Bancroft, Ontario
Bancroft | |
|---|---|
Town (lower-tier) | |
| Town of Bancroft | |
 | |
| Motto(s): A Place for All Seasons | |
  Bancroft | |
| Coordinates: 45°03′N 77°51′W / 45.050°N 77.850°WCoordinates: 45°03′N 77°51′W / 45.050°N 77.850°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Ontario |
| County | Hastings |
| Settled | 1852 |
| Incorporated | December 1904 (village) |
| Incorporated | 1999 (town) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Paul Jenkins |
| • Council | Bancroft Town Council: Bancroft Ward, Dungannon Ward |
| • Federal riding | Hastings—Lennox and Addington |
| • Prov. riding | Prince Edward—Hastings |
| Area | |
| • Land | 229.56 km2 (88.63 sq mi) |
| Population (2016)[2] | |
| • Total | 3,881 |
| • Density | 16.9/km2 (44/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal Code | K0L 1C0 |
| Area code(s) | 613 and 343 |
| Website | www.bancroft.ca |
Bancroft (/ˈbæŋkrɒft/) is a town located on the York River in Hastings County in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was first settled in the 1850s by United Empire Loyalists and Irish immigrants. From the mid-1950s to about 1982, mining was the primary industry. A village until 1999, Bancroft then merged with Dungannon Township to form the Town of Bancroft. The population at the time of the 2016 Census was 3,881.
History[]
By 1823, the government had purchased nearly two million acres of land from the Chippewa and Mississaga First Nations including a tract on the York River in Hastings County which had been established in 1792.[3] The area was mapped in 1835 by explorer David Thompson.[4]
The first family to build a cabin here, the Clarks in 1853, did so to take advantage of the fur trade. Early settlers included James Cleak and Alfred Barker from England who arrived in 1855, settling on Quarry Lake. They got jobs in administration; Cleak opened a small store and Barker became the first postmaster. Over the years the settlement grew quickly. In fact, there were 89 families by 1868.[5] Lumber companies arrived to remove timber.
Some of the earliest settlers were United Empire Loyalists, but from 1856 to 1861, most were from Ireland, fleeing the problems caused by the Great Famine (Ireland); many had farming experience and settled in the Township of Dungannon where the land was fertile. Most of the settlers were attracted to the area by the offer of free 100-acre (0.40 km2) parcels that had been advertised in Great Britain.[4] Some of the residents also sold furs, obtained through trapping.
The settlement had various names over the first years, York Mills, York River and York Branch. When the post office opened in 1861, it was called York River.[6] A grist mill opened in 1865, gold was discovered in 1866 and other minerals would be discovered later. The first church and two schools were built in 1870. In 1879, the name of the settlement was changed to Bancroft by Senator Billa Flint, after the maiden name of his wife.[7][8] Flint convinced tradesmen to move to the area, which helped to attract more settlers.[9] A woolen mill began operating in 1884.[10]
The Central Ontario Railway arrived in 1900. In 1903, the Irondale, Bancroft and Ottawa Railway connected to the COR north of town at what is now Y Road, referring to the wye junction joining the two lines. They were beneficial in transporting settlers and goods; the railway would operate until 1982. Bancroft was incorporated as a village in December 1904. The first telephone in the village was at the railway station; it was connected in 1905. Electricity was not available until 1930.[8][9][10]
Uranium was discovered in 1949 and construction of the first mine (Faraday) started in 1952. The very large Madawaska Mine operated until 1982. Other minerals were also mined over the years.[9] The closing of the mine caused some economic hardship. In 1999, Bancroft merged with Dungannon Township to form the Town of Bancroft.[10]
As of the Oct 2018 Municipal election, the current Mayor is Paul Jenkins.[11]
Demographics[]
| hideCanada census – Bancroft, Ontario community profile | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2011 | 2006 | |
| Population: | 3,881 (0.0% from 2011) | 3,880 (+1.1% from 2006) | 3,838 (-6.1% from 2001) |
| Land area: | 229.51 km2 (88.61 sq mi) | 229.56 km2 (88.63 sq mi) | 227.84 km2 (87.97 sq mi) |
| Population density: | 16.9/km2 (44/sq mi) | 16.9/km2 (44/sq mi) | 16.8/km2 (44/sq mi) |
| Median age: | 53.4 (M: 52.5, F: 54.3) | 49.4 (M: 47.9, F: 50.8) | 47.0 (M: 45.9, F: 48.2) |
| Total private dwellings: | 1944 | 1896 | 1849 |
| Median household income: | $38,480 | ||
| References: 2016[12] 2011[13] 2006[14] earlier[15] | |||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 4,080 | — |
| 2001 | 4,089 | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 3,838 | −6.1% |
| 2011 | 3,880 | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 3,881 | +0.0% |
| [16] | ||
Prior to amalgamation (1999):
- Total Population in 1996: 4,080
- Bancroft (village): 2,554
- Dungannon (township): 1,526
- Population in 1991:
- Bancroft (village): 2,383
- Dungannon (township): 1,412
Mother tongue:[17]
- English as first language: 96.4%
- French as first language: 0.8%
- English and French as first language: 0.3%
- Other as first language: 2.5%
Camping and hiking[]
Silent Lake Provincial Park nearby south on Highway 28 provides local camping opportunities. American sportsmen fished and hunted on this private lake for 40 years before it became a park. Silent Lake has a rocky and undeveloped shoreline, a mixed forest and marshes full of birds and wildlife best seen by canoe. A rugged trail circles the lake, and sections of groomed ski trails have been graded for mountain biking.
Algonquin Provincial Park, about an hour away on Highway 62 N - Highway 127 N - Highway 60 W, provides camping and hiking opportunities, beautiful forest and outdoor scenery. Portaging is quite common in this park. Algonquin offers many visitor attractions. Like Silent Lake, Algonquin has a rocky, treed and extensive undeveloped shoreline, a mixed forest and marshes full of birds and wildlife best seen by canoe. The OFSC trails through the park provide easy winter access by snowmobile.
One of the most common sights is the Canadian Moose.
Arts[]
In 2004, Bancroft won TVOntario's "Most Talented Town in Ontario" contest. A large number of artists and artisans live in the surrounding area, and exhibit together in events like the "Fall Studio Tour".
The Art Gallery of Bancroft (AGB) is the area's only public not-for profit art gallery. Completely run by dedicated volunteers, the AGB mounts 11-12 exhibitions per year celebrating the work of local and regional artists and artisans. These exhibitions include the popular annual "Juried Show" and the annual student show displaying the work of four regional high schools. The gallery gift shop displays the paintings and fine crafts of area artists and the AGB boasts a permanent collection including some of Ontario's finest artists.
The town is home to the "Village Playhouse",[18] a theatre which has been hosting sold out plays, musicals and concerts since the early 1990s. Formerly the Bancroft Community Hall, the historical building was once the local jail, court house and library.
Transportation[]
Bancroft lies at the intersection of two provincial highways, Highway 28 and Highway 62, with several other inroads allowing access to the city.
Bancroft is served by the Jack Brown Airport, a Transport Canada Registered Aerodrome (CNW3), with a 2,200 foot (670 m) crushed gravel runway, located immediately adjoining the town. A small airport, it was named after the man who was reeve at the time and instrumental in its construction. Currently operated by the , the Jack Brown Airport is freely available to the general public and frequently referred to as The Bancroft Airport. Due to high terrain near both ends of the runway, pilots typically use a non-standard circuit, following the York River valley through the town for departing from runway 12 or landing on runway 30.
The Central Ontario Railway arrived in November 1900 connecting Bancroft with Trenton. The railway went through the Musclow-Greenview road and extended behind Birds Creek through a back trail (which is now used for cyclists and fourwheeling) and continued through the town eventually going further away from the town at the 'Y' road division. The line was closed in 1975 and subsequently removed. The connected Bancroft with Kinmount, Ontario. The line was purchased by the Canadian Northern Ontario Railway which became part of the Canadian National Railways in 1918. The line was abandoned in 1960.[7]
The old train station in Bancroft served as the Chamber of Commerce and Mineral Museum until it was condemned in 2008. The Chamber, Mineral Museum, and Art Gallery relocated to other sites in the town. In 2011, the old station was moved onto a new foundation;[19] it is now restored with an addition at the southern end of the building to house the Bancroft Gem and Mineral Club's museum[20] and a caboose, which is not currently in use.[21]
Media[]
Print[]
- Bancroft Times, an independently-owned weekly (5,000 copies, paid circulation) founded 1894.[22]
- Bancroft This Week
- North Hastings Advertiser
Radio[]
- FM 97.7 - CHMS-FM ("Moose FM"), hot adult contemporary
- FM 99.3 - CBLA-FM-5, (formerly AM 600 CBLV) CBC Radio One; rebroadcaster of CBLA-FM Toronto
- FM 103.5 - CKJJ-FM-4 (UCB Canada), Christian Music; rebroadcaster of CKJJ-FM Belleville
Television[]
- Channel 2: CIII-TV-2 (Global) - analogue rebroadcaster of CIII-DT Toronto
- Channel 4: CHEX-TV-1 (Global) - analogue rebroadcaster of CHEX-DT Peterborough
Climate[]
| hideClimate data for Bancroft | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 11.7 (53.1) |
12.2 (54.0) |
24.4 (75.9) |
30.0 (86.0) |
33.3 (91.9) |
35.0 (95.0) |
37.8 (100.0) |
36.1 (97.0) |
33.9 (93.0) |
27.8 (82.0) |
23.9 (75.0) |
16.0 (60.8) |
37.8 (100.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −5.2 (22.6) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
3.0 (37.4) |
10.3 (50.5) |
17.9 (64.2) |
22.5 (72.5) |
25.1 (77.2) |
23.5 (74.3) |
19.3 (66.7) |
12.8 (55.0) |
4.8 (40.6) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
10.7 (51.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −10.7 (12.7) |
−9.5 (14.9) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
4.1 (39.4) |
11.0 (51.8) |
16.0 (60.8) |
18.7 (65.7) |
17.4 (63.3) |
13.2 (55.8) |
7.2 (45.0) |
0.7 (33.3) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
4.8 (40.6) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −16.5 (2.3) |
−15.9 (3.4) |
−8.6 (16.5) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
4.0 (39.2) |
9.4 (48.9) |
12.2 (54.0) |
11.2 (52.2) |
7.1 (44.8) |
1.3 (34.3) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−11.9 (10.6) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −43.9 (−47.0) |
−42.2 (−44.0) |
−38.3 (−36.9) |
−23.3 (−9.9) |
−10.0 (14.0) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−16.7 (1.9) |
−26.7 (−16.1) |
−41.1 (−42.0) |
−43.9 (−47.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 60.9 (2.40) |
53.1 (2.09) |
65.8 (2.59) |
63.5 (2.50) |
81.7 (3.22) |
89.8 (3.54) |
73.8 (2.91) |
86.2 (3.39) |
90.6 (3.57) |
78.3 (3.08) |
83.8 (3.30) |
77.4 (3.05) |
905.1 (35.63) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 12.5 (0.49) |
17.1 (0.67) |
37.6 (1.48) |
53.7 (2.11) |
80.9 (3.19) |
89.8 (3.54) |
73.8 (2.91) |
86.2 (3.39) |
90.6 (3.57) |
75.4 (2.97) |
63.9 (2.52) |
27.9 (1.10) |
709.5 (27.93) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 47.8 (18.8) |
36.0 (14.2) |
28.2 (11.1) |
9.8 (3.9) |
0.8 (0.3) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2.9 (1.1) |
20.0 (7.9) |
49.1 (19.3) |
194.6 (76.6) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 11 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 134 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 99 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 10 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 39 |
| Source: Environment Canada[23] | |||||||||||||
Notable people[]
- Clay Ives, Olympic bronze medalist in luge
- Ed Robertson, singer and songwriter for Barenaked Ladies, owns a cottage in the Bancroft area
- Cathy Sherk, golfer. Winner of the 1977 Canadian Women's Amateur and 1978 U.S. Women's Amateur
- Bryan Watson, former NHL defenseman
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Bancroft census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
- ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census: Bancroft (town)". Statistics Canada. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ "Bancroft, Ontario - About Bancroft". town.bancroft.on.ca. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "The History of Bancroft, Ontario". bancroftontario.com. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ Boyle, Terry (2011). Hidden Ontario: Secrets from Ontario's Past (second ed.). pp. 28–30. ISBN 9781459700291. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ Reynolds, Nila (1979). Bancroft, a Bonanza of Memories. Bancroft Centennial Committee. p. 90.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Bancroft & District Chamber of Commerce, Bancroft District 2006 Destination Guide
- ^ Jump up to: a b "About Bancroft". Town of Bancroft. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Bancroft History 2". BancroftOntario.com. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Historical Timeline". BancroftOntario.com. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ "Meet the Mayor & Council". town.bancroft.on.ca. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
- ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 21, 2017. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
- ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
- ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
- ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012.
- ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 census
- ^ "2006 Community Profiles - Community highlights for Clearview". 2006 Census data. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2010-12-15.
- ^ "The Village Playhouse - Best of the Arts in North Hastings". bancroftvillageplayhouse.ca. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ "Bancroft Train station lift". tedfordhousemovers.com. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ "Bancroft Railway Station « McDougall Minerals". mcdougallminerals.com. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ "Use of the Caboose - My Bancroft Now". moosefm.com. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ "Bancroft Times". thebancrofttimes.ca. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ "Bancroft, Ontario". Canadian Climate Normals 1961–1990 (in English and French). Environment Canada. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
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