fbpx
Wikipedia

Oro-Medonte

Oro-Medonte is a township in south-central Ontario, Canada, on the northwestern shores of Lake Simcoe in Simcoe County.[4]

Oro-Medonte
Township of Oro-Medonte
Rural scene near Mount St. Louis
Motto(s): 
Proud Heritage, Exciting Future
Oro-Medonte
Oro-Medonte
Coordinates: 44°34′N 79°35′W / 44.567°N 79.583°W / 44.567; -79.583
Country Canada
Province Ontario
CountySimcoe
Incorporated1994
Government
 • MayorRandy Greenlaw[1]
 • Deputy MayorPeter Lavoie [1]
 • Councillors
List
 • MPsDoug Shipley, Bruce Stanton
 • MPPsDoug Downey, Jill Dunlop
Area
 • Land587.08 km2 (226.67 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[3]
 • Total21,036
 • Density35.8/km2 (93/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code(s)705, 249
Websitewww.oro-medonte.ca

The two neighbouring townships of Oro and Medonte were merged in 1994,[5] under a restructuring of Simcoe County. It is divided into lines based on the concession system implemented by the British colonial government in the mid-18th century. Currently there are 15 lines that are now streets and highway exits off Highway 11.

Communities edit

The township comprises the communities of Barrillia Park, Bass Lake Park, Baywood Park, Big Cedar Estates, Carley, Carthew Bay, Cedarmont Beach, Coulson, Craighurst, Creighton, Crown Hill, Eady, East Oro, Edgar, Eight Mile Point, Fair Valley, Fergus Hill Estate, Knox Corners, Forest Home, Foxmead, Guthrie, Hawkestone, Hawkestone Beach, Hobart, Horseshoe Valley, Jarratt, Lakeview, Martinville, Mitchell Square, Moons Beach, Moonstone, Mount St. Louis, Oro Beach, Oro Lea Beach, Oro Park, Oro Station, Palm Beach, Parkside Beach, Prices Corners, Roberta Park, Rugby, Shanty Bay, Simcoeside, Sugar Bush, Vasey, Waddington Beach and Warminster.

History edit

First Nations had long established encampments and trails on the bank of Hawkestone Creek, Ridge Road, Mount St. Louis, and throughout the Township of Oro-Medonte.

The Huron village of Cahiagué (near Hawkestone) was the capital village of the Ahrendarrhonon (Rock) nation. In 1615, Samuel de Champlain estimated the village to comprise 200 houses.

The War of 1812 drew attention to the militarily strategic region between Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay. To provide supplies to the excellent harbour at Penetanguishene, a road of about 35 km was surveyed c. 1813 between the two bodies of water. That road did not actually become a functional road for about 30 years after it was surveyed. In the meantime, townships were created and surveyed on both sides of the Penetanguishene Rd c. 1820. Oro Township was one of those townships. Although there is no documentation about the origin of the name "Oro" it is assumed it came from the Spanish word for gold.

After the War of 1812, Sir Peregrine Maitland, then Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, offered Black veterans grants of land in what was to become the Township of Oro. This was in the area between Kempenfelt Bay on Lake Simcoe and Penetanguishene Bay on Lake Huron's Georgian Bay.[6][7]

In the 1830s Richard Hodges established a landing for settlers, mainly from the British Isles, who after arriving by lake steamer, on Lake Simcoe, followed these trails to their settlement in search of independence and land ownership.

Craighurst started as a small community on the Penetanguishene Road in the 1830s. Its post office was established in the 1850s, at its peak in the late 19th century, Craighurst had four hotels, three churches, and a school house.

A thriving community of a tavern, hotel, store and the first post office was located near the lake east of the creek at Hodges' Landing. The first postmaster was Charles Bell. Two dams and three mills sawed logs and ground grains. It is thought that the first mill was established by John Williamson who subsequently built the large brick house on the North-East corner of the Ridge Road and Line No. 11 South. In 1856 a new wharf was constructed and the name was changed from Hodges' Landing to Hawkestone.

The establishment of Shanty Bay was strongly influenced by the Underground Railroad. Many African-American refugees first settled near the water in shanties (small homes), contributing toward the name of the village. Lucius Richard O'Brien (1832–1899), the noted oil and watercolour landscape painter was from Shanty Bay. His father founded the village.[8] Shanty Bay also has one of Canada's oldest "Rammed Earth Construction" churches, St. Thomas Anglican Church, built between 1838 and 1841 and dedicated in 1842. The Church was officially opened on February 27, 1842[9]

In 1866–67 a drill-shed was erected in East Oro by the Oro Company, 35th Battalion the Simcoe Foresters. At this time when the Fenian raids were alarming the country, eight company drill-sheds were built in Simcoe County, the county paying $390 and the government $250 for each. The company was manned by pioneer men of Oro. Local Wm.E. O'Brien of Shanty Bay became Lieutenant Colonel of the Battalion in 1882. This East Oro drill-shed served Oro Company until the start of the 20th century and was dismantled around 1918.

The Toronto, Simcoe and Muskoka Junction Railway was built through the area in 1871. Its route was roughly parallel to the lakeshore, passing through Shanty Bay, Oro Station, and Hawkestone. An extensive station complex evolved at Hawkestone, with a freight shed, stockyards and a massive water tower to supply the requirements of the steam locomotives. The railway was incorporated as a company in 1869 as an extension connecting the Northern Railway of Canada to the Muskoka region and Lake Muskoka, and eventually reached Gravenhurst in 1875.[10] However, financial problems led to increasing integration and eventual merger under the Northern Railway of Canada, which itself went through numerous mergers, becoming part of the Grand Trunk and, later, the Canadian National Railways. In the Canadian National (CN) system, the line through Oro was a part of the Newmarket Subdivision. The section of the line through the township was abandoned in 1996.[11]

A branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway was built through Craighurst in the early 20th century, opening from Bolton to Craighurst in November 1906, when a station was opened. On July 19, 1907, the track was extended to Bala and by June 1908, the line was completed to Sudbury. This is now the MacTier Subdivision, a part of the railway's main line between the east and west.

Edgar was the site of a cold war radar station from 1952 to 1964.[12]

In 1959 the Ukrainian National Federation (UNF) purchased the "Pugsley Farm" property located on the East half of Lot 23 and Lot 24 in Hawkestone. The 200 acres (0.81 km2) were developed into a large recreation area and children's camp where members of the UNF and their families have spent their summers on the shores of Lake Simcoe. A portion of the property was subdivided into 100 lots of 0.5 acres (0.0020 km2) and sold to members of the UNF who built summer homes and cottages adjacent to the UNF. The entire property was named "Sokil", which is the Ukrainian word for "Hawk" in reference to the village of Hawkestone where the community was established. Today the private subdivision is maintained by the UNF, which manages the non-municipal water system, roads and other related issues as well as the recreation area and children's camp, where three children's summer camps run throughout the summer, along with weekend overnight camping area, seasonal cabin rentals and a seasonal trailer park. The property also hosts the St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic chapel where services are conducted each Sunday throughout the summer season.

Black history edit

 
Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church National Historic Site[13]

In 1819, a landmark decision was made in Fort York (now Toronto) to grant land to Black militiamen of Captain Runchey's Company of Coloured Men on an equal basis as it would be granted to Whites.[14] The land designated for Black settlement was in Oro Township. Within a few years all Blacks of any origin could acquire land in Oro Township on an equal basis as any other settler.[15]

There was a military strategy behind the decision. Settlers would provide support for the fort at Penetanguishene by providing food and other local supplies, and, if the war with the U.S. again broke out, the trained militiamen could be armed to defend the region.

Although for years folklore suggested that the Oro Black Settlement was populated by escaped slaves coming to Oro via the underground railroad (UGRR), documentation suggests all Black settlers were freemen. Further, the 1819 settlement preceded by about a decade what is commonly consider the beginning of the UGRR.

The blocks of land on the Penetanguishene Road, were at the time being granted to settlers of European origin. In that one or more Blacks had already established successful farms further east, a road was surveyed parallel to that road and named Wilberforce in honour of William Wilberforce, the British parliamentarian who worked so hard to abolish slavery. The Blacks were settled along this new road.

The Oro Black Settlement grew to about 90 families, then diminished as the settlers found steady income elsewhere (mainly on railway trains and ships on the Great Lakes). The last Oro Black retired to Barrie in the 1940s, and when he died, he was buried in the cemetery beside the Oro African Church.[citation needed]

The Oro Methodist Episcopal African Church was built out of logs by the Oro Black Settlers and was finished in 1849. It is likely the oldest log African Church still standing in North America. In 2003, it was designated a Canadian national historic site, mainly due to the link the Oro settlers had to the War of 1812. The church had fallen into disrepair, but since the summer of 2015 work has begun on restoring it.[16]

Local government edit

The township council is composed of a mayor and six councillors who each represent one of six wards. The members of the council from the elections of October 24, 2022 are:[17]

Mayor: Randy Greenlaw

Deputy Mayor: Peter Lavoie (2022-2024), Lori Hutcheson (2024-2026)

Councillors:

  • Ward 1: Lori Hutcheson
  • Ward 2: John Bard
  • Ward 3: David Clark
  • Ward 4: Peter Lavoie
  • Ward 5: Richard Schell
  • Ward 6: Robert Young

The mayor and deputy mayor also represents the Township at meetings of Simcoe County Council.

The Battle of Burl's Creek edit

The Battle of Burl's Creek [18] is the title given to the current protest and legal battle between Stan Dunford, Republic Live, The Municipal Government of Oro-Medonte, SaveOro and The West Oro Ratepayers Association (WORA).

Burl's Creek Event Grounds is a grounds located on the south side of Highway 11 on Oro-Medonte's 8th Line. It was established in 1994 by Don Hanney, a local businessman, as an event grounds to host small country events such as agricultural fairs, farmers' markets and Highland games.[18] Burl's Creek has also hosted events like the Barrie Auto Flea Market. In 2015 Burl's Creek Event Grounds was sold to Dunford, as well as many other adjacent lots totaling 560 acres.[19] Dunford started to develop the land to make way for a much larger event park.[19]

Several residents of Oro-Medonte have communicated their concerns with the Township Council and have joined together under the organization of SaveOro.[20] In the spring of 2015 the township council passed temporary bylaws that would allow Burl's Creek Event Grounds to use the 560-acre site for camping and parking, but the bylaw was rescinded by council but not before SaveOro had filed a court application.[21] According to Deputy Mayor Ralph Hough, "there was a process in the planning act that we missed so it was never legal".[21]

The venue was scheduled to use the 560 acres for two concerts in the summer of 2015: Wayhome Music Festival featuring Neil Young and Boots and Hearts Music Festival. The temporary bylaw was rescinded and so the concerts remained on the original 94 acres.[22] As of July 26, 2015, the current struggle was continuing between all of the parties.

As of June 2023, this festival has been held in Oro-Medonte in consecutive years since moving from the Bowmanville Area,[23] with a show planned for August 10–13.[24] The event was cancelled in both 2020 & 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Recreation edit

 
Mount St. Louis Moonstone ski resort

In September 1996, the last Canadian National train passed through the township. In 1998, the land used for the railway was acquired by city council for a shared-use recreational trail stretching from Barrie to Orillia. Sections are used in the winter season by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs.

Bass Lake Provincial Park and the Copeland Forest Resources Management Area are located within the township. Three major ski resorts, Mount St. Louis Moonstone, Horseshoe Resort, and Hardwood Ski and Bike, are also located within Oro-Medonte.

Transportation edit

Roads edit

Highway 400, Highway 11 and Highway 12 pass through Oro-Medonte. Penetanguishene Road, a historic colonization road and a former part of Highway 93, defines most of Oro-Medonte's boundary with the neighbouring township of Springwater.

Railways edit

The Toronto, Simcoe and Muskoka Junction Railway (TS&MJ) was formed in 1869. Its line headed northeast from a junction at Allandale (now part of Barrie), curving around the tip of Lake Simcoe and passing through the townships which would eventually become Oro-Medonte on its way to Orillia, Washago, and ultimately Gravenhurst. Construction began in 1870, and in 1871 the company was leased to the Northern Railway of Canada and operated as a wholly owned subsidiary thereafter.[25] Service began along the line later that year, with the first known railway station in the township being located at Hawkestone. A basic wooden station building was constructed in 1871, with more outbuildings constructed later.[26] The Northern Railway of Canada would engage in a number of upgrades to the line throughout the early 1870s, such as the extension from Washago to Gravenhurst, as well as conversion of the line from 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Provincial gauge to the 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge.[25] In 1875, the line was incorporated into the Northern Railway of Canada and became its Muskoka Branch.

The Northern Railway of Canada was purchased in 1888 by the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR), which in turn undertook improvements such as building a stockyard at Shanty Bay, followed by a passenger station and stable in 1898.[27] At Hawkestone, the Grand Trunk renovated the existing station in 1900 as well as constructing a large stockyard in 1905. In 1917, not long before the Grand Trunk's amalgamation into Canadian National Railways (CN Rail), one of its trains derailed in front of Hawkestone station.[26] Soon after, the line came under Canadian National ownership and formed a component of its Newmarket Subdivision.

The Great Depression saw a slump in rail traffic, and by the mid-1930s, the new owners of the line, CN Rail, had begun to strip back service. The station agent at Hawkestone was removed and replaced with a caretaker in 1936.[26] In 1963–64, CN made a number of abrupt cuts to service, cancelling all service to Shanty Bay and Oro Station, and putting the station building at Hawkestone up for sale. Hawkestone still appeared intermittently on CN train timetables for the next few years, but disappeared for the last time in 1968. The station building was demolished around 1969.[26] Canada's Board of Transport Commissioners had contacted the Township of Oro in 1964 asking if it objected to the removal of Oro's station, but no reply from the township is on file, and the station was demolished in 1966.[28] Carthew also disappeared from timetables in 1973.[29]

Despite the elimination of passenger service in the township, CN passenger and freight trains continued to travel along the line on their way to Orillia. This would continue with the consolidation of passenger services under Via Rail. In 1995, CN successfully applied to the Canadian Transport Commission to abandon the line.[30] The last passenger train to travel the line was Via Rail No. 1 in 1996, the Canadian, headed west to Vancouver. By the end of the year, the line north of Barrie was abandoned, along with Via Rail service to Barrie and Orillia, and the route of the Canadian was shifted to the east shore of Lake Simcoe, to follow the CN Bala Subdivision through Washago. This ended over 125 years of railway operations and history in the township. Today, the former right of way of the rail line has been converted into the Oro-Medonte Rail Trail, a recreational multi-use trail.[31]

Bus edit

Starting in August 2019, public transit service returned to Oro-Medonte when Simcoe County LINX Route 3 began operations, connecting Barrie to Orillia along Highway 11, with a single stop in the township at the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport in Oro Station.[32] Ontario Northland intercity motor coaches also travel along the Highway 11 corridor, but travel express through the township and make no stops.

Air edit

The Lake Simcoe Regional Airport is located in the township near the community of Guthrie.

Demographics edit

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Oro-Medonte had a population of 23,017 living in 8,636 of its 9,510 total private dwellings, a change of 9.4% from its 2016 population of 21,036. With a land area of 585.42 km2 (226.03 sq mi), it had a population density of 39.3/km2 (101.8/sq mi) in 2021.[33]

Canada census – Oro-Medonte community profile
202120162011
Population23,017 (+9.4% from 2016)21,036 (+4.8% from 2011)20,078 (+0.2% from 2006)
Land area585.42 km2 (226.03 sq mi)587.08 km2 (226.67 sq mi)586.90 km2 (226.60 sq mi)
Population density39.3/km2 (102/sq mi)35.8/km2 (93/sq mi)34.2/km2 (89/sq mi)
Median age47.6 (M: 47.2, F: 48.4)47.5 (M: 47.4, F: 47.7)
Private dwellings8,635 (total)  9,013 (total)  8,565 (total) 
Median household income$95,667
References: 2021[34] 2016[35] 2011[36] earlier[37][38]

Climate edit

Climate data for Oro-Medonte
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 10.0
(50.0)
13.0
(55.4)
23.0
(73.4)
29.5
(85.1)
32.5
(90.5)
34.0
(93.2)
37.5
(99.5)
34.0
(93.2)
32.5
(90.5)
27.0
(80.6)
21.5
(70.7)
17.0
(62.6)
37.5
(99.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −3.6
(25.5)
−2.7
(27.1)
2.9
(37.2)
10.7
(51.3)
18.2
(64.8)
22.5
(72.5)
25.7
(78.3)
24.2
(75.6)
19.3
(66.7)
12.2
(54.0)
5.8
(42.4)
−0.7
(30.7)
11.2
(52.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) −8.4
(16.9)
−7.7
(18.1)
−2.1
(28.2)
5.7
(42.3)
12.9
(55.2)
17.1
(62.8)
20.6
(69.1)
19.4
(66.9)
14.8
(58.6)
8.2
(46.8)
2.2
(36.0)
−4.8
(23.4)
6.5
(43.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −13.1
(8.4)
−12.6
(9.3)
−7.0
(19.4)
0.8
(33.4)
7.5
(45.5)
11.5
(52.7)
15.5
(59.9)
14.6
(58.3)
10.2
(50.4)
3.9
(39.0)
−1.3
(29.7)
−8.8
(16.2)
1.8
(35.2)
Record low °C (°F) −37.0
(−34.6)
−37.0
(−34.6)
−30.0
(−22.0)
−15.0
(5.0)
−3.5
(25.7)
0.5
(32.9)
7.0
(44.6)
4.0
(39.2)
−3.0
(26.6)
−6.0
(21.2)
−9.0
(15.8)
−35.0
(−31.0)
−37.0
(−34.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 103.1
(4.06)
68.1
(2.68)
71.3
(2.81)
72.2
(2.84)
77.6
(3.06)
76.4
(3.01)
77.4
(3.05)
102.4
(4.03)
95.5
(3.76)
89.7
(3.53)
102.5
(4.04)
107.3
(4.22)
1,043.2
(41.07)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 13.9
(0.55)
15.4
(0.61)
38.4
(1.51)
60.9
(2.40)
77.3
(3.04)
76.4
(3.01)
77.4
(3.05)
102.4
(4.03)
95.3
(3.75)
86.5
(3.41)
77.1
(3.04)
29.6
(1.17)
750.6
(29.55)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 89.2
(35.1)
59.6
(23.5)
32.9
(13.0)
11.3
(4.4)
0.4
(0.2)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
3.2
(1.3)
25.4
(10.0)
77.7
(30.6)
292.6
(115.2)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 16.9 11.8 12.4 12.0 12.8 11.7 9.8 12.5 13.6 15.3 15.7 16.9 161.3
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 2.6 2.3 6.5 10.6 12.7 11.7 9.8 12.5 13.6 15.0 12.3 4.5 114.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 14.8 10.2 6.5 2.2 0.17 0 0 0 0 0.73 4.7 13.4 52.7
Source: Environment Canada[39]

Notable residents edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "2018 Municipal Election". Township of Oro-Medonte. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  2. ^ "Oro-Medonte census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  3. ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census: Oro-Medonte, Township". Statistics Canada. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  4. ^ "Simcoe County Municipal Partners". www.simcoe.ca. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  5. ^ Ref.Cities Of Canada Reference Guide
  6. ^ Hill, Daniel G. The Freedom Seekers: Blacks in Early Canada. 1st Stoddart edition, 1992. p18
  7. ^ Hill, PAC. C.O. 42 (Q 326) Vol. 363, p. 117; as cited by Gary French: Men of Colour, pp. 12-13. Stroud, Ont: Kaste Books, 1978.
  8. ^ Reid, Dennis. A Concise History of Canadian Painting. 2nd Edition. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-19-540663-X.
  9. ^ "Church History". stthomasshantybay. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  10. ^ "Toronto, Simcoe and Muskoka Junction Railway Company, The". Ontario Heritage Trust. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  11. ^ Smith, Jeffrey P. "Newmarket Subdivision". CNE-in-Ontario.com. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  12. ^ Directions to Edgar
  13. ^ Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church National Historic Site. Canadian Register of Historic Places.
  14. ^ Legend of the Drinking Gourd, W. Allen Fisher, 1973, W. A. and M. W. Fisher, publishers
  15. ^ Men of Colour, Gary French, 1978, Kaste Books, Stroud Ontario Canada, publishers
  16. ^ "THEN AND NOW: Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church".
  17. ^ "2022 Municipal Election". www.elections2022.amo.on.ca. October 24, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  18. ^ a b "Barbara Kay: In the history books, this will go down as the Battle of Burl's Creek". The National Post. Postmedia Network. July 17, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  19. ^ a b Bell, Roberta (January 29, 2015). . Orillia Packet and Times. Archived from the original on May 28, 2015.
  20. ^ "Save Oro". Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  21. ^ a b Butts, Heather (May 28, 2015). "Back-and-forth battle over Burl's Creek continues". CTV News Barrie. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  22. ^ Bales, Patrick (July 15, 2015). . Orillia Packet & Times. Archived from the original on August 10, 2015.
  23. ^ Burgess, Quentin (October 30, 2014). "Boots and Hearts Music Festival announces move to Barrie area". Music Canada. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  24. ^ "Boots and Hearts Music Festival". BOOTS & HEARTS. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  25. ^ a b "C.N.Rys. Newmarket Subdivision". CNR-in-Ontario.com. July 1, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  26. ^ a b c d "C.N.Rys. Ontario Stations - Hawkestone". CNR-in-Ontario.com. July 29, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  27. ^ "C.N.Rys. Ontario Stations - Shanty Bay". CNR-in-Ontario.com. September 3, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  28. ^ "C.N.Rys. Ontario Stations - Oro". CNR-in-Ontario.com. September 3, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  29. ^ "C.N.Rys. Ontario Stations - Carthew". CNR-in-Ontario.com. March 17, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  30. ^ "Decision No. 646-R-1995". Canadian Transportation Agency. September 21, 1995. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  31. ^ "Oro-Medonte Rail Trail". Ontario Trails Council. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  32. ^ "Routes/Schedule - Transit". Simcoe.ca. Simcoe County. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  33. ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  34. ^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  35. ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  36. ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  37. ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  38. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
  39. ^ Environment Canada — Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, accessed 9 May 2013

External links edit

  • Official website

medonte, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, june, 2019, learn,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Oro Medonte news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Oro Medonte is a township in south central Ontario Canada on the northwestern shores of Lake Simcoe in Simcoe County 4 Oro MedonteTownship lower tier Township of Oro MedonteRural scene near Mount St LouisMotto s Proud Heritage Exciting FutureOro MedonteShow map of Simcoe CountyOro MedonteShow map of Southern OntarioCoordinates 44 34 N 79 35 W 44 567 N 79 583 W 44 567 79 583Country CanadaProvince OntarioCountySimcoeIncorporated1994Government MayorRandy Greenlaw 1 Deputy MayorPeter Lavoie 1 CouncillorsList Lori HutchesonJohn BardDavid ClarkPeter LavoieRich SchellRobert Young MPsDoug Shipley Bruce Stanton MPPsDoug Downey Jill DunlopArea 2 Land587 08 km2 226 67 sq mi Population 2016 3 Total21 036 Density35 8 km2 93 sq mi Time zoneUTC 5 Eastern EST Summer DST UTC 4 EDT Area code s 705 249Websitewww wbr oro medonte wbr caThe two neighbouring townships of Oro and Medonte were merged in 1994 5 under a restructuring of Simcoe County It is divided into lines based on the concession system implemented by the British colonial government in the mid 18th century Currently there are 15 lines that are now streets and highway exits off Highway 11 Contents 1 Communities 2 History 2 1 Black history 3 Local government 4 The Battle of Burl s Creek 5 Recreation 6 Transportation 6 1 Roads 6 2 Railways 6 3 Bus 6 4 Air 7 Demographics 8 Climate 9 Notable residents 10 See also 11 References 12 External linksCommunities editThe township comprises the communities of Barrillia Park Bass Lake Park Baywood Park Big Cedar Estates Carley Carthew Bay Cedarmont Beach Coulson Craighurst Creighton Crown Hill Eady East Oro Edgar Eight Mile Point Fair Valley Fergus Hill Estate Knox Corners Forest Home Foxmead Guthrie Hawkestone Hawkestone Beach Hobart Horseshoe Valley Jarratt Lakeview Martinville Mitchell Square Moons Beach Moonstone Mount St Louis Oro Beach Oro Lea Beach Oro Park Oro Station Palm Beach Parkside Beach Prices Corners Roberta Park Rugby Shanty Bay Simcoeside Sugar Bush Vasey Waddington Beach and Warminster History editFirst Nations had long established encampments and trails on the bank of Hawkestone Creek Ridge Road Mount St Louis and throughout the Township of Oro Medonte The Huron village of Cahiague near Hawkestone was the capital village of the Ahrendarrhonon Rock nation In 1615 Samuel de Champlain estimated the village to comprise 200 houses The War of 1812 drew attention to the militarily strategic region between Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay To provide supplies to the excellent harbour at Penetanguishene a road of about 35 km was surveyed c 1813 between the two bodies of water That road did not actually become a functional road for about 30 years after it was surveyed In the meantime townships were created and surveyed on both sides of the Penetanguishene Rd c 1820 Oro Township was one of those townships Although there is no documentation about the origin of the name Oro it is assumed it came from the Spanish word for gold After the War of 1812 Sir Peregrine Maitland then Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada offered Black veterans grants of land in what was to become the Township of Oro This was in the area between Kempenfelt Bay on Lake Simcoe and Penetanguishene Bay on Lake Huron s Georgian Bay 6 7 In the 1830s Richard Hodges established a landing for settlers mainly from the British Isles who after arriving by lake steamer on Lake Simcoe followed these trails to their settlement in search of independence and land ownership Craighurst started as a small community on the Penetanguishene Road in the 1830s Its post office was established in the 1850s at its peak in the late 19th century Craighurst had four hotels three churches and a school house A thriving community of a tavern hotel store and the first post office was located near the lake east of the creek at Hodges Landing The first postmaster was Charles Bell Two dams and three mills sawed logs and ground grains It is thought that the first mill was established by John Williamson who subsequently built the large brick house on the North East corner of the Ridge Road and Line No 11 South In 1856 a new wharf was constructed and the name was changed from Hodges Landing to Hawkestone The establishment of Shanty Bay was strongly influenced by the Underground Railroad Many African American refugees first settled near the water in shanties small homes contributing toward the name of the village Lucius Richard O Brien 1832 1899 the noted oil and watercolour landscape painter was from Shanty Bay His father founded the village 8 Shanty Bay also has one of Canada s oldest Rammed Earth Construction churches St Thomas Anglican Church built between 1838 and 1841 and dedicated in 1842 The Church was officially opened on February 27 1842 9 In 1866 67 a drill shed was erected in East Oro by the Oro Company 35th Battalion the Simcoe Foresters At this time when the Fenian raids were alarming the country eight company drill sheds were built in Simcoe County the county paying 390 and the government 250 for each The company was manned by pioneer men of Oro Local Wm E O Brien of Shanty Bay became Lieutenant Colonel of the Battalion in 1882 This East Oro drill shed served Oro Company until the start of the 20th century and was dismantled around 1918 The Toronto Simcoe and Muskoka Junction Railway was built through the area in 1871 Its route was roughly parallel to the lakeshore passing through Shanty Bay Oro Station and Hawkestone An extensive station complex evolved at Hawkestone with a freight shed stockyards and a massive water tower to supply the requirements of the steam locomotives The railway was incorporated as a company in 1869 as an extension connecting the Northern Railway of Canada to the Muskoka region and Lake Muskoka and eventually reached Gravenhurst in 1875 10 However financial problems led to increasing integration and eventual merger under the Northern Railway of Canada which itself went through numerous mergers becoming part of the Grand Trunk and later the Canadian National Railways In the Canadian National CN system the line through Oro was a part of the Newmarket Subdivision The section of the line through the township was abandoned in 1996 11 A branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway was built through Craighurst in the early 20th century opening from Bolton to Craighurst in November 1906 when a station was opened On July 19 1907 the track was extended to Bala and by June 1908 the line was completed to Sudbury This is now the MacTier Subdivision a part of the railway s main line between the east and west Edgar was the site of a cold war radar station from 1952 to 1964 12 In 1959 the Ukrainian National Federation UNF purchased the Pugsley Farm property located on the East half of Lot 23 and Lot 24 in Hawkestone The 200 acres 0 81 km2 were developed into a large recreation area and children s camp where members of the UNF and their families have spent their summers on the shores of Lake Simcoe A portion of the property was subdivided into 100 lots of 0 5 acres 0 0020 km2 and sold to members of the UNF who built summer homes and cottages adjacent to the UNF The entire property was named Sokil which is the Ukrainian word for Hawk in reference to the village of Hawkestone where the community was established Today the private subdivision is maintained by the UNF which manages the non municipal water system roads and other related issues as well as the recreation area and children s camp where three children s summer camps run throughout the summer along with weekend overnight camping area seasonal cabin rentals and a seasonal trailer park The property also hosts the St John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic chapel where services are conducted each Sunday throughout the summer season Black history edit nbsp Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church National Historic Site 13 In 1819 a landmark decision was made in Fort York now Toronto to grant land to Black militiamen of Captain Runchey s Company of Coloured Men on an equal basis as it would be granted to Whites 14 The land designated for Black settlement was in Oro Township Within a few years all Blacks of any origin could acquire land in Oro Township on an equal basis as any other settler 15 There was a military strategy behind the decision Settlers would provide support for the fort at Penetanguishene by providing food and other local supplies and if the war with the U S again broke out the trained militiamen could be armed to defend the region Although for years folklore suggested that the Oro Black Settlement was populated by escaped slaves coming to Oro via the underground railroad UGRR documentation suggests all Black settlers were freemen Further the 1819 settlement preceded by about a decade what is commonly consider the beginning of the UGRR The blocks of land on the Penetanguishene Road were at the time being granted to settlers of European origin In that one or more Blacks had already established successful farms further east a road was surveyed parallel to that road and named Wilberforce in honour of William Wilberforce the British parliamentarian who worked so hard to abolish slavery The Blacks were settled along this new road The Oro Black Settlement grew to about 90 families then diminished as the settlers found steady income elsewhere mainly on railway trains and ships on the Great Lakes The last Oro Black retired to Barrie in the 1940s and when he died he was buried in the cemetery beside the Oro African Church citation needed The Oro Methodist Episcopal African Church was built out of logs by the Oro Black Settlers and was finished in 1849 It is likely the oldest log African Church still standing in North America In 2003 it was designated a Canadian national historic site mainly due to the link the Oro settlers had to the War of 1812 The church had fallen into disrepair but since the summer of 2015 work has begun on restoring it 16 Local government editThe township council is composed of a mayor and six councillors who each represent one of six wards The members of the council from the elections of October 24 2022 are 17 Mayor Randy GreenlawDeputy Mayor Peter Lavoie 2022 2024 Lori Hutcheson 2024 2026 Councillors Ward 1 Lori Hutcheson Ward 2 John Bard Ward 3 David Clark Ward 4 Peter Lavoie Ward 5 Richard Schell Ward 6 Robert YoungThe mayor and deputy mayor also represents the Township at meetings of Simcoe County Council The Battle of Burl s Creek editMain article Burl s Creek Event Grounds The Battle of Burl s Creek 18 is the title given to the current protest and legal battle between Stan Dunford Republic Live The Municipal Government of Oro Medonte SaveOro and The West Oro Ratepayers Association WORA Burl s Creek Event Grounds is a grounds located on the south side of Highway 11 on Oro Medonte s 8th Line It was established in 1994 by Don Hanney a local businessman as an event grounds to host small country events such as agricultural fairs farmers markets and Highland games 18 Burl s Creek has also hosted events like the Barrie Auto Flea Market In 2015 Burl s Creek Event Grounds was sold to Dunford as well as many other adjacent lots totaling 560 acres 19 Dunford started to develop the land to make way for a much larger event park 19 Several residents of Oro Medonte have communicated their concerns with the Township Council and have joined together under the organization of SaveOro 20 In the spring of 2015 the township council passed temporary bylaws that would allow Burl s Creek Event Grounds to use the 560 acre site for camping and parking but the bylaw was rescinded by council but not before SaveOro had filed a court application 21 According to Deputy Mayor Ralph Hough there was a process in the planning act that we missed so it was never legal 21 The venue was scheduled to use the 560 acres for two concerts in the summer of 2015 Wayhome Music Festival featuring Neil Young and Boots and Hearts Music Festival The temporary bylaw was rescinded and so the concerts remained on the original 94 acres 22 As of July 26 2015 the current struggle was continuing between all of the parties As of June 2023 this festival has been held in Oro Medonte in consecutive years since moving from the Bowmanville Area 23 with a show planned for August 10 13 24 The event was cancelled in both 2020 amp 2021 due to the COVID 19 Pandemic Recreation edit nbsp Mount St Louis Moonstone ski resortIn September 1996 the last Canadian National train passed through the township In 1998 the land used for the railway was acquired by city council for a shared use recreational trail stretching from Barrie to Orillia Sections are used in the winter season by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs Bass Lake Provincial Park and the Copeland Forest Resources Management Area are located within the township Three major ski resorts Mount St Louis Moonstone Horseshoe Resort and Hardwood Ski and Bike are also located within Oro Medonte Transportation editRoads edit Highway 400 Highway 11 and Highway 12 pass through Oro Medonte Penetanguishene Road a historic colonization road and a former part of Highway 93 defines most of Oro Medonte s boundary with the neighbouring township of Springwater Railways edit The Toronto Simcoe and Muskoka Junction Railway TS amp MJ was formed in 1869 Its line headed northeast from a junction at Allandale now part of Barrie curving around the tip of Lake Simcoe and passing through the townships which would eventually become Oro Medonte on its way to Orillia Washago and ultimately Gravenhurst Construction began in 1870 and in 1871 the company was leased to the Northern Railway of Canada and operated as a wholly owned subsidiary thereafter 25 Service began along the line later that year with the first known railway station in the township being located at Hawkestone A basic wooden station building was constructed in 1871 with more outbuildings constructed later 26 The Northern Railway of Canada would engage in a number of upgrades to the line throughout the early 1870s such as the extension from Washago to Gravenhurst as well as conversion of the line from 1 676 mm 5 ft 6 in Provincial gauge to the 1 435 mm 4 ft 8 1 2 in standard gauge 25 In 1875 the line was incorporated into the Northern Railway of Canada and became its Muskoka Branch The Northern Railway of Canada was purchased in 1888 by the Grand Trunk Railway GTR which in turn undertook improvements such as building a stockyard at Shanty Bay followed by a passenger station and stable in 1898 27 At Hawkestone the Grand Trunk renovated the existing station in 1900 as well as constructing a large stockyard in 1905 In 1917 not long before the Grand Trunk s amalgamation into Canadian National Railways CN Rail one of its trains derailed in front of Hawkestone station 26 Soon after the line came under Canadian National ownership and formed a component of its Newmarket Subdivision The Great Depression saw a slump in rail traffic and by the mid 1930s the new owners of the line CN Rail had begun to strip back service The station agent at Hawkestone was removed and replaced with a caretaker in 1936 26 In 1963 64 CN made a number of abrupt cuts to service cancelling all service to Shanty Bay and Oro Station and putting the station building at Hawkestone up for sale Hawkestone still appeared intermittently on CN train timetables for the next few years but disappeared for the last time in 1968 The station building was demolished around 1969 26 Canada s Board of Transport Commissioners had contacted the Township of Oro in 1964 asking if it objected to the removal of Oro s station but no reply from the township is on file and the station was demolished in 1966 28 Carthew also disappeared from timetables in 1973 29 Despite the elimination of passenger service in the township CN passenger and freight trains continued to travel along the line on their way to Orillia This would continue with the consolidation of passenger services under Via Rail In 1995 CN successfully applied to the Canadian Transport Commission to abandon the line 30 The last passenger train to travel the line was Via Rail No 1 in 1996 the Canadian headed west to Vancouver By the end of the year the line north of Barrie was abandoned along with Via Rail service to Barrie and Orillia and the route of the Canadian was shifted to the east shore of Lake Simcoe to follow the CN Bala Subdivision through Washago This ended over 125 years of railway operations and history in the township Today the former right of way of the rail line has been converted into the Oro Medonte Rail Trail a recreational multi use trail 31 Bus edit Starting in August 2019 public transit service returned to Oro Medonte when Simcoe County LINX Route 3 began operations connecting Barrie to Orillia along Highway 11 with a single stop in the township at the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport in Oro Station 32 Ontario Northland intercity motor coaches also travel along the Highway 11 corridor but travel express through the township and make no stops Air edit The Lake Simcoe Regional Airport is located in the township near the community of Guthrie Demographics editIn the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada Oro Medonte had a population of 23 017 living in 8 636 of its 9 510 total private dwellings a change of 9 4 from its 2016 population of 21 036 With a land area of 585 42 km2 226 03 sq mi it had a population density of 39 3 km2 101 8 sq mi in 2021 33 Canada census Oro Medonte community profile 202120162011Population23 017 9 4 from 2016 21 036 4 8 from 2011 20 078 0 2 from 2006 Land area585 42 km2 226 03 sq mi 587 08 km2 226 67 sq mi 586 90 km2 226 60 sq mi Population density39 3 km2 102 sq mi 35 8 km2 93 sq mi 34 2 km2 89 sq mi Median age47 6 M 47 2 F 48 4 47 5 M 47 4 F 47 7 Private dwellings8 635 total 9 013 total 8 565 total Median household income 95 667References 2021 34 2016 35 2011 36 earlier 37 38 Climate editClimate data for Oro MedonteMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 10 0 50 0 13 0 55 4 23 0 73 4 29 5 85 1 32 5 90 5 34 0 93 2 37 5 99 5 34 0 93 2 32 5 90 5 27 0 80 6 21 5 70 7 17 0 62 6 37 5 99 5 Mean daily maximum C F 3 6 25 5 2 7 27 1 2 9 37 2 10 7 51 3 18 2 64 8 22 5 72 5 25 7 78 3 24 2 75 6 19 3 66 7 12 2 54 0 5 8 42 4 0 7 30 7 11 2 52 2 Daily mean C F 8 4 16 9 7 7 18 1 2 1 28 2 5 7 42 3 12 9 55 2 17 1 62 8 20 6 69 1 19 4 66 9 14 8 58 6 8 2 46 8 2 2 36 0 4 8 23 4 6 5 43 7 Mean daily minimum C F 13 1 8 4 12 6 9 3 7 0 19 4 0 8 33 4 7 5 45 5 11 5 52 7 15 5 59 9 14 6 58 3 10 2 50 4 3 9 39 0 1 3 29 7 8 8 16 2 1 8 35 2 Record low C F 37 0 34 6 37 0 34 6 30 0 22 0 15 0 5 0 3 5 25 7 0 5 32 9 7 0 44 6 4 0 39 2 3 0 26 6 6 0 21 2 9 0 15 8 35 0 31 0 37 0 34 6 Average precipitation mm inches 103 1 4 06 68 1 2 68 71 3 2 81 72 2 2 84 77 6 3 06 76 4 3 01 77 4 3 05 102 4 4 03 95 5 3 76 89 7 3 53 102 5 4 04 107 3 4 22 1 043 2 41 07 Average rainfall mm inches 13 9 0 55 15 4 0 61 38 4 1 51 60 9 2 40 77 3 3 04 76 4 3 01 77 4 3 05 102 4 4 03 95 3 3 75 86 5 3 41 77 1 3 04 29 6 1 17 750 6 29 55 Average snowfall cm inches 89 2 35 1 59 6 23 5 32 9 13 0 11 3 4 4 0 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 1 3 25 4 10 0 77 7 30 6 292 6 115 2 Average precipitation days 0 2 mm 16 9 11 8 12 4 12 0 12 8 11 7 9 8 12 5 13 6 15 3 15 7 16 9 161 3Average rainy days 0 2 mm 2 6 2 3 6 5 10 6 12 7 11 7 9 8 12 5 13 6 15 0 12 3 4 5 114 2Average snowy days 0 2 cm 14 8 10 2 6 5 2 2 0 17 0 0 0 0 0 73 4 7 13 4 52 7Source Environment Canada 39 Notable residents editMike Gartner retired NHL star Jennifer Jones curler Olympic Gold MedallistSee also editList of townships in OntarioReferences edit a b 2018 Municipal Election Township of Oro Medonte Retrieved December 12 2018 Oro Medonte census profile 2011 Census of Population Statistics Canada Retrieved March 6 2012 Census Profile 2016 Census Oro Medonte Township Statistics Canada Retrieved July 4 2019 Simcoe County Municipal Partners www simcoe ca Retrieved June 22 2023 Ref Cities Of Canada Reference Guide Hill Daniel G The Freedom Seekers Blacks in Early Canada 1st Stoddart edition 1992 p18 Hill PAC C O 42 Q 326 Vol 363 p 117 as cited by Gary French Men of Colour pp 12 13 Stroud Ont Kaste Books 1978 Reid Dennis A Concise History of Canadian Painting 2nd Edition Toronto Oxford University Press 1988 ISBN 0 19 540663 X Church History stthomasshantybay Retrieved June 22 2023 Toronto Simcoe and Muskoka Junction Railway Company The Ontario Heritage Trust Retrieved October 17 2022 Smith Jeffrey P Newmarket Subdivision CNE in Ontario com Retrieved October 17 2022 Directions to Edgar Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church National Historic Site Canadian Register of Historic Places Legend of the Drinking Gourd W Allen Fisher 1973 W A and M W Fisher publishers Men of Colour Gary French 1978 Kaste Books Stroud Ontario Canada publishers THEN AND NOW Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church 2022 Municipal Election www elections2022 amo on ca October 24 2022 Retrieved November 25 2022 a b Barbara Kay In the history books this will go down as the Battle of Burl s Creek The National Post Postmedia Network July 17 2015 Retrieved July 4 2019 a b Bell Roberta January 29 2015 Burl s Creek property has doubled in size since it was purchased Orillia Packet and Times Archived from the original on May 28 2015 Save Oro Retrieved July 4 2019 a b Butts Heather May 28 2015 Back and forth battle over Burl s Creek continues CTV News Barrie Retrieved July 4 2019 Bales Patrick July 15 2015 Large festivals will have to be restricted to 92 acres at Burl s Creek Orillia Packet amp Times Archived from the original on August 10 2015 Burgess Quentin October 30 2014 Boots and Hearts Music Festival announces move to Barrie area Music Canada Retrieved June 22 2023 Boots and Hearts Music Festival BOOTS amp HEARTS Retrieved June 22 2023 a b C N Rys Newmarket Subdivision CNR in Ontario com July 1 2019 Retrieved March 5 2020 a b c d C N Rys Ontario Stations Hawkestone CNR in Ontario com July 29 2019 Retrieved March 5 2020 C N Rys Ontario Stations Shanty Bay CNR in Ontario com September 3 2019 Retrieved March 5 2020 C N Rys Ontario Stations Oro CNR in Ontario com September 3 2015 Retrieved March 5 2020 C N Rys Ontario Stations Carthew CNR in Ontario com March 17 2019 Retrieved March 5 2020 Decision No 646 R 1995 Canadian Transportation Agency September 21 1995 Retrieved March 5 2020 Oro Medonte Rail Trail Ontario Trails Council Retrieved March 5 2020 Routes Schedule Transit Simcoe ca Simcoe County Retrieved March 5 2020 Population and dwelling counts Canada provinces and territories census divisions and census subdivisions municipalities Ontario Statistics Canada February 9 2022 Retrieved April 2 2022 2021 Community Profiles 2021 Canadian Census Statistics Canada February 4 2022 Retrieved April 27 2022 2016 Community Profiles 2016 Canadian Census Statistics Canada August 12 2021 Retrieved July 4 2019 2011 Community Profiles 2011 Canadian Census Statistics Canada March 21 2019 Retrieved March 6 2012 2006 Community Profiles 2006 Canadian Census Statistics Canada August 20 2019 2001 Community Profiles 2001 Canadian Census Statistics Canada July 18 2021 Environment Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1971 2000 accessed 9 May 2013External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oro Medonte Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Oro Medonte amp oldid 1196490195, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.