Norfolk County, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Norfolk County is a rural city-status single-tier municipality on the north shore of Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...

 in Southwestern
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...

 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...

. Bloomsburg is a small town located in Norfolk County and is the hometown of David Slater. The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 and largest community is Simcoe
Simcoe, Ontario
Simcoe is an unincorporated community and former town in Southwestern Ontario, Canada located near Lake Erie. It is the county seat and largest community of Norfolk County....

. The population in 2006 was 62,563.

History

Norfolk's history has been closely associated with that of the neighbouring Haldimand County
Haldimand County
Haldimand is a rural city-status single-tier municipality on the Niagara Peninsula in Southern Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of Lake Erie, and on the Grand River. Municipal offices are located in Cayuga....

. Norfolk was first created as a county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...

 in 1792. In 1800, Haldimand was formed from a portion of Norfolk. The two counties remained separate until 1974, when they were united as the Regional Municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk.

In 2001, Haldimand and Norfolk were separated again in a round of municipal restructuring based on a report by provincially appointed special advisor Milt Farrow, and their individual municipalities were merged into two single-tier municipalities. The Townships of Delhi and Norfolk, Town of Simcoe
Simcoe, Ontario
Simcoe is an unincorporated community and former town in Southwestern Ontario, Canada located near Lake Erie. It is the county seat and largest community of Norfolk County....

, and the western half of the City of Nanticoke
Nanticoke, Ontario
Nanticoke is an unincorporated community and former city located on the western border of Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada. It is southeast of Simcoe in neighbouring Norfolk County and south of Brantford...

 were amalgamated to form the "Town of Norfolk." The newly formed municipality's first by-law was to change the name to Norfolk County. Although both Haldimand and Norfolk use the name "county" for historical reasons, each is governed as a single municipality without a county government, thus neither is a true county, and are legally classified as cities.

In January 2005, the county unveiled a new coat of arms which included natural symbols associated with the county: hooded warbler
Hooded Warbler
The Hooded Warbler, Wilsonia citrina, is a New World warbler. It breeds in eastern North America and across the eastern USA and into southernmost Canada, . It is migratory, wintering in Central America and the West Indies...

s, a tulip tree
Liriodendron
Liriodendron is a genus of two species of characteristically large deciduous trees in the magnolia family .These trees are widely known by the common name tulip tree or tuliptree for their large flowers superficially resembling tulips, but are closely related to magnolias rather than lilies, the...

 (Liriodendron tulipifera) and an eastern dogwood flower.

The first mayor of the county, Rita Kalmbach
Rita Kalmbach
Rita Kalmbach was the first mayor of Norfolk County. It was during her tenure that Norfolk County became a separate municipality from Haldimand County...

, was succeeded in 2007 by Dennis Travale
Dennis Travale
Dennis Travale is the second mayor of Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada whose tenure has witness a major worldwide economic meltdown starting on September 2008.-Summary:...

.

Geography

Surrounding its many small communities is some of the most fertile land in Ontario. With a mild climate and lengthy growing season, the region has long been the centre of the Ontario tobacco belt
Ontario tobacco belt
The Ontario tobacco belt is the tobacco-growing region located in Norfolk County and eastern Elgin County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Being close to the north shore of Lake Erie, the region has moderate climate with sandy and silt-loam soils well-suited to a wide variety of crops. High-value...

. However, many farmers have begun the process of diversifying their crop selections to include lavender
Lavender
The lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India...

, ginseng
Ginseng
Ginseng is any one of eleven species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae....

, hazelnuts, and wolfberries
Wolfberry
Wolfberry, commercially called goji berry, is the common name for the fruit of two very closely related species: Lycium barbarum and L. chinense , two species of boxthorn in the family Solanaceae...

 as tobacco consumption continues to decrease. The area also has an active greenhouse industry. Despite this, farmers have asked governments to reduce the financial losses of moving away from profitable tobacco operations.

In 2004 the documentary film Tobacco's Last Stand was released which highlighted the effect on tobacco production on the region.

A significant natural feature of Norfolk is Long Point, a 40 kilometre (25 mi) spit of land projecting into Lake Erie. It plays an important part in eastern North American bird migration, and was designated a World Biosphere Reserve
Biosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...

 by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 in 1986. Long Point Provincial Park
Long Point Provincial Park
Long Point Provincial Park is an Ontario provincial park on the northwest shore of Lake Erie near Port Rowan, Ontario, Canada.-Summary:The park is located on a sandy spit of land called Long Point that juts out into the lake...

 is located on the point.

Climate

Port Rowan

Port Rowan holds an annual Bayfest every Labour Day
Labour Day
Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for...

; this used to be known as "Tomato Fest" but was renamed a few years ago. Local sports include angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...

 and boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...

 in the Long Point Inner Bay and golfing at Stark's Golf Course at the edge of town. Bird Studies Canada
Bird Studies Canada
Bird Studies Canada is Canada's national bird conservation organization.-Summary:The organization began as the Long Point Bird Observatory in 1960, changing its name in 1998 to reflect the growing national scope of its research programs...

 is based at Port Rowan. Port Rowan's future growth is currently at capacity with its water treatment system, which threatens future growth in the town and its burgeoning retirement community. There are wind generator
Wind generator
A wind generator is a device that generates electrical power from wind energy.Wind generators have traditionally been wind turbines, i.e. a propeller attached to an electric generator attached to appropriate electronics to attach it to the electrical grid or to charge batteries.Recently, however, a...

s in the Port Rowan area; which stretch out to Clear Creek and the Elgin County line. Located just outside of town off Lakeshore Rd. is the famous Backus Mill, where every year there is a re-enactment of the War of 1812.

Walsh

Walsh, formerly known as Charlotteville Centre, is a medium-sized hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...

 in Norfolk County, 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...

 that is home to a public school and a Roman Catholic elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...

 called St. Michael's
Saint Michael's School (Simcoe-Walsh)
Saint Michael's School is a Roman Catholic elementary school that is located in Walsh, Ontario, Canada. It shares its status with Walsh Public School as a voting centre in Canadian federal elections....

. Graduating students go primarily to Simcoe Composite School
Simcoe Composite School
Simcoe Composite School is a high school in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.More than 900 students attend this rural secondary school and courses range from English, French, Spanish, and mathematics to computers, business, athletics, World History, civics, and even drama class. In 2003, the school suffered...

  and also Delhi District Secondary School
Delhi District Secondary School
Delhi District Secondary School is a publicly-funded high school that is located near downtown Delhi in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.-Summary:...

, Valley Heights Secondary School
Valley Heights Secondary School
Valley Heights Secondary School is a two-story rural high school located near Langton, Ontario, Canada.-General information:...

 or Holy Trinity Catholic High School
Holy Trinity Catholic High School (Simcoe)
Holy Trinity Catholic High School, colloquially known as "HT", is one of the newest Roman Catholic high schools in Ontario.The high school is located in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. Wearing school uniforms during school hours is mandatory, and courses deal in a theological manner...

. Students also have the choice of Port Dover Composite School for secondary education. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, a wholesaler was once stationed here.

Bill's Corners

Bill's Corners is a hamlet in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada, that is between Green's Corners and Hillcrest. Further to the east is the town of Simcoe, which is the closest town to Bill's Corners. The sole industry in the hamlet is agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

. The hamlet has a population of less than 200 people. Walsh Public School provides education for grades JK-8, and Simcoe Composite School
Simcoe Composite School
Simcoe Composite School is a high school in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.More than 900 students attend this rural secondary school and courses range from English, French, Spanish, and mathematics to computers, business, athletics, World History, civics, and even drama class. In 2003, the school suffered...

 provides secondary education. One famous previous resident was Dwayne Roloson
Dwayne Roloson
Albert Dwayne Roloson is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Islanders during his professional career...

, who is currently a goalie in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Nixon

Nixon is a hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...

 in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada that is almost exclusively residential. There is an airfield, some farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...

s, and a single office building that is dedicated to an agriculture-related business in the hamlet where Nixon Public School used to be. Otherwise, the community consists solely of single-family houses ever since Nixon Public School was closed due to the provincial government cutbacks on education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

. The only industry in the area is agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

; there isn't any commerce in Nixon. Residents must commute to nearby communities for shopping, errands, and for most employment. Nixon is east of town of Delhi, northwest of town of Simcoe, and northeast of the hamlet of Pine Grove.

Langton

Langton is a small town located in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.

The town can be accessed by traveling to the intersection just slightly to the west of Courtland and turning south on Ontario provincial Highway 59 if coming from Delhi, south if coming from Tillsonburg
Tillsonburg, Ontario
Tillsonburg is a town in Oxford County, Ontario, Canada.Tillsonburg is a town of 14,822 located about 50 kilometres southeast of London, on Highway 3 at the junction of Highway 19 the closest route to Highway 401 at Ingersoll, Ontario...

 or if traveling eastbound on Ontario Provincial Highway 3, and straight ahead if traveling southbound using Ontario provincial Highway 59. Since children of elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...

 age who live in Andy's Corners attend Langton Public School, Andy's Corners is considered to be a subdivision
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...

 of Langton. Langton was home to the Langton Thunderbirds, a junior hockey team that played 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....

.

Wyecombe

Wyecombe is a small hamlet located on the intersection of east quarter line road and county road 21. Wyecombe is home to quiet subdivision of approximately 25 houses and a local auto repair shop. The nearest elementary school is Langton Public School and the nearest high school is Valley Heights Secondary School.

Clear Creek

Clear Creek is a hamlet in southwestern Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada. Although people live there and own real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...

, the hamlet is legally described as agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

 land, not residential land in order to reduce property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...

es. The nearest high school is Valley Heights Secondary School
Valley Heights Secondary School
Valley Heights Secondary School is a two-story rural high school located near Langton, Ontario, Canada.-General information:...

 which is to the northeast.

Normandale

Normandale is a quaint fishing town in southwestern Norfolk County, Ontario Canada that is famous for its perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...

 and black bass
Black bass
Micropterus , is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is M. dolomieu, the smallmouth bass...

. Commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...

 is extremely limited and agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

 plays a smaller role than in other parts of Norfolk County.

Port Ryerse

Port Ryerse is a fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

 hamlet in Norfolk County just slightly southwest of Port Dover where people from Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...

 rent cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...

s and fish for pleasure during the summer months (Victoria Day
Victoria Day
Victoria Day is a federal Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday before May 25, in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday. The date is also, simultaneously, that on which the current reigning Canadian sovereign's official birthday is recognized...

 through mid-October). Many of the residents are year-round. Most of the people here drive to Port Dover or Simcoe
Simcoe, Ontario
Simcoe is an unincorporated community and former town in Southwestern Ontario, Canada located near Lake Erie. It is the county seat and largest community of Norfolk County....

 to purchase groceries and other goods, although there was a historic general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...

 until September 2004, when it burned down. handmade soap and bath shop and folk art shop still exist in the community. Port Ryerse is also the birthplace of John Edward Brownlee
John Edward Brownlee
John Edward Brownlee was the fifth Premier of Alberta, Canada, serving from 1925 until 1934. Born in Port Ryerse, Ontario, he studied history and political science at the University of Toronto's Victoria College before moving west to Calgary to become a lawyer...

, who was the premier of the province of Alberta during the Roaring Twenties
Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties is a phrase used to describe the 1920s, principally in North America, but also in London, Berlin and Paris for a period of sustained economic prosperity. The phrase was meant to emphasize the period's social, artistic, and cultural dynamism...

 and through the early years of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

.

A public elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...

 called Port Ryerse School was located here that was in operation from the 19th century to the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...

.

Renton

Renton is a hamlet in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada that is between Simcoe
Simcoe, Ontario
Simcoe is an unincorporated community and former town in Southwestern Ontario, Canada located near Lake Erie. It is the county seat and largest community of Norfolk County....

 and Jarvis
Jarvis, Ontario
Jarvis is a small community in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada. Jarvis is located near the towns of Simcoe, Townsend, Cayuga, Port Dover and Hagersville. It is located at the crossroads of Highway 3 and Highway 6.- Facilities :...

 in Haldimand County
Haldimand County, Ontario
Haldimand is a rural city-status single-tier municipality on the Niagara Peninsula in Southern Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of Lake Erie, and on the Grand River. Municipal offices are located in Cayuga....

. There was a truckers'
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...

 diner (which burnt down in the spring of 2010) and there is also a golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...

 in the vicinity. Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

 is the main industry and the population has remained stagnant over the past 20 years.
One of the dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...

 barns was considered being used for a William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...

 play according to the local newspaper, The Simcoe Reformer
The Simcoe Reformer
The Simcoe Reformer is a newspaper circulating in Norfolk County, Ontario and Haldimand County, Ontario, both in Canada. The Reformer is published weekdays by Bowes Publishers Limited, a subsidiary of Sun Media.-History:In 1858, Dr William H...

. However, the authorities have recently put a halt to the performances until further notice. To the north is the town of Boston. Simcoe
Simcoe, Ontario
Simcoe is an unincorporated community and former town in Southwestern Ontario, Canada located near Lake Erie. It is the county seat and largest community of Norfolk County....

 lies to the west, Townsend
Townsend, Ontario
Townsend is a planned community in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada that was founded in 1970 with the expectation it would house the developing industrial region to the south around Nanticoke.-Summary:...

 is to the northeast, while Jarvis
Jarvis, Ontario
Jarvis is a small community in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada. Jarvis is located near the towns of Simcoe, Townsend, Cayuga, Port Dover and Hagersville. It is located at the crossroads of Highway 3 and Highway 6.- Facilities :...

 is to the east.

Pine Grove

Pine Grove contains a gas station, a car repair shop, a light-industry manufacturing plant, and various farms. In addition to residential roads, county road 1 (also known as McDowell Road) and Pine Grove Road (formerly known as Delhi Road) are the main automobile routes.

Historic townships

Prior to its amalgamation with Haldimand in 1974, Norfolk consisted of eight townships
Township (Canada)
The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. However in some systems no town needs to be involved. The specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, usually to describe a local rural or semi-rural government within the county...

. Walsingham was originally one township, but had been split into North and South Walsingham in 1881. Although no longer political entities, the historical townships are still used informally and in some government maps as convenient geographical divisions.
Township Township seat
Charlotteville Vittoria
Houghton Fairground
Middleton Delhi
North Walsingham Langton
South Walsingham Port Rowan
Townsend Waterford
Windham Windham Centre
Woodhouse Port Dover

Tourism and attractions

Norfolk County's primary tourist attractions are the ports, towns and villages along Lake Erie, which the municipality promotes as "Ontario's South Coast". These towns include Port Dover, Turkey Point and Long Point. Fishing is another key attraction for tourist, as well as birding, hiking, camping and cycling. Main festivals include the Norfolk County Fair & Horse Show (October), Waterford Pumpkin Festival (October), PD13 (the Port Dover motorcycle enthusiasts' event every Friday the 13th) and Simcoe Christmas Panorama (December). Agri-tourism is another expanding attraction for tourists coming to Norfolk County, with a few wineries in development and numerous farmgate retailers, now featured on the Norfolk County agriculture website.

Culture

The Norfolk County Public Library has branches in Delhi, Port Dover, Port Rowan, Simcoe and Waterford. The Simcoe branch, an Ontario Historic Site, was created in 1884 on Peel Street after a mechanics' institute was closed and its property donated for the creation of a free public library. The original building was used until 1912, when it was replaced with a new library building constructed as a one of the Carnegie libraries.

Delhi’s Backstage Capitol Theatre, with its superior acoustics and intimate setting, attracts audiences and performers alike from all over North America. Open year round, the theatre not only plays host to live performances and concerts, it is also a sought after venue for private functions with its European courtyard setting. Thousands of people looking for a unique venue have walked through the doors of the Theatre. Re-opened in 2008 the theatre has quickly become one of Norfolk's most popular destinations.

The Lighthouse Festival Theatre Company has produced live theatre at Port Dover's old town hall (under the clock tower) since 1981. The Theatre is open year round and provides a variety of events, including concerts, public meetings, community fund raisers, dance recitals, workshops, band rehearsals and classes. Annually, more than 36000 people now attend events at Lighthouse Theatre. In addition to enriching the cultural fabric of Norfolk and beyond, Lighthouse bolsters the local economy, drawing tourists from out of town who then dine, shop and stay over in the community.

Museums

The Port Dover Harbour Museum, housed in an original fisherman's net shanty, commemorates Port Dover's fishing industry. The galleries present exhibits on the days of commercial sail as well as Lake Erie shipwrecks, ship building, Long Point, the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

 and other aspects of lakeside life in this community. The museum is also active in the preservation and presentation of local folklore and living traditions, particularly in the areas of fishing and lakeside history. Since 2002, the museum has been the home to a collection of artifacts from the 1852 wreck of the steamer Atlantic.

The Waterford Heritage & Agricultural Museum is located in Waterford's best known industrial landmarks “The Pickle Factory”. The museum exhibits the social, industrial, and agricultural history of the area through the use of interactive and engaging exhibits.

The Eva Brook Donly Museum is a Victorian-period historic house museum that has been featuring displays of local history since it first opened in 1946. Located in downtown Simcoe and operated by the Norfolk Historical Society, which formed in 1900, the museum is renowned for its collections of artwork by the late William Edgar Cantelon and Eva Brook Donly. Here, you can see Dr. Troyer's infamous witch trap, Abigail Becker's gold medal presented to her for having rescued stranded sailors in 1854, an original Van Norman stove and much more. The museum also has an extensive archival collection of local genealogical historical material, including photographs, diaries, wills, legal papers, vital statistics, maps and more.

The Teeterville Pioneer Museum is a museum devoted to pioneer
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...

 life in the 19th century. It includes antique farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...

 equipment as well as home
Home
A home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...

 and garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...

 tools.

The Delhi Tobacco Museum and Heritage Centre displays the agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

 and cultural history of the former township
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...

. Despite a province-wide smoking ban, the museum still guarantees its patrons the benefits of viewing the artistry and science of tobacco farming during the Golden Years of growing tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...

. It is located near Quances Dam. There is also a park nearby that is enjoyed by the local residents for picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...

s, barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...

s, and for walking around with. It is closed on Sundays and major holidays.

The Backus Mill Heritage and Conservation Centre
Backus Mill Heritage and Conservation Centre
The Backus Heritage Conservation Area is located in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.-Summary:The area contains the Backhouse Mill , a gristmill that was built in 1798. It was one of the few mills to not be burned during the War of 1812...

, an open air museum
Open air museum
An open-air museum is a distinct type of museum exhibiting its collections out-of-doors. The first open-air museums were established in Scandinavia towards the end of the nineteenth century, and the concept soon spread throughout Europe and North America. Open-air museums are variously known as...

 featuring a historic grist mill and a nature center
Nature center
A nature center is an organization with a visitor center or interpretive center designed to educate people about nature and the environment. Usually located within a protected open space, nature centers often have trails through their property. Some are located within a state or city park, and...

, is a National Historic Site.

Festivities

Port Dover is the location of a biker rally which takes place every Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th occurs when the thirteenth day of a month falls on a Friday, which superstition holds to be a day of bad luck. In the Gregorian calendar, this day occurs at least once, but at most three times a year...

.

Simcoe is well known for annual community events including the Friendship Festival
Friendship Festival (Simcoe, Ontario)
The Friendship Festival is a summer event that takes place on the Civic Holiday weekend in the town of Simcoe, Ontario, Canada since 1967.-Summary:...

, Simcoe Panorama, and the Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show
Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show
The Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show is an annual agricultural fair that takes place in the town of Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. This festivity begins on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and ends on the Canadian Thanksgiving Monday. Since 1840, the fair has been active in Norfolk County on the complex...

 that is held every October.

Every October, Waterford hosts a Pumpkin Festival close to the end of the month. The Waterford Lions and Lioness clubs have been organizing the event since 2009. Due to low funding, the fireworks are no longer an event at the Waterford Pumpkin Festival. The usual features of the Pumpkin Festival are a pyramid of 1500 pumpkins, decorated buildings, craft shows, an automobile show, a carnival, live entertainment, and the locally famous Pumpkinbowl football game at Waterford District High School
Waterford District High School
Waterford District High School is a public high school in Waterford, Ontario, Canada. The school has numerous sports teams that are collectively called the Wolves. It is the northernmost school in Norfolk County....

.

The Donnybrook Fair in Walsh is an annual two-day event. The fair has been held every year from 1857 until the present, making 2007 the 150th Fair. This mid-September event involves the children of Walsh Public School and St. Michael's School
Saint Michael's School (Simcoe-Walsh)
Saint Michael's School is a Roman Catholic elementary school that is located in Walsh, Ontario, Canada. It shares its status with Walsh Public School as a voting centre in Canadian federal elections....

 entering projects and many agricultural commodities, grown locally, for prize money and ribbons. More than $1200 was paid to the elementary children in 2006. The fair has grown every year with the help of many volunteers. Fundraising events are held all year to finance the fair. These events include an annual barbecue dance, a Victoria Day
Victoria Day
Victoria Day is a federal Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday before May 25, in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday. The date is also, simultaneously, that on which the current reigning Canadian sovereign's official birthday is recognized...

 brunch, food booths at every "Friday the 13th" event in Port Dover, and numerous raffles. The most popular event at each fair is the demolition derby
Demolition derby
Demolition derby is a motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another...

. These were sponsored for a long time by the Horsepower Unlimited Car Club from Simcoe but are now sponsored by the Vittoria & St. Williams Fire Department Auxiliaries. 2007 was considered to be the 34th consecutive year of the demolition derbies.

Throughout the year, the fairgrounds and the Community Centre Hall are frequently used for weddings, funerals, and buck and doe events. The name "Donnybrook Fair" comes from an early settler of Walsh, who said the fair reminded him of an annual horse fair in Donnybrook
Donnybrook, Dublin
Donnybrook is a district of Dublin, Ireland. It is situated on the southside of the city, in the Dublin 4 postal district, and is home to the Irish state broadcaster RTÉ. It was once part of the Pembroke Township...

, Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
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...

.

Port Rowan hosts an annual Bayfest.

Sports

The Norfolk IceCats
Norfolk IceCats
The Norfolk IceCats were a semi-professional hockey team in the North Eastern Hockey League based in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada owned by Jim Cashman. The franchise was previously known as the York IceCats until a move to St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada in 2005; however, the league suspended...

 of the North Eastern Hockey League
North Eastern Hockey League
The North Eastern Hockey League was a semi-professional ice hockey league from 2003 until 2008. It was created by entrepreneur Jim Cashman, who served as league president. The NEHL was built to focus on giving players that were not quite ready for the ECHL, United Hockey League, and the Central...

 and the Simcoe Storm
Simcoe Storm
The Simcoe Storm are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League, a league governed by the Ontario Hockey Association, Ontario Hockey Federation, and Hockey Canada...

 of the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League
Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League
The Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League is a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the Niagara will compete for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cup.-History:...

 play at Talbot Gardens
Talbot Gardens
The Talbot Gardens is a hockey arena in the Canadian community of Simcoe, Ontario.-Summary:The arena was once the home to a professional hockey team, the Norfolk IceCats of the now defunct North Eastern Hockey League. The arena is currently the home to a Junior "C" team, the Simcoe Storm of the...

 in Simcoe.

The Norfolk Harvesters RFC
Norfolk Harvesters RFC
The Norfolk County RFC Harvesters is a rugby team that operates out of Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada in the community of Waterford. This team is a member of the Niagara Rugby Union....

 of the Niagara Rugby Union are a competitive rugby football club that operates both a men's and women's senior rugby teams. The Club was established in 2001 and has already won division championships in 2003, 2004, and 2007. The Club's current home is the rugby pitch at Waterford's Hellyer Memorial Park.

The Norfolk Rebels, previously the Port Dover Sailors, are a junior hockey team which play in Waterford and Port Dover.

Education

Public schools in Norfolk County are administered by the Grand Erie District School Board
Grand Erie District School Board
The Grand Erie District School Board is a school board that has legal jurisdiction over Norfolk County, Haldimand County, and Brant County in the province of Ontario, Canada...

. The board maintains 16 public elementary schools and five public high schools in Norfolk:
  • Courtland Public School
  • Delhi Public School
  • Doverwood Public School
  • Elgin Avenue Public School
  • Houghton Public School
  • Langton Public School
  • Lynndale Heights Public School
  • Port Rowan Public School
  • Teeterville Public School
  • Walsh Public School
  • Waterford Public School
  • W. F. Hewitt Public School
  • West Lynn Public School
  • Windham Central Public School
  • Simcoe Composite School
    Simcoe Composite School
    Simcoe Composite School is a high school in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.More than 900 students attend this rural secondary school and courses range from English, French, Spanish, and mathematics to computers, business, athletics, World History, civics, and even drama class. In 2003, the school suffered...

  • Delhi District Secondary School
    Delhi District Secondary School
    Delhi District Secondary School is a publicly-funded high school that is located near downtown Delhi in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.-Summary:...

  • Port Dover Composite School
    Port Dover Composite School
    Port Dover Composite School is a public middle and high school located in Port Dover, Ontario, Canada.-Summary:Students here typically live south of Simcoe, northeast of Turkey Point and southwest of Jarvis....

  • Valley Heights Secondary School
    Valley Heights Secondary School
    Valley Heights Secondary School is a two-story rural high school located near Langton, Ontario, Canada.-General information:...

  • Waterford District High School
    Waterford District High School
    Waterford District High School is a public high school in Waterford, Ontario, Canada. The school has numerous sports teams that are collectively called the Wolves. It is the northernmost school in Norfolk County....



The board also administers Sprucedale Secondary School
Sprucedale Secondary School
-Summary:This youth center is a secure custody prison for young people aged 16 to 18 years old. Generally young persons older than 18 are moved to adult prisons. Sprucedale has the highest level of security for a correctional facility, and young people convicted of serious offences under the Youth...

, a facility for young offenders.

Separate schools

Separate schools are administered by the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board
Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board
The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board is a school board that serves the communities of Brant, Ontario, Haldimand County, Ontario, and Norfolk County, Ontario in Canada...

, which maintains seven elementary schools and one high school:
  • Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School
    Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School
    Our Lady of Fatima is a Roman Catholic school in Courtland, Ontario, Canada. The school motto is Small School with a Big Heart and the principal is Terry Dunnigan.-External Links:*...

  • Our Lady of LaSalette Catholic School
    Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board
    The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board is a school board that serves the communities of Brant, Ontario, Haldimand County, Ontario, and Norfolk County, Ontario in Canada...

  • Sacred Heart Catholic School
  • St. Cecilia's Catholic School
  • St. Frances Cabrini Catholic School
    Saint Frances Cabrini Catholic School
    Saint Frances Cabrini Catholic School is a Roman Catholic elementary school that is located in Delhi, Ontario, Canada. The school is named after Frances Cabrini, MSC, a canonized saint who was the superior general of a Catholic teaching order. In 1957, the school was built with five rooms to...

  • St. Joseph's Catholic School
  • St. Michael's Catholic School
    Saint Michael's School (Simcoe-Walsh)
    Saint Michael's School is a Roman Catholic elementary school that is located in Walsh, Ontario, Canada. It shares its status with Walsh Public School as a voting centre in Canadian federal elections....

  • Holy Trinity Catholic High School

Defunct

These eleven elementary schools once taught residents of Norfolk County. Many of these school closed down between the 1950s to the early 2000s as a result of changing municipal and provincial policies towards the funding of education:
  • Doan's Hollow Public School
  • Lynedoch Public School
  • North Public School
  • Nixon Public School
  • Port Dover Public School
  • Port Ryerse School
  • Simcoe Lions School
  • South Public School
  • St. Williams Public School
  • Walsingham Public School
  • Forestville Public School

Radio

Simcoe has its own radio station, CHCD-FM
CHCD-FM
CHCD-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 98.9 FM in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. The station airs an Adult Contemporary format branded as CD 98.9.-History:...

, And the area is otherwise served by media in Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

 (Pennsylvania), Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

 (Ohio), Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

 (New York), and some radio stations from 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...

 are also often receivable.

Newspapers

  • The Silo
    The Silo
    The Silo is a fortnightly agricultural newspaper printed and distributed in Lesotho. The paper mainly publishes environmental and agricultural news in and around the country....

    www.thesilo.ca
  • The Simcoe Reformer
    The Simcoe Reformer
    The Simcoe Reformer is a newspaper circulating in Norfolk County, Ontario and Haldimand County, Ontario, both in Canada. The Reformer is published weekdays by Bowes Publishers Limited, a subsidiary of Sun Media.-History:In 1858, Dr William H...

  • The Delhi News-Record
    The Delhi News-Record
    The Delhi News-Record is a newspaper owned by Sun Media that serves the area surrounding the community of Delhi in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada.-References:* *...


Notable residents

Famous people from the Norfolk County area include musician Rick Danko
Rick Danko
Richard Clare "Rick" Danko was a Canadian musician and singer, best known as a member of The Band.-Early years :...

 from The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...

, hockey players Rick Wamsley
Rick Wamsley
Richard James Wamsley is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs...

, Rob Blake
Rob Blake
Robert Bowlby Blake is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, appearing in the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy and serving as team captain for five seasons in his initial 11 season-stint with...

, Jassen Cullimore
Jassen Cullimore
Jassen A. Cullimore is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for the Iserlohn Roosters in the DEL in Germany.-Playing career:...

, Dwayne Roloson
Dwayne Roloson
Albert Dwayne Roloson is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Islanders during his professional career...

, Nelson Emerson
Nelson Emerson
Nelson Donald Emerson is a Canadian former ice hockey right winger.-Playing career:Emerson grew up playing minor hockey in his hometown of Waterford, Ontario with the Waterford Wildcats of the OMHA...

, and hall of famer Red Kelly
Red Kelly
Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly, CM is a retired Canadian ice hockey player in the NHL. He played on more Stanley Cup winning teams than any player who never played for the Montreal Canadiens, and is the only player to be part of two of the nine dynasties recognized by the NHL in its history...

.

Former Minister of Agriculture
Minister of Agriculture (Canada)
The Minister of Agriculture is a Minister of the Crown in the Cabinet of Canada, who is responsible for overseeing several organizations including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canadian Dairy Commission, Farm Credit Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Farm Products Council and...

 and Liberal MP Bob Speller
Bob Speller
Robert "Bob" Speller, PC is a Canadian politician.A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, Speller was elected to the Canadian House of Commons four times from 1988 to 2000...

 lives with his family in the community of Villa Nova, just east of Waterford.

Demographics

According to Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....

 2006 census:
  • Population: 62,563
  • Area: 1606.91 km².
  • Pop. Density: 38.9 people per km².
  • Growth Rate (2001–2006): 2.8%
  • Total Private Dwellings: 26 527
  • Total private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 24 238


According to Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....

 2001 census:
  • Median income of persons of age 15 or older: 20,429
  • Average earnings of all persons with earnings: 27,805
  • Religion (Religions with less than 1% are not listed here.):
    • Protestant: 55.0%
    • Catholic: 25.3%
    • No religious affiliation: 16.8%
    • Christian (no denomination specified): 2.0%
  • Racial Profile:
    • 96.8% White
      White people
      White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...

    • 1.5% Aboriginal
      Aboriginal peoples in Canada
      Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....

    • 0.6% Black
      Black
      Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...

    • 0.2% Asian
      Asian people
      Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...



Population trend:
  • Population in 2006: 62,563
  • Population in 2001: 60,847
  • Population total in 1996: 60,534

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK