Alliston, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Alliston is a settlement in Simcoe County
in the Canadian province
of Ontario
. It is part of the Town of New Tecumseth
since the 1991 amalgamation of Alliston and nearby villages of Beeton, Tottenham
, and the Township of Tecumseth. The primary downtown area is located along Highway 89, known as Victoria Street.
The town grew as a commercial centre for the area farmers and was best known as a potato-growing area. It is still a major industry in the town and is celebrated by the annual Alliston Potato Festival. Honda of Canada Manufacturing operates a large auto manufacturing facility southeast of Alliston, currently consisting of three major factories.
northwest of the city. In 1821 William purchased Lot 15, Consession 3, Tecumseth Township
. He married in 1828, and in 1847 went scouting locations for the construction of a mill
with his son John. The chose a location at Lot 1, Consession 1, Essa Township
, at the corner where four of the original townships of southern Simcoe County (Adjala, Tosorontio, Essa, and Tecumseth) meet. In early November they built a cabin on the property, and the rest of the family joined them in April the next year. A larger house, known as Fletcher House, was built in 1849, and still stands at 18 Fletcher Crescent.
In 1853 the Fletchers built a grist mill on the Boyne River
, a tributary of the Nottawasaga River
which runs to the east. The first child born in the new town was Margaret Grant, who was later mother to Frederick Banting
. An Orange Lodge
was built in 1856, and the next year the members decided to name the village as Alliston. The precise origin of the name remains in some doubt, but the most common story is that it was named for James Banting's birthplace in Yorkshire. A post office
was set up the next year, with another Fletcher son, George, the first postmaster. Starting in 1862, George published "The Alliston Star" newspaper, which changed its name to "Alliston Herald" in 1871 and continues to be published today. The village was formally incorporated in 1874, with George Fletcher as the reeve.
In 1875 the town was approached by the North Simcoe Railway to run a line from Penetanguishene through Alliston to join the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway. This venture came to nothing, but the organization set up to investigate it later turned to the Hamilton and North-Western Railway to build a new arm from Clarkstown (now Beeton
) through Alliston to Collingwood
. The town raised $8000 for its portion of the railway from Clarkstown to Glencairn, about half way to Collingwood.
Alliston was upgraded from "village" to "town" in 1891. On May 8th the same year a fire started in the stables of the Queen's Hotel, and was quickly spread by high winds. Collingwood was telegraphed for assistance and sent their fire engine by train, but the downtown area was gutted long before it could arrive. When it did arrive at about 3 in the afternoon, it was sent to the southern side of town where the fire was still burning. In all, 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of the town were destroyed by the fire, which received the attention of John A. Macdonald
. This led to the creation of a waterworks the next year, which included twenty fire hydrants, and the addition of a hook and ladder truck in 1894.
A census in August 1902 stated that 1,475 people were living in the town. A new line of the Canadian Pacific Railway
reached the town in 1905 or early 1906, with trains arriving later in 1906. The local electric power company, Alliston Electric, was merged into Ontario Hydro
on May 24, 1918.
and PPG Park to the south, by the local fire department
. Major residential areas are located to the north (as Previn Court Homes) and to the south, with additional residential and commercial developments made since then in the northwest (as "Alliston West"), north and southwest since the mid-1990s, with future developments expected in the future that could raise the population from 17,000 to 20,000. The urban area stretches from west to east, is nearly 3 km, and from north to south ranges from 300 m, 600 m to 1 km. Another residential area, adjacent to the Nottawasaga Inn are located 5 km east of Alliston- the first phase built is known as Green Briar; the second phase, to the west of the Inn is known as Briar Hill. The Nottawasaga River is situated east of the town; the Boyne River
, which runs through Alliston, joins the Nottawasaga, just downstream from Nicolston Dam. The CPR (Toronto - Parry Sound
- Sudbury) runs right up through the middle of town with a siding for Honda vehicles. Many other business thrive today in Alliston. Honda of Canada Manufacturing has two facilities. The CNR tracks through town were lifted about the mid 1990s. The right-of-way is gone - not preserved, unfortunately.
Earl Rowe Provincial Park is located three kilometers west of Alliston, in the amalgamated Township of Adjala-Tosorontio. It is one of the largest provincial parks in Southern Ontario
.
elected May 2nd 2011.
Since the amalgamation of Alliston, Beeton and Tottenham under the Town of New Tecumseth, New Tecumseth Fire Rescue has 3 stations with a total force of 105 personnel. The Alliston Fire Station, now known as New Tecumseth Fire Station 1, was originally founded as the Alliston Fire Brigade in 1906 after many years of having a non-incorporated Fire Brigade.
, of the famed Loblaws
grocery chain, conceived the idea of a hospital as a tribute to his grandparents, William and Elizabeth Stevenson.
This fully accredited hospital serves a catchment area that includes Adjala-Tosorontio, Canadian Forces Base Borden, Essa, Innisfil and New Tecumseth.
The hospital, in partnership with Southlake Regional Health Centre
in Newmarket
, is in a period of growth and opportunity. Stevenson Memorial offers a wide scope of medical and surgical services. It is on the brink of further expanding its services and has re-introduced Level 1 maternity care.
the co-discoverer of insulin. The town's only high school is named in his honour, Banting Memorial High School
. Another famous resident was Theodore Loblaw of the grocery store chain, and author Margaret Atwood
lived in the area from 1973-1980. .
).
Simcoe County, Ontario
Simcoe County is located in central portion of Southern Ontario. The County is situated just north of the Greater Toronto Area stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west...
in the Canadian province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. It is part of the Town of New Tecumseth
New Tecumseth, Ontario
New Tecumseth is a town in south-central Ontario, in the County of Simcoe. While it is not officially a part of the Greater Toronto Area, it is counted, in terms of the census, as being a part of the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area.-Communities:...
since the 1991 amalgamation of Alliston and nearby villages of Beeton, Tottenham
Tottenham, Ontario
Tottenham is a community in the town of New Tecumseth, in south-central Ontario, Canada. It takes its name from its first postmaster, Alexander Totten. The Tottenham Conservation Area is a recreational facility in the village, which is also famous for its Bluegrass Festival...
, and the Township of Tecumseth. The primary downtown area is located along Highway 89, known as Victoria Street.
The town grew as a commercial centre for the area farmers and was best known as a potato-growing area. It is still a major industry in the town and is celebrated by the annual Alliston Potato Festival. Honda of Canada Manufacturing operates a large auto manufacturing facility southeast of Alliston, currently consisting of three major factories.
History
Alliston traces its history to three brothers, William, John and Dickson Fletcher. Dissatisfied with life in England, the three left for Toronto, working farms in Toronto GoreToronto Gore Township, Ontario
Toronto Gore was a township in York County and then Peel County, Ontario, Canada from 1831 to 1973.Toronto Gore came into existence as a township in 1831 when it was separated from Chinguacousy Township. In 1867 it became part of Peel County when that county was split from York County...
northwest of the city. In 1821 William purchased Lot 15, Consession 3, Tecumseth Township
New Tecumseth, Ontario
New Tecumseth is a town in south-central Ontario, in the County of Simcoe. While it is not officially a part of the Greater Toronto Area, it is counted, in terms of the census, as being a part of the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area.-Communities:...
. He married in 1828, and in 1847 went scouting locations for the construction of a mill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
with his son John. The chose a location at Lot 1, Consession 1, Essa Township
Essa, Ontario
Essa is a township in Ontario, Canada, west and south of the city of Barrie in the County of Simcoe. It is bounded by County Road 90 to its north, County Road 27 to its east, and Ontario Highway 89 to its south...
, at the corner where four of the original townships of southern Simcoe County (Adjala, Tosorontio, Essa, and Tecumseth) meet. In early November they built a cabin on the property, and the rest of the family joined them in April the next year. A larger house, known as Fletcher House, was built in 1849, and still stands at 18 Fletcher Crescent.
In 1853 the Fletchers built a grist mill on the Boyne River
Boyne River (Ontario)
There are four rivers named Boyne River in Ontario, Canada.The Boyne River in Grey County flows from above the Niagara Escarpment through Flesherton to join the Beaver River at ; the Beaver River then flows to Georgian Bay...
, a tributary of the Nottawasaga River
Nottawasaga River
The Nottawasaga River is a river in southern Ontario, Canada. Its headwaters are located on the Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine. It flows through the Minesing Swamp, recognized as a wetland of international significance , and empties into Nottawasaga Bay, an inlet of Georgian Bay, at...
which runs to the east. The first child born in the new town was Margaret Grant, who was later mother to Frederick Banting
Frederick Banting
Sir Frederick Grant Banting, KBE, MC, FRS, FRSC was a Canadian medical scientist, doctor and Nobel laureate noted as one of the main discoverers of insulin....
. An Orange Lodge
Orange Institution
The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
was built in 1856, and the next year the members decided to name the village as Alliston. The precise origin of the name remains in some doubt, but the most common story is that it was named for James Banting's birthplace in Yorkshire. A post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was set up the next year, with another Fletcher son, George, the first postmaster. Starting in 1862, George published "The Alliston Star" newspaper, which changed its name to "Alliston Herald" in 1871 and continues to be published today. The village was formally incorporated in 1874, with George Fletcher as the reeve.
In 1875 the town was approached by the North Simcoe Railway to run a line from Penetanguishene through Alliston to join the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway. This venture came to nothing, but the organization set up to investigate it later turned to the Hamilton and North-Western Railway to build a new arm from Clarkstown (now Beeton
Beeton, Ontario
Beeton is a small town located in southern Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada between Tottenham and Alliston; all three were amalgamated in 1991 into the single Town of New Tecumseth....
) through Alliston to Collingwood
Collingwood, Ontario
Collingwood is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is situated on Nottawasaga Bay at the southern point of Georgian Bay.-History:...
. The town raised $8000 for its portion of the railway from Clarkstown to Glencairn, about half way to Collingwood.
Alliston was upgraded from "village" to "town" in 1891. On May 8th the same year a fire started in the stables of the Queen's Hotel, and was quickly spread by high winds. Collingwood was telegraphed for assistance and sent their fire engine by train, but the downtown area was gutted long before it could arrive. When it did arrive at about 3 in the afternoon, it was sent to the southern side of town where the fire was still burning. In all, 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of the town were destroyed by the fire, which received the attention of John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
. This led to the creation of a waterworks the next year, which included twenty fire hydrants, and the addition of a hook and ladder truck in 1894.
A census in August 1902 stated that 1,475 people were living in the town. A new line of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
reached the town in 1905 or early 1906, with trains arriving later in 1906. The local electric power company, Alliston Electric, was merged into Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro was the official name from 1974 of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario which was established in 1906 by the provincial Power Commission Act to build transmission lines to supply municipal utilities with electricity generated by private companies already operating at Niagara...
on May 24, 1918.
Geography
The town has two parks- Riverdale Park to the north along the Boyne RiverBoyne River
Boyne River may refer to:* River Boyne in Ireland* Boyne River , a tribuatry of the Hérault* Boyne River , in Manitoba, Canada* Boyne River , in Michigan, United States...
and PPG Park to the south, by the local fire department
Fire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
. Major residential areas are located to the north (as Previn Court Homes) and to the south, with additional residential and commercial developments made since then in the northwest (as "Alliston West"), north and southwest since the mid-1990s, with future developments expected in the future that could raise the population from 17,000 to 20,000. The urban area stretches from west to east, is nearly 3 km, and from north to south ranges from 300 m, 600 m to 1 km. Another residential area, adjacent to the Nottawasaga Inn are located 5 km east of Alliston- the first phase built is known as Green Briar; the second phase, to the west of the Inn is known as Briar Hill. The Nottawasaga River is situated east of the town; the Boyne River
Boyne River
Boyne River may refer to:* River Boyne in Ireland* Boyne River , a tribuatry of the Hérault* Boyne River , in Manitoba, Canada* Boyne River , in Michigan, United States...
, which runs through Alliston, joins the Nottawasaga, just downstream from Nicolston Dam. The CPR (Toronto - Parry Sound
Parry Sound, Ontario
Parry Sound is a town in Central Ontario, Canada, located on Parry Sound on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay. Parry Sound is located south of Sudbury and north of Toronto. It is the seat of Parry Sound District, a popular cottage country region for Southern Ontario residents. It is also the...
- Sudbury) runs right up through the middle of town with a siding for Honda vehicles. Many other business thrive today in Alliston. Honda of Canada Manufacturing has two facilities. The CNR tracks through town were lifted about the mid 1990s. The right-of-way is gone - not preserved, unfortunately.
Earl Rowe Provincial Park is located three kilometers west of Alliston, in the amalgamated Township of Adjala-Tosorontio. It is one of the largest provincial parks in Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
.
Demographics
- Population: 9,679 (2001)
- Area: -
- Density: -
- Location: -
- Postal code: L9R xxx
- Area code: +1-705
- Elevation: about 200 m
- Name of inhabitants: Allistonian sing., -s pl.
Government
The current mayor of New Tecumseth is Mike MacEachern. The Member of Provincial Parliament is Jim Wilson, and the MP for Simcoe-Grey is Dr. Kellie LeitchKellie Leitch
Kellie Leitch, O.Ont, MP, BA, MD, MBA, FRCS is the Canadian Member of Parliament for the riding of Simcoe—Grey elected in the 2011 federal election. She succeeded Member of Parliament Helena Guergis, who was dismissed from the Conservative Party caucus...
elected May 2nd 2011.
Since the amalgamation of Alliston, Beeton and Tottenham under the Town of New Tecumseth, New Tecumseth Fire Rescue has 3 stations with a total force of 105 personnel. The Alliston Fire Station, now known as New Tecumseth Fire Station 1, was originally founded as the Alliston Fire Brigade in 1906 after many years of having a non-incorporated Fire Brigade.
Health care
Stevenson Memorial Hospital first opened in 1928, when donations from Theodore LoblawTheodore Loblaw
Theodore Pringle Loblaw was a Canadian grocer who spent his entire life in the province of Ontario. He became the founder of Loblaws supermarkets, which is now a nationwide retail empire....
, of the famed Loblaws
Loblaws
Loblaws is a supermarket chain with over 70 stores in Canada, headquartered in Brampton, with stores across Ontario and Quebec. Loblaws is a division of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor...
grocery chain, conceived the idea of a hospital as a tribute to his grandparents, William and Elizabeth Stevenson.
This fully accredited hospital serves a catchment area that includes Adjala-Tosorontio, Canadian Forces Base Borden, Essa, Innisfil and New Tecumseth.
The hospital, in partnership with Southlake Regional Health Centre
Southlake Regional Health Centre
Southlake Regional Health Centre is a hospital located in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.A private hospital was founded in 1932 and on August 22 the province granted a Charter of Incorporation for the York County Hospital Corporation. In 1924, it became a public hospital. In 1946, the Margaret...
in Newmarket
Newmarket, Ontario
Newmarket is a town in Southern Ontario located approximately 50 km north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is connected to Toronto by freeway, and is served by three interchanges along Highway 404. It is also connected to Highway 400 via Highway 9...
, is in a period of growth and opportunity. Stevenson Memorial offers a wide scope of medical and surgical services. It is on the brink of further expanding its services and has re-introduced Level 1 maternity care.
Notable residents
Alliston's most famous citizen was Sir Frederick BantingFrederick Banting
Sir Frederick Grant Banting, KBE, MC, FRS, FRSC was a Canadian medical scientist, doctor and Nobel laureate noted as one of the main discoverers of insulin....
the co-discoverer of insulin. The town's only high school is named in his honour, Banting Memorial High School
Banting Memorial High School
Banting Memorial High School is the only secondary school located in Alliston, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Simcoe County District School Board and as of 2005 has a student population of approximately 1,800...
. Another famous resident was Theodore Loblaw of the grocery store chain, and author Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood
Margaret Eleanor Atwood, is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist. She is among the most-honoured authors of fiction in recent history; she is a winner of the Arthur C...
lived in the area from 1973-1980. .
Nearest communities
- Angus, north
- CFB BordenCFB BordenCanadian Forces Base Borden is a Canadian Forces base located in Ontario.The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CFB Borden is the largest training facility in the Canadian Forces...
, north - RiverstoneRiverstone, New South WalesRiverstone is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Riverstone is located 48 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown. Riverstone is part of the Greater Western Sydney region...
, North - Egbert, northeast
- Cookstown, east
- BeetonBeeton, OntarioBeeton is a small town located in southern Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada between Tottenham and Alliston; all three were amalgamated in 1991 into the single Town of New Tecumseth....
, southeast - TottenhamTottenham, OntarioTottenham is a community in the town of New Tecumseth, in south-central Ontario, Canada. It takes its name from its first postmaster, Alexander Totten. The Tottenham Conservation Area is a recreational facility in the village, which is also famous for its Bluegrass Festival...
, south - Hockley, southwest
- Everett, west
- Baxter, northeast
Education
Alliston has two public elementary Schools (Ernest Cumberland and Alliston Union Public School) and two Catholic elementary schools (Holy Family and St. Paul's), and one public high school (Banting Memorial High SchoolBanting Memorial High School
Banting Memorial High School is the only secondary school located in Alliston, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Simcoe County District School Board and as of 2005 has a student population of approximately 1,800...
).