Smithville, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Smithville is a community in the township of West Lincoln
West Lincoln, Ontario
West Lincoln is a township in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. Main urban areas are located along the former provincial Highway 20. The administrative centre of West Lincoln is the community of Smithville, situated halfway between Hamilton and Pelham....

. It is located on Regional Road 20 between Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...

 and Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...

 in the Niagara Region of 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...

.

Annual events

Although the town is small, it is known for the annual festival known as Poultry Fest. Held annually in June, residents from various areas of the region visit to see the town's display of agricultural pride.

Smithville continues to hold an agricultural fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...

 on the 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...

  weekend every year. There are lots of agricultural competitions, demolition derbies and entertainment for all ages.

Religion

Smithville has a remarkable number of churches for a population of less than 5,000. These churches encompass various sects of Christianity, including Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...

, the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

, Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...

, Anglicanism
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...

, Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...

, Canadian Reformed and the Church of Christ
Church of Christ
Churches of Christ are autonomous Christian congregations associated with one another through common beliefs and practices. They seek to base doctrine and practice on the Bible alone, and seek to be New Testament congregations as originally established by the authority of Christ. Historically,...

.

Education

Smithville has six schools, including four elementary and two secondary.

The elementary schools are College Street, St. Martin's, John Calvin, and Covenant Christian Schools.

South Lincoln High School is a public school, while Smithville District Christian High School is a private school.

Government

In some ways Smithville acts as the "administrative centre" of the Township of West Lincoln. The council chambers and the largest branch of the municipal library are located in town, as well as the major fire station. The public works yard is also centralized in a Smithville location.

Smithville falls into two municipal wards. The area north of Townline Road is part of Ward 3, the former Township of South Grimsby. Development south of Townline is part of Ward 2, the former Township of Gainsborough.

The Mayor of West Lincoln serves as the local representative on regional council.

Federally and provincially (as of October 2008), Smithville is located in the Niagara West-Glanbrook riding.

Recreation

Parks in Smithville include the Smithville Conservation Area, and the Smithville Fairgrounds and West Lincoln Arena.

The "Murgatroyd Parkette" is at the corner of Griffin and St. Catharines Street. It has trees and benches, and features the town clock
Clock
A clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...

 (from the original post offices) mounted on a pedestal.

The Smithville Branch of the West Lincoln Public Library
West Lincoln Public Library
West Lincoln Public Library is a library in Smithville, Ontario, Canada. It has three branches and serves the town of Smithville.- History :...

 is located on Canborough St. and open six days a week.

Transportation

The major artery in Smithville, and West Lincoln as a whole, continues to be Regional Road 20. Regional Road 20 runs along West Street, Griffin Street North and St. Catharines Street through the town.

The major arteries include the aforementioned Griffin (downtown), St. Catharines (Regional Road 20 east of Griffin), and West (Regional Road 20 west of Griffin) streets. Canborough Street and Station Street, the southern and northern extensions of Griffin Street, are designated as part of Regional Road
Regional road
A regional road in Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route , but nevertheless forming a link in the national route network. There are over 11,600 kilometres of regional roads. Regional roads are numbered with three digit route numbers, prefixed by "R" A regional road in Ireland is a...

 14. Townline Road is the major artery in the southern portion of town, and is also known as Smithville Road west of town. It is also designated as part of 14, up to the intersection with Canborough.

Smithville is located on Canadian Pacific's Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...

 Subdivision, and was formerly the location of a junction with the railroad's Dunnville spur
Spur
A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids and to back up the natural aids . The spur is used in every equestrian discipline...

. The latter was abandoned in 2003, and has subsequently been turned into a trail (as far as Attercliffe). The former railroad station is a local landmark, and is the headquarters of the West Lincoln Historical Society.

Smithville is also along the Twenty Mile Creek
Twenty Mile Creek
The Twenty Mile Creek is a minor waterway, located in the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada. It receives its name because the mouth of the Twenty Mile Creek is twenty miles west of the mouth of the Niagara River...

, a waterway which was important to its early settlement and development.

External links

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