Walkerton, Ontario

Walkerton, Ontario
Town
Walkerton, Ontario
Coordinates: 44°07′52″N 81°09′02″W / 44.13111°N 81.15056°W / 44.13111; -81.15056Coordinates: 44°07′52″N 81°09′02″W / 44.13111°N 81.15056°W / 44.13111; -81.15056
Country  Canada
Province  Ontario
County Bruce County
Municipality Brockton
Area[1]
 • Total 8.74 km2 (3.37 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Total 4,967
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code span N0G
Area code(s) (519) and (226)

Walkerton is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within and governed by the municipality of Brockton. It is the site of Brockton's municipal offices and the county seat of Bruce County. It is located on the Saugeen River, at the junction of King's Highway 9 and Route 4, and is 75 km southwest of Owen Sound.

On January 1, 1999, Walkerton became part of the Municipality of Brockton.

History

Walkerton was originally part of Brant County and was first settled in 1849 by William Jasper and Edward Boulton who farmed to the east of the river. Other settlers from the same era included John Lundy, Moses Stewart and Thomas Bilkie who farmed to the west of the river. Joseph Walker arrived from Ireland in 1850 and is considered one of the founders of Walkerton. He built both saw mills and flour mills, surveyed the area into a town plot and encouraged businesses to locate here. Years later, Walker was the reeve of Brant for several terms, and was elected as the first mayor or Walkerton.[2]

Although Walkerton was never incorporated as a village, it became a town in 1871, with a population of just under 1000. That increased to 2,604 by 1881, and to 3,061 by 1891 thanks to the arrival of the railroad which enabled the locals to ship their grain. The population dropped to 2,971 by 1901.[2]

2000 fatal water supply contamination

In May 2000, the water system in Walkerton became contaminated with the highly dangerous O157:H7 Escherichia coli bacteria strain. Nearly half the population fell ill, and seven people died as a result.[3]

Notable people

  • Samuel Lewis Honey, VC, DCM, MM (9 February 1894 – 30 September 1918) was a soldier in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military award for gallantry in the face of the enemy given to British and Commonwealth forces, during the First World War. Honey was a graduate of Walkerton District High School.
  • David Milne, considered to be one of Canada's foremost painters, was a graduate of Walkerton District High School.
  • William Bertram (January 19, 1880 – May 1, 1933) Hollywood actor and film director during the silent-film era
  • Canadian National softball player and two-time Olympian Alison Bradley was almost a graduate of Walkerton District Secondary School.
  • Singer-songwriter Esthero lived in Walkerton.
  • Michael Adams, pollster and co-founder of the Environics Research Group
  • Laryssa Biesenthal, Canadian rower
  • Matilda Dodge Wilson (October 19, 1883 – September 19, 1967) was born in Walkerton to George and Margaret Rausch (née Glinz). Around 1885, they moved to Detroit. Matilda would marry auto pioneer John Francis Dodge and become one of the wealthiest women in the world after his death. With her second husband, she built the National Historic Landmark Meadow Brook Hall in 1929 and founded Oakland University on her estate.

Education

Walkerton has two high schools: Walkerton District Community School (K–12), and Sacred Heart High School. Walkerton also has an elementary Kindergarten-Grade 8 Catholic school. The school was originally named Mother Teresa School but was renamed St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School on May 18, 2017 in honour of the canonization of its patron.

Minor sports

Walkerton is home to a Junior C hockey team, the Walkerton Hawks, and a Senior A hockey team, the Walkerton Capitals.

Trivia

The town was rumoured to have been placed in the Guinness World Records for having a church on each corner of the jail and courthouse complex. This is proven, and it has been covered by Ripley's Believe It or Not!.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and population centres, 2011 and 2006 censuses". Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  2. 1 2 http://www.electricscotland.com/history/canada/bruce/chapter21.htm
  3. ↑ "Inside Walkerton: Canada's worst-ever E. coli contamination". CBC News. CBC. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Walkerton & District Chamber of Commerce: History". 2006. Retrieved 2008-06-08.

Sister City

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