Courtice, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Courtice is a community located in Ontario
, Canada
, about sixty kilometers east of Toronto
, adjacent to Oshawa
and west of Bowmanville
in the Municipality of Clarington
. Courtice Road (Durham Road 34) connects with Highway 401 at Interchange 425, providing arterial access to the community. Darlington Provincial Park
is located just south of Courtice.
Just to the west of Courtice was a neighbouring hamlet called Prestonvale (today part of Courtice). It was once called Black's Hill and in 1825 was the site of the first post office in Darlington Township located just east of today's Preston Pub. The postmaster was none other than Colonel James Black, the originator of the name. It was also later called Tooley's Hill after Augustus Tooley who ran the grist mill at Kingston Road where Farewell Creek crosses underneath Highway 2. Today this is the present location across the road from the Tim Horton's. The children of Prestonvale went to a school (Section #8) called Mount Carswell located on the north side of Concession 3 (now Nash Rd), just west of Trulls Rd on James Reynolds' farmstead. Alf Wilborn ran the blacksmith shop at the corner of Kingston Rd. and Prestonvale Rd. A sawmill existed on the north side of Nash Rd. just to the east of Farewell Creek, where you can see an old bridge just to the north of the present day bridge. This property was the farmstead of William Scott. Across the street from the school was the Temperance Hall located on A.V. Scott's property.
A post office with the name "Courtice" was finally established in the mid 19th century, and rail connections became available on both the Canadian Pacific
and Grand Trunk
main lines which passed south of the village closer to Lake Ontario. Courtice remained primarily a small rural village well into the 20th century, but housing developments beginning in the mid-1980s caused the community to grow rapidly. In 1988 Highway 2 was widened from its 2 lanes to its present 5 lanes. By the mid-1990s growth had slowed somewhat, although new housing developments are continuing and the area remains popular due to relatively low prices. Housing is primarily single-family detached residential, and most residents travel to Toronto or points west in Durham Region for employment. Commercial development is centred along Highway 2, with particular concentrations at the intersections with Townline Road (at the boundary with Oshawa) and Courtice Road.
the first post office was set up at Black's Hill (later called Prestonvale) by Colonel James Potter. It serviced the immigrants in the Courtice area as well. The first mail carrier was William Mulligan, who did deliveries in the area with the aid of his mule. Mulligan's mule lived until 1863. The first post office by the new name "Courtice" was established in 1882 when Mr. C.W. Lewis received the contract as its first postmaster. In 1908 John Smith took over the post and the Walter family continued on as postmasters until 1963 when the post office was finally closed. The post office was located on the north side Highway 2 just west of Courtice Rd. It was demolished when Highway 2 was widened to 5 lanes in 1988.
With the closure of the post office mail operations from Bowmanville set up Courtice's mail delivery on RR2 and RR3 Bowmanville and later an RR6 was established as Courtice grew.
With the increased housing developments in the area by the late 1980s and early 1990s, the residents of Courtice asked for a new postal address and community identity. The Town of Newcastle (now Clarington, Ontario
) authorized Canada Post to provide the new postal identity and establish Courtice's boundaries. Today, all mail for Courtice is handled at the Bowmanville Post Office.
through five elementary and one secondary school, while the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board
controls catholic education through three elementary and one secondary school. The schools include:
Elementary schools:
Secondary schools:
The Courtice Community Complex includes a large indoor pool optimized for family and lap swimming, a separate wading pool for children, a large water-slide, sauna, hot-tub, weight and training facilities and numerous meeting rooms. The same complex also houses a branch of the Clarington library.
and GO Transit
. GO Transit
has begun work to extend the Lakeshore East commuter train line to Bowmanville
which includes a train station in Courtice.
Courtice Road (Durham Road 34) connects with Highway 401
at Interchange 425.
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...
, about sixty kilometers east of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, adjacent to Oshawa
Oshawa, Ontario
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
and west of Bowmanville
Bowmanville, Ontario
Bowmanville is the largest community in the Municipality of Clarington in Durham Region, Ontario, Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario about 75 km east of Toronto and 15 km east of Oshawa along Highway 2...
in the Municipality of Clarington
Clarington, Ontario
Clarington is a municipality in Ontario, Canada in the Regional Municipality of Durham. It took its present name in 1994 after having been known as the Town of Newcastle from 1974-93. The name change was made to alleviate long-standing confusion between the municipality as a whole and the included...
. Courtice Road (Durham Road 34) connects with Highway 401 at Interchange 425, providing arterial access to the community. Darlington Provincial Park
Darlington Provincial Park
Darlington Provincial Park is a part of the Ontario Provincial Parks system. It is located just south of Highway 401 near the town of Courtice, between the cities of Bowmanville and Oshawa. A small park, the topography is dominated by gentle hills, a terminal moraine deposited by glaciers at the...
is located just south of Courtice.
Geography
- Area: generally bounded by Townline Rd. on the west, Hancock Rd. on the east, Pebblestone Rd. on the north and Highway 401 on the south.
History
The area was first settled in 1795 by the James and the Trulls families. Courtice, however, takes its name from another one of the early families who settled the area. Thomas Courtice arrived in Darlington Township in 1831, followed by his brothers Christopher and James in 1833. The family emigrated from Putford Bridge, Devonshire, England. The community was centred around the Ebenezer Church/Schoolhouse which was erected in the 1850s. For a while the growing settlement was called "Ebenezer", and as it grew it would eventually encompass another hamlet called "Short's Corners". Short's Corners was located at Kingston Rd. (Highway 2) and Courtice Rd. George Short owned the blacksmith shop there where today Roy Nicholls Motors sits. This became downtown Courtice. Across the street on the north side of Highway 2 was where A.F. Rundles' Market was built in 1860. Beside it on the east was James Courtice's carpenter shop, built in 1874; and on the west was the Post office run by John Walter in 1908. Just west of the Post office was the old Methodist Church. All of these buildings were torn down when Highway 2 was widened in 1988. The present NW corner of Courtice Rd. and Highway 2, where a townhouse complex sits, is where the Courtice Cheese factory and shop was located. Across the street at the present day auto body shop there used to be a wagon maker's shop.Just to the west of Courtice was a neighbouring hamlet called Prestonvale (today part of Courtice). It was once called Black's Hill and in 1825 was the site of the first post office in Darlington Township located just east of today's Preston Pub. The postmaster was none other than Colonel James Black, the originator of the name. It was also later called Tooley's Hill after Augustus Tooley who ran the grist mill at Kingston Road where Farewell Creek crosses underneath Highway 2. Today this is the present location across the road from the Tim Horton's. The children of Prestonvale went to a school (Section #8) called Mount Carswell located on the north side of Concession 3 (now Nash Rd), just west of Trulls Rd on James Reynolds' farmstead. Alf Wilborn ran the blacksmith shop at the corner of Kingston Rd. and Prestonvale Rd. A sawmill existed on the north side of Nash Rd. just to the east of Farewell Creek, where you can see an old bridge just to the north of the present day bridge. This property was the farmstead of William Scott. Across the street from the school was the Temperance Hall located on A.V. Scott's property.
A post office with the name "Courtice" was finally established in the mid 19th century, and rail connections became available on both the Canadian Pacific
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
and Grand Trunk
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...
main lines which passed south of the village closer to Lake Ontario. Courtice remained primarily a small rural village well into the 20th century, but housing developments beginning in the mid-1980s caused the community to grow rapidly. In 1988 Highway 2 was widened from its 2 lanes to its present 5 lanes. By the mid-1990s growth had slowed somewhat, although new housing developments are continuing and the area remains popular due to relatively low prices. Housing is primarily single-family detached residential, and most residents travel to Toronto or points west in Durham Region for employment. Commercial development is centred along Highway 2, with particular concentrations at the intersections with Townline Road (at the boundary with Oshawa) and Courtice Road.
Postal history
After the War of 1812War 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...
the first post office was set up at Black's Hill (later called Prestonvale) by Colonel James Potter. It serviced the immigrants in the Courtice area as well. The first mail carrier was William Mulligan, who did deliveries in the area with the aid of his mule. Mulligan's mule lived until 1863. The first post office by the new name "Courtice" was established in 1882 when Mr. C.W. Lewis received the contract as its first postmaster. In 1908 John Smith took over the post and the Walter family continued on as postmasters until 1963 when the post office was finally closed. The post office was located on the north side Highway 2 just west of Courtice Rd. It was demolished when Highway 2 was widened to 5 lanes in 1988.
With the closure of the post office mail operations from Bowmanville set up Courtice's mail delivery on RR2 and RR3 Bowmanville and later an RR6 was established as Courtice grew.
With the increased housing developments in the area by the late 1980s and early 1990s, the residents of Courtice asked for a new postal address and community identity. The Town of Newcastle (now Clarington, Ontario
Clarington, Ontario
Clarington is a municipality in Ontario, Canada in the Regional Municipality of Durham. It took its present name in 1994 after having been known as the Town of Newcastle from 1974-93. The name change was made to alleviate long-standing confusion between the municipality as a whole and the included...
) authorized Canada Post to provide the new postal identity and establish Courtice's boundaries. Today, all mail for Courtice is handled at the Bowmanville Post Office.
Education
Public education is controlled by the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School BoardKawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board has its headquarters in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board is the public, English language school board that takes in the regions of the previous Peterborough County Board of Education and the...
through five elementary and one secondary school, while the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board
Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board
The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board has its headquarters in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada....
controls catholic education through three elementary and one secondary school. The schools include:
Elementary schools:
- Dr.Emily Stowe Public School
- S.T. Worden Public School
- Courtice North Public School
- Lydia Trull Public School
- Dr. G.J. MacGillivray Public School
- Good Shepherd Catholic School
- Mother Teresa Separate School
- Monsignor Leo Cleary Separate School
Secondary schools:
- Courtice Secondary SchoolCourtice Secondary SchoolCourtice Secondary School is a school located in Courtice, Ontario on the corner of Nash and Courtice Road. It was built in the late 1950s and opened in September 1960. Currently, the school has just under 1,000 students and is a part of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. It has 5...
- Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary SchoolHoly Trinity Catholic Secondary School (Courtice)Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School,colloquially known by its students as HT, is a publicly-funded Catholic school located in Courtice, Ontario. It is operated by the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, and currently has over 900 students enrolled...
Sports and recreation
The South Courtice Arena opened in the fall of 2003. It has two ice rinks: one Olympic sized and the other NHL sized. It is home to the Clarington Speed Skating Club.The Courtice Community Complex includes a large indoor pool optimized for family and lap swimming, a separate wading pool for children, a large water-slide, sauna, hot-tub, weight and training facilities and numerous meeting rooms. The same complex also houses a branch of the Clarington library.
- The Holy Trinity Titans football team won the Metro Bowl on Nov. 24, 2010 defeating the King City Lions 28-3. - story
Local groups and organizations
- Rotary Club of Courtice - website
- 18th Oshawa Scouting Group (from and meet in Courtice)
Transportation
Public transit bus service is provided by Durham Region TransitDurham Region Transit
Durham Region Transit is the regional public transit operator in Durham Region, east of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are at 605 Rossland Rd East in Whitby, Ontario, and there are regional centres in Ajax, Whitby, and Oshawa.-Overview:...
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...
. 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...
has begun work to extend the Lakeshore East commuter train line to Bowmanville
Bowmanville, Ontario
Bowmanville is the largest community in the Municipality of Clarington in Durham Region, Ontario, Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario about 75 km east of Toronto and 15 km east of Oshawa along Highway 2...
which includes a train station in Courtice.
Courtice Road (Durham Road 34) connects with Highway 401
Highway 401 (Ontario)
King's Highway 401, also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway and colloquially as the four-oh-one, is a 400-Series Highway in the Canadian province of Ontario stretching from Windsor to the Quebec border...
at Interchange 425.
Residents of note
- Former NHLer and Team Canada '72 player Wayne CashmanWayne CashmanWayne Cashman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and a former NHL head coach.-Playing career:Cashman played his junior hockey as a teammate of Bobby Orr's on the Oshawa Generals of the OHA...
lived here - CFTO newsman Tom GibneyTom GibneyTom Gibney is a retired television anchor in Toronto, Ontario. Gibney was evening news anchor at CFTO-TV in Toronto, and also the former host for the Lotto 6/49 draws until entering semi-retirement...
makes Courtice his home - Greg NemiszGreg NemiszGregory Nemisz is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Abbotsford Heat of the American Hockey League . He is a prospect of the Calgary Flames, selected in the first round, 25th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft...
(RW) who was drafted by the Calgary Flames - Samantha MunroSamantha MunroSamantha Munro is an actress who currently lives in Courtice, Ontario, Canada. She is best known for her role as Anya MacPherson on Degrassi: The Next Generation....
, a Courtice Secondary School alumni now is a regular character on Degrassi: The Next GenerationDegrassi: The Next GenerationDegrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and... - Current CFLer Ricky FoleyRicky FoleyRicky Foley is a Canadian defensive end with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the BC Lions in the first round of the 2006 CFL Draft...
, Starting defensive end for the Toronto ArgonautsToronto ArgonautsThe Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
. - Matthew MorisonMatthew MorisonMatthew Morison is a Canadian amateur Snowboarder who currently resides in Kamloops, British Columbia. Morison has qualified to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Matthew, a native of Burketon, Ontario began snowboarding at the Oshawa Ski Club at a young age. By Age 11, Morison was...
, a Courtice Secondary School alumni is a National team snowboarder and qualifier for the 2010 Winter Olympics2010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University... - Joel A. SutherlandJoel A. SutherlandJoel A. Sutherland is a Canadian author and editor of thriller, horror and fantasy short stories and novels, anthologies and children's books. His notable works include Frozen Blood and Be a Writing Superstar Sutherland's writing has been nominated for the Bram Stoker Award and the Black Quill Award...
, author of Frozen Blood and Be a Writing Superstar!, currently lives in Courtice
External links
- Courtice at Geographical Names of Canada
- Map of Darlington Township showing Courtice in 1877
- Forgotten villages of Clarington
See also
- Kingsway Village (Oshawa)