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Guelph

Coordinates: 43°33′N 80°15′W / 43.550°N 80.250°W / 43.550; -80.250
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For the electoral district, see Guelph (electoral district).
For other meanings, see Guelph (disambiguation).

43°33′N 80°15′W / 43.550°N 80.250°W / 43.550; -80.250

Guelph, Ontario
Flag of Guelph, Ontario
Flag
Coat of arms of Guelph, Ontario
Coat of arms
Nickname: 
The Royal City
Motto(s): 
Faith, Fidelity and Progress
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
CountyWellington County
City WardsThere are 6 Wards
FoundedApril 23, 1827
IncorporatedApril 23, 1879
Government
 • MayorKaren Farbridge (elected November 2006)
 • Governing BodyGuelph City Council
 • MPsFrank Valeriote (LPC) 2008-Present
 • MPPsLiz Sandals (OLP) 2003-Present
Area
 • City86.72 km2 (33.48 sq mi)
 • Urban
78.39 km2 (48.71 sq mi)
 • Metro
378.45 km2 (146.12 sq mi)
Elevation
334 m (1,096 ft)
Population
 (2006)[1]
 • City114,943
 • Density1,325.5/km2 (3,433.2/sq mi)
 • Urban
115,635
 • Metro
127,009
 • Demonym
Guelphite
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code span
N1C, N1E, N1G, N1H, N1K, N1L
Area code(s)519, 226
WebsiteCity of Guelph website

Guelph (Template:PronEng) (Canada 2006 Census population 114,943[1]) is a city located in Southern Ontario, and more specifically in the Southwestern region of Ontario, Canada.

Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly 28 kilometres (17 mi) east of Kitchener-Waterloo and 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of downtown Toronto at the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 7. It is the seat of Wellington County, but as a separated municipality, the city is not part of the county. As one entity, Guelph and Wellington County have a population of 200,425.[2]

Residents of Guelph are called Guelphites. Guelph also has a number of sister cities, which are selected based on economic, cultural and political criteria.

Because of its low crime rates, clean environment and generally high standard of living, Guelph is consistently rated as one of the country's most livable cities: Moneysense magazine ranked Guelph fourth in the country to live in 2007 [3], and was also rated among Canada's ten best places to live by Chatelaine magazine[citation needed].

In April 2009 Guelph was named one of Canada's top ten places to live for university graduates, mid-career professionals, families with children, and retirees.[4]

History

Before colonization, the area was considered by the surrounding indigenous communities to be a "neutral" zone. On selected dates members from these communities would meet and trade goods by the Speed River.[citation needed]

Guelph was selected as the headquarters of the Canada Company, a British development firm, by its Canadian superintendent John Galt, a popular Scottish novelist who designed the town to attract settlers to it and to the surrounding countryside.[5]

Galt designed the town to resemble a European city centre, complete with squares, broad main streets and narrow side streets, resulting in a variety of block sizes and shapes which is still in place today.[6] The street plan was designed to resemble a lady's fan, many of the streets forming triangles (the segments of the fan)[citation needed]. This technique had been used in other planned towns such as Buffalo, New York.[5] Guelph was founded on St. George's Day, April 23, 1827, the feast day of the patron saint of England.[6] The town was named to honour Britain's royal family, the Hanoverians, who were descended from the Guelfs, the ancestral family of George IV, the reigning British monarch; thus the nickname The Royal City. The directors of the Canada Company had actually wanted the city to be named Goderich, but reluctantly accepted the fait accompli.

The city is home to the University of Guelph and Sleeman Breweries Ltd.. The Ontario Agricultural College (OAC), the oldest part of University of Guelph, began in 1873 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto. Guelph's most famous landmark is the Church of Our Lady Immaculate.

An 1855 map of Guelph.

Geography and climate

Topography and water courses

Downtown Guelph is situated above the confluence of the Speed and Eramosa, which have numerous tributaries. The Speed River enters from the north and the Eramosa River from the east; the two rivers meet below downtown and continue southwest. There are also many creeks and rivers creating large tracts of densely-forested ravines, and providing ideal sites for parks and recreational trails. The city is built on many drumlins and buried waterways, the most famous being an underground creek flowing below the Albion Hotel, once the source of water used to brew beer.

Climate

Climate data for Guelph
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: The Weather Network [7]

The weather and climate of that region of Ontario is moderate in both summer and winter. However, due to its location close to other moderate or major cities (Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Toronto and the GTA) Guelph experiences the highest percentage of acid rain downfall in all of Ontario and the area is prone to severe weather causing high winds in summer, due to its location on the Lake Breeze Front.

Economy

Manufacturing is a leading sector, accounting for 18 per cent of employment.[8].

The City of Guelph's Economic Development Strategy identified life science, agri-food and biotechnology firms, environmental management and technology companies as growth industries on which to focus economic development activities. [9]

Guelph's major employers include the University of Guelph, Linamar Corporation, and Sleeman Breweries (recently purchased by Sapporo of Japan) among others.

Demographics

Ethnic Origin Population Percent
English 36,975 31.93%
Canadian 36,845 31.82%
Scottish 27,875 24.07%
Irish 24,445 21.11%
German 14,505 12.52%
Italian 11,135 9.61%

Guelph is the fourth fastest growing city in Canada with a population growth rate of about 2% per year. Guelph's current population is estimated to be around 127,872 and is projected to have a population around 175,000-195,000 by the year 2027. Population varies throughout the year because of variations in the University of Guelph student population. [10]

The 2001 census indicates 117,344 people residing in Guelph, of whom 49.1% were male and 50.9% were female. Children under five accounted for approximately 6.2% of the resident population of Guelph, whereas 12.2% of the resident population in Guelph were of retirement age. The average age is 35.7 years of age. In the five years between 1996 and 2001, the population of Guelph grew by 10.7%. Population density of Guelph averaged 310.1 people per square kilometre.

Historically, Guelph's population has been principally British in origin, with 92% in 1880 and 87% in 1921.[5]

Now, some 10 percent of the resident population described themselves as visible minorities, predominantly South Asian mostly of Afghan, Indian and Pakistani origin: 2.43%, Chinese: 2.42%, Black Canadian/African Canadians: 1.25%, and many others including Filipino, Vietnamese and Arab. The city is mostly Christian: 74.17%, almost evenly split among Protestants and Roman Catholics. The largest non-Christian religion is Buddhism: 1.45%, followed by Islam, and Hinduism.[11]

Education

There are two public school boards that operate inside the city. The Upper Grand District School Board administers all of Wellington County, as well as adjacent Dufferin County, while the Wellington Catholic District School Board administers Catholic education in Wellington County, including Guelph.

Secondary schools

Due to the presence of two different school boards, Guelph has numerous elementary and secondary schools. The secondary schools are as follows:

Public:

Catholic:

Post-secondary institutions

Public library system

Main article: Guelph Public Library
The original Carnegie library in Guelph.

Although a private library had existed since 1832, a public library did not exist in Guelph until 1882, when the Free Libraries Act allowed municipalities to operate libraries. After occupying premises near City Hall, it moved into an Andrew Carnegie-funded building in 1905[12], which was eventually demolished in 1964. The current main branch building was opened in 1965.[13] The Guelph Public Library currently has five branches.

The Guelph Public Library also serves as the unofficial repository for records created by the City of Guelph.

Politics

City Hall

Guelph City Hall at Night, Guelph, ON
Main article: Guelph City Council

The city is a single-tier municipality governed by a mayor-council system. The structure of the municipal government is stipulated by the Ontario Municipal Act of 2001. There are currently 12 councillors and a mayor, with 2 councillors representing each of the six wards.

The mayor and members of the city council serve four-year terms without term limits, with the next election in November 2010. Prior to the 2006 election, the mayor and city councillors served three-year terms.

Guelph City Council is responsible for policy and decision making, monitoring the operation and performance of the city, analyzing and approving budgets and determining spending priorities.

In 2006, Karen Farbridge defeated incumbent mayor Kate Quarrie, 51% to 35% along with 8 new City councilors who replaced many of the long-time council members.

Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Main article: Guelph (provincial electoral district)

Guelph occupies a single provincial riding of the same name, and is currently represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by Liz Sandals, a member of the ruling Ontario Liberal Party.

Parliament of Canada

Main article: Guelph (electoral district)

Guelph also occupies a federal riding of the same name, and has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of Canada by Frank Valeriote of the Liberal Party of Canada since 2008.

Culture

Historic sites

  • Downtown Guelph: Many downtown streets are lined with Victorian era buildings, which are now well over a century old.
  • Guelph Civic Museum, a museum located near Downtown Guelph. At Guelph Civic Museum one can find pictures, films and other antique materials related to the historic development of the City of Guelph at a 1850- three-story Guelph limestone building.

National Historic Sites

Church of Our Lady, above city

Outdoor attractions

Old flood-control embankment, Gordon St bridge
Riparian restoration

Most of the natural attractions of Guelph are located beside the two rivers which pass inside the city, Speed River and Eramosa River.

  • Guelph Lake
  • University of Guelph Arboretum
  • Riverside Park, located beside the Speed River at north of Guelph
  • York Road Park
  • Hanlon Creek Park (Preservation Park)
  • Royal City Park and Wellington Street nature sites
  • Exhibition Park (the oldest park in Guelph)

"OPIRG-Guelph and other community groups have worked, in partnership with the City ... to rehabilitate the local river environment.... Today, the river's edge is allowed to naturalize, benefiting the environment and saving ... maintenance. The City of Guelph's River Systems Management Plan is a positive approach to river management [whose] vision is to protect the rivers' role within the city, by featuring them in urban design, and enhancing and protecting ecological diversity, while providing beneficial uses for the community." Chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers have been abandoned, in an effort of produce a narrow buffer strip within the thirty meter "riparian zone" between the rivers and their surrounding parklands, including river paths. This "provides food, habitat, and a corridor for wildlife, as well as improving water quality by minimizing erosion, acting as a filter and providing shade, to lower water temperature", increasing oxygen, thus decreasing algae and bacteria.[14]

Arts facilities

The Macdonald Stewart Art Centre serves the community by providing a balanced program of temporary exhibitions of contemporary and historical art, craft and design drawn from regional, national and international sources. As the major public collection in this area, the collection is presented through specialized exhibitions.

The Bookshelf Ebar Art Space showcases monthly exhibits of local and regional artists. It functions as Guelph's main alternative art space located in the downtown core.

Ed Video Media Arts Centre is one of Canada's leading artist-run centres devoted to the proliferation and appreciation of Canadian media art and film, and is the main driving force behind a growing movement of professional filmmakers within the region. Ed Video carries out an ongoing monthly programming schedule of regional and national media art.

The River Run Centre, opened in 1997, serves as Guelph's premier performing arts centre. Encompassing three separate halls (including Canada Company Hall, Co-operators Hall, and the 785-seat Main Stage), River Run has played host to corporate functions, as well as dramatic and musical performances.

The Guelph Youth Music Centre is a permanent facility in which Guelph youth can participate in music and arts education and activities. In 1992, the former Heritage Seed Company along the Speed River was purchased by the City of Guelph and turned over to the GYMC under a long-term lease. Following an extensive renovation, GYMC opened their new facility in September 2001. The Centre includes a beautiful 180-seat Recital Hall, a dance studio and 15 rehearsal and teaching studios. The Centre provids a forum for affordable leadership, teaching, rehearsal and performance for hundreds of local music and arts students.

Music

Music has always played a large part in the lives of people living in Guelph. From a Bell Organ factory to the opera singer Edward Johnson, Guelph has been a source of musical contribution. Today, Guelph is particularly notable for its indie rock scene, which has spawned some of Canada's more notable indie bands, including King Cobb Steelie, Royal City, The Constantines, Jim Guthrie, The Barmitzvah Brothers, Elbow Beach Surf Club, Flashlight Brown, Green Go, The D'Urbervilles and the kramdens.

Canadian thrash metal act Razor (band) are from Guelph.

Arise and Ruin are a Guelph metalcore band signed to Victory Records.

Guelph is also home to the Hillside Festival, a hugely popular music festival held at Guelph island during the summer, as well as the Guelph Jazz Festival[15].

Sports teams

The Guelph Storm at home ice in 2006.
Club League Sport Venue Established Championships
Guelph Storm Ontario Hockey League Hockey Sleeman Centre 1991
2
Guelph Royals Intercounty Baseball League Baseball David E. Hastings Stadium at Exhibition Park (Guelph) 1919 8
Guelph Gryphons Canadian Interuniversity Sport University W.F. Mitchell Centre and Alumni Stadium 1874 0
Guelph Regals Ontario Lacrosse Association Lacrosse Victoria Road Recreation Centre 1992 1
Guelph Rangers Kitchener District Soccer League Soccer Centennial Park and Guelph Lake Sports Fields circa 1985 3
Guelph Underdogs SC Conestoga College Indoor Soccer League Soccer Conestoga College Recreational Centre 2004 0
Guelph Dominators Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Hockey Victoria Road Recreation Centre 1963 0
Guelph Bears Ontario Varsity Football League Football John Ross High School and University of Guelph's Alumni Stadium 1997 0
Guelph Gargoyles Ontario Australian Football League Australian Football Magaret Green Park 2001 0

Guelph Silvercreeks

Media

Main article: Media in Guelph

The city of Guelph is served by two main newspapers, two student newspapers, one alternative weekly, two local radio stations, a university radio station, and a community cable channel. All other media, including newspapers and television stations, are regionally based, usually from Kitchener or Toronto.

Transportation

Bus

Main article: Guelph Transit

Guelph Transit provides local transportation around the city. On June 20, 2007 Guelph Transit launched a web-based system known as Next Bus[16]. Global positioning satellites (GPS) technology and advanced computer modeling provide riders via the Internet, handheld devices (including Palms, Blackberries, and Web-capable cellular phones), or their telephones to receive accurate, real-time arrival and departure information. Intercity connections are made at the Guelph Bus Terminal.

Rail

Guelph Train Station

Guelph was the first municipality in Canada to have its own federally chartered railway, the Guelph Junction Railway. This 16-mile link to the CPR is still municipally owned.

VIA Rail provides daily passenger rail service from the railway station to London and Toronto. The Goderich-Exeter Railway and Guelph Junction Railway provide freight service.

Highways

Twin cities

People

Notable people associated with Guelph:

  • Entrance to Sleeman Centre
    Entrance to Sleeman Centre
  • Bust of John Galt outside city hall
    Bust of John Galt outside city hall
  • Lattice-covered wooden footbridge, 1992
    Lattice-covered wooden footbridge, 1992
  • Autumn view north from covered bridge
    Autumn view north from covered bridge
  • Church of Our Lady Immaculate
    Church of Our Lady Immaculate
  • A footbridge in Riverside Park.
    A footbridge in Riverside Park.
  • Boathouse, at rivers fork
    Boathouse, at rivers fork
  • Osprey above Gordon St bridge
    Osprey above Gordon St bridge
  • Eramosa at fork, from Gordon St bridge
    Eramosa at fork, from Gordon St bridge
  • Park dedicated to Marianne Goulden
    Park dedicated to Marianne Goulden
  • Autumn sky over Marianne's Park
    Autumn sky over Marianne's Park
  • Early autumn colours, Speed River
    Early autumn colours, Speed River
  • Holy Protection Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church
    Holy Protection Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Community highlights for Guelph". Community profiles. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
  2. ^ "Community Profile for Wellington". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  3. ^ "Canada's Best Places to Live". Canadian Business Online. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  4. ^ http://guelph.ca/newsroom_display.cfm?itemID=77378
  5. ^ a b c Stelter, G.A. "Guelph". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  6. ^ a b "History of Guelph". City of Guelph. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  7. ^ "Statistics for Waterloo Wellington Airport". World Weather Information Service]. Retrieved November 7 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  8. ^ "Canada Votes 2006". CBC.ca. 2006. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
  9. ^ "The Focus on Sectors". City of Guelph. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
  10. ^ Craig Manley, Manager of Policy Planning. "Fact Sheet:Population Growth" (PDF). City of Guelph. Retrieved 2008-03-17. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  11. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
  12. ^ "Guelph Public Library archival photographs collection". Guelph Public Library. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  13. ^ "Our History". Guelph Public Library. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
  14. ^ Signage from Speed River walking path. OPIRG-Guelph is the Ontario Public Interest Research Group-Guelph, organized by students at the University, and involving City and citizens. http://www.opirgguelph.org/index.php0
  15. ^ Guelph Jazz Festival
  16. ^ City of Guelph
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