Downtown Guelph
Encyclopedia
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
, 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....
. It is bordered by Wellington St. E. to the south, Woolwich St. to the East, Dublin St. to the west and Norwich St. to the North. Downtown Guelph is known for its distinctive limestone architecture and heritage buildings.
History
John Galt, founder of Guelph, assisted by his surveyor, planned the community. He plotted a series of large public "squares" of varied shape; this unique street design provided one of the earliest examples of town planning in OntarioOntario
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....
.
Tradition relates that John Galt, or one of his companions, laid his outstretched hand on a tree stump and predicted that the streets of the new town would radiate from a central point such as his fingers radiated from his palm. It is true that the main streets of downtown Guelph do follow such a pattern, but which came first, the legend or the plan, remains in doubt.
Present day
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
. Downtown is very easily accessible by car, regional and local transit, walking, and by bike. It is the home of Guelph's largest concentration of retail, dining, financial services, as well as entertainment, healthcare, and professional services like lawyers and doctors.
In recent years the area has been experiencing a renaissance as the Business Improvement Area (BIA) has brought in new retail, created Old Quebec Street, and improved the cleanliness. For entertainment there is the River Run Centre, a cinema at the Bookshelf Cafe, the Sleeman Centre (home of the Guelph Storm
Guelph Storm
The Guelph Storm is a major junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. They have played in the OHL since the 1991–92 season. The team plays home games at the Sleeman Centre.-History:...
), and a colourful array of amateur musical acts performing weekly at each of the smaller clubs/bars. Historical sites and landmarks include the Church of Our Lady
Church of Our Lady
Church of Our Lady may refer to:*Church of Our Lady , the former cathedral church in Aarhus, Denmark*Cathedral of Our Lady , the cathedral church in Antwerp, Belgium*Church of Our Lady , the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium...
, Guelph City Hall, The Armoury, Guelph train station, and Douglas Street.
Notable sites
- Sleeman Centre
- Church of Our LadyChurch of Our Lady Immaculate, GuelphChurch of Our Lady Immaculate is a Roman Catholic church located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada designed by Joseph Connolly. It is considered Connolly's best work. To serve a Roman Catholic parish of predominantly German settlers this Gothic style-church was built between 1875 and 1883...
- Guelph City Hall
- The Armoury
- Guelph railway station
- Douglas Street
- Old Quebec Street Mall
- Wellington County Courthouse
- River Run CentreRiver Run CentreThe River Run Centre in Guelph, ON is a performing arts centre in Guelph, Ontario.Construction of the facility began in 1995 and cost $15 million. It officially opened on October 4, 1997.The facility has three halls:*The Main Hall, which can seat 785...
- St. Georges Square
- Royal City Park
- Guelph farmers market
- Wilson Street
- Guelph Public Library
- Covered footbridge
Architecture
Over the years many examples of fine architecture have contributed to the enrichment of the downtown area's unique appearance. Talented masons and builders made excellent use of the fine, warm-hued limestone which was so easily worked by stone carvers. The local limestone has contributed a splendid unity and visual distinction to the architecture of the community. Many fine examples of historic stone architecture remain intact and in a state of commendable preservation.The post-World War II era saw many older buildings in St. Georges Square demolished and replaced by modern buildings. Other parts of downtown also had these modern pieces put in. Citizens rallied to start saving downtown Guelph's historic buildings and have protected many from being lost.
Education
Downtown Guelph used to be home to one high school, Bishop Macdonnell, which sat beside the Church of Our LadyChurch of Our Lady
Church of Our Lady may refer to:*Church of Our Lady , the former cathedral church in Aarhus, Denmark*Cathedral of Our Lady , the cathedral church in Antwerp, Belgium*Church of Our Lady , the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium...
. There is currently one public school within the downtown core, Central Public School located on Dublin Street
Guelph Public Library
In 1882, the Ontario government passed the Free Libraries Act, allowing municipalities to establish libraries supported by local taxes. The City of Guelph was the first in Ontario to take advantage of this Act. The Guelph Library attempted to seek suitable quarters and moved to its current location on the corner of Norfolk and Paisley. Guelph was one of the first communities to take advantage of grants made available by steel magnate Andrew CarnegieAndrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
.
Guelph is served by a growing library system composed of a main branch located in the downtown core, five branches and a Bookmobile
Bookmobile
A bookmobile or mobile library is a large vehicle designed for use as a library. It is designed to hold books on shelves so that when the vehicle is parked the books can be accessed by readers. It usually has enough space for people to sit and read books inside. Mobile libraries are often used to...
. It holds a membership of over 85,000, the Guelph Public Library system's goals include preserving and indexing public materials relating to the history of Guelph. Although no formal program has been developed, the library acquires municipal records of archival value from the City of Guelph.
The Guelph Public Library also offers a number of programs including a book club.http://guelphpubliclibrarybookbuzz.blogspot.com
Transportation
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....
station, a regional bus terminal
Guelph Bus Terminal
The Guelph Bus Terminal, formerly located at 141 MacDonell Street, is temporarily located at 17 Wyndham St South in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It currently is the main intercity bus station for the community, while the downtown hub for local Guelph Transit bus services is at the nearby St...
serviced by 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...
, Greyhound Canada and Coach Canada
Coach Canada
Coach Canada is the Canadian affiliate of Coach USA, and part of the North American operations of Stagecoach, the international transport group, with its headquarters in Perth, Scotland, UK....
. As well, almost all Guelph Transit
Guelph Transit
The Guelph Transit Commission is a small public transportation agency that operates transit bus services in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1929 after the closure of the Guelph Radial Railway Company streetcar lines, Guelph Transit has grown to comprise over 70 buses serving 28 transit...
buses meet every 30 minutes in St. Georges Square. Downtown is also easily accessible by bike, with bike paths connecting residents from all sides of the city into the centre.