Paris, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Grand 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...
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....
, 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 town was established in 1850. In 1999, its town government was amalgamated into that of the County of Brant, Ontario
Brant, Ontario
The County of Brant is a single-tier municipality and a census division in the Canadian province of Ontario. Despite its name, it is not a county by the standard definition, as all municipal services are handled by a single level of government. The county has service offices in Burford, Paris...
, thus ending about 149 years as a separate incorporated municipality.
History
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1841 | 1,000 |
| 1871 | 2,640 |
| 1881 | 3,173 |
| 1891 | 3,094 |
| 1901 | 3,229 |
| 1911 | 4,098 |
| 1921 | 4,368 |
| 1931 | 4,137 |
| 1941 | 4,637 |
| 1951 | 5,249 |
| 1961 | 5,820 |
| 1971 | 6,483 |
| 1981 | 7,485 |
| 1991 | 8,600 |
| 2001 | 9,881 |
| 2006 | 11,177 |
The town was first settled in 1829, when its founder, Hiram Capron
Hiram Capron
Hiram Capron was the founder of the town of Paris in Ontario, Canada, which was incorporated in 1849. An immigrant from the United States, he purchased large plots of land by the Grand River and Nith River which he settled and developed.- Early life :Capron was born and raised in the town of...
, bought the land and built a mill on the present townsite. The town of Paris was officially established in 1850. Since the late 1990s, Paris has experienced substantial population growth, which may be in part attributed to the rising popularity of rural communities among GTA
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
bound commuters (see bedroom community) and the completion of Highway 403
Highway 403 (Ontario)
King's Highway 403, also known as Highway 403, is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that travels between Woodstock and Mississauga, branching off from and reuniting with Highway 401 at both ends and travelling south of it through Hamilton and Mississauga. It is concurrent...
between Hamilton and Woodstock.
Paris was named for the nearby deposits of gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
, used to make plaster of Paris. Paris is referred to as "the cobblestone capital of Canada" (in reference to a number of aged cobblestone houses). Paris, Ontario is located at 43°12′N 80°23′W.
Paris is also the transmitter site for a number of broadcast radio and TV stations serving the Brantford and Kitchener-Waterloo
Regional Municipality of Waterloo
The Regional Municipality of Waterloo is a regional municipality located in Southern Ontario, Canada. It consists of the cities of Kitchener, Cambridge, and Waterloo, and the townships of Wellesley, Woolwich, Wilmot, and North Dumfries. It is often referred to as the Region of Waterloo or just...
areas. The actual tower site is 475 Ayr Road, just south of Ayr, Ontario
Ayr, Ontario
The village of Ayr, Ontario, Canada is a settlement located within the Township of North Dumfries in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in Southwestern Ontario...
, and it was erected and owned by Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
in 1973 for CIII-TV
CIII-TV
CIII-DT-41 is a television station owned by Shaw Communications that serves much of the population of the Canadian province of Ontario. It is a flagship station of the Global Television Network...
; it was the main transmitter for the southern Ontario Global network until 2009, when a Toronto rebroadcaster was redesignated as the main transmitter. Global leases space on the Ayr tower for broadcast clients including Conestoga College
Conestoga College
The Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is a public college based in Kitchener, Ontario in Canada.-History:The College was founded in 1967 as the Conestoga College of Applied Arts and Technology, one of many such institutions established in that time by the Ontario...
's campus radio
Campus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
station CJIQ-FM
CJIQ-FM
CJIQ-FM, is a Canadian radio station based in Kitchener, Ontario. It is the campus radio station of the city's Conestoga College.-History:The station was granted an instructional license from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in 1999, and signed on for testing in...
as well as local rebroadcasters of CBLA-FM
CBLA-FM
CBLA-FM is a Canadian radio station. It is the flagship station of the CBC Radio One network, broadcasting at 99.1 FM in Toronto, Ontario.- History :...
, CBL-FM
CBL-FM
CBL-FM is the CBC Radio 2 station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It broadcasts at 94.1 on the FM dial, and also serves Huntsville , Orillia , Peterborough and other locations in Ontario....
, CJBC-FM
CJBC-FM
CJBC-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 90.3 FM in Toronto, Ontario. A French language station, it airs the programming of Radio-Canada's Espace musique network.The station launched in 1992...
and CBLT.
The town hosts an annual "Fall Fair", a carnival which takes place over the Labour Day
Labour Day
Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for...
weekend. The Fall Fair features several rural lifestyle exhibits, as well as a midway which is complete with carnival games, rides, demolition derbies, Armchair Quarterback, and the Gravitron.
Education
- Paris Central Public School is an elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
that is located near the center or downtown, with over 300 students. Children are close to major town attractions. It is a part of the Grand Erie District School BoardGrand Erie District School BoardThe Grand Erie District School Board is a school board that has legal jurisdiction over Norfolk County, Haldimand County, and Brant County in the province of Ontario, Canada...
. - Paris District High SchoolParis District High SchoolParis District High School is a regional high school in Paris, Ontario, Canada. The school itself was built in 1923, replacing the previous Grammar School which had been built in 1858, and was known officially as Paris High School until a large addition was constructed in the late 1960s.In 2004,...
(PDHS), founded 1923, is a regional high school in the town, with over 1000 students.
Movies shot in Paris
- Away from HerAway From HerAway from Her is a 2006 Canadian film which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival and also played in the Premier category at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival...
(2006) - The Prize Winner of Defiance, OhioThe Prize Winner of Defiance, OhioThe Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio is a 2005 film written and directed by Jane Anderson, based on the book by Terry "Tuff" Ryan. The DVD was released on March 14, 2006.-Plot:...
(2005) - Phil the AlienPhil the AlienPhil the Alien is a Canadian comedy film, released in 2004. It was written and directed by Rob Stefaniuk, who also starred as the titular Phil.Phil is an extraterrestrial who crash-lands in a small town in Northern Ontario...
(exteriors) (2005) - Shadow BuilderShadow BuilderShadow Builder is a 1998 film directed by Jamie Dixon. It is based on the story "The Shadow Builder" by Bram Stoker. An evil Archbishop and his followers summon a demon to destroy the world, but the demon's first act is to kill its summoners...
(1998) - Spenser: Pale Kings and Princes (1994) (Television)
- Ordinary MagicOrdinary MagicOrdinary Magic is a 1993 Canadian film about a boy who is raised in India by his father. The story is based on a novel by Malcolm Bosse.-Plot:...
(1993) - Blood & Guts (1978)
- The Hard Part Begins (1973)
Famous people
- (ordered by last names)
- Syl AppsSyl AppsCharles Joseph Sylvanus Apps, CM of Paris, Ontario, was a Canadian pole vaulter and professional hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1936 to 1948 and a Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario.-Athletic career:Apps was a strong athlete, 6 feet tall, weighing 185 pounds,...
, OlympianOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in pole vaulting, Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
hockey player, and Member of Provincial Parliament - John BemroseJohn BemroseJohn Bemrose is a Canadian arts journalist, novelist, poet and playwright.His arts reviews have appeared in Maclean's, The Globe and Mail, the National Post and on CBC Radio....
, author of The Island Walkers - Todd BrookerTodd BrookerTodd Brooker is a former alpine ski racer from Canada and is a ski commentator on television.-World Cup Career:...
, alpine skier - Deborah EllisDeborah EllisDeborah Ellis is a Canadian author. Born in Cochrane, Ontario, she had to move several times in her childhood due to her parents' work. Ellis decided to start writing when she was 11-12 years old. When she grew up, her work and writing was mainly done by traveling and talking to others that have...
, writer of award-winning children's novels - Wayne Gretzky's father, Walter GretzkyWalter GretzkyWalter Gretzky, CM, O.Ont is a Canadian who has been honoured for his contributions to minor hockey in Canada, and for his dedication to helping many local, provincial, and national charities...
, attended high school in Paris from the family farm in nearby Canning, Ontario. - John MucklerJohn MucklerJohn Muckler is a professional hockey coach and executive, most recently serving as the general manager of the Ottawa Senators of the NHL. Muckler has over 50 years of professional hockey experience as a part owner, general manager, director of player personnel, director of hockey operations, head...
, NHL Coach and General Manager - Ted ReaderTed ReaderTed Reader is a Canadian chef and author of several cookbooks.A native of Paris, Ontario and a graduate of George Brown College’s culinary management program, Ted credits his mother as well as his grandfather for giving him a passion for cooking. Watching Celebrity Cooks on TV after school, he...
, celebrity chef - Linda SchuylerLinda SchuylerLinda Schuyler, CM is a Canadian television producer involved in the creation of the Degrassi series and Instant Star series of teen programs...
, television producer of Degrassi franchise - Barry Silverthorn, documentary producer of The End of SuburbiaThe End of SuburbiaThe End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream is a 2004 documentary film concerning peak oil and its implications for the suburban lifestyle, written and directed by Toronto-based filmmaker Gregory Greene....
- Albert Johnson Walker, infamous conmanConfidence trickA confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...
and convicted killer - Jay WellsJay WellsGordon Jay Wells is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was nicknamed "The Hammer" for his tough, physical play.-Playing career:...
, New York RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
ice hockey player champion
- Syl Apps
Service Clubs
- The Lions Club of Paris
- The Kiwanis Club of Paris
- The Optimist Club of Paris
- Kinsmen Club of BrantfordKin CanadaKin Canada is a secular Canadian non-profit service organization that promotes service, fellowship, positive values, and national pride....
(Serving Brantford and Brant County)
Buildings and Structures
- CIII Television Tower
- The Historic Arlington Hotel
- The Canadian Tavern
- Paris Branch of the County of Brant Public LibraryCounty of Brant Public LibraryThe County of Brant Public Library is the public library system serving the communities in the County of Brant, Ontario, Canada. It has five branches located in Paris, Burford, Scotland, St. George, and Glen Morris. In 2007 the library system circulated over 218,000 items and hosted over 107,000...
(a Carnegie LibraryCarnegie libraryA Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
) - The Cedar House 12 Broadway St. W (formerly the old mill that ran the raceway from the Nith River to the Grand River)
Festivals and Events
- Brants Festivals & Events
- The Cobblestone Festival
- The Paris Fair
- Springtime In Paris
- Christmas in Paris
- Kinsmen Annual Car Show & Swap Meet