Grimsby, Ontario
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Grimsby (Canada 2006 Census population 24,240) is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. The majority of residents reside in the area bounded by Lake Ontario and the Niagara escarpment. The escarpment (colloquially known as 'the mountain') is home to a section of the Bruce Trail.
Grimsby has experienced significant growth over the past decade as the midpoint between Hamilton and St. Catharines. Some residents feel that development is detrimental to the town as orchards close to the town centre are used for residential development.
Some notable attractions in Grimsby are the local Skatepark, the Grimsby Museum, the Grimsby Public Art Gallery and the Hockey Arena (Peach King Centre), home of the Grimsby Peach Kings.
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[edit] History
The town of Grimsby was founded in 1787, when a group of United Empire Loyalists settled at the mouth of 40 Mile Creek. Robert Nelles, a politician and later lieutenant-colonel in the War of 1812, was one of the main founders of the town. His home, located on Main Street West, was used for many planning sessions during the war. In 1816 the village became known as Grimsby, the name of the surrounding township. Canada's first Chautauqua was established in 1859 in Grimsby Park and Beach but by 1900 interest had declined and by 1909 it had ceased. The Village of Grimsby was officially incorporated in 1876 and became a town in 1922. The town has gone through numerous changes, being first a small rural village; then a centre for the manufacture of farm machinery, hospital furniture, furnaces and other metal products; and later the hub of the Niagara Peninsula's fruit-growing industry. For many years, Grimsby also had a successful fishing industry which lasted until the 1960s. The Town of Grimsby and the Township of North Grimsby were amalgamated in 1970 with the formation of the Regional Municipality of Niagara. With a number of wineries and distilleries, Grimsby now serves as the starting point for touring the Niagara wine region.
Grimsby is also the birthplace of a now forgotten Hollywood director, Del Lord (1894-1970) His clame to fame was largely due to his directing nearly all of the Three Stooges vaudeville short comedies. Later, under Columbia Pictures, he also directed nearly 200 feature films.
Grimsby Beach was once a major holiday resort. Grimsby Park started in 1846 as a park for the Hamilton district of the Methodist Church. In 1910, the park's new owner, Harry Wylie, modernized the park with carousels, a motion picture theater, and a "Figure 8" roller coaster. Canada Steamship Lines bought out the park in 1916, but the park declined through the 1920s, mainly due to multiple fires that consumed many of the wooden buildings. Operations continued until 1949, with attractions gradually closing and developers buying land to build houses.
[edit] Schools
[edit] Secondary Schools
- Grimsby Secondary School (operated by DSBN)
- Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School (operated by NCDSB)
[edit] Primary Schools
- Central Public School
- Grand Ave. Public School
- Lakeview Public School
- Nelles Public School
- Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School
- Park Public School
- Smith Public School
- St. Joseph Catholic School
- St.Mark's Catholic school
[edit] Churches
- Centennial Park Baptist Church
- Christ Our Saviour Lutheran
- Church of Christ
- Covenant Canadian Reformed Church
- Forestview Community Church
- Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall
- Lakemount Worship Centre
- Lincoln Pioneer Seventh-day Adventist
- Mountainview Christian Reformed Church
- New Apostolic Church
- New Life Community Church
- Park Rd. United
- Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Grimsby
- St. Andrew's Anglican
- St. George's Ukrainian Orthodox
- St. John's Presbyterian
- St. Pubes Magee
- St. Joseph's Roman Catholic
- St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic
- St. Philip By-The-Lake Anglican
- Trinity United Church
[edit] Demographics
Statcan[1]
| Age Characteristics of the Population | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total - All persons | 24,240 | 14,135 | 10,105 |
| Age 0-4 | 1,145 | 595 | 550 |
| Age 5-14 | 3,165 | 1,580 | 1,580 |
| Age 15-19 | 1,480 | 825 | 655 |
| Age 20-24 | 1,040 | 550 | 485 |
| Age 25-44 | 5,980 | 2,895 | 3,090 |
| Age 45-54 | 3,245 | 1,615 | 1,630 |
| Age 55-64 | 2,215 | 1,090 | 1,125 |
| Age 65-74 | 1,610 | 785 | 825 |
| Age 75-84 | 1,055 | 430 | 620 |
| Age 85 and over | 490 | 370 | 120 |
[edit] Place of Birth
- 83% Canadian Born
- 17% Foreign Born[1]
[edit] Religion
- 30% Roman Catholic
- 15% Anglican
- 14% United Church
- 14% No religion
- 27% Other[2]
[edit] Notable people
- Kevin Bieksa, NHL defenceman playing for the Vancouver Canucks
- Rick Dykstra, Member of the Canadian House of Commons
- Kevin Hearn, plays keyboards and other instruments for Barenaked Ladies
- Chris Jarvis, rower for the Canadian national team and 2004 Athens Olympian.
- Del Lord, Hollywood actor and director of the Three Stooges films
- Bill Kempling, well known Canadian politician
- Wanita May, Canadian High Jump Champion
- George Pettit, vocalist for the Canadian rock group Alexisonfire
- Sector Seven, Canadian punk band
- Tonya Verbeek, silver medal winner at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Dennis Ververgaert, former NHL ice hockey player
- Bob Warner, former NHL ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs
- Marvin Wentworth, former NHL ice hockey player
[edit] Climate
Grimsby's climate varies throughout the year; 12 °C – 15 °C in the spring, 21 °C – 33 °C in the summer, and 10 °C – 17 °C in the fall. Winters can be quite harsh in Grimsby as well. Temperatures in the winter months are around 4 °C to −16 °C, with about 190cm of snow per year.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Town of Grimsby Website
- Grimsby Webcam
- The Grimsby Lincoln News
- The Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada website
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