Ingersoll, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Ingersoll is a town in Oxford County
on the Thames River in southwestern Ontario
, Canada
. The nearest cities are Woodstock
to the east and London
to the west.
Ingersoll is situated north of and near Highway 401
. Oxford County Road 119 (formerly Ontario Highway 19
) serves the town. The local high school is Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute
.
The area was well known for cheese
production, and was home to the first such factory in Canada from approximately 1840. In 1866, a giant block of cheese weighing 7300 pounds (3,311 kg) was produced at the James Harris Cheese Factory for promotion of the town's cheese industry. The "Big Cheese" was exhibited in England and in the United States at the New York State Fair in Saratoga.
Heavy manufacturing is currently Ingersoll's largest industry, including manufacturers such as CAMI Automotive
, a General Motors
car manufacturing plant that was originally a joint venture with Suzuki Motors of Canada
.
(Laura Secord
's father) who in 1793 obtained a land grant of 66000 acres (26,709.3 ha) from Governor John Graves Simcoe
. The town was originally founded as Oxford-on-the-Thames but renamed to Ingersoll in Thomas' honour by his son Charles. In 1852, the place was incorporated as the "Village of Ingersoll". Nine years later in 1861, it changed status to town.
June
Ribfest: With every restaurant in the town participating, the main street gets blocked off so the whole town can walk around, enjoy some ribs and socialize at this annual event. Each year, one restaurant gets the honour of being titled with having the best ribs in town!
July
Canterbury Folk Festival: "To promote an annual folk festival of music, dance, arts and crafts for the enjoyment of all people of the Town of Ingersoll, Ontario and surrounding area, while providing opportunities for families, young people and senior citizens from all walks of life to enjoy, participate in and gain from festival activities, at no cost to themselves..." This event brings the community together in the park with local artisans, music, dance, and lots of people! With activities for the whole family, everyone is bound to have a good time.
http://www.canterburyfolkfestival.on.ca/
August
Harvest Festival: Held during the 4th week of August, this festival features such activities as The Harvest Run, food and wine tasting, battle of the bands, threshing demonstrations, live entertainment and lots more.
November
Bethlehem Walk: The Bethlehem walk is put on by local community churches to remind visitors of how Christmas began. With a journey through the woods, you will meet Mary, Joseph, the angels, and of course baby Jesus. Walking through a marketplace, a King's court and the church, it is definitely an enjoyable night for the family.
December
Festival of Lights: "The Town of Ingersoll is proud to host this wonderful winter event. We welcome individuals, families, carloads, bus tours and weekenders. You will be treated to over 250 beautiful Light Displays. designed, built and set up by our own Ingersoll professionals." With the lights being sponsored by various individuals, families, and businesses around town, this event brings the whole community together. The lovely light displays can be found in many parks around the town, as well as along roadsides. There is also the singing tree in the middle of downtown which is said to have one light for every citizen of Ingersoll.
Also present is the Cheese and Agriculture Museum which contains the history of Ingersoll in a few buildings. This is also a hub for local activities.
The town is also set with a community centre, Fusion youth Centre, and many other local places for people to meet.
Oxford County, Ontario
Oxford County is a regional municipality and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Southern portion of the province. The regional seat is in Woodstock...
on the Thames River 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...
. The nearest cities are Woodstock
Woodstock, Ontario
Woodstock is a city and the county seat of Oxford County in Southern Ontario, Canada. Woodstock is located 128 km southwest of Toronto, north of Highway 401 along the historic Thames River...
to the east and London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
to the west.
Ingersoll is situated north of and near 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...
. Oxford County Road 119 (formerly Ontario Highway 19
Highway 19 (Ontario)
King's Highway 19, commonly referred to as Highway 19, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Highway 19 currently runs from Tillsonburg north to a point near Ingersoll. The total length of Highway 19 is presently , which is very similar to its original length in...
) serves the town. The local high school is Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute
Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute
Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute is a public high school in Ingersoll, Ontario. As the only high school in Ingersoll, it also serves the village of Thamesford, and the rural areas surrounding both communities. It is in the Thames Valley District School Board . It is located in the north...
.
The area was well known for cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
production, and was home to the first such factory in Canada from approximately 1840. In 1866, a giant block of cheese weighing 7300 pounds (3,311 kg) was produced at the James Harris Cheese Factory for promotion of the town's cheese industry. The "Big Cheese" was exhibited in England and in the United States at the New York State Fair in Saratoga.
Heavy manufacturing is currently Ingersoll's largest industry, including manufacturers such as CAMI Automotive
CAMI Automotive
CAMI Automotive, originally known as Canadian Automotive Manufacturing Inc., was an independently incorporated joint venture of automobile manufacturing in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada and formed the third step of GM's three-pronged initiative of the mid-1980s to capture and practice the Japanese...
, a General Motors
General Motors Canada
General Motors of Canada Limited is General Motors' Canadian division. Its national headquarters office, Canadian Regional Engineering Centre, and main manufacturing plants are located in Oshawa, Ontario. GM Canada is 100% owned by GM.As of Apr...
car manufacturing plant that was originally a joint venture with Suzuki Motors of Canada
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
.
History
The area was first settled by Thomas IngersollThomas Ingersoll
Thomas Ingersoll was an early settler in Upper Canada, later Ontario. He is best known as the father of Laura Secord, who warned the British of an impending American attack on Upper Canada during the War of 1812....
(Laura Secord
Laura Secord
Laura Ingersoll Secord was a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812. She is known for warning British forces of an impending American attack that led to the British victory at the Battle of Beaver Dams.-Early life:...
's father) who in 1793 obtained a land grant of 66000 acres (26,709.3 ha) from Governor John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe was a British army officer and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1791–1796. Then frontier, this was modern-day southern Ontario and the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior...
. The town was originally founded as Oxford-on-the-Thames but renamed to Ingersoll in Thomas' honour by his son Charles. In 1852, the place was incorporated as the "Village of Ingersoll". Nine years later in 1861, it changed status to town.
Demographics
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1841 | 400 |
| 1871 | 4,022 |
| 1881 | 4,318 |
| 1891 | 4,191 |
| 1901 | 4,573 |
| 1911 | 4,763 |
| 1921 | 5,150 |
| 1931 | 5,233 |
| 1941 | 5,757 |
| 1951 | 6,524 |
| 1961 | 6,874 |
| 1971 | 7,783 |
| 1981 | 8,494 |
| 1991 | 9,378 |
| 2001 | 10,977 |
| 2006 | 11,760 |
Annual town events
Ingersoll is the host to a number of annual festivals, including the Ribfest, Harvest Festival, Canterbury Folk Festival and the Winter Lights Festival.June
Ribfest: With every restaurant in the town participating, the main street gets blocked off so the whole town can walk around, enjoy some ribs and socialize at this annual event. Each year, one restaurant gets the honour of being titled with having the best ribs in town!
July
Canterbury Folk Festival: "To promote an annual folk festival of music, dance, arts and crafts for the enjoyment of all people of the Town of Ingersoll, Ontario and surrounding area, while providing opportunities for families, young people and senior citizens from all walks of life to enjoy, participate in and gain from festival activities, at no cost to themselves..." This event brings the community together in the park with local artisans, music, dance, and lots of people! With activities for the whole family, everyone is bound to have a good time.
http://www.canterburyfolkfestival.on.ca/
August
Harvest Festival: Held during the 4th week of August, this festival features such activities as The Harvest Run, food and wine tasting, battle of the bands, threshing demonstrations, live entertainment and lots more.
November
Bethlehem Walk: The Bethlehem walk is put on by local community churches to remind visitors of how Christmas began. With a journey through the woods, you will meet Mary, Joseph, the angels, and of course baby Jesus. Walking through a marketplace, a King's court and the church, it is definitely an enjoyable night for the family.
December
Festival of Lights: "The Town of Ingersoll is proud to host this wonderful winter event. We welcome individuals, families, carloads, bus tours and weekenders. You will be treated to over 250 beautiful Light Displays. designed, built and set up by our own Ingersoll professionals." With the lights being sponsored by various individuals, families, and businesses around town, this event brings the whole community together. The lovely light displays can be found in many parks around the town, as well as along roadsides. There is also the singing tree in the middle of downtown which is said to have one light for every citizen of Ingersoll.
Other Services and Activities
Ingersoll is host to a live theatre - ITOPA - which puts on many shows in a year, and also hosts musical and comedy events throughout the year. ITOPA is a local hub for those young at heart who enjoy watching classics such as A Christmas Carol, to less known plays that bring a smile to your face.Also present is the Cheese and Agriculture Museum which contains the history of Ingersoll in a few buildings. This is also a hub for local activities.
The town is also set with a community centre, Fusion youth Centre, and many other local places for people to meet.
Notable residents
- Betty Taylor, bronze medalist at the 1936 Olympics1936 Summer OlympicsThe 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
in the hurdles - David ManicomDavid ManicomDavid Alton Manicom is a Canadian diplomat, poet and novelist.Manicom was born in Ingersoll, Ontario and lived there until he attended the University of Toronto and McGill University in Montreal. He has also lived in Aylmer, Quebec, Moscow, Islamabad, Beijing, Geneva, and New Delhi...
, Canadian author - James McIntyre, the Cheese poet
- Mark HominickMark HominickMark Hominick is a Canadian mixed martial artist, former TKO Featherweight Champion, and current UFC fighter. Hominick is currently ranked as the #4 featherweight fighter in the world by MMAWeekly.-Mixed martial arts career:...
, mixed martial artistMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
, former TKOTKO Major League MMATKO Major League MMA is a defunct Canadian mixed martial arts organization, formerly the biggest MMA promotion in Canada. Despite its name, it was considered a minor circuit, overshadowed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, with which it had a close working relationship...
Featherweight Champion, and current UFC fighter
External links
- Town of Ingersoll Official website
- Ingersoll District Chamber of Commerce
- Oxford County Official website
- Information Oxford Business directory, Events, Social Services, etc.