Brockville

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For the suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand, see Brockville, New Zealand.
For the football stadium, see Brockville Park.
City of Brockville
The commemorative bust erected in 1912 of General Isaac Brock in front of the Brockville Court House.
Motto: Industria Intelligentia Prosperitas (Latin: "Diligence Understanding Prosperity")
Coordinates: 44°35′00″N 75°41′00″W / 44.5833333°N 75.6833333°W / 44.5833333; -75.6833333
Country Canada
Province Ontario
County Leeds and Grenville
Settled 1785
Incorporated 1832
Government
 - Type City
 - Mayor David L. Henderson
Area
 - City 20.74 km2 (8 sq mi)
 - Metro 889.03 km2 (343.3 sq mi)
Population (2006)
 - City 21,957
 - Density 1,058.8/km2 (2,742.3/sq mi)
 - Metro 39,668
 - Metro Density 44.6/km2 (115.5/sq mi)
  [1][2]
Time zone EST (UTC−5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC−4)
Postal Code K6V
Area code(s) 613
Website www.brockville.com

Brockville is located in the Thousand Islands region on the St. Lawrence River in Leeds & Grenville County, (Eastern) Ontario, Canada.

Known as the "City of the 1000 Islands", Brockville is located in Southern Ontario on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, directly opposite Morristown, New York, about half-way between Cornwall in the east and Kingston in the west and a little over an hour's drive south of the Nation's Capital, Ottawa. Brockville is one of the oldest cities in Ontario and is named after the British general Sir Isaac Brock.

Contents

[edit] History

Victoria Hall - now the site of Brockville's City Hall was built in 1862-64 as a concert hall in front, and a butchers' market in the rear

This area of Ontario was first settled in 1785 by hundreds of American refugees who later became known as United Empire Loyalists for their political position on the side of King George III during the American War of Independence. This struggle between Britain and the 13 American colonies took place in the years 1776 to 1783 and seriously divided loyalties in some colonies such as New York and Vermont. During the 6-year war, which ended with the capitulation of the British forces in 1782, many of those colonists who remained loyal to the crown were frequently subject to harsh reprisals and unfair dispossession of property. Many "Loyalists" chose to flee north to the then British colony of Quebec. Later this western region of Canada was opened and settled by English-speaking refugees of the past American war.

The St. Lawrence River, which flows between Brockville and Morristown, New York, was named by French explorers in the 1700s to commemorate the martyred Roman Christian, Saint Laurentis. The small inlet on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River had been a natural resting point for French voyageurs in the past. In 1785 the first U.E. Loyalist to take up land here on the site of Brockville was a disbanded ensign with the King's Rangers from the state of New York, William Buell Sr. (1751-1832). The initial settlement on this site was commonly referred to as "Buell's Bay". Around 1810 the village was designated as Elizabethtown by government officials of Upper Canada. Leading residents of the small village decided, about 1812, that it might be appropriate to suggest a name which differed from the surrounding township of Elizabethtown.

This was during the ensuing second war with Canada's American neighbours, known as the War of 1812. The commanding ranking British General in Upper Canada and the temporary administrator of the province was Major-General Isaac Brock who was celebrated as the "Hero and Saviour" of Upper Canada because of his recent success in securing the surrender of Fort Detroit. Perhaps to curry favour with Gen Brock, certain leading citizens in the village including Charles Jones, proposed the name of Brockville and began using this new name in their correspondence and dealings with Isaac Brock who was also the civil administrator of the province. Gen. Brock was soon involved in other battles on the Niagara Peninsula, and on October 13, 1812, he was fatally shot while leading his troops up the heights near the village of Queenston, then being held by American militia.

The general had been aware of the honour being offered by the residents of Elizabethtown but may have been unable to give it his official blessing before his death. The new name was later accepted by the provincial bureaucrats and soon became commonly used by residents and visitors. In 1830 the growing population of Brockville had managed to exceed the 1000 mark. This entitled it to be represented by its own elected member in the House of Assembly, and Henry Jones, the village postmaster, was elected in October 1830 to the 11th Parliament of the Province.

Brockville became Ontario's first incorporated self-governing town on January 28, 1832, two years before the town of Toronto. By means of the Brockville Police Act, passed by the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada, Brockville was given the right to govern its own affairs, pass laws and raise taxes. The first elections for the new Board of Police were held on April 2, 1832 to choose 4 members to the Board. These four in turn chose a fifth member, Daniel Jones, who was also chosen as the first Police Board president or Mayor of Brockville. This was the gentleman who in March 1836 became the first native Upper Canadian to receive a royal knighthood from King William IV, and became "Sir Daniel Jones".

The town became a local centre of industry including shipbuilding, saddleries, tanneries, tinsmiths, a foundry, a brewery, and several hotels in the 1800s. By 1854, a patent medicine industry had sprung up in Brockville and in bordering Morristown, NY featuring products such as Dr Morse's Indian Root Pills, Dr. McKenzie's Worm Tablets and later, Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People.

The south portal of the Brockville Tunnel, Canada's first railway tunnel, opened in 1860.

In 1855, Brockville was chosen as a divisional point on the line of the new Grand Trunk Railway, which was built and opened from Montreal to Toronto. At the same time, the north-south line of the Brockville and Ottawa Railway was built as a transportation link to join the St. Lawrence River ship route with the timber trade of the Ottawa Valley. A well-engineered tunnel for this railway was dug and blasted underneath the middle of Brockville. The Brockville Tunnel was the first railway tunnel of its kind created and opened in Canada, It is now an historic site for visitors to enter and experience.

Brockville and many other towns in Canada West became involved in the threatened Fenian invasion following the close of the American Civil War in 1865. In June 1866, the Irish-American "Brotherhood of Fenians" invaded Canada. Raids were launched across the Niagara River into Canada West and from Vermont into Canada East. Canadian Premier John A. Macdonald called on all the volunteer militia companies in every town to protect Canada. The Brockville Infantry Company and Brockville Rifle Company (now The Brockville Rifles) were mobilized to protect Brockville. These unsuccessful Fenian Raids were a significant factor leading to the creation of the new Dominion of Canada in 1867.

Brockville was granted the official status as a City in 1962. Its coat of arms features a beehive surrounded by a golden chain and bears the motto Industria, Intelligentia, Prosperitas. This is an official heraldic design. Brockville is also one of the few cities that has a recognized heraldic flag.

[edit] Transportation and communications

Brockville is almost midway between Toronto and Montreal (300 kilometers northeast of Toronto and 240 kilometers southwest of Montreal) and less than one hour from the Nation's Capital, Ottawa. Highway 401 runs through Brockville, with exits at Leeds & Grenville County Road 29 and North Augusta Road. There are several daily VIA Rail connections to Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa along the Corridor. The Ottawa International Airport is approximately 50 minutes away.

Brockville Transit is the city operated public transit system which covers the urban area, providing three regular scheduled bus routes and paratransit services, from Monday to Saturday.

There are two international bridges which border the community with access to the U.S. markets via New York State.

Brockville has high band/high speed telecommunication capability provided by both Bell Canada and AT&T fibre lines.

Citywide Wi-Fi is also available by various carriers, including Starbucks (Bell Wi-Fi).

[edit] Economy

Brockville is the home of 39,668 people as of 2006[1] and to several large industrial manufacturers. 3M operates two factories in Brockville, manufacturing tape and occupational health & safety products. Procter & Gamble operations in the city manufacturer dryer sheets and cleaning products, employing 600. Other industries include ceiling fan manufacturer Canarm, pharmaceutical manufacturer Trillium Canada, and the oil-blending plant of Shell Canada. Canadian retailer Giant Tiger has also opened a distribution centre for frozen products in Brockville. Abbott Laboratories has a manufacturing plant in Brockville, making infant formula and adult nutritionals for the domestic and overseas markets. Many area residents are employed at the Invista Canada facility (formerly DuPont Canada Ltd.) located in Maitland, just east of Brockville.

Brockville is also the main administrative, health-care and commercial center for Leeds—Grenville county. Major public-sector employers include the Upper Canada District School Board, which has its headquarters in Brockville, and the Brockville Mental Health Center, locally referred to as the "psych" short for Psychiatric Hospital.

The retail section of the economy has changed as well due to the expansion of the town in what locals call the "North End" (North of Highway 401). Many specialized retail stores have emerged, such as a new Future Shop (expected to open November 27-29th 2009), Wal-Mart Supercentre, Loblaw's Superstore, Sears, Winners, General Nutrition Centers, La Senza, Palm Beach Mega Tan and Starbucks Coffee which are more commonly seen in much larger cities. We also have a plethora of Tim Hortons restaurants, ten to be exact. This indicates a rapid, short term, imminent growth in the community over the past few years. Many of the jobs created in the new millennium pay lower wages than what was paid to older generations of Brockvillians. This is due to the recent drastic decline in manufacturing jobs that were unionized shops. These include the factory closures at Phillips Cables and Black & Decker, along with serious cutbacks at industries like Shorewood Packaging.

[edit] Tourism

The St. Lawrence River flows between Brockville, Ontario and Morristown, NY. This significant river was named by French explorers in the 1700s to commemorate the martyred Roman Christian, Saint Laurentis.

The community is dominated by the St. Lawrence River and is known as The City of the Thousand Islands. St. Lawrence River tour boats offers scenic trips on the river. The Brockville area is the launching point for some of the best fresh-water wreck diving in the world. Numerous sunken ships have been discovered below the waters of the St. Lawrence and a number of dive operators with fully equipped boats are ready to take divers to these sites.

A revitalized downtown area, waterfront open to the public with parks and walking trails, and numerous shopping locations are found throughout the city. The city's architecture consists of many stately mansions and elaborate fountains, carefully preserved as reminders of Canadian history. The historic Fulford Place house museum is located in the east end of Brockville at 287 King St. E. This was the palatial home of Senator George T. Fulford, whose success in marketing "Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People" around the world made him one of the area's richest industrialists before his death in 1905. The house owned and operated by the Ontario Heritage Trust is open daily for tours.

The Maritime Discovery Centre, a $12-million dollar (estimated) tourism and waterfront education attraction is currently approved by the city. It will be part of developer Simon Fuller's $60-million Tall Ships Landing condominium project located on Broad Street.

Brockville has been awarded one of Canada's safest communities by the World Health Organization.[3]

[edit] Brockville boating

Brockville also offers excellent boating resources, with a large, deep-water municipal marina, a yacht club and several commercial marinas. Just upstream on the mighty St. Lawrence River is the Brockville Islands group, which contain some city island parks, and an island park belonging to the St. Lawrence Islands National Park system.

The transient section of the municipal dock is very busy during July and August.

Brockville is at the downstream end of the world-famous Thousand Islands, which extend as far as Kingston, Ontario (at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River at Lake Ontario), 80 km away.

Enjoy watching the Brockville Yacht Club sailboat races every Tuesday and Thursday evening, during the summer months.

The next closest commercial boating facilities are each about a half-day boat-trip away (at displacement speeds), downstream at Prescott, Ontario and upstream at Rockport, Ontario. So, many boaters come to Brockville during their boating vacations, to re-fuel, have repairs done, and re-provision, before casting off again for home.

[edit] Culture

The CPR caboose or "van" donated to Brockville by the Canadian Pacific Railway for display. It is located on the waterfront near the tunnel.

The city has several music, art and dance organizations, such as Brockville Artists Studio Association, Brockville Concert Association, Brockville Musicians' Association, Brockville Operatic Society, City of Brockville Pipe Band, and the Thousand Islanders Chorus.

The Brockville Concert Band arises from a long tradition of community and military bands in Brockville. Civic bands provided entertainment at public venues such as community picnics and outdoor skating rinks. The Brockville Rifles Reserve Band entertained "on the green" in the 1930s and 40s.

Military band members returning from the Second World War formed the Brockville Civic Band. Re-organized as the Brockville Concert Band in 1974, it inherited a musical tradition (and actual sheet music) from civic and military bands dating back to the turn of the 20th century. The Brockville Concert Band plays a series of summer concerts every second Tuesday in Hardy Park in Brockville within view of the beautiful St. Lawrence River. The band also plays for various civic functions and entertains at charitable fundraising events. Since 1995, the band's musical director and conductor has been trumpeter and music teacher Lance Besharah.

St. Lawrence College in Brockville is home to the Music Theatre - Performance Program which trains students to enter the professional world of musical theatre. SLC Stage produces three professional quality musicals each season at the Brockville Arts Centre.

Brockville used to be known for its festive summer celebration known as Riverfest[2] - filled with concerts, games, contests, fabulous food, and many activities! Fun for the whole family, Riverfest includes activities like eating breakfast on one of the 1,000 Islands, watching performance buskers and local karate/dance/gymnastics teams do demos, contests of dock dogs to Elvis Presley impersonations, petting zoos and inflatable jamborees big enough for adults, races on foot or bike, rock climbing outdoors (sponsored by Subway last year), last year we had concerts from musical performers: Theory of a Deadman, Colfax, and JJ Thompson, or if that's not your style, how about catching a chain saw show, large kite flying, face painting, or a wakeboard show? There is lots of fun to be had at Brockville - City of the 1,000 Island's Riverfest.

[edit] Local media

[edit] Print

The city's main daily newspaper is The Recorder & Times. Also a free weekly paper, St Lawrence EMC[3] is also read in the city. A new monthly magazine called "Living in Brockville" is now being distributed free to residents of Brockville.

[edit] Radio

[edit] Television

TVCogeco Brockville[7] covers current events happening throughout the Brockville region, with a weekly magazine program called The Source[8] on Cogeco Cable's Channel 10. TVCOGECO Brockville also provides live coverage of Brockville City Council, Prescott Town Council, many live and pre-taped sporting events, including CJHL Hockey[9] with the Smiths Falls Bears, AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic Curling, The Brockville Bowl (Football) and OHL[10] Hockey. The station also produces original programming filmed in the Brockville Region, such as Om Shanti Yoga[11] and Readers' Corner[12]. TVCOGECO Brockville has two Television producers on staff; Matt Boland & Steve Savage, and programming is created with the help of local volunteers.

BrockNews[13] is an Internet based news provider that features both video and print news stories online for Brockville, capturing the moments of the small city's population.

The larger station that covers Brockville is CKWS-TV. It provides reports from Spencerville, Kingston, Ottawa, Watertown and surrounding regions.

[edit] Sports

Several local clubs, organizations and high schools have achieved success on provincial, national, and international levels, such as the Brockville Rowing Club,[4] one of the oldest and most successful rowing clubs in Canada. The Rowing Club has captured the Royal Canadian Henley Championships several times. The club has also sent crews to London, England where they have won several Henley Women's Regatta titles. This success often comes by competition against clubs from much larger Canadian centers such as Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Close to 50 Brockville Area Youth are offered an opportunity to participate in a national level rowing program annually. The club has also sent athletes to cities across Europe and Asia to compete at international regattas as part of the Canadian National Team.

Thousand Islands Secondary School is home to a strong high school track & field and cross-country running program. The Pirates have captured numerous Canadian championships and have won 5 straight overall provincial (OFSAA) Ontario championships in track & field and cross country running in an association of over 1000 schools since 2004. With over 15 former students currently on NCAA athletic track & field scholarships in the United States, TISS has been awarded over $1,000,000 in student athletic scholarships. The TISS team travels all over North America including Ohio, Florida, New Hampshire, and British Columbia, consistently winning major international championships. The accomplishments of the school have inspired the community to construct a $1.5 million athletic centre at the school.

The Brockville Braves are a Tier II Junior "A" ice hockey team from Brockville, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Junior A Hockey League.

History Founded in 1963, the Braves are the second oldest team that has never ceased operation in CJHL history—second only to Pembroke. In the 1979, the teams was the focus of national attention when they were left homeless due to their arena collapsing. This did not stop the Braves though, playing their home games out of Cardinal and Rockland, Ontario, the Braves did not miss a beat.

It took until 1986 for the Brockville Braves to win a CJHL championships. They clinched the Bogart Cup on a late April night, defeating their arch-nemesis Pembroke Lumber Kings 8-7 in the finals. Braves' goalie Jacques Breault was the hero, as with 22 seconds to go in the game, turned away a penalty shot by the league's all-time leading scorers Luc Chabot. Although losing to Orillia, Ontario in the Ontario playdowns, the team was a memorable one. Notable members of this team were all-time Braves leading scorer Larry Mitchell, Breault, Paul Duford, Tim Dubas, Dan Nummikoski, Steve Rachwal, Chad Badawey and Rob White.

Since that championship, the team has experienced more bad times than good. The late 80's and early 90's were not good to the Braves, who failed to make the playoffs multiple times.

In 1997, times began to change for the better again. The Braves were given the duty of hosting the Fred Page Cup, the Eastern Canadian Junior "A" championship. This allowed for their team to compete in the event and give them the experience they needed for the next season. The Braves regained their league title in 1998, bringing the club around full circle. The team will host the 2010 Fred Page Cup.

3 star graduates Bryan Murray (Barry's Bay, Ontario) Mike Daoust (Brockville, Ontario) and Guy Come (Iroquois Falls, Ontario)of the Brockville Braves won the 2001 NCAA National Championship with the Plattsburgh Cardinals vs the RIT Tigers.

Brockville Bunnies Youth Baseball Program is also an elite level program that operates out of this small city, with provincial championships and several pro and Olympic graduates. The Brockville youth basketball teams, the Brockville Blues and the Brockville Blazers, provide basketball coaching and training for boys and girls across the area. The Blues and Blazers have repeatedly placed in the Ontario Baseball Association (OBA) championships. A female basketball player, Stacey Dales (a graduate of Thousand Islands Secondary School), has gone on to play for the Oklahoma University Sooners, coming in a close second for the NCAA title in her graduating year. She also has the highest Canadian woman's draft pick for the WNBA, where she has played for the Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky. She currently works for ESPN. Upper Canada Swim Club is another local youth organization that operate at a high level of competition.

There are several golf courses in the Brockville area for a variety of skill levels. Sunnidel Golf is a par three course designed for an easy going round. The Brockville Highlands is a full length 18 hole course. The course has a small membership and is open to patrons willing to pay green fees. The Brockville Country Club poses greater difficulty to the average golfer. The membership comprises an older demographic and is semi-private. The course is open to green fees however certain playing restrictions are imposed.

The Brockville Ontario Speedway (The BOS) is a clay oval track located just north of the city on Highway 29 in Forthton. The track races every Saturday night from May to September. Classes that race every week include Rookies, Street Stock, Sportsman, Modified and Vintage.

[edit] Sister City

[edit] Notable residents

The wooden carved statue of Sally Grant sits atop of the Brockville Court House
  • Brad Abraham - screenwriter, lived in Brockville from 1986 to 1992 and graduated from Brockville Collegiate Institute.
  • Larry Ashley - late trainer of the Vancouver Canucks was born and raised in Brockville and is a member of the Brockville Sports Hall of Fame.
  • George Chaffey - civil engineer and urban planner, founder of the U.S. city of Ontario, California, currently a sister city of Brockville.
  • William Chaffey - civil engineer and urban planner. Brother of George Chaffey.
  • Brian Chapman - former AHL All Star was born and raised in Brockville.
  • Stacey Dales - former WNBA AllStar and current ESPN broadcaster.
  • Burke Dales - current CFL punter, with the 2008 Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders.
  • Todd Gill - born and raised east of Brockville in Cardinal, Ontario, now resides in Brockville and owns and runs the CJHL Brockville Braves.
  • Randy Ladouceur - former NHL player (primarily with the Hartford Whalers) and coach was born and raised in Brockville.
  • Hank Lammens - former New York Islanders draft pick and one-time Ottawa Senators player (St. Lawrence University alum).
  • Alyn McCauley - former Toronto Maple Leaf First round draft pick was born and raised in Brockville and still returns to the region during the summer months.
  • Matthew McMahon - professional golfer.
  • Portia Perez - women's professional wrestler.
  • Dan Quinn - raised in Brockville and returned to play slo pitch during the summers of his early career.
  • Randy Sexton - former general manager of the Ottawa Senators (St. Lawrence University alum).

[edit] Education

There are four high schools located in and around the City of Brockville. Brockville Collegiate Institute, with an enrollment of approximately 500, is a predominantly university preparatory school with a strong rowing and football program. The BCI Stage Crew is a team of students who are particularly proficient in many aspects of technical theatre. Due to the auditorium at BCI, the BCI Stage Crew has a long tradition of experienced Technical Directors and Crew members alike, some who have gone on to work professionally in the theatre and concert show business circuits.

Thousand Islands Secondary School, with an enrollment of 1200+, is both a university and college preparatory school with tech facilities and athletics programs, most notably the track and field, girls basketball, boys soccer, and cross country running teams. St. Mary Catholic High School, with around 600 students, also had athletic success with their girls basketball programs, winning the all Ontarios, back to back, in the late 90s.

Ecole Academie Catholique Ange Gabriel is a school (Grades JK-11) located in the northern end of the city. It is the regional francophone school, and it is the newest built school in the city.

Public elementary schools in the city include Commonwealth Public School, Prince of Wales Public School, Westminster Public School, Toniata Public School and Vanier Public School. The Catholic elementary schools are St. Francis Xavier, St. John Bosco and James L. Jordan. There is also a French Catholic elementary and high school, the Académie Catholique Ange-Gabriel.

List of schools surrounding Brockville include Lyn Public School, Maynard Elementary School, Meadowview Elementary School, Pineview Elementary School, and Front of Yonge Elementary School, which could be closing soon due to a decreasing population. (Former schools include Tincap Elementary School, Algonquin Elementary School, Addison Elementary School, Frankville Elementary School, and New Dublin Elementary School.)

St. Lawrence College (Brockville Campus) has been graduating post secondary students since the 1960s and has an enrollment of around 800.[5] There have been cutbacks to post secondary education in recent decades that have negatively effected the growth of the College.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Brockville, Ontario (City)". 2006 Community Profiles. Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3507015&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=brockville&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All. Retrieved 2009-03-06. 
  2. ^ "Brockville, Ontario (Census agglomeration)". 2006 Community Profiles. Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CMA&Code1=512__&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=brockville&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All. Retrieved 2009-03-06. 
  3. ^ Brockville Police Services - WHO Designation
  4. ^ Brockville Rowing Club
  5. ^ St. Lawrence College (Brockville Campus)

[edit] External links

Search Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brockville, Ontario
Search Wikisource Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Brockville.

[edit] Local media

[edit] Organizations and schools

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Coordinates: 44°35′N 75°41′W / 44.583°N 75.683°W / 44.583; -75.683

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