Port Hope is a municipality in Ontario, Canada, located in Southern Ontario about 109 kilometers (68 mi) east of Toronto and about 159 kilometers (99 mi) west of Kingston. It is located along the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County, and had a 2006 census population of 16,390. Port Hope's nearest urban neighbour (7 km to the east) is the Town of Cobourg, while between them and surrounding Cobourg is the Township of Hamilton.
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History
"Ganaraska" was the name attributed to the area by the natives of the region and is the name of the river that flows through the town. The name originates from "Ganaraske", the name for the Cayuga village which was located at the current townsite. In 1793, United Empire Loyalists became the first permanent settlers of European heritage in Port Hope, which was then known as Smith's Creek after a former fur trader. After the War of 1812, British settlers were wanted, and a better name was required. After a brief fling with the name Toronto, it was renamed in 1817 as Port Hope, after the Township of Hope of which it was a part, which in turn had been named for Colonel Henry Hope, lieutenant governor of Quebec. In 1834 Port Hope was incorporated as a town.
Relatively slow growth from 1880 to 1960 resulted in much of its original architecture not being demolished in the name of progress. Port Hope's downtown is celebrated as having the best preserved 19th century streetscape in Ontario. The town's local chapter of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario and the Heritage Port Hope Advisory Committee are very active and advise on the restoration and preservation of architecturally or historically significant buildings. With over 270 heritage designated buildings throughout the municipality, Port Hope has a higher per capita rate of preservation than any other town or city in Canada. Downtown businesses are regulated by the municipality to maintain the town's unique character.
In 2001, the original town amalgamated with Hope Township to form the Municipality of Port Hope; prior to that the Town's census population was listed as 11,718 while the Township's was 3,877.
The Capitol Theatre is Canada's last functioning atmospheric theatre. The theatre's main auditorium is styled after an outdoor medieval courtyard where rolling clouds are projected onto the ceiling. The town spent in excess of three million dollars renovating and upgrading the theatre in 2004/2005.
Economy
Port Hope is home to various industries. Downtown Port Hope is well-known as a shopping destination for antiques and other specialty items and is widely regarded as one of the best preserved main streets in Ontario. Port Hope is served by a Via Rail station. It has a medical centre, a walk-in clinic, and a community health centre. It had its own daily newspaper since 1878, the Port Hope Evening Guide, part of the Osprey Media chain, which in 2009 became Northumberland Today.com. Port Hope's Economic Development Strategic Plan aims to increase job growth at least as fast as population growth.
Port Hope is currently home to the largest volume of historic low-level radioactive wastes in Canada. These wastes were created by Eldorado Mining and Refining Limited and its private sector predecessors as a result of the refining process used to extract radium, used in glow-in-the-dark paint such as aircraft dial paint during the second world war, and in the early treatment of cancer, from uranium ore.[1]
Port Hope's Eldorado plant also produced uranium that may have been used in the Manhattan Project which led to the creation of the first nuclear weapon. It continues to produce uranium fuel for nuclear power plants, now under the ownership of Cameco.
The Ganaraska River (affectionately known as "The Ganny"), is well-known to area anglers for annual salmon and trout runs, and has been responsible for many historic floods, the most recent having been in 1980.
Port Hope Transit is the local bus service provider in the town.
Major employers
- Cameco Corporation, which recently (2006) bought out another local industry Zircatec Precision Industries Inc.
- Collins & Aikman
- ESCO Limited
- Viceroy Homes Ltd.
- Chemcraft International Inc.
- Curtis Chicks
- St Elizabeth Health Care
- Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit
- Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority
- Northumberland Package Handling
- Sterling Truss Company
- Quantrill Chevrolet Cadillac
- Bromely Fabricators
- Gorsline, F. Manufacturing Co. Ltd./Unitrak
- Wakely Cartage Ltd.
- B&H Tedford Machining
Attractions
Port Hope hosts many attractions and events throughout the year, including:
- Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny (a "race" commemorating the flood of 1980)
- Ganaraska Forest Centre
- Ganaraska Trail
- Port Hope Public Library
- Canadian Firefighters Museum
- Port Hope Yacht Club
- Vintage Film Festival
- Port Hope Festival Theatre
- Port Hope & District Agricultural Fall Fair
- The All Canadian Jazz Festival
- Port Hope Farmers' Market (May thru October)
- Port Hope Olde Tyme Christmas (includes Festival of Trees, Candlelight Walk and Carol Singing, Candlelight Christmas in Memorial Park and the Santa Claus Parade)
- The Port Hope Drive-In (Built in 1952, it is among the oldest Canadian drive-ins still in business)
- ACO annual house and garden tours
Also, Port Hope will be used for the new ABC program "Happy Town." During filming you can see various stores and familiar landmarks (Town Hall, Library, etc.) In addition, many local people will be used as extras in the filming.
Education
- St. Mary's Elementary School, Catholic JK-3 (scheduled to close in 2009)
- St. Anthony's Elementary School, Catholic 4-8 (to add grades JK-3 in 2009)
- Beatrice Strong Public School, Public JK-6
- Ganaraska Trail Public School, Public JK-6
- George Hamilton Public School, Public JK-6
- North Hope Central School, Public JK-6
- Dr M. S. Hawkins Senior Public School, Public Gr 7-8 (same building as Port Hope High School)
- Port Hope High School, Public Gr 9-12
- Port Hope High School Student to Work Transition Program (SWOT Campus), Public Grade 9-12
- Trinity College School, Private Gr 5-12
Notable residents
- First Canadian Governor General Charles Vincent Massey
- Located in Bewdley at the corner of Rice Lake Dr. and Cty. Rd. 9, is the monument that was erected in 1919 to commemorate Joseph M. Scriven, writer of the hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” Also, a memorial stone inscribed with the words of the hymn is located in Port Hope Memorial Park. He wrote the poem in 1857 in Port Hope (where he was a tutor) after losing his second fiancée to disease. Scriven's actual burial plot is located southeast of Bailieboro, Ontario.
- Writer Wade Rowland
- Writer Farley Mowat
- Writer Claire Mowat
- Singer-Songwriter Greg Keelor
- Children's author Richard Scrimger
- Children's author Ted Staunton
- Baseball pitcher Paul Quantrill
- Noted Researcher David Clarke
- Pro baseball player Jason Green
- Entertainer William Leonard Hunt, known by his stage name "The Great Farini"
- Artist David Blackwood
- NHLers Jimmy Roberts, Paul Terbenche, Ron Smith, Dennis O'Brien and Shane O'Brien
- Beatrice Strong, the first woman to chair a school board in Ontario.
- Poet Mary Josephine Trotter Benson
- Jack Mol
References
- ^ "Port Hope Area Initiative". http://www.llrwmo.org/en/porthope/index.html. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
External links
- Municipality of Port Hope Official Website
- Port Hope Tourism (Includes calendar of events and festival information.)
- Port Hope Chamber of Commerce
- Port Hope and Hope Township history
- Port Hope Archives
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