Essex, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Essex is a town with a population of 20,032 in Essex County
in southwestern Ontario
, Canada
, whose municipal borders extend to Lake Erie
. Essex is also the name of the largest community within the municipality. The present mayor is Ron McDermott. It is also the county seat
for Essex County.
.
Essex
The Talbot Trail was heavily attributed with causing Essex to grow significantly in the last half of the 19th century. The community achieved town status in 1890.
Essex has experienced two major explosions. The first, on 10 August 1907, was caused by leaking nitroglycerine in a rail car which was being shunted together at the Essex Train Station. Two men were killed and much of the town was wrecked. The second explosion occurred on 14 February 1980 when a tow truck was bringing a gas tank truck which backed over a natural gas line. The ensuing explosion caused considerable damage but there was only one fatality. The person who died was the brother of the gas tank truck driver.
Harrow
, Oxley, Paquette Corners, Seymour Beach and Vereker.
Current town council:
According to the Canada 2006 Census
:
The Essex Ravens football club play in the Ontario Varsity Football League and play their games at Raider Field at Essex District High School
. They are the reigning Varsity Division Champions, having defeated the Cumberland Panthers 39-32 in the 2010 championship game.
Essex has two major annual festivals. The Essex Fun Fest runs in the second week of July and the Harrow Fair occurs each labour day weekend. The Harrow Fair is the oldest community fair in Ontario
.
are situated in Essex. Essex District High School
serves Essex Centre, Colchester North and areas of Tecumseh, Ontario
, Lakeshore, Ontario
, and Kingsville, Ontario
. Harrow District High School
serves Harrow Centre and Colchester South. Public school students from certain areas of Essex may attend General Amherst High School in Amherstburg, Ontario
or Kingsville District High School in Kingsville, Ontario. While there is no separate secondary school within the boundaries of Essex, students in the town may attend the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board
's St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic High School in LaSalle, Ontario
or Cardinal Carter Catholic High School
in Leamington, Ontario
.
Elementary schools of the Greater Essex County District School Board include Essex Public School, Colchester North Public School, and Harrow Senior Public School. Separate elementary schools of the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board include Holy Name Catholic Elementary School and St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School.
population. It is speculated that the town was founded adjacent to a massive crow rookery
that, despite efforts to destroy or relocate the nesting ground, thrives to this day. Strangely, the crows boundaries seem tightly closed around the town; though the birds will occasionally venture into surrounding areas.
Essex County, Ontario
Essex County is a county and census division located in Southwestern Ontario and covers an area at the southernmost tip of Canada. The administrative seat is Essex...
in southwestern 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...
, whose municipal borders extend to 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...
. Essex is also the name of the largest community within the municipality. The present mayor is Ron McDermott. It is also the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
for Essex County.
History
The current Town of Essex was created on 1 April 1999 by the amalgamation of the communities of Essex, Harrow, Colchester North, and Colchester South. Each community has a distinct history prior to amalgamation. Colchester South is notable for lying further south than the northern border of CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Essex
The Talbot Trail was heavily attributed with causing Essex to grow significantly in the last half of the 19th century. The community achieved town status in 1890.
Essex has experienced two major explosions. The first, on 10 August 1907, was caused by leaking nitroglycerine in a rail car which was being shunted together at the Essex Train Station. Two men were killed and much of the town was wrecked. The second explosion occurred on 14 February 1980 when a tow truck was bringing a gas tank truck which backed over a natural gas line. The ensuing explosion caused considerable damage but there was only one fatality. The person who died was the brother of the gas tank truck driver.
Harrow
Communities
The town comprises the communities of Ambassador Beach, Barretville, Belcreft Beach, Colchester, Edgars, Essex Centre, Gesto, Harrow, Klie's Beach, Leslies Corner, Levergood Beach, Lypps Beach, Marshfield, McGregor, New CanaanNew Canaan, Ontario
New Canaan was a small settlement between Essex to the Southeast and McGregor to the Northwest on Maiden Road in Essex County, Ontario, today officially part of the town of Essex....
, Oxley, Paquette Corners, Seymour Beach and Vereker.
Governance
Essex is divided into four wards which correspond to the four major communities involved in the 1999 amalgamation. During municipal elections, residents vote for a mayor and councillor(s) in their geographical ward. The members of each council elect a deputy-mayor from their own ranks after each municipal election.- Ward 1 - Essex Centre (2 councillors)
- Ward 2 - Colchester North (1 councillor)
- Ward 3 - Colchester South (2 councillors)
- Ward 4 - Harrow Centre (1 councillor)
Current town council:
- Mayor - Ron McDermott
- Deputy Mayor - Richard Meloche (Ward 2)
- Ward 1 Councillor - Morley Bowman
- Ward 1 Councillor - Randy Voakes
- Ward 3 Councillor - John Scott
- Ward 3 Councillor - Bill Baker
- Ward 4 Councillor - Sherry Bondy
Demographics
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1901 | 1,391 |
| 1911 | 1,353 |
| 1921 | 1,588 |
| 1931 | 1,954 |
| 1941 | 1,935 |
| 1951 | 2,741 |
| 1961 | 3,428 |
| 1971 | 4,002 |
| 1981 | 6,295 |
| 1991 | 6,759 |
| 2001 | 20,085 |
| 2006 | 20,032 |
According to the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
:
- Population: 20,032
- % Change (1996–2001): -0.3
- Dwellings: 8,377
- Area (km².): 277.95
- Density (persons per km².): 72.1
Sports and recreation
The town of Essex is the proud home of the winningest Junior C franchise in the province, the Essex 73's. The club has won a League Record 16 Great Lake Titles along with a Ontario Record 6 Provincial Titles. The club played 36 seasons in the historic Essex Memorial Arena, and now currently plays in the new Essex Centre Sports Complex. Essex has two minor hockey associations: The Essex Minor Hockey Association based in Essex Centre and the Harrow-Colchester South Minor Hockey Association based in Harrow. The town is now the proud home of Sun County Triple A.The Essex Ravens football club play in the Ontario Varsity Football League and play their games at Raider Field at Essex District High School
Essex District High School
Essex District High School is a public secondary school in Essex, in the centre of Essex County. The school was founded in 1885 and is the oldest operating publicly funded high school in Ontario. The school has a student population of 940 and 78 faculty members.-History:In 1885, Dr...
. They are the reigning Varsity Division Champions, having defeated the Cumberland Panthers 39-32 in the 2010 championship game.
Essex has two major annual festivals. The Essex Fun Fest runs in the second week of July and the Harrow Fair occurs each labour day weekend. The Harrow Fair is the oldest community fair 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....
.
Education
Two public secondary schools of the Greater Essex County District School BoardGreater Essex County District School Board
The Greater Essex County District School Board was created on January 1, 1998 with the amalgamation of the Windsor Board Of Education and the Essex County Board of Education...
are situated in Essex. Essex District High School
Essex District High School
Essex District High School is a public secondary school in Essex, in the centre of Essex County. The school was founded in 1885 and is the oldest operating publicly funded high school in Ontario. The school has a student population of 940 and 78 faculty members.-History:In 1885, Dr...
serves Essex Centre, Colchester North and areas of Tecumseh, Ontario
Tecumseh, Ontario
Tecumseh is a town on Lake St. Clair east of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It has a population of just over 24,000.Tecumseh enjoys long summers and mild winters...
, Lakeshore, Ontario
Lakeshore, Ontario
Lakeshore is a town in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on Lake St. Clair. Its nearest city is Windsor, located in Essex County. The town was incorporated in 1999 by amalgamating the Town of Belle River with the townships of Maidstone, Rochester, Tilbury North, and Tilbury West.Lakeshore has a...
, and Kingsville, Ontario
Kingsville, Ontario
The Town of Kingsville is located in Essex County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, and is Canada's southernmost municipality with town status. According to the 2006 census, the population of Kingsville is 20,908.-Geography:...
. Harrow District High School
Harrow District High School
Harrow District High School is located in Harrow, Ontario and is Canada's most southern high school. It has a population of about 350 students. The school's 100th anniversary was celebrated in 2004. The school's mascot is a hawk. Their colours are blue and white.- External links :* *...
serves Harrow Centre and Colchester South. Public school students from certain areas of Essex may attend General Amherst High School in Amherstburg, Ontario
Amherstburg, Ontario
Amherstburg is a Canadian town near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County, Ontario. It is approximately south of the U.S...
or Kingsville District High School in Kingsville, Ontario. While there is no separate secondary school within the boundaries of Essex, students in the town may attend the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board
Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board
The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board oversees Catholic education in Windsor and the surrounding County of Essex, in Ontario, Canada...
's St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic High School in LaSalle, Ontario
LaSalle, Ontario
LaSalle is a town in Essex County, Ontario, Canada, on the Detroit River. It is a bedroom community of the City of Windsor and part of the Windsor Census Metropolitan Area, and is located south of that city. LaSalle, along with Windsor, is the oldest French settlement area in Southwestern Ontario,...
or Cardinal Carter Catholic High School
Cardinal Carter Catholic High School
Cardinal Carter Catholic High School, usually just Cardinal Carter or "Carter", is a high school in Aurora, Ontario, Canada in the York Catholic District School Board. The school principal is Richard Maurice....
in Leamington, Ontario
Leamington, Ontario
Leamington is a municipality in Essex County, southern Ontario, Canada, and has a population of 31,113. It includes Point Pelee, the southernmost point of mainland Canada. It has a large H. J. Heinz Company factory and is known as the "Tomato Capital of Canada", with 4 km² of this crop in the...
.
Elementary schools of the Greater Essex County District School Board include Essex Public School, Colchester North Public School, and Harrow Senior Public School. Separate elementary schools of the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board include Holy Name Catholic Elementary School and St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School.
Wildlife
Essex is known regionwide for its large crowCrow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
population. It is speculated that the town was founded adjacent to a massive crow rookery
Rookery
A rookery is a colony of breeding animals, generally birds. A rook is a Northern European and Central Asian member of the crow family, which nest in prominent colonies at the tops of trees. The term is applied to the nesting place of birds, such as crows and rooks, the source of the term...
that, despite efforts to destroy or relocate the nesting ground, thrives to this day. Strangely, the crows boundaries seem tightly closed around the town; though the birds will occasionally venture into surrounding areas.