Tillsonburg

Tillsonburg
Town
Motto:  A Place to Build Your Future
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Oxford County
Settled	1825 as a village
Incorporated	1872 as a town
Government
• Governing Body	Tillsonburg Town Council
• Town Mayor	Stephen Molnar
• Deputy Mayor	Mark A Renaud
• Councillors	Fred Lewis Brian Stephenson Chris Rosehart Sam Lamb Dave Beres
Area
• Total	22.34 km2 (13.87 sq mi)
Elevation	270 m (885 ft)
Population  (2006)
• Total	14,822
• Density	663.6/km2 (1,719/sq mi)
• Demonym	Tillsonburger
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code	N4G
Area code(s)	(519/226)
Website	http://www.tillsonburg.ca/

Tillsonburg is a town in Oxford County, Ontario, Canada.

Tillsonburg is a town of 14,822 located about 50 kilometres southeast of London, on Highway 3 at the junction of Highway 19 the closest route to Highway 401 at Ingersoll, Ontario. Although the town population is listed as 14,822, the town is a regional hub for business, industry, health care, education, agriculture, government and emergency services which serves a catchment/trade area of nearly 225,000 people.

History

George Tillson

The area was settled in 1825 by George Tillson and other immigrants from Massachusetts. A forge and sawmill were erected, roads built which led to the establishment of this small community called Dereham Forge. In 1836 the village was renamed Tillsonburg in honour of its founder. It was also in this year that the main street, Broadway, was laid out to its full 100-foot (30 m) width. Because the village was predominantly a logging and wood product centre, the street was constructed wide enough to accommodate turning of three team logging wagons. This width now is unique to Ontario and a tremendous asset toward handling pressures of modern day traffic, by providing the benefits of angle parking. As a logging village, what is now called Broadway, as well as Highway 19, was originally called Plank Line.

The mid-19th century proved to be the first step in the industrialization of this municipality. A water system was devised to not only supply pure water for domestic use, but also to provide water power to such industries as a sawmill, planing mill, grist mill, spinning mill, pottery and a tannery. Many of these new establishments were either owned, started, or financed by George Tillson, great-grandfather of Tillson Harrison, a Chinese humanitarian born in Tillsonburg.

E.D Tillson

1872 witnessed the incorporation of the village as the Town of Tillsonburg, with E.D. Tillson elected as its first Mayor. The Town of Tillsonburg reached a population of 2,000 in 1885, experienced its first church dedication, and had its first telephone installation established. Electric power was first utilized in 1912 and automobiles began to appear on the market.

In 1915, a Public Library was built with funds provided by the Carnegie Foundation, and the town's Memorial Hospital came into existence in 1925.

In the 20s, major enterprises included milk production, manufacture of shoes, tractors, textiles and an increased production of tobacco. The Tillsonburg Livingston's Basketball Team (representative of Tillsonburg's largest industry) won the Canadian Championships in 1952 and represented Canada in the Olympics at Helsinki, Finland. CKOT Radio began broadcasting operations in 1955 and the Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Marketing Board opened its new auction exchange 3 years later. The Town's Centennial Year (1972) saw the opening of the new $1,000,000 Community Recreation Complex by the Governor-General of Canada, as well as the opening of the Tillsonburg Museum in the old community centre on the shores of Lake Lisgar. A new 8,000-square-foot (740 m²) Library was completed in 1975, and a second indoor skating rink was built in 1977, funded completely by donations from industry, commerce, service clubs, citizens and Wintario. In 1979, the hospital built a $7,000,000 addition for offices, improved x-ray and emergency departments, and an expanded Intensive Care Unit. A fire hall was constructed in 1979, replacing the old building which was demolished to make way for a downtown mall.

Tillsonburg Town Centre Mall

The controversial Tillsonburg Town Centre Mall opened in 1980, where the former Town Hall once stood. The mall, a joint effort of the Town and Trottier Investments, was built primarily to meet competition from out-of-town malls and keep more of the shopping dollar in town.

Annandale House

In 1983, two important buildings - Annandale House (built by the founding Tillson family) and the Hale Street railway station became public buildings. The former would be restored as a house museum, while the latter would become The Station Arts Centre.

A major residential development geared for seniors - Hickory Hills - was announced in 1985. The development significantly added to the Town's population as well as increased the pool of volunteers for local non-profit agencies.

In 1991, a Food Bank had to be established for the community's needy and continues to be operated on a volunteer basis.

Throughout the early 1990s, volunteers were also busy on the Lake Lisgar Renaissance Project, which sought to revitalize the Lake, and make the park around the Lake more attractive with the construction of a gazebo, water fountain and walkways into the Lake.

That same period saw the closing of two major entertainment outlets: the Skylark Drive-In and the Strand movie theatre, victims of the video store arrival. The original angled marquee architecture of the Strand Theatre is still intact but the building is again unoccupied after brief stints as businesses. To the relief of many, big screen movies came back in Tillsonburg in 1996 with the opening of Broadway Cinemas.

In 1994, the downtown area was significantly enhanced with the construction of the Rotary Club Clock Tower, which incorporated a clock from the town's former Post Office, and a bell from the demolished Town Hall. Soon, it became a community tradition (sponsored by the Rotary Club) for local residents to gather at the Clock Tower to ring in the New Year with fireworks, hot apple cider and the dropping of a ball.

In 1998, The Livingston Centre opened. Named after notable resident Gerry Livingston, the centre provides a wide range of human services in one location. Organizations include:

• Community Living Tillsonburg (Ontario Early Years Centre, Tillsonburg Children's Centre, A Child First-Child Care Supports of Oxford, Family Supports)

• Multi-Service Centre (Adult Basic Literacy; Employment Programs for Youth & Adults; Home Support Programs - personal support & homemaking, assisted living, meals on wheels, transportation, foot & hand care, Home at Last)

• Service Canada (Government of Canada services and benefits, including: passport applications, Employment Insurance programs, Income Security Program applications, Record of Employment website, student services, agricultural services)

• Fanshawe College Tillsonburg (academic assessment, continuing education, corporate training services, post secondary, job finding club)

• Tillson Avenue Education Centre-Thames Valley District School Board (adult credit courses, self study courses, literacy & upgrading for credit and employment, English as a Second Language, Driver's Education)

• and several associated organizations (Addiction Services of Thames Valley, Community Options for Justice, Credit Counseling Oxford - Family Services Thames Valley, Elgin-Oxford Legal Clinic, Family Service of Thames Valley, Ministry of Children & Youth Services - probation & parole, Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care - OHIP eligibility and entitlement, Ontario Works - Oxford County Social Services, Pediatrician, Veterans Affairs Canada, Women's Emergency Centre).

Further development of residential senior's focused development began in 2001 with the Baldwin Place subdivision located on the western periphery of the town. This development which is currently in Phase 8 will have approximately 300 homes when completed.

The Tillsonburg Community Centre was refurbished in 2004 with renovations and enlargement of the main ice surface to NHL size. The project's scope of work included keeping the whale-back roof as a key architectural feature as well as to increase seating and provide for new recreation and health club facilities.

Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital

A major fundraising campaign was undertaken to fund the equipment for a dialysis unit at Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital. This became operational during 2006.

Recent residential development includes the re-urbanization of the former railway lands on Bridge Street East which is the site of Tillson Landing condominium, the first such highrise construction in more than a decade. Tillson Landing was completed in January 2006.

Another major subdivision containing nearly 400 homes, The Oaks, is currently under construction. This subdivision is located in the south-west area of town on the east side of Quarterline Road between Concession and Baldwin Streets. Additional new subdivision development is concentrated in the west quadrant of town including Park Place, Southridge Heights (Morning Glory), and Brookside Phase 3.

Government

Tillsonburg is one of eight municipalities that make up the County of Oxford. The Mayor also represents the Town as a County Councillor. The County administers social programs, ambulance and paramedic services, planning, water and wastewater services, garbage and landfill operations and the County road system.

Tillsonburg is governed by an elected Mayor, Deputy Mayor and five Councillors. Council meets on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month in the Council Chambers in the Corporate Municipal Office. They oversee staff and set policy for the various operations and services provided by the Town.

The council of the Town of Tillsonburg was inaugurated and took the oath of office on December 4, 2006 following the municipal election held on November 13.

The town also owns and operates:

• Tillsonburg Municipal Airport
• Lake Lisgar Water Park
• Tillsonburg Public Library
• Tillsonburg Special Events Centre

Through town-sanctioned committees, the following organizations contribute to the vitality of the town:

• Business Improvement Association (BIA)
• Museum Advisory Committee
• Cemetery Advisory Committee
• Airport Advisory Committee
• Economic Development Committee
• Culture and Tourism Committee

Health care

• The town has one hospital accredited through the Ontario Ministry of Health. Tillsonburg and District Memorial Hospital is located in the downtown area on Rolph Street. The TDMH serves the town and region. The hospital has an emergency room open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are currently five doctors registered with healthyontario.com as accepting new patients, one of the few communities in Ontario where there is no wait list for a family doctor.
• The home support programs of the Multi-Service Centre (personal support & homemaking, assisted living, meals on wheels, transportation, foot & hand care, Home at Last)are accredited by Accreditation Canada.

Education

Elementary and secondary schools

Tillsonburg elementary and secondary schools are under the control of two school boards, the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) and the London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB).

Annandale School

• Established: 1950
• Population: ~300
• Grades: 7 - 8
• One of the last remaining middle schools left in Ontario
• Was once a high school

It became a middle school in 1995 as an experiment to see if middle school aged children would do better with jks-6 or with grade nine's. In 2009 the expansion of Glendale High School (finished September 2010) lead to the Grade Nine students going back and the Glendale Gemini once again was a true high school.

Glendale High School

• Established: 1959
• Population: ~950
• Grades: 9 - 12
• (as of 2010 it is a traditional high school)

Maple Lane Public School

• Established: 1965
• Population: ~300
• Grades: JK - 6
• Used to be a middle school (Grades 7-8)

Monsignor J.H. O'Neill Catholic School

• Established: 1978
• Population: ~280
• Grades: 5 - 8

Rolph Street Public School

• Established: 1913
• Population: ~340
• Grades: JK - 6

South Ridge Public School

• Established: 1981
• Population: ~440
• Grades: JK - 6

St. Joseph's Catholic School

• Population: ~320
• Grades: JK - 4

Special service schools

Adult Basic Literacy Program

• a Multi-Service Centre program, located in The Livingston Centre
• Established: 1987
• Literacy instruction is provided to any adults free of charge. Students are encouraged to purchase their books.

Tillson Avenue Education Centre

• Established: 1995
• Adult Day School offering credit courses, independent learning courses, basic literacy, English as a second language (ESL) and driver education.

Industry and economy

Tillsonburg serves a regional tri-county area of 225,000 people at the confluence of Oxford, Elgin and Norfolk counties. The industrial base has become quite diverse during the decline of the once prominent tobacco industry. The area is home to several branch plants of major US-based automotive suppliers including Rieter Automotive, Guardian Industries, TRW - 2 plants, and Johnson Controls. There are many service-related industries and home-grown success stories including Verspeeten Transport, Marwood Metal Fabrication Ltd., Otter Valley Foods, E & E McLauglin Ltd., J/E Bearing Ltd., Fleetwood Metal Products, and MIL-SIM-FX International Inc.

The town has a very active and developing downtown core area which includes the Tillsonburg Town Centre mall, built in 1980 and the recently opened big box stores including Canadian Tire, Shopper's Drug Mart and Staples-Business Depot. Newly expanded The Source store and Mark's Work Wearhouse are located in the Tillsonburg Town Centre Mall.

All of the major Canadian chartered banks have branches in the town and there is also a Credit Union.

The town is well served with 3 grocery stores: Sobey's, Zehrs and Metro, of which, Sobey's and Metro are open 24 hours.

Tillsonburg is served by three radio stations; The New Country 107.3 (107.3 CJDL FM), Country 1510 (1510 CKOT AM), Easy 101 (101.3 CKOT FM) and two newspapers; The Tillsonburg News and The Tillsonburg Independent.

The town has been positively impacted by the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, 22 kilometres north of the town, which opened in 1986. The CAMI plant, owned by General Motors of Detroit, Michigan, produces the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain CUVs.

The announcement of a new Toyota plant in Woodstock, 30 km northeast of Tillsonburg, will have a similarly positive impact on the development of Tillsonburg. In preparation for the increased traffic demands in the County of Oxford, Highway 19 has been upgraded and completely rebuilt north of the town to Highway #401.

The area also has a strong agricultural community with cash crops, hog farming, milk production, tobacco, ginseng and various tertiary crops.

The town has recently become a hub for regional operations of the Ontario Provincial Police including Oxford County Division Headquarters and also the Southwestern Ontario Forensics laboratory which opened in April 2008.

The town is the 3rd fastest growing community in Oxford County, and ranks as one of the top places to live in Canada.

Tourism

• In January 2006 the National Post listed Tillsonburg as number 75 on the top 100 places to visit in Canada.
• Tillsonburg is home to one of the "Large Canadian Roadside Attractions," an electric guitar. The guitar was once accompanied by a piano that functioned as a roadside advertisement for the music store on the same property. Today, the piano portion of the sign and the music store itself are gone. The building is now a residence but the electric guitar remains.
• Annandale House is a Canadian National Historic Site since 1997.
• The Station Arts Centre with an art gallery and several workshops, features the works of various local artists.
• The town owns the Tillsonburg Municipal Airport, located 7 kilometers north of the town. The airport is the only aviation facility with a paved runway in Oxford and Norfolk Counties. The airport has 3 runways with the primary asphalt runway being 4,002 feet (1,220 m) long.
• The town owns the Tillsonburg Special Event Centre located in the Forest Hill industrial park. This facility is the largest of its kind in Southwestern Ontario. The building is over 50,000 square feet (4,600 m²) and can host events from dinners to car shows to exhibitions.
• The first ever Canadian Kennel Club Charity Dog Show ("The Purina National") was held in Tillsonburg at the Tillsonburg Special Event Centre on March 10 & 11th, 2007. Drawing top canines from across the country, and the United States. Subsequent shows were held in 2008 and 2009. The show moved to the Toronto area beginning in 2010.
• There are 2 hotels and several bed and breakfasts located within the town limits.
• Camping is available north of town at Casey's Park located on Highway #19 north of Mount Elgin, which is the home of weekly Country Music Jamborees between Victoria Day and Labour Day, where audience members are encouraged to participate on stage.
• There are many restaurants in the town including Dairy Queen, Burger King, McDonald's, Tim Hortons, Swiss Chalet, Kelsey's, Harvey's, Subway, A&W, KFC and Taco Bell are forged together, as well, various independents.
• There are several golf courses in the area including The Bridges (formerly Tillsonburg Golf and Country Club) which has been expanded to 18-holes.
• Lake Lisgar, a small lake located in the centre of town, has been rehabilitated and is home to fishing, Tillsonburg Rowing Club and the Lake Lisgar Water Park.
• Coyle's Country Store is a unique store which sells fresh roasted nuts, baking supplies, and spices from around the world. It is located 10–15 minutes north of Tillsonburg.

Demographics

Census	Population
1871	1,700
1881	1,939
1891	2,163
1901	2,241
1911	2,758
1921	2,974
1931	3,385
1941	4,002
1951	5,330
1961	6,600
1971	6,608
1981	10,487
1991	12,019
2001	14,052
2006	14,822

All statistics are based on the 2006 census by Statistics Canada.

Age

Tillsonburg Population By Age Compared To Oxford County

	Tillsonburg			Oxford County
Age	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female
Total - All Persons	14,820	6,995	7,830	102,755	50,460	52,295
0 - 4	765	380	385	5,945	3,075	2,870
5 - 9	750	395	355	6,510	3,305	3,210
10 - 14	880	435	445	7,390	3,805	3,585
15 - 19	870	435	430	7,275	3,685	3,590
20 - 24	860	445	415	6,320	3,235	3,085
25 - 29	825	395	430	5,500	2,755	2,740
30 - 34	785	390	400	6,045	3,035	3,005
35 - 39	875	440	435	6,645	3,300	3,345
40 - 44	1,020	485	540	8,395	4,120	4,275
45 - 49	1,070	490	585	8,105	3,970	4,140
50 - 54	950	445	510	7,210	3,625	3,585
55 - 59	890	425	465	6,425	3,195	3,225
60 - 64	860	385	480	5,015	2,465	2,555
65 - 69	805	375	430	4,265	2,045	2,220
70 - 74	840	365	470	3,805	1,760	2,050
75 - 79	735	325	415	3,280	1,450	1,830
80 - 84	635	260	370	2,630	1,070	1,570
85+	390	120	280	2,000	580	1,415
Median Age	43.9	41.9	45.8	39.8	38.6	40.9
% Over 15	83.9	82.7	84.9	80.7	79.8	81.5

Marital status

Tillsonburg Population By Marital Status Compared To Oxford County

	Tillsonburg			Oxford County
Marital Status	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female
Total - Population 15 years and over	12,425	5,780	6,645	82,910	40,280	42,625
Single	3,070	1,630	1,440	22,420	12,270	10,150
Married	6,655	3,325	3,330	45,535	22,790	22,740
Separated	495	215	275	3,185	1,470	1,710
Divorced	930	370	555	5,810	2,605	3,210
Widowed	1,285	240	1,045	5,960	1,145	4,815

Languages

Tillsonburg Population By Language(s) Understood Compared To Oxford County

	Tillsonburg			Oxford County
Language	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female
Total - All Persons	14,635	6,930	7,705	101,460	50,070	51,385
English Only	12,460	5,900	6,565	89,875	44,395	45,485
French Only	210	90	120	1,100	495	610
Both English And French	15	0	10	95	35	55
Other Languages	1,950	935	1,010	10,380	5,145	5,235

Ethnicity

Tillsonburg Population By Ethnicity Compared To Oxford County

	Tillsonburg			Oxford County
Ethnicity	Total	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female
Total - All Persons	14,635	6,930	7,705	101,460	50,075	51,385
Visible Minority Population	585	270	315	2,555	1,320	1,230
Chinese	40	20	15	300	140	155
South Asian	20	10	10	265	125	140
Black	150	65	85	515	315	195
Filipino	10	0	10	140	65	80
Latin American	15	10	10	110	50	60
Southeast Asian	320	150	170	465	215	250
Arab	10	10	0	115	60	50
Japanese	10	0	0	230	120	110
All others	14,055	6,660	7,395	98,905	48,745	50,160

Transportation

Road and rail

Though not directly on the route, Highway 401 passes close to the town, and is served by Highway 19. Greyhound has weekly bus service to and from Tillsonburg. There is currently no transit system (Tillsonburg Transit ceased operations in 2001 after a 6 year lifespan), however there are 3 taxi cab companies to make up for this.

The Town of Tillsonburg is rail served by the St. Thomas & Eastern Railway, a division of Trillium Railway Co. Ltd, which runs in most cases parallel to Highway 3 in the south end of the town on the former CNR Cayuga subdivision, previously the Canada Air Line. Service on the STER is daily, Monday - Friday.

The Ontario Southland Railway also serves Tillsonburg using the former CPR Port Burwell subdivision running from nearby Ingersoll, parallel to Highway 19 north of town, and then into the north-east end of town. The OSR interchanges with the STER at the south end of town.

Passenger train services are provided by Via Rail stations in nearby Ingersoll or Woodstock.

Air

The town is served by the Tillsonburg Municipal Airport, owned and operated by the Town of Tillsonburg. The airport is located 7 kilometers north of the town in Southwest Oxford Township. The airport is home to several aviation-related businesses. The airport has 3 runways, with the primary runway being re-constructed and extended to 5,500', constructed of asphalt. A new terminal building is also under construction with completion expected in January 2010. The airport is used by corporate aircraft including jets. Regular users of the airport also include the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association, Air Ambulance, Canadian Coast Guard, the Ontario Provincial Police and other government agencies.

Scheduled airline passenger service is available at 3 airports within a 1 hour drive from Tillsonburg.

The Region of Waterloo International Airport o daily non-stop service to Ottawa on Bearskin Airlines, and daily non-stop service to Calgary on WestJet. During the winter months, non-stop passenger service from Kitchener-Waterloo to Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. Service on Northwest/Delta is suspended until further notice effective June 1, 2009.

The John C. Munro International Airport in Hamilton, offers daily domestic service to Calgary, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal and seasonal service to the UK and Caribbean.

The London International Airport offers daily non-stop service to Winnipeg, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Chigago-O'Hare and Detroit, Michigan. Seasonal service to Halifax and Vancouver as well as the Caribbean are also offered from London.

Recreation

• The town has many ravines throughout and a new community trail system is under construction which is scheduled to be completed and opened to the public in 2009.
• Curling is available at the Tillsonburg and District Curling Club.
• Golf is available in and near town with several courses, both 9 and 18 holes.
• Lake Lisgar is home to the Lake Lisgar Water Park which is open from Father's Day to Labour Day.
• The Tillsonburg Senior's Centre, located at the Tillsonburg Community Centre Complex, offers more than 2 dozen activities including a woodworking shop, aerobics, handcrafts, a library, card playing including a bridge club and seasonal activities.
• Hockey and ringette programs are offered at the Tillsonburg Community Centre Complex.
• The Tillsonburg Thunder, Senior A hockey club, play at the Memorial Arena located at the Tillsonburg Community Centre Complex.
• Tillsonburg was the Ontario Major Intermediate A Hockey champion in the 1954-1955 season
• The Tillsonburg Soccer Park is one of the best such facilities anywhere in Ontario, with a land area of 14 acres (57,000 m²). Opened in 2000, this facility draws regional tournaments and players from across the region. The park also includes a full clubhouse with meeting and catering facilities.
• Winter tobagganing is available at the Tillsonburg Golf and Country Club.
• Area 51 Sportsfield [1] has a large 60 acre (243,000 m²) paintball field which offers private games for patrons aged 12 and up.
• The new Official Tillsonburg Skate park is located in front of the Community Centre.
• Pro Wrestling Xtreme [2] has been running monthly professional wrestling events at the Lions Auditorium since September 2004.

Media

Radio

• 1510 AM - CKOT, ((country music))
• 101.3 FM - CKOT-FM, "Easy 101" adult contemporary
• 107.3 FM - CJDL-FM, "Country 107.3" country music

Newspapers

• The Tillsonburg News, a tri-weekly newspaper, first published in 1863
• Lake Shore Shopper
• Eh! Magazine, a bi-monthly Canadian pop culture magazine published in Tillsonburg and sold across Canada from 2003–2005

Neighbourhoods

• Annandale Heights
• Baldwin Place: Modelled largely after the successful Hickory Hills subdivision, this neighbourhood also features one-storey homes.
• Broadway Acres: A neighbourhood immediately adjacent to Broadway with homes built as far back as the 1960s until today.
• Brookside: One of the newer areas located off Quarterline Road near the Tillsonburg Soccer Park. This area of larger single-family homes has recently been connected with Broadway Acres via the long-awaited extension of Glendale Drive. Monsignor O'Neill and Glendale High School are located nearby.
• Cadman Subdivision
• Claron Heights
• Georgian Heights
• Glenridge
• Hickory Hills: The first of the retirement subdivisions in the town. Planned in the late 1980s this neighbourhood has quaint small homes, all one-storey with attached garages. The residents have their own residents association and community centre.
• The Oakes: New area located off Quarterline Road just South of the Tillsonburg Soccer park.
• Park Place
• Riva Ridge
• Riverview
• Rolling Meadows: also was annexed by the Town of Tillsonburg in the 1970s and features larger homes on sizeable lot frontages. This neighbourhood is in the north end of town with convenient access to Highway #19.
• South Ridge
• Trottier Subdivision
• VanNorman Drive
• Westmount: Originally part of the former Township of Dereham, this neighbourhood boasts a large park and homes spread out over very large lots dating back to 1970.
• Woodhaven
• Woodland Estates

Notable Tillsonburg Natives and Residents

• Lloyd Andrews, played for the Toronto St. Patrick's from 1921–1925 and won the Stanley Cup
• Jeff Bes, won gold medal at World Jr. Championship, drafted to the NHL by the Minnesota North Star in the 3rd round. Plays professional hockey in the Central Hockey League
• Colin Campbell, former NHL player, is now Vice-President of hockey operations of the National Hockey League. An arena commemorating Mr. Campbell's contributions to the Town of Tillsonburg is located at the Tillsonburg Community Centre
• Michael DeGroote, billionaire, member of the Order of Canada
• Debra DiGiovanni, Comedian, Canadian Comedy Award winner
• Gary Green, former head coach of the Washington Capitals, youngest head coach in NHL history
• Harley Hotchkiss, executive with the Calgary Flames, 2006 Hockey Hall of Fame
• Gerry Livingston, philanthropist in the areas of sport and social services and sponsor of Canada's Olympic male basketball teams in 1952 and 1960. He received Papal honours in 1962 and died in 1988. The Livingston Centre was named in his honour.
• Christopher Mabee, Canadian Figure Skating Championship silver medallist.
• Kevin Matisyn, lead vocalist for the Juno nominated rock band Evans Blue
• Joe Pitter, plays bass for the rock band Evans Blue
• Margaret Fishback Powers, acclaimed author of Footprints
• David Rokeby, artist, awarded the Governor General's Award
• Jay Triano, the first Canadian-born coach in the NBA, NBA coach of the Toronto Raptors

Popular culture

• Irish playwright Malachy McKenna has written an award-winning play entitled "Tillsonburg".
• Canadians Stompin' Tom Connors as well as The Cash Brothers have written songs entitled "Tillsonburg".
• Frank Mills has also written an instrumental piece from his album "Canada" entitled "Tillsonburg".

Clubs and organizations

Scouting

Tillsonburg was once home to six Scouting groups in Ontario, however currently only two are left in existence. Each scouting organization has served the Tillsonburg community well over the years, aiding in environmental clean-ups, volunteering at the Tillsonburg Fair, and helping with security at events such as Relay for Life to name but a few.

2nd Tillsonburg

Founded in 1933 with a Scout Troop, it would later expand its doors to a Wolf Cub Pack in 1955, a Beaver Colony in 1974, a Venturer Company in 1997, a Rover Crew in 1999, and became Coed the same year. 2nd Tillsonburg is the oldest remaining scout group in town. Meetings are held at St. John's Anglican Church on Ridout Street, with the exception of the Venturer Company which meets at the Gibson House on Concession Street. As a member of Scouts Canada it offers a modernized scouting program for ages five through twenty-six.

5th Tillsonburg Alliance

Founded in 1993 to meet a growing demand for a new group with a Coed beaver colony, 5th Tillsonburg Alliance expanded in 1994 with a Wolf Cub Pack and Scout Troop, and again in 1995 with a Venturer Company. It was a member of Scouts Canada until 2002 when its Parent Committee unanimously elected to not renew its charter and join the Baden-Powell Scouts instead. Now known as the 5th Tillsonburg Alliance BPSC, it offers a traditional scouting program to everyone beginning at age five with no upper age limit. Meetings are held at the Tillsonburg Alliance Church on Quarterline Road. It is the largest and newest scouting group in town, the first BPSC group in Southwestern Ontario, and was the first all-age BPSC group in Canada.

The Station Arts Centre

The Station Arts Centre is home to a number of clubs and organizations, including: The Bridge Street Artists, The Stationhouse Potters, The Tillsonburg Photography Club, The Tillsonburg and Area Miniature Enthusiasts (T.A.M.E), The Tillsonburg Linux Users Group ("Tillug") and The Tillsonburg Videography Club.

External links

• Town of Tillsonburg