Bosanquet, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Bosanquet is a former township
of Lambton County
in Ontario
, Canada
located northeast of Sarnia
.
for thousands of years, the first European
s settled on the lakeshore in the early 19th century. It would not be until later in the century when the Grand Trunk Railway
was extended through the region that farming would dominate the landscape. Bosanquet once covered all of Lambton County north of Townsend Line (named after early settler Asa Townsend). However, after various municipal incorporations in the late nineteenth century portions of the township were removed to form the town of Forest
, and the villages of Thedford
and Arkona, Ontario
, and later in the twentieth century Grand Bend
. Port Franks
was a major community within its boundaries but was never incorporated as a separate municipality. The township was permanently populated by over 10,000 people, most of them farmer
s or living in communities that provided services for farmers. In the summer months, however, the population would spike dramatically due to vacationers who flocked to the beaches of the Pinery Provincial Park and the communities of Grand Bend and Port Franks.
by the new provincial government. Then, in an effort to save more money, the township was amalgamated with nearby towns and parts of other townships. The new Municipality of Lambton Shores
was designated a city
, and did indeed save about $100,000 each year. Despite this, the move was unpopular with many local residents.
Most of former Bosanquet falls inside the Carolinian Life Zone, a region of temperate deciduous forests
that encompasses the east part of North America
from the south-eastern U.S.
to southern Ontario
. The term Carolinian Life Zone originally applied only to the Carolinas, but the same species of plants and animal
s can be found anywhere the term is used, including Ontario.
It is home to the most diverse assortment of species in Canada
. Over 2000 plant species and 400 bird species have been recorded. Unique to the area, within Canada, are trees like the chestnut
and walnut
, but Canadian mainstays like maple
and oak
are prominent as well.
Today, most of the forest has been cleared to make room for farming; only about 10% remains standing. The forest that remains has been isolated into stands of a few dozen acre
s (a fraction of a square km) each, surrounded by fields and pastures. Because of this extensive agriculture, black bears
, wolves and about 35 species of plants have been extirpated. The only widespread large mammals remaining are white-tailed deer
.
Township (Canada)
The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. However in some systems no town needs to be involved. The specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, usually to describe a local rural or semi-rural government within the county...
of Lambton County
Lambton County, Ontario
Lambton County is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county is located in Southwestern Ontario. It is bordered on the north by Lake Huron, which flows into the St. Clair River, the county's western border and part of the Canada-United States border. To the south is Lake...
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....
, 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...
located northeast of Sarnia
Sarnia, Ontario
Sarnia is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada . It is the largest city on Lake Huron and is located where the upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River....
.
Geography and history
Home to Native AmericansIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
for thousands of years, the first European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
s settled on the lakeshore in the early 19th century. It would not be until later in the century when the Grand Trunk Railway
Grand 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...
was extended through the region that farming would dominate the landscape. Bosanquet once covered all of Lambton County north of Townsend Line (named after early settler Asa Townsend). However, after various municipal incorporations in the late nineteenth century portions of the township were removed to form the town of Forest
Forest, Lambton County, Ontario
Forest is a small town located near Sarnia, Ontario in Canada. It is very close to the shore of Lake Huron and is part of the municipality of Lambton Shores and the county of Lambton.- Population :...
, and the villages of Thedford
Thedford, Ontario
Thedford is a small community in northwestern Lambton County, Ontario Canada, situated 8 km south of Kings Highway 21, along Lambton CR 79 . The community began in the 1860's when farmer Nelson Southworth, a native of Vermont, agreed to donate land for the construction of a Grand Trunk Railway...
and Arkona, Ontario
Arkona, Ontario
Arkona is a community located in the municipality of Lambton Shores in southwestern Ontario near the Lambton-Middlesex county line, situated beside the Ausable River, on Former Kings Highway 79 , Arkona is roughly half-way between Thedford, and Watford...
, and later in the twentieth century Grand Bend
Grand Bend, Ontario
Grand Bend, often referred to as simply "The Bend" or "GB," is a Southern Ontario community located on the shores of Lake Huron and a part of the municipality of Lambton Shores in the county of Lambton.Grand Bend is home to a variety of stores and eateries...
. Port Franks
Port Franks, Ontario
Port Franks is a small Southern Ontario community in the municipality of Lambton Shores, Lambton County in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is located along Kings Highway 21 near Pinery Provincial Park, about north of Thedford, Ontario...
was a major community within its boundaries but was never incorporated as a separate municipality. The township was permanently populated by over 10,000 people, most of them farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s or living in communities that provided services for farmers. In the summer months, however, the population would spike dramatically due to vacationers who flocked to the beaches of the Pinery Provincial Park and the communities of Grand Bend and Port Franks.
Dismantling the Township
During the 1990s a Progressive Conservative government came to power in the provincial legislature. To save administration costs, the township was declared a townTown
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
by the new provincial government. Then, in an effort to save more money, the township was amalgamated with nearby towns and parts of other townships. The new Municipality of Lambton Shores
Lambton Shores, Ontario
Lambton Shores is a municipality with city status in the County of Lambton in Ontario, Canada, that is on the southern shores of Lake Huron. It was formed in 2001 when the Towns of Bosanquet and Forest, and the Villages of Thedford, Arkona, and Grand Bend were amalgamated.-Weather:Lambton Shores is...
was designated a city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
, and did indeed save about $100,000 each year. Despite this, the move was unpopular with many local residents.
Flora and fauna
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Mixed forests are a temperate and humid biome. The typical structure of these forests includes four layers. The uppermost layer is the canopy composed of tall mature trees ranging from 33 to 66 m high. Below the canopy is the three-layered, shade-tolerant understory that is roughly 9 to...
that encompasses the east part of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
from the south-eastern U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to southern 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....
. The term Carolinian Life Zone originally applied only to the Carolinas, but the same species of plants and animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s can be found anywhere the term is used, including Ontario.
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...
. Over 2000 plant species and 400 bird species have been recorded. Unique to the area, within Canada, are trees like the chestnut
Chestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
and walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
, but Canadian mainstays like maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
are prominent as well.
Today, most of the forest has been cleared to make room for farming; only about 10% remains standing. The forest that remains has been isolated into stands of a few dozen acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (a fraction of a square km) each, surrounded by fields and pastures. Because of this extensive agriculture, black bears
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, wolves and about 35 species of plants have been extirpated. The only widespread large mammals remaining are white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
.
