Chesley, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Chesley is a community in Bruce County, Ontario
, Canada
, located within the municipality of Arran-Elderslie
. Its town slogan is "The Nicest Town Around". Chesley is located north of both Walkerton
on Bruce Road 19 and Hanover
on County Road 10.
Chesley has its own high school
called the Chesley District High School, a community public school called Kinghurst Community School, an arena and community centre, and several small local stores. A number of major franchises also exist in the town, including New Orleans Pizza, Rona
, Home Hardware
, and Rexall Drugs
. The town's major source of employment is commercial manufacturing. Currently Crate Designs http://crate.ca, a locally owned furniture manufacturing factory, is the only surviving furniture factory, following the recent downsizing of Durham Furniture (2007).
Chesley originally developed around mills built on the Saugeen River
around 1858. 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. 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
. 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.
Bruce County, Ontario
Bruce County is a county in western Ontario, Canada, and includes the Bruce Peninsula. As of 2006, the population was 65,349. The area was . The county seat is Walkerton, Ontario. It is located at ....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, located within the municipality of Arran-Elderslie
Arran-Elderslie, Ontario
The Municipality of Arran–Elderslie is a township in Bruce County in Western Ontario, Canada. The township is located at the headwaters of the Sauble River, and the Saugeen River forms the northwestern boundary.-Communities:...
. Its town slogan is "The Nicest Town Around". Chesley is located north of both Walkerton
Walkerton, Ontario
Walkerton is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within and governed by the municipality of Brockton. It is the site of Brockton's municipal offices and the county seat of Bruce County...
on Bruce Road 19 and Hanover
Hanover, Ontario
Hanover is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in southern Grey County, west of Durham and east of Walkerton on Grey/Bruce Road 4. Hanover marks the border between Grey County and Bruce County.-History:...
on County Road 10.
Chesley has its own high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
called the Chesley District High School, a community public school called Kinghurst Community School, an arena and community centre, and several small local stores. A number of major franchises also exist in the town, including New Orleans Pizza, Rona
Rona (company)
Rona Inc. is a Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home improvement and gardening products. Rona was founded in 1939. Rona operates a network of some 700 stores and is the leading distributor and retailer in its market with approximately 51,594 employees. The Rona network represents...
, Home Hardware
Home Hardware
Home Hardware is a privately held Canadian home improvement, construction materials, and furniture retailer. Co-founded in 1964 by Walter Hachborn and headquartered in St...
, and Rexall Drugs
Rexall
Rexall was a chain of North American drugstores, and the name of their store-branded products. The stores, having roots in the federation of United Drug Stores starting in 1902, licensed the Rexall brand name to as many as 12,000 drug stores across the United States from 1920 to 1977...
. The town's major source of employment is commercial manufacturing. Currently Crate Designs http://crate.ca, a locally owned furniture manufacturing factory, is the only surviving furniture factory, following the recent downsizing of Durham Furniture (2007).
Saugeen River
The Saugeen River is located in southern Ontario, Canada, flowing generally north-west about 160 km before exiting into Lake Huron. The river is navigable for some distance, and was once an important barge route...
around 1858. 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. The town was named after Solomon Chesley
Solomon Yeomans Chesley
Solomon Yeomans Chesley was a public servant and political figure in Canada West.He was born in Shodack in Rensselaer County, New York in 1796 and came to Cornwall with his parents in 1800. In 1806, he settled on Mohawk land at St. Regis; he became fluent in the language and became an interpreter...
, a former official in the Indian Department in Canada West. It is now an example of a typical rural 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....
community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
. 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
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
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.
Famous residents
- Tommy Burns (boxer)Tommy Burns (boxer)Tommy Burns , born Noah Brusso, is the only Canadian born world heavyweight champion boxer. The first to travel the globe in defending his title, Tommy made 11 title defenses despite often being the underdog due to his size. Burns famously challenged all comers as Heavyweight Champion, leading to...
, inductee of both the International Boxing Hall of FameInternational Boxing Hall of FameThe modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
and World Boxing Hall of FameWorld Boxing Hall of FameThe World Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Riverside, California, United States, in Southern California. The WBHF is one of two recognized international boxing halls of fame with the other being the International Boxing Hall of Fame , with the IBHOF being the more widely recognized...
and World Heavyweight Champion 1906–1908 - Paul MacDermidPaul MacDermidPaul MacDermid is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played 690 games in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers, Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals, and Quebec Nordiques. MacDermid was selected 61st overall in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft by Hartford...
, NHL player 1981–1995 - Ryan MacDonald, former OHL hockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
star and current member of the Lausitzer Füchse - Mickey MacKayMickey MacKayDuncan McMillan "Mickey" MacKay was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League...
, Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
, played 1914–1930 - Jim McDonald, medalist in the Special OlympicsSpecial OlympicsSpecial Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
- Victoria PrattVictoria PrattVictoria Ainsle Pratt is a Canadian actress and fitness model. Her television roles include Xena: Warrior Princess, Once a Thief, Cleopatra 2525, Mutant X, and Day Break. Her film roles include House of the Dead 2.-Early life:Pratt attended Chesley District High School in Chesley, Ontario...
, actress - LIGHTS, a Juno AwardJuno AwardThe Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
-winning Canadian singer and songwriterSinger-songwriterSinger-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...