Caledonia, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Caledonia is a small riverside community and former town located on the Grand River
in Haldimand County
, Ontario
, Canada. Haldimand County is in the western part of the Niagara Peninsula
, and had a population of 43,280 in 2001. The current mayor of Haldimand County is Ken Hewitt; Caledonia is within Ward 3 of Haldimand County. The Councillor elected for Ward 3 is Craig Grice. As of September 2006, there are approximately 4,000 households in the community of Caledonia.
Caledonia is located at the intersection of Highway 6
and Haldimand Highway 54 (within the town, these streets are called Argyle Street and Caithness Street respectively) on the Grand River
. On Highway 6, the town is 10 km south of Hamilton
and 10 km north of Hagersville
. On Haldimand Highway 54, the town is 15 km east of Brantford, Ontario
and 10 km west of Cayuga, Ontario
.
Caledonia was once a small strip of land between Seneca and Oneida villages. The Grand River traveled through Caledonia dividing it into two sides, North and South. In 1834, Ranald McKinnon was hired by the Grand River Navigation company to build a dam in Seneca and a dam in Caledonia. Completed in 1840, the dams made water power available. Mills sprung up all over Seneca village, and five mills were built in Caledonia by 1850. One renamed Caledonia Mill
is preserved but closed to visitors.
The Hamilton to Port Dover Plank Road
was brought through Caledonia in 1838. A bridge was built across the river in Caledonia and Seneca in 1842. These wooden bridges lasted around 19 years before they were swept away by the ice on the river. The Seneca bridge was never rebuilt. As of 2011, the Grand River Bridge
built in 1927 serves Caledonia's traffic.
In 1844, Caledonia was incorporated as a village and later as a town. By 1860, the Grand River Navigation company was bankrupt, and their land was sold to different organizations. Seneca village was failing; many people from Seneca moved to Caledonia. Navigation on the river ended by 1880. A whole new way of transportation arrived around 1883; the Grand Trunk Railway
passed through Caledonia. Oneida had become part of Caledonia and the town limits were expanding. By 1960 Caledonia was a bustling town.
In 1974, the town was amalgamated into the new town of Haldimand within the Regional Municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk. Although the largest community in Haldimand, the town hall was located in nearby Cayuga. In 2001, Haldimand and all other municipalities within the region were dissolved and the region was instead divided into two single tier municipalities with city-status but called counties. Caledonia is now an unincorporated community in Ward 3 of Haldimand County.
In 2006, the Grand River land dispute involving First Nation land claim
s brought Caledonia to national attention. The land at the centre of the dispute in Caledonia covers 40 hectare
s, which Henco Industries Ltd. planned to develop as a residential subdivision
to be known as the Douglas Creek Estates. It is part of the 385,000-hectare plot of land originally known as the "Haldimand Tract"
, which was granted, in 1784, by the Crown
to the Six Nations of the Grand River, for their use in settlement. Henco argues that the Six Nations surrendered their rights to the land in 1841, and Henco later purchased it from the Crown. The Six Nations, however, maintain that their title to the land was never relinquished.
The toll house was there when the original iron bridge collapsed and the new concrete one (still used today) was built.
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...
in Haldimand County
Haldimand County
Haldimand is a rural city-status single-tier municipality on the Niagara Peninsula in Southern Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of Lake Erie, and on the Grand River. Municipal offices are located in Cayuga....
, 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. Haldimand County is in the western part of the Niagara Peninsula
Niagara Peninsula
The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...
, and had a population of 43,280 in 2001. The current mayor of Haldimand County is Ken Hewitt; Caledonia is within Ward 3 of Haldimand County. The Councillor elected for Ward 3 is Craig Grice. As of September 2006, there are approximately 4,000 households in the community of Caledonia.
Caledonia is located at the intersection of Highway 6
Highway 6 (Ontario)
King's Highway 6, also known as Highway 6, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. It crosses a distance of between Port Dover on the north shore of Lake Erie and Espanola on the northern shore of Lake Huron, ending at the Trans-Canada Highway in McKerrow.- Port...
and Haldimand Highway 54 (within the town, these streets are called Argyle Street and Caithness Street respectively) on 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...
. On Highway 6, the town is 10 km south of Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
and 10 km north of Hagersville
Hagersville, Ontario
Hagersville is a community in Haldimand County, Ontario which gained international notoriety in 1990 for a gigantic uncontrolled tire fire which spewed toxic smoke for seventeen days...
. On Haldimand Highway 54, the town is 15 km east of Brantford, Ontario
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
and 10 km west of Cayuga, Ontario
Cayuga, Ontario
Cayuga is an unincorporated community and county seat in the province of Ontario, Canada located at the intersection of Highway 3 and Munsee Street and along the Grand River in Haldimand County. Cayuga is about a 20 minute drive from Lake Erie and 30 minutes south of Hamilton and 115 minutes south...
.
History
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1841 | 300 |
| 1871 | 1,246 |
| 1901 | 801 |
| 1911 | 952 |
| 1921 | 1,223 |
| 1931 | 1,396 |
| 1941 | 1,401 |
| 1951 | 1,681 |
| 1961 | 2,198 |
| 1971 | 3,183 |
| 1981 | N/A |
| 1991 | N/A |
| 2001 | 9,228 |
| 2006 | 9,740 |
Caledonia was once a small strip of land between Seneca and Oneida villages. The Grand River traveled through Caledonia dividing it into two sides, North and South. In 1834, Ranald McKinnon was hired by the Grand River Navigation company to build a dam in Seneca and a dam in Caledonia. Completed in 1840, the dams made water power available. Mills sprung up all over Seneca village, and five mills were built in Caledonia by 1850. One renamed Caledonia Mill
Caledonia Mill
The Caledonia Mill is a historic mill building located in Caledonia, Ontario, Canada. Built in 1846, it is a heritage property under the Ontario Heritage Act...
is preserved but closed to visitors.
The Hamilton to Port Dover Plank Road
Plank road
A plank road or puncheon is a dirt path or road covered with a series of planks, similar to the wooden sidewalks one would see in a Western movie. Plank roads were very popular in Ontario, the U.S. Northeast and U.S. Midwest in the first half of the 19th century...
was brought through Caledonia in 1838. A bridge was built across the river in Caledonia and Seneca in 1842. These wooden bridges lasted around 19 years before they were swept away by the ice on the river. The Seneca bridge was never rebuilt. As of 2011, the Grand River Bridge
Grand River Bridge (Ontario)
The Caledonia Bridge, also known as the Grand River Bridge is a road bridge located in Caledonia, Ontario, Canada on Argyle Street....
built in 1927 serves Caledonia's traffic.
In 1844, Caledonia was incorporated as a village and later as a town. By 1860, the Grand River Navigation company was bankrupt, and their land was sold to different organizations. Seneca village was failing; many people from Seneca moved to Caledonia. Navigation on the river ended by 1880. A whole new way of transportation arrived around 1883; 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...
passed through Caledonia. Oneida had become part of Caledonia and the town limits were expanding. By 1960 Caledonia was a bustling town.
In 1974, the town was amalgamated into the new town of Haldimand within the Regional Municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk. Although the largest community in Haldimand, the town hall was located in nearby Cayuga. In 2001, Haldimand and all other municipalities within the region were dissolved and the region was instead divided into two single tier municipalities with city-status but called counties. Caledonia is now an unincorporated community in Ward 3 of Haldimand County.
In 2006, the Grand River land dispute involving First Nation land claim
Aboriginal title
Aboriginal title is a common law doctrine that the land rights of indigenous peoples to customary tenure persist after the assumption of sovereignty under settler colonialism...
s brought Caledonia to national attention. The land at the centre of the dispute in Caledonia covers 40 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s, which Henco Industries Ltd. planned to develop as a residential subdivision
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
to be known as the Douglas Creek Estates. It is part of the 385,000-hectare plot of land originally known as the "Haldimand Tract"
Haldimand Proclamation
The Haldimand Proclamation was a decree that granted land to the Iroquois who had served on the British side during the American Revolution. The decree was issued by the Governor of the Province of Quebec, Frederick Haldimand, on October 25, 1784....
, which was granted, in 1784, by the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
to the Six Nations of the Grand River, for their use in settlement. Henco argues that the Six Nations surrendered their rights to the land in 1841, and Henco later purchased it from the Crown. The Six Nations, however, maintain that their title to the land was never relinquished.
Landmarks
- Caledonia MillCaledonia MillThe Caledonia Mill is a historic mill building located in Caledonia, Ontario, Canada. Built in 1846, it is a heritage property under the Ontario Heritage Act...
- Caledonia Old Town Hall (Edinburgh SquareEdinburgh Square, CaledoniaEdinburgh Square is a public space and historic site in Caledonia, Ontario. It includes a War Memorial, and lawn bowling and baseball fields. The Old Town Hall of Caledonia is located on the square.-The Square:...
) - Grand River Bridge
- Grand River Dam
- Grand Trunk Railway StationCaledonia Train StationThe Caledonia Grand Trunk Railway Station was built in 1908 by the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada. The station was the third to be built in Caledonia....
- Haldimand HouseHaldimand HouseHaldimand House is a historic building in Caledonia, Ontario that was built between 1836 and 1842 by James Little. Little was the post-master for Seneca village and was a well known contractor in the area...
- Oasis Drive-InOasis Drive-InThe Oasis Drive-In is a restaurant located in Caledonia, Ontario, Canada, at 22 1/2 Argyle Street South. It opened in 1927 and is considered to be Ontario's and likely Canada's oldest Drive-In restaurant...
- Caledonia Opera HouseCaledonia Opera HouseThe Caledonia Opera House was a three-storey building located in small town Caledonia, Ontario from the 1830s until a fire which destroyed the building in 1947.- The Early Days:...
Toll House
The Caledonia Toll House is the third oldest building in Caledonia, Ontario still standing; the first being Haldimand House; the second being Caledonia Mill. The toll house is currently a private residence, and is said to be haunted.The toll house was there when the original iron bridge collapsed and the new concrete one (still used today) was built.
Schools
- McKinnon Park Secondary SchoolMcKinnon Park Secondary SchoolMcKinnon Park Secondary School is a high school in the town of Caledonia, Ontario. It replaced Caledonia High School for the school year 1992/1993, which was converted into River Heights Public School. The school contains a gymnasium, cafeteria, workshop, library, day care centre, and three...
- Caledonia Centennial Public SchoolCaledonia Centennial Public SchoolThe Caledonia Centennial Public School is an elementary school located in Caledonia, Ontario, Canada, North of the Grand River on 110 Shetland St. The school teaches grades Junior Kindergarten to 8. The current principal is Jim Smith. The school mascot is the Cougar. The school colours worn by its...
- Notre Dame Catholic School
- River Heights
- St. Patrick's Catholic School