Exeter, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Exeter is a Canadian
community in the municipality
of South Huron
, in the southern portion of Huron County
, Ontario
, located approximately 50 kilometres north of London
. The community proclaims itself the "Home of the White Squirrel
", owing to the presence of the unusually-coloured mammals. Exeter's mascot
, "Willis The White Wonder" can be seen at many community events throughout the year, including Canada Day
celebrations, the Exeter Rodeo, and the Santa Claus Parade.
settlers James and Jane Willis and also Amanda. By 1853, Exeter had grown into a community of over 300 with the help of Isaac Carling
bringing immigrants from the Exeter
and Devon
areas of England
.The original Carling homestead, a designated historical landmark still stands on Huron St.W. It was on July 1, 1873, when the villages north and south of the Ausable River (Francistown and Exeter respectively) merged to form the Village of Exeter. Exeter eventually became a town of over 4,500 people. Paintings of some of Exeter's historical citizens, by the late artist Harry Burke, may be seen at the Exeter Legion Hall.
. At the north end of the community, Highway 4 intersects with County Road 83.
Freight train
service is provided by the Goderich-Exeter Railway
, connecting to Canadian National Railway
service at London
and Toronto
.
The closest local airfield is at Centralia/Huron Airpark
, south of Exeter. Closest major airport is London International Airport
.
Exeter is served by scheduled bus service to Owen Sound
and London
.
Cable television
is provided by Eastlink TV and includes local community station ETM Television.
Exeter got its first radio station in 2009, when " My Broadcasting Corporation" launched 90.5 myFM. The station covers all local events, news and sports.
, a junior hockey
team that plays in the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League
and the Exeter Mohawks
of the Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League
. The Exeter Express baseball team plays in the Southwest Senior Baseball League.
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...
community 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 South Huron
South Huron, Ontario
South Huron is a municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the southern part of Huron County. It was formed by amalgamation of the townships of Stephen and Usborne with the Town of Exeter in 2001, in an Ontario-wide municipal restructuring imposed by the provincial...
, in the southern portion of Huron County
Huron County, Ontario
Huron County is a census division and county of the province of Ontario, Canada. It is located on the southeast shore of its namesake, Lake Huron, in the southwest part of the province...
, 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....
, located approximately 50 kilometres north of London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
. The community proclaims itself the "Home of the White Squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
", owing to the presence of the unusually-coloured mammals. Exeter's mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
, "Willis The White Wonder" can be seen at many community events throughout the year, including Canada Day
Canada Day
Canada Day , formerly Dominion Day , is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act , which united three British colonies into a single country, called Canada, within the British Empire...
celebrations, the Exeter Rodeo, and the Santa Claus Parade.
History
Exeter was first founded in the winter of 1832 by the IrishIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
settlers James and Jane Willis and also Amanda. By 1853, Exeter had grown into a community of over 300 with the help of Isaac Carling
Isaac Carling
Isaac Carling was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He represented Huron South in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Conservative member from 1868 to 1871....
bringing immigrants from the Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
and Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
areas of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.The original Carling homestead, a designated historical landmark still stands on Huron St.W. It was on July 1, 1873, when the villages north and south of the Ausable River (Francistown and Exeter respectively) merged to form the Village of Exeter. Exeter eventually became a town of over 4,500 people. Paintings of some of Exeter's historical citizens, by the late artist Harry Burke, may be seen at the Exeter Legion Hall.
Transport
Exeter is located on the north-south Highway 4Highway 4 (Ontario)
King's Highway 4, also known as Highway 4, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Originally much longer than its present length, more than half of Highway 4 was transferred to the responsibility of local governments in 1998. In its present form, it travels...
. At the north end of the community, Highway 4 intersects with County Road 83.
Freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
service is provided by the Goderich-Exeter Railway
Goderich-Exeter Railway
The Goderich–Exeter Railway is a short line freight railway that operates around of track in Southern Ontario. Created in 1992, it was the first short line railway in Canada to be purchased from a class I railway, in this case Canadian National Railway . It took over operation of further CN...
, connecting to Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
service at London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
and 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...
.
The closest local airfield is at Centralia/Huron Airpark
Centralia/Huron Airpark
Centralia/James T. Field Memorial Aerodrome, originally RCAF Station Centralia, , is located west of Centralia, Ontario, Canada.-History:Originally built as a part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , Centralia Airport was home to the Number 9 Service Flying Training School as of...
, south of Exeter. Closest major airport is London International Airport
London International Airport
London International Airport or London Airport is located northeast of the city of London, Ontario, Canada.In 2009, the airport handled 501,835 passengers, and, in 2010, was the 9th busiest in Canada in terms of aircraft movements, with 141,001. Air Canada, Air Canada Express, United Express ,...
.
Exeter is served by scheduled bus service to Owen Sound
Owen Sound, Ontario
Owen Sound , the county seat of Grey County, is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada...
and London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
.
Media
The local newspaper is the Exeter Times-Advocate, owned by Metroland Publishing. This paper publishes once-weekly, on Wednesdays.Cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
is provided by Eastlink TV and includes local community station ETM Television.
Exeter got its first radio station in 2009, when " My Broadcasting Corporation" launched 90.5 myFM. The station covers all local events, news and sports.
Sports
Exeter is home to the Exeter HawksExeter Hawks
The Exeter Hawks are a Junior ice hockey team based in Exeter, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.-History:...
, a junior hockey
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
team that plays in the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League
Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League
The Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Junior level ice hockey league sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association based out of Southwestern Ontario....
and the Exeter Mohawks
Exeter Mohawks
The Exeter Mohawks are a senior hockey team based out of Exeter, Ontario, Canada. The team was previously known as the Hensall Sherwoods, but relocated to Exeter in the summer of 2007...
of the Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League
Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League
The WOAA Senior AA Hockey League is an amateur senior ice hockey league governed by the Western Ontario Athletic Association.-Format:The league uses Hockey Canada playing rules but is not operated under the jurisdictions of the Ontario Hockey Association or Hockey Canada. The league is based in...
. The Exeter Express baseball team plays in the Southwest Senior Baseball League.
Notable people
- Harriet BrooksHarriet BrooksHarriet Brooks was the first Canadian woman nuclear physicist. She is most famous for her research on nuclear transmutations and radioactivity. Ernest Rutherford, who guided her graduate work, regarded her as being next to Marie Curie in the calibre of her aptitude.She was born in Exeter, Ontario...
(1876–1933), early pioneer in nuclear physics - Charles Trick CurrellyCharles Trick CurrellyCharles Trick Currelly was a Canadian clergyman and archeologist, and the first director of the Royal Ontario Museum from 1914 to 1946....
(1876–1957), founder and first Curator of the Royal Ontario MuseumRoyal Ontario MuseumThe Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With its main entrance facing Bloor Street in Downtown Toronto, the museum is situated north of Queen's Park and east of Philosopher's Walk in the University of Toronto... - Allan PickardAllan PickardAllan W. Pickard was an influential organizer and administrator of amateur ice hockey in Canada, and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Biography:...
(1895–1975), member of the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup... - Donald Fleming (1905–1986) Canadian Federal Finance Minister, Governor of the World BankWorld BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, International Monetary FundInternational Monetary FundThe International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
official - Tim LongTim LongTim Long is a comedy writer born in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Tim calls Exeter, Ontario, Canada his home town and has written for The Simpsons, Politically Incorrect, Spy Magazine and The Late Show with David Letterman. Currently credited as a consulting producer on The Simpsons, Long was - until...
, executive producer and writer, The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie... - Paul De Lisle (b. 1963), bassist for Smash MouthSmash MouthSmash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Greg Camp, Paul De Lisle and Kevin Coleman as lead vocals, guitar, bass and drums respectively...
Landmarks
- McNaughton Park, including Scenic Gardens
- South Huron Hospital
- 2 golfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
courses - Exeter Curling Club
- Morrison Dam Conservation Area
- Recently-restored Town Hall
Schools
- South Huron District High School Home of the Panthers, a nationally recognized music program and over 850 students
- Exeter Public School
- Precious Blood Catholic Elementary School
Events
- The White Squirrel Festival
- Exeter Fall Fair
- Exeter Rodeo