Campbellford, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Campbellford is a small town in Northumberland County
, Ontario
, Canada
, in the municipality
of Trent Hills.
Located at , Campbellford lies approximately midway between Toronto
and Ottawa
. It is situated on both the Trent-Severn Waterway
and the Trans Canada Trail
. It can be reached from Highway 401
by exiting at Brighton (Exit 509) and going north on County Road 30. It can be reached from Highway 7 at the Havelock exit going south (also on County Road 30).
Campbellford traces its history back to 1834, when the first homesteaders arrived in the area. Once very wealthy, it is still known today for its many fine Victorian homes.
The town is home to a brewery (Church-Key Brewing Company), a chocolate factory (Blommer Chocolate Company, previously World's Finest Chocolate Factory), a styrofoam cup factory (Dart Cup), and eastern Ontario's only remaining rural cheese factory (Empire Cheese)a must visit stop in the community. Other notable local businesses include Dooher's Bakery which has been serving the community for 60 years originally opened in Madoc Ont with a small wood fire oven and everything made from scratch, mouth watering and delicious cookies, cakes, pies, tarts,chelsea buns,breads, rolls, bagels and donuts Dooher's prides itself on home baked goods made from scratch with fresh ingredients every morning, Clarion Boats, a highly specialized wooden boat builder and restoration shop; Eagle Airfield Limited, a builder of airport snow and ice control equipment; and Prototype Research & Development Ltd, which builds replicas of classic cars.
Warkworth Institution
, a medium-security prison facility, is located near the neighbouring town of Warkworth, 8 km south of Campbellford.
Campbellford was the home to "Iron Chief Charlie" Charles W Mahoney whose small informal summertime gathering in July named Charlie's Indian Day started in 1984 and became a substantial motorcylce gathering and made Charlie somewhat of an icon in Campellford. Each year, for the past 24 years, the small community of Trent Hills – Campbellford has played host to an eclectic gathering of motorcyclists. They gather at what continues to be a Mecca to honour one man, “Indian” Charlie Mahoney and motorcyles line the street running adjacent to the Trent River. Charlie’s reputation and personality were a powerful magnet that drew Indian motorcycle enthusiasts in particular, and motorcyclists in general, from all parts of North America and beyond. Charlie died in 2004 at the age of 85
Campbellford Memorial Hospital
is the largest employer in the community. Serving a catchment area of 30,000 residents, Campbellford Memorial is the only hospital located between Belleville and Peterborough, which are both approximately 60 kilometres away. It is the cornerstone of a health care campus that includes a family health team, Hillside Family Medicine, which serves over 16,000 patients and is a teaching practice affiliated with the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine
; a community mental health centre; and a long term care facility. The hospital is recognized for the strength of its infection control program.
Campbellford is surrounded by prime agricultural land which is home to many farms. In recent years, some of the town's agricultural sector has diversified into non-traditional areas such as bison farming, rare breeds farming and there are many horse farms in the area. The town has a farmers' market that is open two days a week in the summer.
In the summer, Campbellford's population swells with tourists taking advantage of the local lakes and waterways, trails and camping areas. In the winter, snowmobiling is a popular attraction. The 1.98 km² Ferris Provincial Park is located on the Trent River a short distance south of Campbellford. To enter the park from the west walking visitors cross the Trent River on the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge. Seymour Conservation Area is accessed via County Road 30, 1 km south of Campbellford town limits.
Campbellford has a vibrant arts community, and is particularly known for its musical scene. It is home to the Westben Arts Festival Theatre; the Lowdown Blues Band, as well as numerous other local bands and musicians; and the Aron Cinema, which shows both movies and live entertainment. Campbellford District High School's jazz band has been nationally acclaimed with several gold awards over the last ten years. Several high school musicians have also been selected to national all-star bands. The success of the school's program can be attributed to Dave Noble, the TV Ontario Teacher of the Year in 1999.
In addition to the suspension bridge, the town has a number of eclectic tourist attractions, including a 27 ft (8.2 m) high statue of a toonie
(the unofficial name for Canada's two-dollar coin, which was designed by local artist Brent Townsend
); the Memorial Military Museum; and the annual antique motorbike and car show, held on the first weekend of July.
Campbellford became a town in 1906 (Trent Hills Visitor Guide,2009, p. 13) and its centennial was celebrated in 2006. About 70 years earlier, "the British government gave two brothers, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Campbell and Major David Campbell, 1800 acres of land to settle in an area named for the Duke of Northumberland's wife Lady Elizabeth Seymour" (Trent Hills Visitors Guide, 2009, p. 13). The Trent River (long before it became a canal) meandered through the Campbell property and, not far from the current town centre, the river was shallow enough for crossing. The river crossing came to be known as "Campbell's Ford." Years later in 1876 the Village of Campbellford was created and then became a town in 1906.
Northumberland County, Ontario
Northumberland County is situated on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in central Ontario, Canada. It is located east of Durham County , west of Hastings, southeast of Kawartha Lakes and south of Peterborough County. The county seat is Cobourg...
, 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...
, in the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of Trent Hills.
Located at , Campbellford lies approximately midway between Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. It is situated on both the Trent-Severn Waterway
Trent-Severn Waterway
The Trent–Severn Waterway is a Canadian canal system formerly used for industrial and transportation purposes and now for recreational and tourism purposes, connecting Lake Ontario at Trenton to the Georgian Bay portion of Lake Huron at Port Severn...
and the Trans Canada Trail
Trans Canada Trail
The Trans Canada Trail is a proposed corridor in Canada. The creation of the trail was announced as part of Canada's 125th anniversary celebrations in 1992. It is expected that when complete, it will be the longest recreational trail in the world...
. It can be reached from Highway 401
Highway 401 (Ontario)
King's Highway 401, also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway and colloquially as the four-oh-one, is a 400-Series Highway in the Canadian province of Ontario stretching from Windsor to the Quebec border...
by exiting at Brighton (Exit 509) and going north on County Road 30. It can be reached from Highway 7 at the Havelock exit going south (also on County Road 30).
Campbellford traces its history back to 1834, when the first homesteaders arrived in the area. Once very wealthy, it is still known today for its many fine Victorian homes.
The town is home to a brewery (Church-Key Brewing Company), a chocolate factory (Blommer Chocolate Company, previously World's Finest Chocolate Factory), a styrofoam cup factory (Dart Cup), and eastern Ontario's only remaining rural cheese factory (Empire Cheese)a must visit stop in the community. Other notable local businesses include Dooher's Bakery which has been serving the community for 60 years originally opened in Madoc Ont with a small wood fire oven and everything made from scratch, mouth watering and delicious cookies, cakes, pies, tarts,chelsea buns,breads, rolls, bagels and donuts Dooher's prides itself on home baked goods made from scratch with fresh ingredients every morning, Clarion Boats, a highly specialized wooden boat builder and restoration shop; Eagle Airfield Limited, a builder of airport snow and ice control equipment; and Prototype Research & Development Ltd, which builds replicas of classic cars.
Warkworth Institution
Warkworth Institution
The Warkworth Institution is a medium-security prison facility located in the municipality of Trent Hills, Ontario, between the communities of Meyersburg and Warkworth. The prison is the largest federal correctional institution in Canada with a population of approximately 580 housed in five units...
, a medium-security prison facility, is located near the neighbouring town of Warkworth, 8 km south of Campbellford.
Campbellford was the home to "Iron Chief Charlie" Charles W Mahoney whose small informal summertime gathering in July named Charlie's Indian Day started in 1984 and became a substantial motorcylce gathering and made Charlie somewhat of an icon in Campellford. Each year, for the past 24 years, the small community of Trent Hills – Campbellford has played host to an eclectic gathering of motorcyclists. They gather at what continues to be a Mecca to honour one man, “Indian” Charlie Mahoney and motorcyles line the street running adjacent to the Trent River. Charlie’s reputation and personality were a powerful magnet that drew Indian motorcycle enthusiasts in particular, and motorcyclists in general, from all parts of North America and beyond. Charlie died in 2004 at the age of 85
Campbellford Memorial Hospital
Campbellford Memorial Hospital
The Campbellford Memorial Hospital is an Ontario class C and class G 34-bed hospital in the community of Campbellford, municipality of Trent Hills, Northumberland County in central Ontario, Canada. It opened in 1953, is part of the Central East LHIN and is the largest employer in the community...
is the largest employer in the community. Serving a catchment area of 30,000 residents, Campbellford Memorial is the only hospital located between Belleville and Peterborough, which are both approximately 60 kilometres away. It is the cornerstone of a health care campus that includes a family health team, Hillside Family Medicine, which serves over 16,000 patients and is a teaching practice affiliated with the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine
University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine
The Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto is the medical school of the University of Toronto. The faculty is based in the Discovery District of Downtown Toronto along with most of its teaching hospitals and research institutes. Founded in 1843, it is one of Canada's oldest institutions of...
; a community mental health centre; and a long term care facility. The hospital is recognized for the strength of its infection control program.
Campbellford is surrounded by prime agricultural land which is home to many farms. In recent years, some of the town's agricultural sector has diversified into non-traditional areas such as bison farming, rare breeds farming and there are many horse farms in the area. The town has a farmers' market that is open two days a week in the summer.
In the summer, Campbellford's population swells with tourists taking advantage of the local lakes and waterways, trails and camping areas. In the winter, snowmobiling is a popular attraction. The 1.98 km² Ferris Provincial Park is located on the Trent River a short distance south of Campbellford. To enter the park from the west walking visitors cross the Trent River on the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge. Seymour Conservation Area is accessed via County Road 30, 1 km south of Campbellford town limits.
Campbellford has a vibrant arts community, and is particularly known for its musical scene. It is home to the Westben Arts Festival Theatre; the Lowdown Blues Band, as well as numerous other local bands and musicians; and the Aron Cinema, which shows both movies and live entertainment. Campbellford District High School's jazz band has been nationally acclaimed with several gold awards over the last ten years. Several high school musicians have also been selected to national all-star bands. The success of the school's program can be attributed to Dave Noble, the TV Ontario Teacher of the Year in 1999.
In addition to the suspension bridge, the town has a number of eclectic tourist attractions, including a 27 ft (8.2 m) high statue of a toonie
Toonie
The Canadian 2 dollar coin, commonly called Toonie, was introduced on February 19, 1996 by Public Works minister Diane Marleau. The Toonie is a bi-metallic coin which bears an image of a polar bear, by Campbellford, Ontario artist Brent Townsend, on the reverse. The obverse, like all other current...
(the unofficial name for Canada's two-dollar coin, which was designed by local artist Brent Townsend
Brent Townsend
Brent Townsend is a Canadian portrait artist who designed, in 1996, the most recent portrait of the Polar Bear in early summer on an ice floe on the current Canadian 2 dollar coin.-External links:*...
); the Memorial Military Museum; and the annual antique motorbike and car show, held on the first weekend of July.
Campbellford became a town in 1906 (Trent Hills Visitor Guide,2009, p. 13) and its centennial was celebrated in 2006. About 70 years earlier, "the British government gave two brothers, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Campbell and Major David Campbell, 1800 acres of land to settle in an area named for the Duke of Northumberland's wife Lady Elizabeth Seymour" (Trent Hills Visitors Guide, 2009, p. 13). The Trent River (long before it became a canal) meandered through the Campbell property and, not far from the current town centre, the river was shallow enough for crossing. The river crossing came to be known as "Campbell's Ford." Years later in 1876 the Village of Campbellford was created and then became a town in 1906.