Elmira, Ontario
Encyclopedia
The town of Elmira in Ontario
, Canada
is the largest community within the Township of Woolwich
in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and is located 15 km to the north of the city of Waterloo
.
In 1806, Wallace sold the major portion of his tract to Mennonites. Benjamin Eby, the secretary of the Germany Company had come to the area, along with his friend Henry Brubacher. On a tour of exploration, the young men wandered into Wallace's Woolwich. Enamoured by the country, Eby formed a land company in Pennsylvania. The following year, he returned with a barrel of silver dollars, plus prospective settlers - the Musselmans, Martins, Hoffmans, and Gingerichs. Wallace sold the Germany Company 45185 acres (183 km²) of land at $1.00 an acre. On May 1, 1807, Eby received the deed and the release of the mortgage. Woolwich Township gained recognition as an official township in 1816.
In 1834, Edward Bristow became one of Elmira's first settlers when he purchased 53 acres (214,483.6 m²) of land at this location for 50 cents per acre. A community by the name of Bristow's Corners was already in existence in 1839 when a post office was assigned there. Local merchant Samuel Weber
had been visiting New York State in the early 1850s and was apparently impressed with Elmira, New York
. This may have been a factor in the decision of Woolwich Township council on February 22, 1853 to rename the community Elmira. In the 1850s, German settlers moved into the community. Among these were: Oswald, Esche, Steffen and Tresinger. Like most of the township, the primary settlers in the Elmira area were Mennonites, who still form a significant proportion of the population today. The town still retains much of its traditional Pennsylvania Dutch
character. Many Old Order Mennonites can still be seen on the local roads using their traditional horse and buggy transportation. http://www.visitor.on.ca/elmira/
In 1861, the Elmira House was erected as numerous artisans and merchants came to Elmira to earn a living. As a result, Elmira became known as an 'enterprising' community. In December 1886, Elmira entered a new chapter of its history with the incorporation of the settlement as a village by charter. At this date, the population of the newly incorporated village stood at 760 people. Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, Elmira acquired various cultural trappings, including a brass band (1873) and a library (1885), which boasted an initial membership of 20 people.
The Bandstand, located in Gore Park, is a reminder of the centre of entertainment in a small town in the early 20th century. It was built in 1912 by A.M. Bowman, from a design prepared by members of the Elmira Musical Society. On January 1, 1923, Elmira, with a population of 2500, became an incorporated town.
During the 1960s under contract with the U.S. government, Elmira's Uniroyal
chemical plant (which changed its name to Crompton Company in 2001 and then to Chemtura in 2006) was one of seven manufacturers supplying the U.S. military
with the toxic herbicide Agent Orange
.
Due to the poor disposal practices of the toxic waste associated with the manufacture of Agent Orange and other chemicals, contamination has seeped down to the aquifer in and around Elmira. This contamination, NDMA (N-nitrose dimethylamine), forced local water wells to close in 1990. Water is now delivered via a pipeline from Waterloo and other near local areas.
The local schools include John Mahood Public School, Riverside Public School, St. Teresas RC, Park Manor Senior Public School, and Elmira District Secondary School
. The secondary school draws students from the town and surrounding areas of St. Jacobs, Conestogo, Drayton, Winterbourne, Linwood, Heidelberg, West Montrose, Wallenstein and St. Clements.
The Elmira Library is a branch within the Region of Waterloo Library system. In 1911, the Elmira Library received a Carnegie grant after being supported by the local businesses for many years. It was expanded in 1978 to include a children's library and meeting room. In 2008, an elevator was added to make the library accessible. In addition to WIFI, there are five public use internet stations in the library. Various programs are offered through-out the year, including children's programs.
Public transit came to the town in April 2009 when the Region's Grand River Transit
service boosted the existing Route 21 from St. Jacobs to run into Elmira and back; the opposite end of the route is at Waterloo's Conestoga Mall. The days of service of the route were also increased from two days a week to six.
. Since the 1970s, tourism
has become an increasingly important industry in Elmira.
, named after the very successful Elmira Maple Syrup Festival.
http://www.kings.on.ca/
Woolwich Township, where Elmira is located, was put into the top 5 for the 2009 Kraft Hockeyville contest. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/hockeyville/ Their 3rd place finish earned them $25,000 in arena upgrades from Kraft. The eventual winner was Terrace, British Columbia, which received an NHL preseason game, $100,000 for arena upgrades, and a broadcast of CBC’s "Hockey Night in Canada".
Elmira has an active lawn bowling club. The Elmira Lawn Bowling Club is a member of District 7 of the Ontario Lawn Bowling Association.
, some 4 km to the east.
, held each spring in early April. It attracts some 60,000 visitors to the one-day event, giving it the claim of the world's largest one-day maple syrup festival http://www.soto.on.ca/northern_grand_river_country_and_the_headwaters/elmira.html
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...
is the largest community within the Township of Woolwich
Woolwich, Ontario
The Township of Woolwich is a rural township in Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Region of Waterloo, immediately to the north and east of the City of Waterloo. Its 2006 census population was 19,658.-Communities:*Bloomingdale*Breslau*Conestogo*Elmira...
in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and is located 15 km to the north of the city of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
.
History
While the land comprising Woolwich Township originally belonged to the Huron followed by the Mohawk Indians, the first settlers arrived in Woolwich Township in the late 18th century. In 1798, William Wallace was one of the first settlers in the area after he was deeded 86078 acres (348 km²) of land on the Grand River for a cost of $16,364. Originally Block three of Indian Lands, this area now comprises a large part of Woolwich Township. The parcel of land called "Woolwich' was named in honour of a government surveyor.In 1806, Wallace sold the major portion of his tract to Mennonites. Benjamin Eby, the secretary of the Germany Company had come to the area, along with his friend Henry Brubacher. On a tour of exploration, the young men wandered into Wallace's Woolwich. Enamoured by the country, Eby formed a land company in Pennsylvania. The following year, he returned with a barrel of silver dollars, plus prospective settlers - the Musselmans, Martins, Hoffmans, and Gingerichs. Wallace sold the Germany Company 45185 acres (183 km²) of land at $1.00 an acre. On May 1, 1807, Eby received the deed and the release of the mortgage. Woolwich Township gained recognition as an official township in 1816.
In 1834, Edward Bristow became one of Elmira's first settlers when he purchased 53 acres (214,483.6 m²) of land at this location for 50 cents per acre. A community by the name of Bristow's Corners was already in existence in 1839 when a post office was assigned there. Local merchant Samuel Weber
Samuel Weber
Samuel Weber is the Avalon Foundation Professor of Humanities at Northwestern University, as well as a professor at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland....
had been visiting New York State in the early 1850s and was apparently impressed with Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
. This may have been a factor in the decision of Woolwich Township council on February 22, 1853 to rename the community Elmira. In the 1850s, German settlers moved into the community. Among these were: Oswald, Esche, Steffen and Tresinger. Like most of the township, the primary settlers in the Elmira area were Mennonites, who still form a significant proportion of the population today. The town still retains much of its traditional Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
character. Many Old Order Mennonites can still be seen on the local roads using their traditional horse and buggy transportation. http://www.visitor.on.ca/elmira/
In 1861, the Elmira House was erected as numerous artisans and merchants came to Elmira to earn a living. As a result, Elmira became known as an 'enterprising' community. In December 1886, Elmira entered a new chapter of its history with the incorporation of the settlement as a village by charter. At this date, the population of the newly incorporated village stood at 760 people. Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, Elmira acquired various cultural trappings, including a brass band (1873) and a library (1885), which boasted an initial membership of 20 people.
The Bandstand, located in Gore Park, is a reminder of the centre of entertainment in a small town in the early 20th century. It was built in 1912 by A.M. Bowman, from a design prepared by members of the Elmira Musical Society. On January 1, 1923, Elmira, with a population of 2500, became an incorporated town.
During the 1960s under contract with the U.S. government, Elmira's Uniroyal
United States Rubber Company
The United States Rubber Company was founded in Naugatuck, Connecticut in 1892. It was one of the original 12 stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and became Uniroyal Inc...
chemical plant (which changed its name to Crompton Company in 2001 and then to Chemtura in 2006) was one of seven manufacturers supplying the U.S. military
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
with the toxic herbicide Agent Orange
Agent Orange
Agent Orange is the code name for one of the herbicides and defoliants used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. Vietnam estimates 400,000 people were killed or maimed, and 500,000 children born with birth...
.
Due to the poor disposal practices of the toxic waste associated with the manufacture of Agent Orange and other chemicals, contamination has seeped down to the aquifer in and around Elmira. This contamination, NDMA (N-nitrose dimethylamine), forced local water wells to close in 1990. Water is now delivered via a pipeline from Waterloo and other near local areas.
Local Information
Elmira has a population of 11988 residents(census 2006).The local schools include John Mahood Public School, Riverside Public School, St. Teresas RC, Park Manor Senior Public School, and Elmira District Secondary School
Elmira District Secondary School
Elmira District Secondary School is the high school serving the town of Elmira, Ontario, Canada and the surrounding area.-Continuation school:...
. The secondary school draws students from the town and surrounding areas of St. Jacobs, Conestogo, Drayton, Winterbourne, Linwood, Heidelberg, West Montrose, Wallenstein and St. Clements.
The Elmira Library is a branch within the Region of Waterloo Library system. In 1911, the Elmira Library received a Carnegie grant after being supported by the local businesses for many years. It was expanded in 1978 to include a children's library and meeting room. In 2008, an elevator was added to make the library accessible. In addition to WIFI, there are five public use internet stations in the library. Various programs are offered through-out the year, including children's programs.
Public transit came to the town in April 2009 when the Region's Grand River Transit
Grand River Transit
Grand River Transit, or GRT, is the public transport operator for the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It operates daily bus services in the region, primarily in the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge....
service boosted the existing Route 21 from St. Jacobs to run into Elmira and back; the opposite end of the route is at Waterloo's Conestoga Mall. The days of service of the route were also increased from two days a week to six.
Economy
Major employers of Elmira include Sanyo Machine Works, Elmira Pet Products, Chemtura, Toyota Boshoku formerly Trim Masters, and Engineered Lifting SystemsEngineered Lifting Systems & Equipment Inc
Engineered Lifting Systems & Equipment Inc is a Canadian manufacturing company specializing in standard and custom overhead material lifting systems and equipment. ELS was founded in by Jim Muir in Waterloo, Ontario and its headquarters is currently located in Elmira, Ontario.-History:ELS was...
. Since the 1970s, tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
has become an increasingly important industry in Elmira.
Sports
The local Jr. B Hockey team is the Elmira Sugar KingsElmira Sugar Kings
The Elmira Sugar Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Elmira, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.-History:...
, named after the very successful Elmira Maple Syrup Festival.
http://www.kings.on.ca/
Woolwich Township, where Elmira is located, was put into the top 5 for the 2009 Kraft Hockeyville contest. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/hockeyville/ Their 3rd place finish earned them $25,000 in arena upgrades from Kraft. The eventual winner was Terrace, British Columbia, which received an NHL preseason game, $100,000 for arena upgrades, and a broadcast of CBC’s "Hockey Night in Canada".
Elmira has an active lawn bowling club. The Elmira Lawn Bowling Club is a member of District 7 of the Ontario Lawn Bowling Association.
Geography
The town was founded at the intersection of two roads, now Regional Road 21 (Arthur St.) running north-south, and Regional Road 86 (Church St.), running east-west. Canagagigue Creek is the major body of water, flowing southeast from the north end of town to join the Grand RiverGrand 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...
, some 4 km to the east.
Events
Elmira's main annual event is the Elmira Maple Syrup FestivalElmira Maple Syrup Festival
The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival is an annual festival held in Elmira, Ontario, Canada.The yearly festival began on April 10, 1965. Organizers anticipated 2,500 attendees, but instead it drew a crowd of 10,000 visitors, thus ensuring its continuation...
, held each spring in early April. It attracts some 60,000 visitors to the one-day event, giving it the claim of the world's largest one-day maple syrup festival http://www.soto.on.ca/northern_grand_river_country_and_the_headwaters/elmira.html
Famous natives
- Lucas BryantLucas Bryant-Biography:Bryant was born in Elmira, Ontario, Canada and he currently has dual Canadian and U.S. Citizenship. His father is from North Dakota and is of Scandinavian/Finnish heritage. His mother was also born and raised in the United States...
, actor - Malcolm GladwellMalcolm GladwellMalcolm Gladwell, CM is a Canadian journalist, bestselling author, and speaker. He is currently based in New York City and has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996...
, author of The Tipping Point, BlinkBlink (book)Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking is a 2005 book by Malcolm Gladwell. It presents in popular science format research from psychology and behavioral economics on the adaptive unconscious; mental processes that work rapidly and automatically from relatively little information...
and OutliersOutliers (book)Outliers: The Story of Success is a non-fiction book written by Malcolm Gladwell and published by Little, Brown and Company on November 18, 2008. In Outliers, Gladwell examines the factors that contribute to high levels of success...
. - Isabel HugganIsabel HugganIsabel Huggan , is a prize-winning Canadian author of fiction and personal essays.-Biography:Isabel Huggan spent her childhood in Elmira, a small southern Ontario town where her father worked as a manager for the Canadian branch of an American chemical company...
, writer - Carl KlinckCarl KlinckCarl Frederick Klinck, was a Canadian literary historian and academic.Born in Elmira, Ontario, he received a B.A. from Waterloo College in 1927, and a M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1929 and 1943...
, educator - Ric SeilingRic SeilingRichard James Seiling is a retired former professional ice hockey player. He spent the majority of his 738-game NHL career with the Buffalo Sabres, but also played one season for the Detroit Red Wings. After his retirement he became a successful harness racer. He is the younger brother of fellow...
, NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
former player - Rod SeilingRod SeilingRodney Albert Seiling is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1962, Seiling played only one game with the Leafs and spent most of his time in the minors. The next year he would participate with the Canadian hockey team that played in the 1964 Winter...
, NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
former player and member of Team Canada 1972 in the Summit SeriesSummit SeriesThe Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972... - Dan SnyderDan SnyderDaniel Snyder was a professional Canadian ice hockey player. He played as a centre in the National Hockey League for the Atlanta Thrashers...
(1978–2003), NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
player for the Atlanta ThrashersAtlanta ThrashersThe Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
who was killed in a car crash. - Cam StewartCam StewartThis is Cam Stewart, the hockey player for the sportscaster, see Cam Stewart Cameron G. Stewart is a Canadian ice hockey forward, and is currently a minor-league assistant coach/front-office advisor with the Houston Aeros.Stewart started his NHL career with the Boston Bruins in 1993...
, NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
former player - Dennis WidemanDennis WidemanDennis Earl Wideman is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
, NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
player for the Washington CapitalsWashington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup... - Jamie WrightJamie WrightJamie Wright is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who plays for the HC Sierre of the National League B in Switzerland...
, NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
former player
External links
- Elmira Independent newspaper (Winner of the Michener AwardMichener AwardThe Michener Award is one of the highest distinctions in Canadian journalism. The award was founded in 1970 by Roland Michener, who was Governor General of Canada at the time, and his wife Norah...
) - Woolwich Observer newspaper
- Elmira Maple Syrup Festival
- Region of Waterloo Library Elmira Branch
- Elmira at Geographical Names of Canada
| North: Alma | ||
| West: Wellesley Township Wellesley, Ontario The Township of Wellesley is the rural, north-western township of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. It encompasses 277.84 km2 and had a population of 9,789 in the Canada 2006 Census.-Communities:... , Listowel | Elmira | East: 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... |
| South: St. Jacobs St. Jacobs, Ontario The community of St. Jacobs is located in southwest Ontario, just north of Waterloo in Woolwich Township, Waterloo Region. It is a popular location for tourism, due to its Mennonite heritage and retail focus. The Conestogo River, which powered the village's original gristmill, runs through the... , Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener.... |