Palgrave, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Palgrave is a suburban community, located in the Town of Caledon
, Regional Municipality of Peel, Ontario
, Canada. It is located about 10 km north of Bolton
and about 50 km northwest of Toronto. Palgrave is located east of Orangeville
, south of Alliston
, west of Newmarket
and north of Brampton
.
, a 160 km long ridge of hilly terrain created by retreating glaciers depositing large quantities of sand and gravel sediments. The moraine
is a primary source for many river systems in this part of southern Ontario. The nearby Palgrave Moraine intersects the Oak Ridges Moraine, and ultimately merges with it to the east, at the western boundary of King Township
. The Humber River
flows west of Palgrave. Several creeks and swampy ponds are found in the area and a former mill pond lies to the northwest. Mount Wolfe, one of the highest hills in the area, is located east of the town.
Palgrave was originally called Buckstown after Brian Dolan, nicknamed Barney or Buck. He managed the Western Hotel after it was built in 1846. In 1869, postal authorities re-named the community Palgrave.
In 1877 Hamilton & North-Western Railway was constructed through the centre of Palgrave, from the southwest to the northeast. This railway was taken over by the Grand Trunk Railway
in 1888, and later absorbed by Canadian National Railway
s. Much of the track throughout this region was damaged by flooding in 1954 as a result of Hurricane Hazel
and had to be rebuilt. Palgrave was a flag station on the CNR. Although there was a station with a passenger waiting room, the Agent at this location was removed in 1931. The station was located on the west side of the track (west of Hwy 50). Scheduled passenger service ended in July 1960 and the station was removed shortly thereafter. The rails over this section were removed in 1986.
In 1906 the Canadian Pacific Railway
was constructed from Bolton
towards Muskoka. This line passes to the east of Palgrave and remains as part of the CP mainline between Toronto and Sudbury.
Canadian artist David B. Milne (1882-1953) lived in Palgrave for a short time from 1929 to 1932 and painted a number of scenes there. His work Kitchen Chimney depicts a view of the town's Elm Tree Hotel and is part of the collection of the National Gallery of Canada.
Small housing developments were built around Palgrave in the 1950s, followed by estate home development and subdivisions beginning in the late 1960s.
in 1986 and has since been rehabilitated and incorporated into a multi-use regional recreational trail which is part of the Caledon Trailway, The Great Pine Ridge Trail and the Trans Canada Trail
. The Bruce Trail
, one of Ontario's major recreational hiking trails, passes the town roughly 1.5 km to the west.
Palgrave is home to the Caledon Equestrian Park, which will play host to the equestrian portion of the 2015 Pan American Games
. Many Equestrians who regularly horse show at the Caldeon Equestrian Park refer to the facility itself as Palgrave.
The Albion Hills Conservation Area is located 2 km south of the town and offers picnicking, camping, hiking trails, swimming, mountain biking and cross-country skiing.
The Palgrave Conservation Area lies on the northwest periphery of the town and offers trails for hiking and cross-country skiing. EfstonScience, an astronomy and science retail store in Toronto, Ontario, holds evening observing sessions at this Conservation Area.http://www.escience.ca/resource/astronomy/observingsessions/ObsNimby.html
In 1963, Walt Disney
Productions filmed the family movie "The Incredible Journey
" in Palgrave.
Caledon, Ontario
Caledon is a town in the Regional Municipality of Peel in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. In terms of land use, Caledon is somewhat urban, though it is primarily rural in nature...
, Regional Municipality of Peel, 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. It is located about 10 km north of Bolton
Bolton, Ontario
Bolton is the most populated community in the town of Caledon, located in the Region of Peel, approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Toronto, in Ontario, Canada. In regional documents, it is referred to as a 'Rural Service Centre'. It has 26,478 residents in 8,721 households...
and about 50 km northwest of Toronto. Palgrave is located east of Orangeville
Orangeville, Ontario
Orangeville is a town in south-central Ontario, Canada, and the seat of Dufferin County.-History:Before European settlers, Orangeville was thought to be a native hunting ground...
, south of Alliston
Alliston, Ontario
Alliston is a settlement in Simcoe County in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is part of the Town of New Tecumseth since the 1991 amalgamation of Alliston and nearby villages of Beeton, Tottenham, and the Township of Tecumseth...
, west of Newmarket
Newmarket, Ontario
Newmarket is a town in Southern Ontario located approximately 50 km north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is connected to Toronto by freeway, and is served by three interchanges along Highway 404. It is also connected to Highway 400 via Highway 9...
and north of Brampton
Brampton, Ontario
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada and the seat of Peel Region. As of the 2006 census, Brampton's population stood at 433,806, making it the 11th largest city in Canada. It is also one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, with an average...
.
Geography
Palgrave is situated on the Oak Ridges MoraineOak Ridges Moraine
The Oak Ridges Moraine is an ecologically important geological landform in the Mixedwood Plains of south-central Ontario, Canada. The moraine covers a geographic area of between Caledon and Rice Lake, near Peterborough...
, a 160 km long ridge of hilly terrain created by retreating glaciers depositing large quantities of sand and gravel sediments. The moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
is a primary source for many river systems in this part of southern Ontario. The nearby Palgrave Moraine intersects the Oak Ridges Moraine, and ultimately merges with it to the east, at the western boundary of King Township
King, Ontario
King is a township in York Region north of Toronto, within the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada.The rolling hills of the Oak Ridges Moraine are the most prominent visible geographical feature of King. The Holland Marsh, considered to be Ontario's "vegetable basket", straddles King Township...
. The Humber River
Humber River (Ontario)
The Humber River is one of two major rivers on either side of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the other being the Don River to the east. It was designated a Canadian Heritage River on September 24, 1999....
flows west of Palgrave. Several creeks and swampy ponds are found in the area and a former mill pond lies to the northwest. Mount Wolfe, one of the highest hills in the area, is located east of the town.
- Population (2006): 830 persons in 274 households Town of Caledon - Population Distribution 2006
- Name of inhabitants: Palgravian
History
In 1877 Hamilton & North-Western Railway was constructed through the centre of Palgrave, from the southwest to the northeast. This railway was taken over by 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...
in 1888, and later absorbed by Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
s. Much of the track throughout this region was damaged by flooding in 1954 as a result of Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm killed as many as 1,000 people in Haiti before striking the United States near the border between North and South Carolina, as a Category 4 hurricane...
and had to be rebuilt. Palgrave was a flag station on the CNR. Although there was a station with a passenger waiting room, the Agent at this location was removed in 1931. The station was located on the west side of the track (west of Hwy 50). Scheduled passenger service ended in July 1960 and the station was removed shortly thereafter. The rails over this section were removed in 1986.
In 1906 the Canadian Pacific Railway
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...
was constructed from Bolton
Bolton, Ontario
Bolton is the most populated community in the town of Caledon, located in the Region of Peel, approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Toronto, in Ontario, Canada. In regional documents, it is referred to as a 'Rural Service Centre'. It has 26,478 residents in 8,721 households...
towards Muskoka. This line passes to the east of Palgrave and remains as part of the CP mainline between Toronto and Sudbury.
Canadian artist David B. Milne (1882-1953) lived in Palgrave for a short time from 1929 to 1932 and painted a number of scenes there. His work Kitchen Chimney depicts a view of the town's Elm Tree Hotel and is part of the collection of the National Gallery of Canada.
Small housing developments were built around Palgrave in the 1950s, followed by estate home development and subdivisions beginning in the late 1960s.
Places of interest
Palgrave was bisected by a line of the Hamilton & North-Western Railway (mentioned above). The line was abandoned by CNCanadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
in 1986 and has since been rehabilitated and incorporated into a multi-use regional recreational trail which is part of the Caledon Trailway, The Great Pine Ridge Trail and the Trans Canada Trail
Trans Canada Trail
The Trans Canada Trail is a proposed corridor in Canada. The creation of the trail was announced as part of Canada's 125th anniversary celebrations in 1992. It is expected that when complete, it will be the longest recreational trail in the world...
. The Bruce Trail
Bruce Trail
The Bruce Trail is a hiking trail in southern and central Ontario, Canada.-General:The trail follows the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, one of the thirteen UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves in Canada, for almost...
, one of Ontario's major recreational hiking trails, passes the town roughly 1.5 km to the west.
Palgrave is home to the Caledon Equestrian Park, which will play host to the equestrian portion of the 2015 Pan American Games
2015 Pan American Games
The 2015 Pan American Games, officially the XVII Pan American Games or the 17th Pan American Games, will be a major international multi-sport event that will be held from July 10–26, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Ajax, Barrie, Brampton, Caledon, Hamilton,...
. Many Equestrians who regularly horse show at the Caldeon Equestrian Park refer to the facility itself as Palgrave.
The Albion Hills Conservation Area is located 2 km south of the town and offers picnicking, camping, hiking trails, swimming, mountain biking and cross-country skiing.
The Palgrave Conservation Area lies on the northwest periphery of the town and offers trails for hiking and cross-country skiing. EfstonScience, an astronomy and science retail store in Toronto, Ontario, holds evening observing sessions at this Conservation Area.http://www.escience.ca/resource/astronomy/observingsessions/ObsNimby.html
In 1963, Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
Productions filmed the family movie "The Incredible Journey
The Incredible Journey
The Incredible Journey, by British author Sheila Burnford, is a children's book first published by Hodder & they travel 300 miles through the Canadian wilderness searching for their beloved masters. It reveals the suffering and stress of an arduous journey, together with the unwavering loyalty and...
" in Palgrave.
Notable people
- Skye SweetnamSkye SweetnamSkye Alexandra Sweetnam is a Canadian singer-songwriter, actress, and music video director. Skye first entered the mainstream in 2003 with the release of her debut single "Billy S." Over a year later, her debut album, Noise from the Basement, was released including the singles "Tangled Up in Me"...
- Singer, raised in nearby Cedar Mills. - Frank Grelo - Internationally known riding master from the Spanish School of Riding.
- Farley MowatFarley MowatFarley McGill Mowat, , born May 12, 1921 is a conservationist and one of Canada's most widely-read authors.His works have been translated into 52 languages and he has sold more than 14 million books. He achieved fame with the publication of his books on the Canadian North, such as People of the...
- Canadian author, naturalist and adventurer. - E.B. Cox - Internationally known sculptor and artist, recipient of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. Contemporary and friend of the Group of Seven - Jim McGugan - Writer, of Josepha, Project Egg, and Bridge 6
Settlements
- Castlederg, southwest
- Cedar Mills, south
- Cedar Meadows, southeast
Nearest communities
- BoltonBolton, OntarioBolton is the most populated community in the town of Caledon, located in the Region of Peel, approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Toronto, in Ontario, Canada. In regional documents, it is referred to as a 'Rural Service Centre'. It has 26,478 residents in 8,721 households...
, south - Caledon East, west
- Hockley, north
- SchombergSchomberg, OntarioSchomberg is an unincorporated village in northwestern King, Ontario, Canada. Situated north of the Oak Ridges Moraine and south of the Holland River, the village is surrounded by natural attractions....
, east
External links
- Albion Hills Conservation Area, Toronto Region Conservation
- Dr. Richard Ehrlich, current owner of the historic Elm Tree Hotel building, hotel history page
- Palgrave at Geographical Names of Canada