Jump to content

Burford, Ontario

Add links
Coordinates: 43°06′08″N 80°25′44″W / 43.1022°N 80.429°W / 43.1022; -80.429
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Hmains (talk | contribs) at 03:46, 9 September 2018 (standard quote handling in WP;standard Apostrophe/quotation marks in WP; MOS general fixes). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Burford
Canada Post Office in Burford's downtown
Canada Post Office in Burford's downtown
Burford is located in Ontario
Burford
Burford
Location of Burford
Coordinates: 43°6′7.92″N 80°25′44.4″W / 43.1022000°N 80.429000°W / 43.1022000; -80.429000
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
CountyBrant
Settled1793[1]
Area
 • Total7.76 km2 (3.00 sq mi)
Elevation
[2]
251 m (823 ft)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total1,615
 • Density208.2/km2 (539/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
Postal code
N0E 1A0
Area code(s)519 and 226

Burford is a rural community and is part of the County of Brant, in central southwestern Ontario. It has 1,615 residents (2016 Census). It is located eight kilometers west of the City of Brantford along Highway 53, and seventy kilometres east of London, Ontario. It is approximately 100 km southwest of Toronto.

Burford is home to the Burford Bulldogs, a junior hockey team that plays in the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League.

Burford has a local golf course, Burford Golf Links, which was founded in 1980. It has gone through a number of different owners and is now part of the GolfNorth group of golf courses.

Burford also hosts the Burford Fall Fair every year. The fair was established in 1858 and after being hosted in Harley as the World's Fair, was relocated to Burford, when the Burford fair grounds were purchased in 1893. Over the years the Burford fair has grown from a one-day fair in 1893 to its current three days, hosted every Thanksgiving weekend. The fair attracts tourists and visitors from the surrounding towns as well as larger county of Brant and beyond.

History

Burford was the largest town of the former Burford Township, which included Cathcart, Harley and Princeton. Burford's 'downtown', the intersection of Maple Avenue and King Street (Highway 53), includes a stop light, several small businesses and a post office. The community was founded by Canadians of German, Dutch and British backgrounds. Shortly after the Rebellion of 1837, Burford was the centre of an abortive rebellion in the Western District of Upper Canada led by Charles Duncombe. In 1999, Burford became part of the County of Brant, an amalgamation of several local municipalities including Brantford Township, the town of Paris, Oakland Township, Onondaga Township and South Dumfries Township. The current mayor of the County of Brant is Ron Eddy.

Historically, when tobacco was lucrative, the farms and families surrounding Burford were relatively prosperous. However, when smoking habits began to change in the 1980s, the economy slipped into decline. Currently, farmers are more likely to be growing ginseng for oriental markets than tobacco. Dairy, poultry, hog and fish farming persist and range from large scale commercial operations to subsistence type family farms. The community has lost population since the 1970s and is eager to attract new investment.

Education

Burford District High School was the only secondary institution for eighty years, opening in 1922 and closing in June 2002 due to low enrollment. The building was then revamped to become Burford District Elementary School and drew students from three elementary schools which were closed around the same time: Maple Avenue, Coronation and Harley-Northfield. The Maple Avenue School was also home to the Burford Islamic School or Darul Uloom Al Islamiah Burford, a private school with a Muslim based education.[3] The building is now for sale after multiple incidents of defacement resulted in the closure of the school. Most high school age students now attend Paris District High School, Brantford Collegiate Institute or Assumption College and St. John's College Catholic schools.

Service Clubs

  • Entering Burford along Highway 53.
    Entering Burford along Highway 53.
  • Burford Arena, home of the Bulldogs
    Burford Arena, home of the Bulldogs
  • King Street (Hwy 53)
    King Street (Hwy 53)
  • Burford's local grocery store.
    Burford's local grocery store.
  • Burford's public school.
    Burford's public school.
  • Burford's public school and community centre share a field.
    Burford's public school and community centre share a field.
  • Burford's downtown has several restaurants.formerly home of the Burford Advance Weekly Newspaper and printer. Original owner, the Messecar Family.
    Burford's downtown has several restaurants.formerly home of the Burford Advance Weekly Newspaper and printer. Original owner, the Messecar Family.
  • Evidence of "small town ethics" along Hwy. 53 between Burford and Cathcart.
    Evidence of "small town ethics" along Hwy. 53 between Burford and Cathcart.
  • The Burford Congregational Cemetery
    The Burford Congregational Cemetery
  • Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church
    Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church
  • Home Hardware Paint Plant
    Home Hardware Paint Plant

See also

References

  1. ^ Robertson, Mel. "Buford's First Families". Our Ontario. Vita Digital Tool Kit. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  2. ^ www.maps.ie, Google maps 2018.
  3. ^ http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=1678533

43°06′08″N 80°25′44″W / 43.1022°N 80.429°W / 43.1022; -80.429

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Burford,_Ontario&oldid=858713576"