Blenheim, Ontario

Last updated

Blenheim
Unincorporated community
Coast of Southern Ontario (51156477747).jpg
Aerial view of Blenheim (top center)
Nickname: 
Heart of the Golden Acres
Chatham-Kent locator map 2021.svg
Red pog.svg
Blenheim
Canada Southern Ontario location map 2.png
Red pog.svg
Blenheim
Coordinates: 42°20′0″N81°59′55″W / 42.33333°N 81.99861°W / 42.33333; -81.99861
Country Canada
Province Ontario
Municipality Chatham-Kent
Settled1825
Incorporated (town)1885
Area
[1]
  Total4.60 km2 (1.78 sq mi)
Population
 (2021) [1]
  Total4,487
  Density974.5/km2 (2,524/sq mi)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
Canadian postal code
Area codes 519 and 226
NTS Map040J08
GNBC CodeFAJXB
Website www.blenheimontario.com

Blenheim /ˈblɪnəm/ is a community in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada.

Contents

History

The Chatham-Kent region was initially settled as a British colony following Alexander McKee's acquisition of land under Treaty #2 (McKee's Purchase) in 1790. Treaty #2 negotiations took place in Detroit and involved Pottowatomie, Wendat, Ojibwe, and Odtawa leaders.

Land in Harwich Township (surrounding present-day Blenheim) was first surveyed in 1791 by British settlers Lt.-Col. John Graves-Simcoe and Thomas Talbot. Early settlers built roads that aimed to connect the area with nearby Detroit.

Settlement of the area increased after the War of 1812. Blenheim was established roughly between 1825–1850. Blenheim initially sat amidst 10 miles (16 km) of dense forest. At some point, land near Blenheim was purchased by Albert Robertson. Later, Harvey Halstead, Thomas Lynch, and George Hughson were recorded as the first three lot-tenants who built homes in Blenheim.

The area where Blenheim was established was a dense Carolinian forest with wild elk, bear, wolves, and eagles. [2] However, the region became a "patchwork quilt of farms" when the forests were cut down. [3] Historically, the area was used to grow sugar beets, tomatoes, tobacco, and corn.

Historians Dr. Fred Landon and Alvin Armstrong state that the town got its name after resident Mungo Samson recited "The Battle of Blenheim" poem at the Samuel Brundage Inn. [4] Blenheim had a general store by 1845. The town was incorporated in 1885. In 1837 James W. Little, a militia officer and land speculator of neighbouring Raleigh Township, purchased land at the intersection of Ridge Road and Communication Road, the latter planned by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe to connect the town of Chatham with Lake Erie.

By 1874, Blenheim was home to dentists and carpenters. A town hall was built in 1866. Blenheim became an official town in 1885.

In 1888, a Methodist church was built. Bell introduced the telephone in 1885. Electricity came in 1888. A fire department was created in 1891. The railway arrived in 1894 and traveled through Blenheim to Windsor. The first high school was built in 1900.

Blenheim paved its first street in 1920. Blenheim grew during the Prohibition as men were involved in illegal rum-running operations. In 1924, W.G. Thompson opened a grain mill for local farmers.

Blenheim became a part of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent during the 1998 amalgamation of Kent County and its municipalities. Up until 1988, Blenheim had its own elected officials with: a mayor, two reeves, and six councillors. [5] The current mayor of Chatham-Kent is Darrin Canniff. In the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Blenheim is a part of the South-Kent region which is represented by 3 councillors: Anthony Ceccacci, Mary Clare Latimer, and Trevor Thompson. [6]

Blenheim received regional media attention in 2019 when councillor Trevor Thompson refused to remove an image of a toy car with the Confederate flag on it, which he had shared via social media. [7]

Economy and industry

Blenheim is home to Rol-land Farms, Platinum Produce and Thompsons Ltd. Blenheim's Industrial Park and surrounding area house many employers. Major employers in the area include:

Blenheim and its surrounding region are home to a number of family farms, many being fruit farms. These include:

The Ridge Landfill, owned by Waste Connections of Canada, is located in Blenheim. [17]

Tourism

Blenheim's slogan is "Experience Unique Shopping", referring to its selection of boutiques and specialty stores.

In July, downtown businesses offer discounts during Ontario's longest running carnival-sidewalk sale, the Cherry Fest and Sidewalk Days. [18] [19] The Cherry Fest has been held annually since 1963 with the exception of 2020 and 2021 when it can cancelled due to COVID-19. [18] The Cherry Fest includes a cherry pit spitting contest. [20] Since 1981 it has been the site of the Canadian National Pit Spit Championship. Longtime organizer of the Cherry Fest, J.P. Huggins, was named Citizen of the Year by the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce in 2021. [21]

Another tourist attraction in Blenheim is the RM Classic Car Exhibit. A guided tour gives a close-up view of more than 50 classic automobiles from the past century. Blenheim also hosts the Father's Day weekend for the Blenheim Classics Auto-show. [22]

Blenheim is home to two golf courses: Willow Ridge Golf & Country Club and Deer Run. You can also visit Giffin's Maple Syrup Farm. Blenheim also offers a variety of parks and trails including the Talbot Trail place. [23] Other outdoor recreation opportunities can be found in Rondeau Provincial Park, or C.M. Wilson Conservation area. [20]

Demographics

The population of Blenheim is 4,487. In 2021 27.6% of the resident population in Blenheim were 65 or over compared with 19% in Canada. The median age was 50.4 years compared to 41.1 for all of Canada.

Indigenous Population

Citizenship and Immigration

Language Spoken Most Often at Home

Religion

Education

Labour Force

[24]

Education

Blenheim's elementary and secondary schools are under the control of two school boards, the Lambton Kent District School Board and the St. Clair Catholic District School Board.

Elementary schools

Secondary school

Media

Sports

Blenheim Memorial Arena Blenheim Memorial Arena - Blenheim, ON.jpg
Blenheim Memorial Arena

Blenheim is home to a strong sports community. It is known for its high school sports teams from Blenheim District High School, which are particularly known for their football and rugby programs. [30] The most popular sports team in Blenheim is the ice hockey team the Blenheim Blades.

Blenheim also offers a variety of minor and competitive sports including:

Prominent athletes from Blenheim include hockey player Todd Warriner. [30]

Southern Ontario Motor Speedway(South Buxton Raceway) which features a dirt track for auto racing, is located southwest of Blenheim in South Buxton Ont

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chatham-Kent</span> Municipality in Ontario, Canada

Chatham-Kent is a single-tier municipality in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is mostly rural, and its population centres are Chatham, Wallaceburg, Tilbury, Blenheim, Ridgetown, Wheatley and Dresden. The current Municipality of Chatham-Kent was created in 1998 by the amalgamation of Blenheim, Bothwell, Camden, the City of Chatham, the Township of Chatham, Dover, Dresden, Erie Beach, Erieau, Harwich, Highgate, Howard, Orford, Raleigh, Ridgetown, Romney, Thamesville, Tilbury East, Tilbury, Wallaceburg, Wheatley and Zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walpole Island First Nation</span> Unceded territory in Ontario, Canada

Walpole Island is an island and First Nation reserve in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the border between Ontario and Michigan in the United States. It is located in the mouth of the Saint Clair River on Lake Saint Clair, about 121 kilometres (75 mi) by road from Windsor, Ontario, and 124 kilometres (77 mi) from Detroit, Michigan.

Blenheim is the English name of Blindheim, a village in Bavaria, Germany, which was the site of the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Almost all places and other things called Blenheim are named directly or indirectly in honour of the battle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherry pit spitting</span> Amateur sport

Cherry pit spitting is the act of spitting, or ejecting, the pit of a cherry from one's mouth with great speed so as to send the pit a great distance. Spitting cherry pits is an amateur sport; there are no known professional leagues of cherry spitters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kent County, Ontario</span> Former County in Ontario, Canada

Kent County, area 2,458 km2 is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario.

James Fitzgerald McGuigan was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1977 to 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallaceburg</span> Town in south-west Ontario, Canada

Wallaceburg is an unincorporated community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent in Southern (Southwestern) Ontario, Canada. Originally a small settlement, it was recognized for its significant contribution to the lumber and boat building industries and strategic location along the banks of the scenic Sydenham River. In more recent years, 1895–1999, the town was known for its glass making industry. For that reason, Wallaceburg is locally known as the "glass town of Canada".

Kent was a federal electoral district (riding) represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1904, 1917 to 1968, and 1979 to 1997. It was located in the province of Ontario and was created by the British North America Act of 1867.

Kent West was a federal electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1904 to 1917. It was located in the province of Ontario. This riding was created in 1903 when Kent riding was divided into two ridings, Kent West and Kent East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tilbury, Ontario</span> Unincorporated community in Ontario, Canada

Tilbury is a community within the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada. It is located 26.5 kilometres (16.5 mi) southwest of Chatham-Kent and 57.3 kilometres (35.6 mi) east of Windsor on Highway 401.

Ridgetown is a community located in south-east Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada. It is home to the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus. It has a 2021 population of 2,797 and is one of many small farming communities in Chatham-Kent. The town motto is, "Agriculture at its best”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheatley, Ontario</span> Unincorporated community in Ontario, Canada

Wheatley is a community in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, within the municipality of Chatham-Kent. It lies about 12 kilometres (7 mi) east of Leamington. Nearby parks include Two Creeks Conservation Area, which has 15 km of hiking and bicycling paths, Kopegaron Woods Conservation Area, Hillman Marsh Conservation Area and Point Pelee National Park. Rondeau Provincial Park is only a forty-five-minute drive to the east. It also boasts Wheatley Provincial Park, home to the endangered Blue Racer snake, which can only be found in the park as well as the Point Pelee National Park and on Pelee Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dresden, Ontario</span> Agricultural community in Ontario, Canada

Dresden is an agricultural community in southwestern Ontario, Canada, part of the municipality of Chatham-Kent. It is located on the Sydenham River. The community is named after Dresden, Germany. The major field crops in the area, by both acreage and production, are grain corn, soybean, and winter wheat. The main horticultural crop is tomatoes, followed by sweet corn and carrots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lambton Kent District School Board</span> School board in Ontario, Canada

The Lambton Kent District School Board is the school board responsible for public education in Lambton County and Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada. Lambton and Kent Counties are made up of numerous small towns and communities situated in Southwestern Ontario, a geographic area surrounded by the Great Lakes.

Ursuline College Chatham (UCC) is a Catholic secondary school in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada. The secondary school offers both English and French immersion. Among a student community of about 1350, it is the biggest Catholic secondary school in Chatham-Kent. UCC celebrates more than 150 years of a rich custom of Catholic, Christian training and education. Angela Merici (1474-1540), the organizer of the Ursuline Sisters, was particularly intrigued by the education of children. One of her devotees, Mother Mary Xavier Le Bihan travelled from France to establish a minor pioneer township, Chatham. Referred to later as Ursuline College, this school for young ladies, from 1860 to 1971, attracted students from all across Canada, the United States, and Latin America. In 1972, the school became co-instructive and, in 1973, the school gave a Catholic secondary school training for young men and young ladies from all edges of Chatham-Kent.

Morpeth is a community in Southern Ontario, Canada that is between Blenheim and St. Thomas on Highway 3 in the municipality of Chatham-Kent. It is located less than an hour and a half away from Windsor.

Thomas Letson Pardo was an Ontario farmer, manufacturer and political figure. He represented Kent West in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1894 to 1902 as a Liberal-Patrons of Industry and then Liberal member.

CK Transit provides the conventional bus transportation in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada.

Port Alma Wind Farm is a large wind farm project located on the north shore of Lake Erie in the Municipality of Chatham–Kent, Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallaceburg District Secondary School</span> Canadian high school

Wallaceburg District Secondary School is the high school in Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada. While offering education for grades 9 to 12, the building houses public school students for grades 7 and 8. The school comes within the control of the Lambton Kent District School Board. Feeder schools include the A. A. Wright Public School and H. W. Burgess Public School. Students also attend from the nearby Walpole Island First Nation.

References

  1. 1 2 "Blenheim Ontario (Population Centre)". Census Profile, 2021 Canadian census . Statistics Canada. April 27, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  2. Hamil, Fred Coyne. (1951).The Valley of the Lower Thames: 1640 to 1850.Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 15, 258, 310.
  3. Armstrong, Alvin. (1985).The First 200 Years of Blenheim and South Harwich. Blenheim: Blenheim News Tribune. 10.
  4. Armstrong, Alvin. (1985).The First 200 Years of Blenheim and South Harwich. Blenheim: Blenheim News Tribune. 38.
  5. Municipal directory: County of Kent 1988. Chatham, Ontario: County of Kent. 1988. p. 7.
  6. "Council Members". www.chatham-kent.ca. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  7. "Photo of General Lee car on CK councillor's Facebook page causes a stir | CBC News".
  8. "Apollo General Contracting" . Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  9. "Gin-Cor acquires southern Ontario trailer company". Northern Ontario Business Ltd. December 8, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  10. "The Andersons and Lansing Trade Group Acquire Thompsons Limited".
  11. "Sylvite Purchases Thompsons Farm Services". December 4, 2019.
  12. "Hopkins Canada". www.hopkinscanada.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  13. "Resistance Welding Products" . Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  14. "Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce honours Delhaven Orchards". www.onapples.com. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  15. "Manitree – Nutrients for Life Canada". nutrientsforlife.ca. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  16. "Our Story – Wildflower Bee Farm" . Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  17. "Zoning to come forward for landfill expansion".
  18. 1 2 "Cherry Fest crushed by COVID-19". BlackburnNews.com. April 15, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  19. "Blenheim, Ontario, Canada". www.soto.on.ca. Archived from the original on November 3, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  20. 1 2 "BLENHEIM | Chatham-Kent Travel Guide | Things to do and see in Chatham-Kent". chathamkenttravelguide.com. May 5, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  21. "Citizen of the Year finds joy and happiness in serving others". chathamdailynews. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  22. Shreve, Ellwood (July 5, 2015). "Fifth year for Blenheim Classics Auto Show". Newspaper article. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 15, 2015 via Chatham Daily News.
  23. Sherve (June 2, 2015). "Talbot Trail Place ready to officially open". Chatham Daily News. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  24. "Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Blenheim [Population centre], Ontario". February 9, 2022.
  25. "Harwich Raleigh Public School". harwichraleigh.lkdsb.net. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  26. "Home – St. Anne Blenheim". www.st-clair.net. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  27. "W.J. Baird Public School". wjbaird.lkdsb.net. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  28. Shreve, Ellwood (November 19, 2010). "Parents to Fight For French Immersion". Chatham Daily News. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  29. "About Blenheim District High School". bdhs.lkdsb.net. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  30. 1 2 "Sports News in Chatham-Kent by Town". Chatham-Kent Sports Network. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  31. "Mission & Vision (South Kent Minor Hockey)". southkentminorhockey.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  32. "Sun County Soccer League". www.suncountysoccer.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  33. "Blenheim Golden Eagles". blenheimgoldeneagles.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  34. "Dynasty Martial Arts – Karate in Blenheim, Chatham-Kent and Sarnia". Dynasty Martial Arts – Karate in Blenheim, Chatham-Kent and Sarnia. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  35. "Debbie McGonigle School of Dance". danceplace.com. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  36. "Erin's Dance Club". erinsdanceclub.ca. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  37. "Frederic Lister Burk". Dictionary of American Biography . New York City, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1936.
  38. "Charles Hefferon". Olympedia. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  39. "Pardoville's Ron Pardo stars in new PAW Patrol film". BlackburnNews.com. August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  40. The Canadian Who's Who. University of Toronto Press. 2001. p. 1320. ISBN   978-0-8020-4959-9.

42°20′0″N81°59′55″W / 42.33333°N 81.99861°W / 42.33333; -81.99861