Georgetown, Ontario

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Georgetown
Unincorporated Community
Main Street
Main Street
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country Canada
Province Ontario
Regional municipality Halton
Town Halton Hills
Settled 1837
Dissolved 1974 into Halton Hills
Government
 • Mayor (Halton Hills) Rick Bonnette
Area
 • Total 23.12 km2 (8.93 sq mi)
Elevation 258 m (846 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 40,150
 • Density 1,736.59/km2 (4,497.7/sq mi)
Time zone EST (UTC−5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC−4)
Forward sortation area L7G
Area code(s) 905 and 289
NTS Map 030M12
GNBC Code FBHBE

Georgetown is a community in the town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada and is part of the Regional Municipality of Halton. It is situated on the Credit River, located approximately 60 km west of Toronto, making it part of the Greater Toronto Area. Georgetown takes its name from George Kennedy, who settled in the area in 1821.

History

By 1650, the once plentiful Hurons had been wiped out by European diseases, and the Iroquois. The region was now open to the Algonquian Ojibwa (also known as Mississauga), who moved in. By 1850 the remaining Mississauga natives were removed to the Six Nations reserve, where the New Credit Reserve was established.

Commencing in 1781, the British government purchased blocks of land from the Mississauga Nation. In 1818, they purchased land that later became the townships of Esquesing and Nassagaweya. The task of laying out the townships fell to Timothy Street and Abraham Nelles. Charles Kennedy was hired by Nelles to survey the northern part of the townships, and Charles Kennedy received a significant parcel of land as payment for his work.

The brothers of Charles Kennedy, (John, Morris, Samuel and George) all acquired land close to each another in the Silver Creek Valley. A sawmill was built by Charles Kennedy where today Main Street meets Wildwood Road. George Kennedy also built a sawmill which became the centre of a small settlement, which was located near 10th line.

Esquesing Village (Stewarttown) was the capital of the township. In addition, it was on the main north-south route to the steamships at Oakville. The Stewart Brothers had a prosperous mill in Esquesing Village, and James McNab had a prosperous mill in Norval.

In 1828, John Galt, through the Canada Company, opened the road which connected the settlement around George Kennedy's Mill with the other two settlements in the area. As Kennedy's Mill prospered, he built a gristmill, foundry and a woolen mill. Unfortunately, business was poor, which led to the nickname 'Hungry Hollow'. Around 1834 the Barber brothers arrived and within three years had purchased the mills from Kennedy.

Around 1837, the area adopted the name Georgetown. It was also the year that two of the Barber Brothers (William and James) purchased the mill and land from George Kennedy.

In May 1852 a rail route through Georgetown, Brampton and Weston to Toronto was announced.

On May 13, 1895, brothers Sam & John McGibbon leased, in partnership, Thomas Clark's Hotel for $600/year. "The Hotel McGibbon" was originally built by Robert Jones and was sold to Clark in about 1867. A double veranda graced the Main & Mill Street side of the building until the hotel was ravaged by fire in the 1880s. After the fire, a third floor was added to part of the building.

The McGibbon family lived at the hotel and took great pride in the business they had established. Sam's wife, Ann, kept white linen in the dining room, and in its earliest years had been a popular place for wedding receptions and banquets.

When Sam McGibbon died August 20, 1940 (only a few months after Ann's death), a daughter, Gladys, and a son, Jack, took over the business until 1962. The McGibbon Hotel was sold to Isaac Sitzer Investments and in 1967 to Gladbar Hotels Ltd. George and Nick Markou purchased the hotel in 1978 and have run business to the present day under the McGibbon name, returning its connection to the downtown Georgetown business community since 1895.

Guelph Radial Line

The Toronto Suburban Railway Company ran the Toronto-Guelph Electric Suburban Railway line through Georgetown for 14 years from the time it was opened in 1917 until it was closed in 1931.

Georgetown Boys

On July 1, 1923, 50 orphans of the Armenian Genocide arrived in Georgetown, Ontario to be educated and trained for farming. The actual location was Cedarvale Farm now known as Cedarvale Park. They came to be known as The Georgetown Boys. In total, 109 boys and 40 girls were taken in by the Canadian government, considered by many to be Canada's first humanitarian initiative. Aris Alexanian was a teacher and assistant superintendent at the school. He went on to open an oriental rug store in Hamilton, Ontario, which has grown throughout Ontario and is now known as Alexanian Carpet and Flooring.

French presence

The area had no early history of a concentration of French-Canadians, but that changed after World War II. First, in 1947, a boys' orphan farm relocated from St. Catharines, Ontario, to Georgetown. This orphanage was operated by Father Clovis Beauregard and his niece, Therese St Jean. The Acadian boys from the orphanage decided to remain here in adulthood. The boys had learned apple farming and other Acadian families moved here to assist them with their apple business. Second, in 1957 a French-Canadian Association was formed. By 1966, about 150 French-speaking Catholic families created their own parish when the old Holy Cross Church was rededicated as L'Eglise Sacre Coeur.

Halton Hills

On January 1, 1974, Georgetown became part of the Town of Halton Hills when it amalgamated with the Town of Acton and most of the Township of Esquesing. Together with the Town of Milton, the Town of Oakville and the City of Burlington, the Regional Municipality of Halton was formed, replacing Halton County. Halton Hills is well known for its terrain including slopes and inclines. In 1932, Bill Gauser proposed the idea to change the name from Halton to Halton Hills.

Neighbourhoods

Georgetown grew as new neighbourhoods were added. The oldest section is around Main Street and Church Street. The arrival of the railway produced a new section — around King Street and Queen Street. The Delrex subdivision was the third part of the town that was added. Shortly after Delrex, Moore Park was developed. In 1989, the Georgetown South development began and the town has grown considerably since that point.

Delrex: In the 1950s, Rex Heslop, the builder of Rexdale in Toronto, built the Delrex subdivision. Delrex is a combination of Rex and his wife Delma's names. In the 1950s and 1960s this area was referred to as Georgetown East.

Moore Park: With the growth of Delrex subdivision, a second subdivision called Moore Park appeared in 1962.

Georgetown South: In 1989 the farm land south of Silver Creek became the newest subdivision of Georgetown, Georgetown South. The development was undertaken by primarily Fernbrook Homes (West of Mountainview) and Canada Homes (East of Mountainview). Additional developments include Arbour Glen, Stewart's Mills and the Four Corners. Not to be mistaken as the "Four Corners" of Hornby at Trafalgar Road and Steeles Avenue.

Demographics

Census data for Georgetown is not available from Statistics Canada, because it is considered a community within the town of Halton Hills. The town provides the following estimates for Georgetown:[1]

Category 2011 2006 2001  % change
Population 40,150 36,690 31,510 16.4% increase
Private Dwellings 13,805 12,658 not provided --

Census data for periods prior to the amalgamation into the present Town are as follows:

Census Population Change (%)
1971 17,053 Increase65.6%
1961 10,298 Increase198.3%
1951 3,452 Increase34.7%
1941 2,562 Increase11.9%
1931 2,288 Increase11.0%
1921 2,061 Increase30.2%
1911 1,583 Increase20.6%
1901 1,313 Decrease13.0%
1891 1,509 Increase2.6%
1881 1,471 Increase14.7%
1871 1,282 n/a
1841 700 n/a

Sports teams

Georgetown's Sports teams include :

  • Halton Hills Gymnastics Centre - Competitive Gymnastics
  • CheerForce Jaguars — Competitive cheerleading
  • Halton Hills Blue Fins Swimming club
  • North Halton Highlanders Rugby Football Club, competes in the Toronto Rugby Union.
  • Halton Hills Minor Baseball Association, baseball organization for players ages from 5-21.
  • Georgetown Raiders Tier II Junior "A" ice hockey team, part of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
  • Halton Hills Bulldogs Junior "B" box lacrosse
  • Georgetown Minor Hockey Association — Houseleague and Rep hockey
  • Halton Hills Bulldogs — Houseleague and Rep Lacrosse
  • Georgetown Impact — Girls and Boys Volleyball
  • Halton Hills Hoosiers — Basketball
  • Georgetown Mustangs — Soccer
  • North Halton Twisters - Girls hockey
  • Georgetown Soccer Club
  • North Halton Crimson Tide Football Club
  • Halton Hills Minor Football Association - football club for players 10–18 years old
  • North Halton Children's Cricket Club. Run by Jeffrey Howson of Limehouse
  • Seniors Georgetown Curling Fanatics
  • Halton Hills Synchro

Defunct sports teams

[Georgetown Minor Hockey Association - Raiders] - In 2013, the Acton Tanners and the Georgetown Raiders Minor Hockey Association completed their merger to create the Halton Hills Thunder Minor Hockey Association. Georgetown Raiders Sr A competed in the OHA Senior A and Intermediate A ranks in the 1970s and 1980s. They are not connected to another Georgetown Raiders team which is currently a member of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League.

Local events

Georgetown Highland Games The second Saturday in June, Georgetown is host to a variety of Scottish traditional games and celebrations.

Farmers' market A farmers' market operates on Main St. in downtown Georgetown on Saturdays 8:00am – 12:30pm from June through October. The section of Main St. that hosts the market is closed off to vehicles during the event.

Georgetown Fall Fair The Fall Fair was started in 1846. It is held the Friday to Sunday following the Labour Day Weekend. The annual event is held at the Georgetown Fairgrounds and consists mainly of carnival rides and rural contests, such as the tractor pull and demolition derby. The Georgetown Agricultural Society organizes and runs the fair each year.

In 2003, the Fall Fair was the scene of a riot which broke out between local youth (approximately 500) and the Halton Regional Police force. There were several teens arrested and at least another half a dozen shot by rubber bullets during the riot. No major property damage occurred, only a portion of a small white picket fence was damaged. Conflict in the years following the event has so far been avoided.[2]

Education

Public education in Georgetown is managed by the Halton District School Board, while Catholic education is managed by the Halton Catholic District School Board.

Elementary Schools

Catholic

  • Holy Cross (with French Immersion)
  • St. Brigid
  • St. Francis of Assisi
  • St. Catherine of Alexandria

Christian

  • Halton Hills Christian School (a.k.a. Georgetown District Christian School)

French

  • Sacré-Coeur

Public

  • Gardiner Public School
  • Silver Creek Public School
  • Pineview Public School
  • Park Public School
  • Joseph Gibbons Public School
  • Harrison Public School
  • George Kennedy Public School (with French Immersion)

Middle Schools

Public

  • Centennial Public School
  • Stewarttown Middle School
  • Silver Creek Public School
  • Gardiner Public School

Secondary Schools

Catholic

Public

Architecture of E. J. Lennox

Two buildings in Georgetown were designed by Toronto architect E.J. Lennox:

  • Berwick Hall, the home of John R. Barber (1880-1904) which is now an apartment building.
  • Georgetown High School (1889–1959) - built 1899 and demolished in 1959

Industry and business

Major industries with head offices and facilities in Georgetown include Mold-Masters Limited, CPI Canada, Eastwood Guitars, and Saputo. Other major industrial concerns include Cooper Standard, ADM Archer Daniels Midland Cocoa (was Ambrosia Chocolate),Howmet Georgetown Casting, a division of Alcoa Power and Propulsion and Kingsbury Technologies (Canada) Inc. The community also serves as the Canadian headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses. Georgetown has seen an explosion of population growth in the south. This has caused new business to appear including Tim Hortons, Neighbours, Metro, and many others.

The Georgetown Marketplace is Georgetown's Mall. It has roughly 63 stores, including major companies such as WalMart. The mall is home to stores such as: Peoples Jewelers, Coles, Winners & Home Sense, and Ardene.

Recreation and parks

Hiking trails

The Bruce Trail goes through Halton Hills, passing north of Georgetown.

The Town is developing a multi-purpose trail system in Hungry Hollow, on old railbeds and various other locations. A citizens group called HHORBA is trying to work with the Town in planning and constructing the trails to be as environmentally friendly, safe for hikers and enjoyable for bicyclists as possible. HHORBA helped construct a one trail and three bridges with members of the Bruce Trail. HHORBA in the past has been a member of the International Mountain Bicycling Association.

Skate parks

Georgetown Skate Park

Located outside of the Mold-Masters SportsPlex at 221 Guelph Street, this facility was made possible by the co-operative efforts of the Halton Hills Community through the Skateboarders, Inline Skaters & BMX Bikers of Halton Hills (S.I.B.A.H.H) Committee and the Recreation and Parks Department. Funding was provided through generous community donations and the Corporation of the Town of Halton Hills. The facility is user supervised and is managed through posted regulations.

Library

The Halton Hills Public Library is a two-branch library system. Both branches reflect the historic character of the community. The Georgetown Branch (9 Church Street) is co-located with the Halton Hills Cultural Centre, anchored by the former Methodist Church (now the Art Gallery) and The John Elliott Theatre. The Acton Branch (17 River Street) was built as the community's centennial project in a park setting, across a foot bridge over a creek.

Library Highlights[3] in 2007 include:

  • Town council approved the Georgetown Branch Renovation/Expansion Project in principle.
  • Popular material was made more accessible through the "Rapid Reads" collection and the "Hot Off The Press" service.
  • A record breaking donation of $79,291 was received from the Georgetown Homecoming Committee for the Georgetown Branch Renovation/Expansion Project.
  • Convenience was increased through the installation of wireless Internet access and debit service.
  • Business collections were expanded to offer more programming for small business operators.
  • General interest programs were reintroduced for adults.
  • Profile was raised through media coverage partnerships and greater participation in community events.

On Saturday January 26, 2013 the renovated Georgetown Branch of the Halton Hills Public Library opened.[4] The renovations included making the library more accessible to the public as well as more environmentally friendly.

Media

Georgetown is covered by local newspapers and television through the following services:

Transportation

Georgetown Station

GO Transit and Via Rail serve Georgetown Station. There is no local bus service, although the Georgetown Halton Hills ActiVan provides local transportation for individuals with physical disabilities. GO Transit offers both bus and rail services through the Georgetown GO Station. The GO Transit Kitchener rail line runs between Toronto and Kitchener. The GO bus connects to many of the nearby communities including Brampton, Toronto, Acton, Guelph, and Kitchener.

Georgetown is also linked to the Provincial Highway network by Highway 7, and to Highway 401 by Trafalgar Road (Halton Regional Road 3), Mountainview Road/9th Line (Halton Regional Road 13) and Winston Churchill Boulevard (Halton Regional Road 19)

There are no airports in Georgetown; the closest are Brampton Airport (general aviation) to the north and Toronto Pearson International Airport (domestic and international flights) to the east.

Notable residents

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Police, youths clash at fall fair. The Independent and Free Press, Sept 10, 2003.
  3. ↑ Halton Hills Public Library Annual Report 2007
  4. ↑ Halton Hills Public Library Building Projects
  5. ↑ http://www.canadianpetroleumhalloffame.ca/karl-clark.html
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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