey Halstead, Thomas Lynch, and George Hughson were the first three lot tenants who built homes.
This “Ten Mile Bush” was a dense Carolinian forest with wild elk, bear, wolves and eagles inhabiting the region. When the forests were cut down for farming, the bush became a “patchwork quilt of farms.” Even a minor inspection of the contemporary area reveals acres of farms still in operation, but the elk, bear, and wolves are now long gone.
Blenheim was named after Blenheim Palace
in England, and had a general store by 1845. However, it was not incorporated into a town until 40 years later. In 1837 James W. Little, a militia officer and land speculator of neighbouring Raleigh Township, purchased land at the intersection of Ridge Road and Communication Road, the latter planned by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe to connect the town of Chatham with Lake Erie
. The area consisted of fertile farmland noted for sugar beets, tomatoes and corn. Blenheim's primary resource was timber. Once the bush was cleared adequately in about 1900, farming took over as the key resource of Blenheim, with its rich soil and ideal climate.
By 1874, Blenheim had a full list of occupants varying in professions from dentistry
to carpentry
. In 1866, a town hall was built, fit for a village, ready to emerge as an important voice in Kent County. Blenheim became an official town in 1885.
In 1888, a church for the large Methodist population was built. The telephone
was introduced to Blenheim in 1885 by Bell. Electricity came in 1888. A full-fledged fire department arrived in 1891. A railway arrived in 1894 and traveled through Blenheim to Windsor. The first high school was built in 1900.
As cars became more and more popular, Blenheim paved its first street in 1920, opening a period of enormous growth. Prohibition gave Blenheim a chance to grow as many men were involved in illegal rum running operations for larger centres. In 1924, W.G. Thompson opened a grain mill for local farmers, still present today.
Blenheim proceeded to grow through the "Starving 30s", and the "War-Torn 40s". The period of 1950 to the present time has seen Blenheim mature into a town of 4,800.
Today Blenheim’s claim to fame is the RM Classic Car Exhibit. A guided tour gives a close up view of more than 50 classic automobiles from the past century.
, the population of Blenheim was 4.780 people, compared with a resident population in the province of Ontario
of 11,410,050 people.
In 2001, 16.7% of the resident population in Blenheim were 65 or over compared with 13.2% in Canada
. The median age is 39.0 years compared to 37.6 for all of Canada
. 48.2% were male and 51.8% were female. Children under five account for approximately 5.9% of the population. This compares with 5.8% in Ontario
, and almost 5.6% for Canada
overall.
In the five years between 1996 and 2001, the population of Blenheim declined by 1.9%, compared with an increase of 6.1% for Ontario
as a whole.
and secondary schools
are under the control of two school boards, the Lambton Kent District School Board
and the St. Clair Catholic District School Board
.
team Blenheim Blades
and two golf courses, and also has tennis facilities at the high school.
Chatham-Kent, Ontario
Chatham–Kent is a unitary authority in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Mostly rural, its centres of population are Blenheim, Chatham, Dresden, Ridgetown, Tilbury and Wallaceburg. Modern Chatham–Kent was created in 1998 by the merger of Kent County and its municipalities.- History :The former city of...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, with a population of 4,800.
History
By 1783, there were French settlers in Detroit and WindsorWindsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
. There were also settlers in the Niagara
Regional Municipality of Niagara, Ontario
The Regional Municipality of Niagara , also known as the Niagara Region, or, colloquially, "Regional Niagara", is a regional municipality comprising twelve municipalities of Southern Ontario, Canada....
and Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
region, but no real settlers to speak of in the Kent County
Kent County, Ontario
Kent County, area 2,458 sq km is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. Population in 2006 was 108,589.The county was created in 1792 and named by John Graves Simcoe in honour of the English County. The county is in an alluvial plain between Lake St...
region. In 1790, Alexander McKee negotiated a treaty with Native Indians to acquire what is now Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
. With this area now being British owned, settlers began moving rapidly into this new land area, and eventually, the County of Kent, and Blenheim.
Land began being surveyed in 1791 in Harwich township under the order of Lt.-Col. John Graves-Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe was a British army officer and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1791–1796. Then frontier, this was modern-day southern Ontario and the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior...
. Joining his crew was a man named Thomas Talbot
Thomas Talbot (Upper Canada)
Colonel Thomas Talbot was born at Malahide Castle in Ireland near Dublin He was the fourth son of Richard Talbot and his wife Margaret Talbot, 1st Baroness Talbot of Malahide...
who expressed great interest in this land, and Simcoe granted him any plot of land he so desired. He decided on a plot where present day Fingal resides. Being a man with great finances, he set out to begin road building in Southwestern Ontario in 1800. His main road was designed to go all the way to Detroit. It consequently ran directly along a ridge of high land, and on that ridge is where present day Blenheim stands. The great Talbot Project was put on hold until the completion of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
After the war, North American settlers began arriving to this area to live peaceful lives after a violent war, as did settlers who came from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
after a European war with France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. After timber clearing, this land was ready for growth. Blenheim itself was established in 1825-1850. It was amidst 10 miles (16.1 km) of dense forest, and its development lagged behind other close by settlements. Albert Robertson purchased this land, and after the real estate traded hands over a few years, Harvey Halstead, Thomas Lynch, and George Hughson were the first three lot tenants who built homes.
This “Ten Mile Bush” was a dense Carolinian forest with wild elk, bear, wolves and eagles inhabiting the region. When the forests were cut down for farming, the bush became a “patchwork quilt of farms.” Even a minor inspection of the contemporary area reveals acres of farms still in operation, but the elk, bear, and wolves are now long gone.
Blenheim was named after Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, residence of the dukes of Marlborough. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between...
in England, and had a general store by 1845. However, it was not incorporated into a town until 40 years later. In 1837 James W. Little, a militia officer and land speculator of neighbouring Raleigh Township, purchased land at the intersection of Ridge Road and Communication Road, the latter planned by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe to connect the town of Chatham with Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
. The area consisted of fertile farmland noted for sugar beets, tomatoes and corn. Blenheim's primary resource was timber. Once the bush was cleared adequately in about 1900, farming took over as the key resource of Blenheim, with its rich soil and ideal climate.
By 1874, Blenheim had a full list of occupants varying in professions from dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
to carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
. In 1866, a town hall was built, fit for a village, ready to emerge as an important voice in Kent County. Blenheim became an official town in 1885.
In 1888, a church for the large Methodist population was built. The telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
was introduced to Blenheim in 1885 by Bell. Electricity came in 1888. A full-fledged fire department arrived in 1891. A railway arrived in 1894 and traveled through Blenheim to Windsor. The first high school was built in 1900.
As cars became more and more popular, Blenheim paved its first street in 1920, opening a period of enormous growth. Prohibition gave Blenheim a chance to grow as many men were involved in illegal rum running operations for larger centres. In 1924, W.G. Thompson opened a grain mill for local farmers, still present today.
Blenheim proceeded to grow through the "Starving 30s", and the "War-Torn 40s". The period of 1950 to the present time has seen Blenheim mature into a town of 4,800.
Today Blenheim’s claim to fame is the RM Classic Car Exhibit. A guided tour gives a close up view of more than 50 classic automobiles from the past century.
Economy and industry
Blenheim is rich in agricultural industries including Rol-land Farms, Platinum Produce and Thompsons Limited. Blenheim has a diverse industrial base, which is focused in Blenheim's Industrial Park and surrounding area. Major employers in the area include:- Inergy Automotive Systems (closed), manufacturers of plastic fuel systems
- Thompson's Limited (125 employees), processors of agricultural grain and corn products
- Mallory Industries Inc. (127 employees), producing snow and car wash brushes and window cleaning products
- Konal Engineering & Equipment Inc. (87 employees), designers, manufacturers and installers of rim metering systems.
- Woodbridge Foam (42 employees), manufacturer of headrests for the automotive industry.
- Joycor Inc (30 employees)an ISO 9001:2000 ISO 14001 (pending) manufacturer of wood pallets and crates Certified heat treated for shipments worldwide.Lumber,Corrugated CTPAT
- Roger's Industries (approx. 30 employees), manufacturers of quality stainless steel parts.
- Resistance Welding Products (approx. 30 employees), manufacturer of resistance and spot welding products. www.rwpweld.com
Demographics
According to the May 2001 censusCanada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
, the population of Blenheim was 4.780 people, compared with a resident population in the province of 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....
of 11,410,050 people.
In 2001, 16.7% of the resident population in Blenheim were 65 or over compared with 13.2% in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The median age is 39.0 years compared to 37.6 for all of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. 48.2% were male and 51.8% were female. Children under five account for approximately 5.9% of the population. This compares with 5.8% in 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....
, and almost 5.6% for Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
overall.
In the five years between 1996 and 2001, the population of Blenheim declined by 1.9%, compared with an increase of 6.1% for 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....
as a whole.
Religion
- Protestant: 59.0%
- CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
: 26.1% - Other ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
: 3.6% - Other religions: 0%
- No religious affiliation: 11.2%
Language
- EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: 93.4% - FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: 1.3% - French and English: 0.2%
- Other: 5.1%
Immigration
- Canada-born population: 91.4%
- Foreign-born population: 8.1% -
- Non-permanent residents: 0.5%
Education
Blenheim's elementaryPrimary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
and secondary schools
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
are under the control of two school boards, the Lambton Kent District School Board
Lambton Kent District School Board
The Lambton Kent District School Board is the school board responsible for public education in Lambton County and Chatham-Kent, Ontario.The high schools managed by the Board are:*Alexander Mackenzie Secondary School in Sarnia*Blenheim District High School...
and the St. Clair Catholic District School Board
St. Clair Catholic District School Board
The St. Clair Catholic District School Board manages Catholic education in the county of Lambton including the city of Sarnia as well as in the regional municipality of Chatham-Kent, in southern Ontario, Canada....
.
Elementary schools
- Harwich-Raleigh Public School [Junior Kindergarten Grade 8] PUBLIC
- St. Anne Catholic School [Junior Kindergarten - Grade 8] CATHOLIC
- W.J Baird [Junior Kindergarten-Grade 8] PUBLIC
Sports
Blenheim is home to the ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team Blenheim Blades
Blenheim Blades
The Blenheim Blades are a Junior "C" team based out of Blenheim, Ontario. They play out of the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League.-History:In 1968, the Golden Blades joined the Border Cities Junior "B" Hockey League. In 1971, the league was demoted and renamed the Great Lakes Junior "C" Hockey...
and two golf courses, and also has tennis facilities at the high school.