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Chesley, Ontario

Coordinates: 44°18′N 81°06′W / 44.300°N 81.100°W / 44.300; -81.100
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Chesley
Community
Motto: 
Nicest Town Around
Chesley is located in Southern Ontario
Chesley
Chesley
Location in southern Ontario
Coordinates: 44°18′N 81°06′W / 44.300°N 81.100°W / 44.300; -81.100
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
CountyBruce County
TownshipArran-Elderslie
Founded1858
Established1865
Incorporated1879
Government
 • Mayor of Arran-ElderslieSteve Hammell
 • MPAlex Ruff
 • MPPBill Walker
Elevation
300 m (1,000 ft)
Population
 • Total1,800
 • Demonym
Chesleyite
Time zoneUTC– 05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC– 04:00 (EDT)
Area code(s)226, 519
Websitearran-elderslie.com

Chesley (originally Sconeville) is a community in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada, located within the municipality of Arran–Elderslie.[1][2] The name Sconeville was replaced in 1868 to mark the career of Solomon Chesley, an official in the pre-Confederation Indian Department.[3] Its town slogan is "The Nicest Town Around."[4] Chesley is located north of both Walkerton on Bruce Road 19 and Hanover on County Road 10.

The town was named after Solomon Chesley, a former official in the Indian Department in Canada West. It is now an example of a typical rural Ontario community.

Chesley originally developed around mills built on the Saugeen River around 1858.[5] It expanded further when it was connected to the Grand Trunk Railroad in 1881. A great fire destroyed most of the original downtown core in 1888, and the destroyed wood buildings were replaced by brick and stone.

From 1877 to 2004, the town had a weekly newspaper called The Chesley Enterprise.[5][6]

The town's major source of employment is commercial manufacturing. From 1886 to 1987, the Krug family operated the Krug Bros. furniture manufacturing business. Currently Crate Designs,[7] a locally owned furniture manufacturing factory, is the only surviving furniture factory, following the recent downsizing of Durham Furniture (2007).

Chesley is part of the Bluewater District School Board and has a junior kindergarten to grade 8 school called the Chesley District Community School.[8] In 2014, the original Chesley District High School joined with the Kinghurst Community School to form a junior kindergarten to grade 12 facility. In 2017, the high school section closed and it is now a junior kindergarten to grade 8 facility.[9]

A number of franchises also exist in the town, including New Orleans Pizza, Rona, Home Hardware, and Rexall Drugs.

The town is known for the statue of a giant bull on the north end of town, which is affectionately known as "Big Bruce."

Recently the town has begun to create a network of walking trails that encompasses much of the town's existing infrastructure of walking paths. Known as the heritage trail, it spans a large part of the town, and its waterside parks.

In 2005, Chesley was able to open a Heritage and Woodworking Museum due to a Trillium Foundation grant.[10] The museum was housed in the Dawson House on 1st Avenue, formerly the home of town doctors Stewart and Dawson.[11][12] The building had been left to the town for public use in the 1970s; in 2013, Chesley put Dawson House up for sale.[11]

Gallery

Around Chesley
  • A postcard of the Main Street (now 1st Avenue) in 1910.
    A postcard of the Main Street (now 1st Avenue) in 1910.
  • Chesley's lone stoplight on 1st Avenue.
    Chesley's lone stoplight on 1st Avenue.
  • Fall colours on the 14th Concession just south of Chesley.
    Fall colours on the 14th Concession just south of Chesley.

Famous residents

References

  1. ^ "The Founding of Chesley Historical Plaque". www.ontarioplaques.com. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  2. ^ "Railpast Junction – Chasing History & Railfanning for Fun". railpast.com. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  3. ^ Hamilton, William (1978). The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names. Toronto: Macmillan. pp. 167. ISBN 0-7715-9754-1.
  4. ^ "Chesley, Ontario Canada | town on Saugeen River - Bruce County - Explore The Bruce". Bruce County – Explore The Bruce. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  5. ^ a b "History of the County of Bruce Ontario Canada". www.electricscotland.com. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  6. ^ nurun.com. "An enterprising history". The Post. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  7. ^ Crate Designs
  8. ^ Chesley District Community School
  9. ^ "About Our School". www.cdcs.bwdsb.on.ca. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  10. ^ nurun.com. "Chesley museum in danger of closing". Owen Sound Sun Times. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  11. ^ a b nurun.com. "Municipality to put Dawson House up for sale". The Post. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  12. ^ "Illustrated number of the Chesley enterprise : Christmas, 1902". Toronto Public Library. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
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