Simcoe, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Simcoe is an unincorporated community and former town
in Southwestern
Ontario
, Canada
located near Lake Erie
. It is the county seat
and largest community of Norfolk County
.
Simcoe is located at the junction of Highway 3
, at Highway 24
, due south of Brantford, and accessible to Hamilton
by nearby Highway 6. The town is northwest of Nanticoke
in Haldimand County
.
Simcoe is the centre of an agricultural area known for tobacco, vegetables and small fruits. Brantford railway station
serves as the local railway station for this town, even though it's located more than an hour to the north. While Via Rail
has an almost total monopoly on the local rail travel; GO Transit
is speculated to expand to Brantford by the year 2020.
Simcoe was founded in 1795 by Lieutenant Governor
John Graves Simcoe
.
In 1878, Simcoe was incorporated as the Corporation of the Town of Simcoe and had its own town council
and mayor
.
The Norfolk County Memorial Tower in Simcoe, Ontario commemorates the lives of Canadians who died for their country in conflicts overseas.
In 2001, the town and all other municipalities within the Regional Municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk were dissolved and the region was divided into two single tier municipalities with city-status but called counties. Simcoe now forms Ward 5 of Norfolk County.
to its destination in Vancouver
for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. There was a ceremony in town hall with mayor Dennis Travale
handing the torch off to a lucky person.
The Eva Brook Donly Museum is a Victorian historic house museum that also features displays of local history from the founding of Norfolk County right up to the 20th century. The town hosts a Friendship Festival
, a Canadian Open Country Singing Contest, the Panorama, the W.D. Stalker, the only operating alligator tugboat in operation, and the Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show
.
Lynnwood/Campbell-Reid House, a Neoclassical
house built in 1850-1 for Duncan Campbell, a local banker and Simcoe’s first postmaster, was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1972.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Southwestern
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
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...
located near 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...
. It is 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....
and largest community of Norfolk County
Norfolk County, Ontario
Norfolk County is a rural city-status single-tier municipality on the north shore of Lake Erie in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Bloomsburg is a small town located in Norfolk County and is the hometown of David Slater. The county seat and largest community is Simcoe...
.
Simcoe is located at the junction of Highway 3
Ontario Highway 3
King's Highway 3, commonly referred to as Highway 3 and historically as the Talbot Trail, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario which travels parallel to the shore of Lake Erie. It has three segments, the first of which runs from the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor...
, at Highway 24
Ontario Highway 24
Highway 24 is a highway in the Canadian province of Ontario which presently begins at Highway 3 in Simcoe, and ends at Highway 401, in Cambridge. Highway 24 runs in a north/south direction and has been in service since 1927...
, due south of Brantford, and accessible to Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
by nearby Highway 6. The town is northwest of Nanticoke
Nanticoke, Ontario
Nanticoke is an unincorporated community and former city located on the western border of Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada. It is southeast of Simcoe in neighbouring Norfolk County and south of Brantford...
in Haldimand County
Haldimand County, Ontario
Haldimand is a rural city-status single-tier municipality on the Niagara Peninsula in Southern Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of Lake Erie, and on the Grand River. Municipal offices are located in Cayuga....
.
Simcoe is the centre of an agricultural area known for tobacco, vegetables and small fruits. Brantford railway station
Brantford railway station
Brantford railway station in Brantford, Ontario, Canada is a manned railway station for Via Rail trains running from Toronto west to Windsor.-Summary:...
serves as the local railway station for this town, even though it's located more than an hour to the north. While Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
has an almost total monopoly on the local rail travel; GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
is speculated to expand to Brantford by the year 2020.
History
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1841 | 1,400 |
| 1871 | 1,856 |
| 1881 | 2,645 |
| 1891 | 2,674 |
| 1901 | 2,627 |
| 1911 | 3,227 |
| 1921 | 3,953 |
| 1931 | 5,226 |
| 1941 | 5,954 |
| 1951 | 7,269 |
| 1961 | 8,754 |
| 1971 | 10,793 |
| 1981 | 14,326 |
| 1991 | 15,539 |
| 2001 | 14,175 |
| 2006 | 14,522 |
Simcoe was founded in 1795 by Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
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...
.
In 1878, Simcoe was incorporated as the Corporation of the Town of Simcoe and had its own town council
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
and mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
.
The Norfolk County Memorial Tower in Simcoe, Ontario commemorates the lives of Canadians who died for their country in conflicts overseas.
In 2001, the town and all other municipalities within the Regional Municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk were dissolved and the region was divided into two single tier municipalities with city-status but called counties. Simcoe now forms Ward 5 of Norfolk County.
Community and culture
Simcoe has its own radio station, CD 98.9, and two newspapers: The Simcoe Reformer and the NYCA Hub. The town is also home to the Norfolk General Hospital. Simcoe was one of the communities in Canada that the Olympic Torch passed through on its way from Athens, GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
to its destination in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. There was a ceremony in town hall with mayor Dennis Travale
Dennis Travale
Dennis Travale is the second mayor of Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada whose tenure has witness a major worldwide economic meltdown starting on September 2008.-Summary:...
handing the torch off to a lucky person.
The Eva Brook Donly Museum is a Victorian historic house museum that also features displays of local history from the founding of Norfolk County right up to the 20th century. The town hosts a Friendship Festival
Friendship Festival (Simcoe, Ontario)
The Friendship Festival is a summer event that takes place on the Civic Holiday weekend in the town of Simcoe, Ontario, Canada since 1967.-Summary:...
, a Canadian Open Country Singing Contest, the Panorama, the W.D. Stalker, the only operating alligator tugboat in operation, and the Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show
Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show
The Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show is an annual agricultural fair that takes place in the town of Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. This festivity begins on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and ends on the Canadian Thanksgiving Monday. Since 1840, the fair has been active in Norfolk County on the complex...
.
Lynnwood/Campbell-Reid House, a Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
house built in 1850-1 for Duncan Campbell, a local banker and Simcoe’s first postmaster, was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1972.
Education
- Simcoe Composite SchoolSimcoe Composite SchoolSimcoe Composite School is a high school in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.More than 900 students attend this rural secondary school and courses range from English, French, Spanish, and mathematics to computers, business, athletics, World History, civics, and even drama class. In 2003, the school suffered...
(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...
) - Holy Trinity Catholic High School (Simcoe, Ontario) (Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School BoardBrant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School BoardThe Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board is a school board that serves the communities of Brant, Ontario, Haldimand County, Ontario, and Norfolk County, Ontario in Canada...
) - Elgin Avenue Public School
- West Lynn Public School
- Lynndale Heights Public School
- St. Joseph's Catholic School
- Ecole St. Marie (Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-SudConseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-SudConseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud is the Roman Catholic separate, French language school board for the South-Central region of Ontario. It is headquartered in North York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
) - Fanshawe CollegeFanshawe CollegeFanshawe College is one of the largest colleges in Ontario, Canada. The main campus is in London, Ontario, with additional campuses in Simcoe, St. Thomas, Woodstock, and Tillsonburg. There are about 15,000 full-time students and 40,000 part-time students. Fanshawe College has more than 112,000 alumni...
satellite campus - Bethel Baptist Christian School
Sports
- Dwayne RolosonDwayne RolosonAlbert Dwayne Roloson is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Islanders during his professional career...
, hockey player - Rick WamsleyRick WamsleyRichard James Wamsley is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs...
, hockey player - Ryan VandenBusscheRyan VandenBusscheRyan VandenBussche is a retired professional ice hockey forward who played in 9 National Hockey League seasons with the New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, and Pittsburgh Penguins...
, hockey player - Rob BlakeRob BlakeRobert Bowlby Blake is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, appearing in the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy and serving as team captain for five seasons in his initial 11 season-stint with...
, hockey player - Jassen CullimoreJassen CullimoreJassen A. Cullimore is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for the Iserlohn Roosters in the DEL in Germany.-Playing career:...
, hockey player - John AxfordJohn AxfordJohn Berton "The Ax Man" Axford is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.-Path to the majors:...
, baseball player
Entertainment
- Rick DankoRick DankoRichard Clare "Rick" Danko was a Canadian musician and singer, best known as a member of The Band.-Early years :...
(d. 1999), musician (Ronnie HawkinsRonnie HawkinsRonald "Ronnie" Hawkins is a Juno Award-winning rockabilly musician whose career has spanned more than half a century. Though his career began in Arkansas, USA, where he'd been born and raised, it was in Ontario, Canada where he found success and settled for most of his life...
, The BandThe BandThe Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
) - Terry DankoTerry DankoTerry Danko is a Canadian musician and songwriter who has been active since childhood. He has written, performed and recorded his own material as a solo artist and as a member of a number of groups, such as Tin Pan Alley, Bearfoot and Terry Danko, Marty Grebb and Friends.Danko has also worked as...
, musician (Ronnie Hawkins, Atkinson, Danko and Ford, BearfootBearfoot (Canadian band)Bearfoot was a Juno Award-nominated Canadian rock band, founded by Jim Atkinson, Terry Danko, Dwayne Ford, Hugh Brockie and Brian Hilton. Initially going by "Atkinson, Danko and Ford", they changed their name out of practicality and because they didn't want to sound as though they were a law-firm...
; session musician with George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, Stephen StillsStephen StillsStephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
and Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, among others) - Margo DavidsonMargo DavidsonMargo Isabella Davidson was a founding member of Parachute Club and an advocate for the homeless.-Early Background:...
(d. 2008), musician (The Parachute Club)