Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall, Ontario | |
|---|---|
| Cornwall Skyline Cornwall Skyline | |
| Motto: Pro Patria | |
| Location of Cornwall in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario Location of Cornwall in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Founded | 1784 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Bob Kilger |
| Area | |
| • City | 61.83 km2 (23.87 sq mi) |
| • Land | 61.83 km2 (23.87 sq mi) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • City | 45,965 (Ranked 100) |
| • Density | 743.4/km2 (1,925/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 58,485 |
| source: Statistics Canada | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Website | http://www.cornwall.ca/ |
Cornwall is a city in eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St. Lawrence River, Quebec City-Windsor Corridor and Highway 401, and is the urban centre for surrounding communities, which include Long Sault and Ingleside to the west, Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne to the south, St. Andrew's and Avonmore to the north, and Glen Walter, Martintown, Williamstown, and Lancaster to the east.
Cornwall is located approximately Template:Km to mi southeast of Ottawa, Canada's capital, Template:Km to mi southwest of Montreal, Quebec's largest city, and Template:Km to mi northeast of Toronto, Ontario's capital.
History
Aboriginal peoples have lived in and around the area of present day Cornwall for millennia. The first serious non-aboriginal settlement was established in 1784, by disbanded Loyalist soldiers, their families and other United Empire Loyalists-- primarily from New York -- following the 1776 American Revolution. They founded a settlement on the site formerly called Pointe Maligne, and named it New Johnstown. It was later renamed Cornwall for the Duke of Cornwall, Prince George, and became one of the first incorporated municipalities in the British colony of Upper Canada in 1834[1].
West of Cornwall, along the St. Lawrence River, there existed several smaller communities now known as The Lost Villages. These communities were permanently flooded in 1958 by the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway to make way for the massive Moses-Saunders hydroelectric dam at the western end of the city and were covered by the hydroelectric reservoir.
Demographics
According to the 2006 census, Cornwall has a population of 45,965. This represents a 0.7% increase from the 2001 Census[2], which gave the city a population of approximately 45,640, but is still 3% below the 1996 census figure of 47,403.
The 2001 census indicates that English is the first language learned by approximately 65% of the population, while 27% count French as their native language and the remainder have any of a number of mother tongues, including (among others) Mohawk, Greek, and Italian.
Economy
Cornwall is a port-of-entry into Canada connected to the United States at Roosevelttown, near the municipalities of Massena, New York and Malone, New York, via the Seaway International Bridge at The Three Nations Crossing (Canada, Mohawk, and U.S.A.) which crosses the St. Lawrence River and Cornwall Island, located within the Ontario portion of Akwesasne.
Cornwall was once home to a thriving cotton processing industry. Courtaulds Canada Inc.’s rayon manufacturing mill operated until 1992 at one point employing almost 3,000. Domtar, a Quebec-based company operated a paper mill in the city for nearly one-hundred years, ceasing operations on March 31, 2006. At its peak, Domtar employed nearly 1,500 employees. In addition, Canadian Industries Limited (C.I.L.), now Pioneer Chemicals, has operated a plant in Cornwall since 1935.[citation needed]
Cornwall's industrial base has now shifted to a more diversified mix of manufacturing, automotive, high tech, food processing, and contact centres. The City hosts the largest SCM distribution centre in Canada, its massive 1,500,000-square-foot (140,000 m2) facility employing nearly 1000 people. Furthermore, StarTek and Teleperformance both operate call centres in Cornwall, each of which provides in excess of 500 jobs. Cornwall's unemployment rate now hovers at 7.9%.[citation needed]
A 2006 study of similar Ontario municipalities ranks Cornwall as one of the highest taxed in almost all categories[3].
On January 17, 2009 City council plans to increase property taxes by 3 to 6 % per household based on property assessments calculated in 2008. Despite the current economic conditions brought on by the global recession, an attitude of business as usual seems to dominate the city council in this respect.
On February 18, 2009 the United Counties council (surrounding the city of Cornwall) tabled a draft budget that would see a 2.7% decrease in property taxes.
On February 19, 2009 the United Counties council voted 7 - 4 for a 4.5% tax rate decrease. Lager than the 2.7% that was tabled as a draft.
MoneySense magazine rated Cornwall as Canada's 102nd best city in May, 2008 (out of 154)[4].
Culture
The city of Cornwall hosts festivals and special community events including; Canada Day festivities, the "Lift Off" hot air balloon festival and concerts, and Gay Pride day.
Cornwall is named after the county of Cornwall in the United Kingdom. Its flag also bears the insignia and colours of the flag of the Duchy of Cornwall.
Lift Off
Lift Off is an annual festival centered around hot air balloons. The festival is held in Lamouroux Park on the St. Lawrence River and features, carnival rides, balloon rides and live music. Lift Off attracts thousands of visitors. Performers have included Trooper, Tom Cochrane, Sass Jordan, Glass Tiger, Dennis DeYoung and Theory of a Deadman.
Non-Profit Organizations
Cornwall is home to many local charities and non-profit organizations. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada, Canadian Cancer Society, the Agapè Centre, Salvation Army, United Way and Canadian Red Cross all have offices in Cornwall.
Government
The mayor of Cornwall is Bob Kilger. Cornwall is situated within the electoral district of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, which is represented provincially by MPP Jim Brownell (Liberal), and federally by MP Guy Lauzon (Conservative). The first Premier of Ontario was from Cornwall, and is buried in St. Andrews West at the catholic church cemetery.
Education
St. Joseph's Secondary School is a part of the Catholic District Board and offers French Immersion education. The newest high school in Cornwall is Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School[5] for grades 7 to 12, opened in response to overpopulation at St. Joseph's. Both schools offer French Immersion education.
Cornwall also has two French high schools: l'École secondaire publique l'Héritage, and l’École secondaire catholique La Citadelle.
École secondaire publique l'Héritage is part of the Conseil des écoles publique de l'est de l'Ontario and is home to grade 7 through 12 students.
Of note in Cornwall is the number of high schools for a relatively small city. Due to the culturally diverse demographic base in Cornwall, the city is home to three English public, two English Catholic, and one of each French public and French Catholic high schools for a total of seven.
Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School hosts grade 11 and 12 students and is the oldest school in Canada to have not closed its doors, having celebrated its bicentennial in 2006.
Several Cornwall area high schools figured in a report published by the Canadian Fraser Institute (April 2007). The report ranked schools by student performance in reading, writing and math. Seven out of ten area schools scored 50% or less in the study. Out of 719 Ontario schools, l'Ecole secondaire catholique La Citadelle, held the top spot for Cornwall placing 208th, with a score of 7.3 out of 10. [6]
Census results from Statistics Canada[7] indicate that only 1 in 4 working age adults (20 - 64 years) finished high school. The same body of statistics do however infer a recent trend among Cornwall residents to complete high school as well as undertake post secondary studies.
Cornwall has many public and Catholic elementary schools, including Gladstone Public School, East Front Public School, Viscount Alexander Public School, Immaculate Conception, St. Peter's, and a number of others. The oldest elementary school, Central Public School opened its doors in 1816.
A campus of St. Lawrence College is situated in Cornwall. The St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences is located on the College campus, and, among other academic and vocational offerings, provides an Environmental Technician program. The St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences is a research centre that carries out ecotoxicological studies on large river systems and in particular, the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River ecosystem.
St. Lawrence College President and chief executive officer Chris Whitaker (as per the Standard-Freeholder, February 14,2009) confirmed that the college is on a shortlist to house a telephone call centre -- as the college reduces academic offerings and begins leasing out office space -- in this instance to Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC).
Cornwall is home to the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Control Operations (École des opérations de contrôle aérospatial des Forces canadiennes) also known as CFSACO[8]. CFSACO offers a range of basic and specialty courses and conversion training to Canadian Forces personnel. Military members are trained to become either Air Traffic Controller/Operators or Air Weapons Controller/Operators.
NAV CANADA, Canada's air navigation service provider, formerly conducted training of domestic Air Traffic Controllers in Cornwall at the NAV CANADA Training Institute and Conference Centre; Air Traffic Control training is now limited to international clients. The Centre still hosts training for Flight Service Specialists, technical operations, and leadership. The site is also used for classroom functions and to host conferences for organisations outside of NAV CANADA.
Environment
Cornwall does not enjoy a positive environmental reputation as a result of decades of heavy industrial pollution, the legacy of which is a riverfront contaminated by mercury, zinc, lead, and copper[9], soil contaminated by coal tar and byproducts[10] , and most evidently, "Big Ben": a 45 acre, 80 metre tall dumpsite within the city filled with wood bark, paper mill sludge, demolition waste and asbestos.
Although the area is touted as recreational it is off limits until winter when the waste is covered and the odours are subdued. It is then used as a ski hill.
In September 2008, over public opposition and in spite of Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE) reports indicating off site leachate impact from the dump and the liklihood of runoff to the St.Lawrence River, the MOE permitted additional dumping at the "Big Ben" site of creosote and bitumin contaminated soils from Domtar's former No-co-rode Ltd. site.
Industrial emissions in the Cornwall area, have fuelled public health concern about respiratory disease and cancer. Health Canada[11] found the rate of hospitalization for asthma was approximately double that of cities such as Hamilton, Sudbury and Windsor. Further research, showed that infants under two years of age had four times the expected hospital admission rate for asthma. Lung and male rectal cancer rates were also elevated in comparison with the rest of the province.
In addition to industrial pollution, Cornwall is one of only two cities left in the Province of Ontario with only primary sewage treatment facilities.
The shutdown of the Courtaulds rayon fiber operation (1992) and the Domtar paper mill (2006) have been a significant factor in the city's improved air quality. Cornwall now consistently ranks in the top 10 of 40 monitored communities across Ontario.
More recently, a Pembina Institute study of 29 communities across Ontario looked at a number of envronmental, social and economic factors. Cornwall ranked 13th overall and its air quality was ranked #1 in the province
In 2006, the city updated its Strategic Plan including the objective, to develop an environmentally sustainable community. [citation needed]
In 2007, a former city councillor, Naresh Bhargava, began working with the St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences on a project called the Community Carbon Reduction Initiative. City council has provided $5,000 in start-up funding for the project.[citation needed] Earlier progress in energy conservation was made in the 1990s when a co-generation plant went into operation that provides 4% to 6% of the city's daily electrical needs while at the same time, heating a number of buildings including both hospital sites. Cornwall also converted all of its traffic signals in 2002 to energy efficient LEDs that have reduced power usage by more than 600,000 kW, enough to light close to 70 homes. The data was contained in a report prepared by the city's public works department.
Climate
| Climate data for Cornwall, ON | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Source: [12] | |||||||||||||
Transportation
With a fleet of 35 buses, Cornwall Transit serves the community 6 days per week (excluding holidays) on 4 fixed routes and several supplementary "rush hour" routes. In addition, there is an on-demand "Handi-Transit" service for the disabled. Cornwall Transit also contracts taxi service at a flat rate to provide transportation for Handi-Transit registrants who are ambulatory.
Cornwall Transit claims that about 1.3 million passengers are transported per year (roughly 4,500 person trips, per day of operation) which would be a surprise to the casual observer, as buses rarely have more than half a dozen passengers at any one time.[13]. The city transit system has overall low ridership, due in part to the inconvenient 40-minute service, circuitous routes and the location of bus stops. The city lost provincially funded school bus contracts ($1 million per year) to private operators. This resulted in provincial subsidies of over $600,000 in 2006 to maintain operations.[citation needed]
Sports
Cornwall has three indoor arenas, the Cornwall Civic Complex, the Bob Turner Memorial Centre and the Si Miller Arena.
Cornwall has been home to a variety of sports teams, the most notable of which was the Cornwall Royals hockey team which played in both the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League before moving to Newmarket in 1992. The Royals won the Memorial Cup in 1972, 1980 and 1981.
Between the years 1993-1996, the Cornwall Aces, an AHL franchise was in town. They were the farm team for the NHL franchises the Quebec Nordiques and the Colorado Avalanche.
The Cornwall Colts are the current Junior A team playing in the Central Junior A Hockey League. They finished 6th in the 2007-08 season. Cornwall hosted the Ontario Winter Games and Special Olympics some years ago, and the City the 2008 Royal Bank Cup for Junior A hockey teams. The Cornwall Colts finished third in the series winning 2 of 5 games.
Notable people
Some of the more famous people to hail from the Cornwall area include:
- Dana Baitz, musician
- Barstool Prophets 3 of the 4 members of the Canadian rock band hailed from Cornwall where the band had its start (Glenn Forrester, Graham Greer, Bobby Tamas)
- Malcolm Burn, musician and record producer
- Doug Carpenter, former NHL coach
- Alain Chevrier former NHL goaltender
- Corbett Denneny, former NHL player
- Cy Denneny, brother of Corbett, former NHL player, in the Hockey Hall of Fame
- Lori Dupuis, Olympic gold and silver medalist in women's ice hockey
- Philippe Ethier, Contemporary Artist
- Peter Gatien, New York nightlife impressario
- Ryan Gosling, actor, Oscar nominee
- Alan Haskvitz [citation needed], educator and author, inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.
- Chad Kilger, retired NHL player
- Ed "Newsy" Lalonde, captained the Montreal Canadiens in the 1910s and helped the team win its first Stanley Cup in 1918
- Ryan Lalonde, actor, part of Internet sketch comedy duo Ryan and Bran[14]
- Bran Rainey, filmmaker, part of Internet sketch comedy duo Ryan and Bran[15]
- John Sandfield Macdonald, prominent lawyer and the first Premier of Ontario
- Maggie MacDonald, playwright and musician
- Don McKay, Governor General's Award-winning poet and essayist.
- Ray Miron, hockey player, coach, and executive, inducted into Cornwall Sports Hall of Fame in 2006, with a mural commemorating his contributions to the city
- Nathan Phillips, the Toronto mayor who was affectionately known as "mayor of all the people"
- John Strachan, an Anglican priest
- John Wensink, former left-winger for the Boston Bruins
Media
Radio
- AM 1220 - CJUL, oldies
- FM 88.1 - CHRI-1, Christian
- FM 92.1 - CHOD, Franco-Ontarian community
- FM 95.5 - CBOC, CBC Radio One
- FM 97.3 - CKON, First Nations community
- FM 98.1 - CBOF-6, Première Chaîne
- FM 101.9 - CJSS, classic rock
- FM 104.5 - CFLG, adult contemporary
Television
- Cornwall Standard Freeholder is the city's main daily newspaper, and is managed by Osprey Media, a division of Quebecor.
- Le journal de Cornwall[17] is the city's main francophone newspaper.
- Seaway News[18]
References
- ^ 5 Star Flags
- ^ Cornwall Population Stats Canada
- ^ Tax Rate Survey
- ^ Canada's best places to live | Lists | MoneySense |
- ^ Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School
- ^ Fraser Institute
- ^ Education Stats
- ^ CFSACO
- ^ International Joint Commission Assessment
- ^ Environment Canada
- ^ Investigating Human Exposure to Contaminants in the Environment (Published by Health Canada)
- ^ http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_e.html?Province=ALL&StationName=Cornwall&SearchType=BeginsWith&LocateBy=Province&Proximity=25&ProximityFrom=City&StationNumber=&IDType=MSC&CityName=&ParkName=&LatitudeDegrees=&LatitudeMinutes=&LongitudeDegrees=&LongitudeMinutes=&NormalsClass=A&SelNormals=&StnId=4255&
- ^ Mid-Sized Transit Service Helps Change Thinking About Natural Gas
- ^ Ryan and Bran
- ^ Ryan and Bran
- ^ TV Cogeco
- ^ Le journal de Cornwall
- ^ Seaway News
External links
- Women Entrepreneurs of Cornwall & Area
- Choose Cornwall
- Cornwall and Area Chamber of Commerce
- City of Cornwall
- Team Cornwall
- Cornwall City Counsel
- Ontario Plaques
- Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps STORMONT
Places adjacent to Cornwall, Ontario | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
