Brockville

Brockville (2001 population 21,375, metropolitan population 44,741) is located in the Thousand Islands region on the St. Lawrence River in Eastern Ontario, Canada.

Known as the "City of the 1000 Islands", Brockville is located directly opposite Morristown, New York on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, about half-way between Cornwall in the east and Kingston in the west and a little over an hour from the nation's capital, Ottawa.

History

Canada's first railway tunnel, opened in 1860.

This area of Ontario was first settled in 1784 by hundreds of American refugees who later became known as United Empire Loyalists for their political position on the side of King George III during the War for America. This struggle between Britain and the 13 American colonies took place in the years 1776 to 1783 and seriously divided loyalities in a war for American Independance.

When the war ended with the capitulation of the British forces in 1782, many loyal American colonists were forced to flee their homes and were dispossessed of much of their property.

Brockville itself was first settled by a disbanded ensign from the state of New York, William Buell Sr. (1751-1832) in 1785. At the beginning, the initial settlement was sometimesy known as Buell's Bay. It was renamed Brockville in 1812 in honour of British Major-General Isaac Brock, the national hero of the War of 1812-14, who was killed in battle at Queenston, Upper Canada later that year.

Brockville is notable for being Ontario's first incorporated town, which took place in 1832, one year before Toronto claims that honour. Its coat of arms, featuring a beehive surrounded by a golden chain, bears the motto Industria, Intelligentia, Prosperitas. The town of Brockville was included on the line of the new Grand Trunk Railroad, running from Montreal to Toronto, in 1855. At the same time the north-south line of the Brockville & Ottawa Railway was built as a transportation link to join the St. Lawrence River ship route with the timber trade of the Ottawa Valley. A well-engineered tunnel for this railway was dug and blasted underneath the middle of Brockville from 1854 to 1860. This was the first railway tunnel of its kind created and opened in Canada, and remains in place for visitors to see and experience.

Industry

Brockville is now home to several industrial manufacturers including ceiling fan manufacturer Canarm.

The Brockville Procter & Gamble site is the world supplier of Swiffer cleaning products. It is the employer of over 600 workers.

Canadian retailer Giant Tiger has opened a new distribution centre for frozen products in Brockville.

Tourism

A Canadian Pacific Railway Caboose or "Van" donated to Brockville by CPR for display. It is located near the Railway Tunnel.

As the City of the 1000 Islands, Brockville is home to St. Lawrence River tour boats offering scenic trips on the river.

The Brockville area is the launching point for some of the best fresh-water wreck diving in the world. Numerous sunken ships have been discovered below the waters of the St. Lawrence and a number of dive operators with fully equipped boats are ready to take divers to these sites. As well, Brockville is home to famous industrial designer (and ex-BCI football All-Star) Phillip Benson.

The historic Fulford Place is located in the east end of Brockville. This was the palatial home of Senator George T. Fulford, whose success in marketing Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People around the world made him one of the area's richest industrialists before his death in 1905. The house is open daily for tours at 287 King St.

Sports

Brockville has had a very rich sports heritage in relation to communities of its size in Ontario. Several local clubs, organizations and high schools have achieved success on provincial, national, and even international stages that many other similar sized communities would be hard-pressed to match.

The Brockville Rowing Club is one of the oldest and most successful rowing clubs in Canada and have several times captured Royal Canadian Henley Championships. The club has even sent crews to London, England where they have captured a Royal Henley World Championship. This success often comes against much larger clubs from large Canadian centers such as Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Many former BRC members have won prestigious NCAA scholarships to Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Princeton, and Cornell. As well as Mercyhurst, Syracuse, and Iowa since 2002. Close to 100 Brockville Area Youth annually have the unique opportunity to participate in a national level rowing program in a small town setting.

Thousand Islands Secondary School is home to an extraordinary high school track & field and cross country running program. The "Pirates" have captured numerous Canadian championships and have won 3 straight overall provincial (OFSAA) Ontario championships in track & field and cross country running in an association of over 1000 schools since 2004. With over 15 former students currently on NCAA athletic track & field scholarships in the United States, TISS has been awarded over $1,000,000 in student athletic scholarships. The TISS team travels all over North America including Ohio, Florida, New Hampshire, and British Columbia, consistently winning major international championships and accolades. The unique accomplishments of the school have inspired the community to undergo plans to construct a $1.3 million track and field center at the school which would be one the best in Canada when completed, truly a major accomplishment for such a small urban center.

The Brockville Bunnies Youth Baseball Program is also a very elite level program that operates out of this small Eastern Ontario city. With provincial championships and several pro and Olympic graduates, the Bunnies provide Brockville youth with excellent opportunities in the sport.

The Upper Canada Swim Club and Brockville Blazers are just a couple more local youth organizations that operate at a level of competition that is unlike most small Canadian cities.

Education

There are three high schools located in the City of Brockville. They are: Brockville Collegiate Institute, Thousand Islands Secondary School and St. Mary Catholic High School.

St. Lawrence College (Brockville Campus) has been graduating post secondary students since the 1960s.