Renfrew, Ontario

For other uses, see Renfrew.

Renfrew
—  Town  —
Raglan Street in the centre of Renfrew
Renfrew Location of Renfrew in the province of Ontario
Coordinates: 45°28′18″N 76°40′59″W
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Renfrew
Established
Incorporated	July 27, 1858
Government
• Mayor	Bill Ringrose (2010)
• Reeve	Audrey Green (2010)
Area
• Land	12.77 km2 (4.93 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	8,218
• Density	643.5/km2 (1,667/sq mi)
• Dwellings	3,980
• Pop. Growth	4.7% from 2,006
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code FSA	K7V
Area code(s)	613 (432, 433, 570 exchange)
Website	renfrewontario.com renfrewontario.ca

Renfrew, Ontario, Canada, is a town on the Bonnechere River in Renfrew County. Located one hour west of Ottawa in Eastern Ontario, Renfrew is the third largest town in the county after Petawawa and Pembroke. The town is a small transportation hub connecting Highway 60 and Highway 132 with the Trans-Canada Highway. Renfrew is also known historically for its role in the formation of the National Hockey League.

History

Named after the town of Renfrew in Scotland, Renfrew was settled largely in part due to logging in the area in the early 19th century, where the river was used in order to drive the lumber to locations such as Ottawa. This heritage was until recently celebrated every July with the Lumber Baron Festival.

Birthplace of the NHL

The Renfrew Millionaires were a professional hockey team, that for two seasons, 1910–1911 and 1911–1912, would attract national attention to the small timber town of Renfrew, Ontario. The creation of railroad contractor and town founder, M. J. O'Brien and his son Ambrose, the Renfrew Millionaires were originally called the Renfrew Creamery Kings, and were a small hockey team playing in the Upper Ottawa Valley League. Dreaming of having their hockey team win the Stanley Cup, the O'Brien's fought to have the team recognized by the Eastern Canadian Hockey Association, which would later become the Canadian Hockey Association (CHA). After numerous rejections and snubs, the O'Brien's finally and simply just created their own League, and called it the National Hockey Association (NHA). M.J. financed four teams in the League: the Renfrew Creamery Kings which became the Renfrew Millionaires, Cobalt, Haileybury and Les Canadiens of Montreal. Within a month, the Montreal Wanderers also joined to became the fifth team. At first, the media didn't take this new League, or the Renfrew Millionaires, seriously. But by the time the Millionaires hit the ice on January 12, 1910, the 4,000 capacity crowd at the Renfrew hockey arena were on their feet. The crowds continued to fill the arena, despite the Millionaires first game loss of 11 - 9 to Cobalt - the special train to Renfrew from Ottawa to watch the hockey games became so popular it was labeled the 'Timberwolf Special' by the press. Adding to the excitement was the team roster. O'Brien and Ambrose were paying huge cash salaries for a team of hockey stars, attracting attention and the best talent. Bert Lindsay, father of well-known hockey legend Ted Lindsay, was brought in to play goal for the Millionaires. Lester and Frank Patrick were signed at the outrageous cost of $3,000 and $2,000 a season. Frank "Cyclone" Taylor became the highest paid athlete in the world when he joined the Renfrew Millionaires for $5,250 a year. The next season, 1910/1911, saw the Ottawa Senators leave the larger Canadian Hockey League, taking the Cup with them, joining the O'Brien's NHA League. After all the hard work and investment, the Stanley Cup was now in sight, in the same League, and within grasp for the Renfrew Millionaires. But after two exciting hockey seasons, the Renfrew Millionaires were not destined to have the Cup. Coming in third place after the second season, the financial costs became too high, and with O'Brien's interests in railroads growing, the family withdrew the Renfrew franchise teams from the NHA and professional hockey forever. Still, the impact O'Brien and his son Ambrose made would be permanent. One of the two original O'Brien franchise hockey teams was sold to Percy Quinn to become the Toronto Blueshirts – which through accession, time, new ownership and an amalgamation, would eventually became the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1928. Another O'Brien team in the NHA would go on to become the beloved Montreal Canadiens. The NHA established by M.J. O'Brien formed the foundation of today's National Hockey League. Canadians and hockey fans everywhere owe their love of today's game, and League, to the hard work and dreams of M.J. and Ambrose [1]

Geography

Renfrew and the surrounding Township of Horton are at the intersection of the Bonnechere River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley. Renfrew is at the intersection of provincial Highway 17, Highway 60, and Highway 132.

Education

Renfrew County District School Board

Primary Schools (Grade K-6)

• Admaston Public School
• Central Public School
• Queen Elizabeth Public School

Middle School (Grade 7-8)

• Renfrew Collegate Intermediate School

Secondary School (Grade 9-12)

• Renfrew Collegiate Institute

Renfrew County Catholic District School Board

Primary Schools (Grade K-7)

• St. Thomas Catholic School
• Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School

Secondary School (Grade 8-12)

• St. Joseph's Catholic High School

Demographics

Population:

• Population in 2011: 8218
• Population in 2006: 7846
• Population in 2001: 7942
• Population in 1996: 8125
• Population in 1991: 8134

First Language:

• English: 91.8 %
• French: 4.0 %
• English and French: 0.5 %
• Other: 3.7 %

Economy

Historic Customs Building, now Renfrew's Post Office

Much of Renfrew's current prosperity can be attributed to its status as an economic centre for a surrounding rural region with a population of over 30,000. Renfrew is also an important stop for Ottawa-based cottagers and outdoor enthusiasts passing by on their way to nearby whitewater rafting, boating, camping, hunting, golfing, fishing, snowmobiling, down-hill skiing, and cross-country skiing. However, the area's largest single employers are the Renfrew Victoria Hospital and the Bonnechere Manor. In addition to numerous small employers, there are also several manufacturing facilities employing several hundred people; Scapa Tapes Renfrew, formerly Renfrew Tape makes products such as hockey tape that is used across North America and the duct tape brand featured on the discontinued Red Green Show. Times Fibre Canada and Madawaska Hardwood Flooring also have manufacturing facilities in town. Renfrew is also home to many successful small businesses. Between 2000 and 2005, a major portion of Renfrew's retail business, and the associated customer services jobs, shifted from the west-end Renfrew mall(now demolished) to the east-end formally-industrial park due to the opening of several major big-box and smaller retail stores just off Highway 17.

Despite the apparent prosperity, Statistics Canada reported the average earnings of Renfrew residents in 2000 as $35,811, or roughly 31% lower than the provincial average and 5% lower than the county average. Further, the town reports, relative to the population size and compared to the province as a whole, fewer positions in management, business, finance, administration and natural or applied sciences, while there was greater than the provincial rates of occupation in sales and service, trades, transport and equipment operators, processing, manufacturing and utilities.

Culture

Media

• Renfrew Mercury (external link)
• My FM (external link)
• TVCogeco
• CJHR-FM 98.7, Valley Heritage Radio (external link)

The O'Brien Theatre was a balconied and elegantly decorated town landmark that was converted from a live theatre to a movie theatre, then upgraded in the 1990s to accommodate two screens, but maintains much of the original appeal.

Festivals

• Renfrew was the bi-annual host and sponsor of the Ottawa Valley Lumber Baron Festival, a celebration of the town's roots in the logging industry. The Lumber Baron Festival is now known as Valleyfest, dropping its historical roots.
• The Renfrew Fair has been drawing mixed crowds for decades with its mid-way rides, exhibits, demolition derby, musical acts and livestock showcase. The fair takes place on the second weekend of every September and lasts from Wednesday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. The rides are supplied by the company Conklin Shows.
• In recent years, local farm-owner Andy Taylor has hosted FarmJam, a twelve-hour festival featuring varying musical acts.
• In 2008, Renfrew celebrated its sesquicentennial throughout the calendar year.

Famous residents

• Ambrose O'Brien
• Charlotte Whitton
• Christine Hough
• Professional ice hockey player, member of NHL, Hall of Fame inductee "Terrible" Ted Lindsay
• NHL players Lorne Anderson, Archie Brydon, Bill Brydge and Tony Iob; Tony Iob also played for the Italy men's national ice hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino.
• W. H. Davies, famous Welsh "tramp-poet", who lost his foot trying to jump a freight train at Renfrew on the evening of March 20, 1899. He was subsequently cared for at the local hospital, to which he was forever indebted.
• Robertson Davies, famous Canadian writer of Fifth Business. He spent his early years (from age 5 onwards) growing up in Renfrew. His family moved here from Thamesville, Ontario and later they moved to Kingston.

Renfrew's museum, the McDougall Mill Museum

The McDougall Mill Museum on the Bonnechere River

John Lorn McDougall, politician and fur trader, built the mill in 1855 by the Bonnechere River near the town landmark Swinging Bridge and overlooking natural rapids below the Renfrew Power Generation generating station. It has been converted into a museum, sometimes referred to as 'Renfrew Museum', not to be confused with museums of that name in Pennsylvania and Scotland. The McDougall Mill Museum houses pioneer tools and machinery, a military section, a doll exhibit, as well as toys, Victorian clothing and household items.

See also

• Michael John O'Brien
• Renfrew Millionaires

Further reading

• The Story of Renfrew. From the Coming of the First Settlers about 1820 to 1928. By W. E. Smallfield, Rev. Robert Campbell, D.Sc., William Smallfield, ISBN 1-894378-42-3