Shakespeare, Ontario

Shakespeare
Settlement
Motto: Where Antique and Unique Meet
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Perth
Municipality	Perth East
Elevation	374 m (1,227 ft)
Coordinates	43°22′9″N 80°50′12″W
Population	3,000 (2006)
Founded	1832
Timezone	EST (UTC-5)
- summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code	N0B 2P0
Area code	519, 226
Location of Shakespeare in Ontario

Shakespeare is a village and designated place within the municipality of Perth East in Perth County, Ontario, Canada with a population of 750 in 2006. Shakespeare is located on the Highway 7/8, just east of Stratford (named after Stratford upon Avon, England) and west of Kitchener.

History

Shakespeare was founded in 1832 by David Bell, and used to be known as Bell's Corner. The name changed from Bell's Corner to Shakespeare in 1852 when Alexander Mitchell suggested naming the town after his favourite playwright.

Events

Every year Shakespeare celebrates the town community with its own holiday called Field day. Field Day is usually celebrated in early June on a Saturday. There is a parade in the morning, followed by a community breakfast and fun events throughout the day. In the evening, everybody gets together for the Fish Fry held at the Shakespeare Optimist Hall. Shakespeare celebrated its 60th Field day in 2007.

References

• "Toporama - Topographic Map Sheet 40P7". Atlas of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/topo/map. Retrieved 2009-12-25.