Mount Forest, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Mount Forest is an unincorporated community located on the junction of the 6 and the 89 in the township
of Wellington North
, Ontario
. The town's motto is "High, Happy, Healthy", which can be seen on the water tower
when approaching the town from the south
.
system not on the Maitland River
as had previously been supposed. Mount Forest is on a height of land near the headwaters of the Saugeen River.
The village was surveyed into lots in 1853 by Francis Kerr, PLS. By 1864, the population had grown to 1185 so that it qualified to be incorporated as a village. By 1879 it had become an incorporated town. The 1871 town directory stated that Mount Forest had 10 hotels, eight churches and 18 stores. Later that year the railway was completed and the first train entered Mount Forest pulled by a wood-burning engine.
A local newspaper, the Mount Forest Confederate, was first printed in 1867. For the first year, the newspaper was sent to village residents free of charge, but the second year it began charging 50 cents per year.
The first public school was built in 1856. The first high school was originally in the Old Drill Hall, but was an unsuitable location because it was beside the Market Square where livestock sales were held monthly. The new high school was built in 1878. A third high school was founded in 2004 with the combination of the Mount Forest District High school and the neighboring Town of Arthur.
Dr. A.R. Perry purchased the home of Alex Martin on the corner of Dublin and Princess Streets and established Strathcona Hospital, a 10-bed private hospital. In 1923, a group of citizens headed by G.L. Allen, changed Strathcona Hospital into a public hospital. Wentworth Marshall, a pharmacist, generously bought the hospital from Perry. Marshall's mother, Louise, was the supervisor at the hospital until she became ill with cancer. It was closed in 1921, but a year later reopened under a new name: Mount Forest General Hospital. In 1928, the deed of the hospital was turned over to the town and the name was changed yet again to Louise Marshall Hospital in honour of Marshall's mother.
Mount Forest was amalgamated into the new township of Wellington North on January 1, 1999.
Mount Forest's Logo, "High, Healthy, Happy" describes everyone in the town. Located on "High" land, "Healthy" because of the clean country air, and "Happy" to know our neighbours.
Andrew Carnegie
. Mount Forest is also the site of the founding of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada
.
Mount Forest was the first place that Aimee Semple McPherson
preached.
Though small in size, Mount Forest's former concert theatre, The Old Roxy, has seen many famous musicians perform on its stage, acts such as The Tea Party
, Bif Naked
, Hedley
, K-OS
, Kim Mitchell
, Blue Rodeo
, Jann Arden
, Doves, Paul Brandt
, and George Canyon
.
Mount Forest also hosts a number of different sporting events throughout the year. The Mount Forest Patriots
are a local junior "C" hockey club that were very successful through the mid-1990s. The Trillium 10k is an annual race held each May which features 10km and 5km running races, a 5km walk event, and a 10km inline speed skating
race which has been contested by members of the Canadian national team.
The Town of Mount Forest is also home to (now defunct) indie folk
band Sampson & The Doc, and hardcore punk
bands Bestial Death, Overdose, Skabies and Slag.
Township (Canada)
The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. However in some systems no town needs to be involved. The specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, usually to describe a local rural or semi-rural government within the county...
of Wellington North
Wellington North, Ontario
Wellington North is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within Wellington County.-Communities:The primary communities in Wellington North are the village of Arthur and the town of Mount Forest....
, 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....
. The town's motto is "High, Happy, Healthy", which can be seen on the water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
when approaching the town from the south
South
South is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.South is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the bottom side of a map is south....
.
History
Originally known as Maitland Hills, its name was changed to Mount Forest in 1853. The name change came about because it was discovered that the village was actually on the Saugeen RiverSaugeen 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...
system not on the Maitland River
Maitland River
The Maitland River is a river in southwestern Ontario, Canada, which empties into Lake Huron in the town of Goderich, Ontario. The river is 150 km in length....
as had previously been supposed. Mount Forest is on a height of land near the headwaters of the Saugeen River.
The village was surveyed into lots in 1853 by Francis Kerr, PLS. By 1864, the population had grown to 1185 so that it qualified to be incorporated as a village. By 1879 it had become an incorporated town. The 1871 town directory stated that Mount Forest had 10 hotels, eight churches and 18 stores. Later that year the railway was completed and the first train entered Mount Forest pulled by a wood-burning engine.
A local newspaper, the Mount Forest Confederate, was first printed in 1867. For the first year, the newspaper was sent to village residents free of charge, but the second year it began charging 50 cents per year.
The first public school was built in 1856. The first high school was originally in the Old Drill Hall, but was an unsuitable location because it was beside the Market Square where livestock sales were held monthly. The new high school was built in 1878. A third high school was founded in 2004 with the combination of the Mount Forest District High school and the neighboring Town of Arthur.
Dr. A.R. Perry purchased the home of Alex Martin on the corner of Dublin and Princess Streets and established Strathcona Hospital, a 10-bed private hospital. In 1923, a group of citizens headed by G.L. Allen, changed Strathcona Hospital into a public hospital. Wentworth Marshall, a pharmacist, generously bought the hospital from Perry. Marshall's mother, Louise, was the supervisor at the hospital until she became ill with cancer. It was closed in 1921, but a year later reopened under a new name: Mount Forest General Hospital. In 1928, the deed of the hospital was turned over to the town and the name was changed yet again to Louise Marshall Hospital in honour of Marshall's mother.
Mount Forest was amalgamated into the new township of Wellington North on January 1, 1999.
Mount Forest's Logo, "High, Healthy, Happy" describes everyone in the town. Located on "High" land, "Healthy" because of the clean country air, and "Happy" to know our neighbours.
Culture
Mount Forest's library was completed in 1913 with a grant of $10,000 from well-known philanthropistPhilanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
. Mount Forest is also the site of the founding of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada
Society of Rural Physicians of Canada
The Society of Rural Physicians of Canada was founded in 1992 by a group of physicians in Mount Forest, Ontario...
.
Mount Forest was the first place that Aimee Semple McPherson
Aimee Semple McPherson
Aimee Semple McPherson , also known as Sister Aimee, was a Canadian-American Los Angeles, California evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s. She founded the Foursquare Church...
preached.
Though small in size, Mount Forest's former concert theatre, The Old Roxy, has seen many famous musicians perform on its stage, acts such as The Tea Party
The Tea Party
The Tea Party is a Canadian rock band with blues, progressive rock, Indian and Middle Eastern influences, dubbed "Moroccan roll" by the media. Active throughout the 1990s up until 2005 when the band broke up, The Tea Party released eight albums on EMI Music Canada, selling 1.6 million records...
, Bif Naked
Bif Naked
Bif Naked is a Juno Award-winning, Indian-born American-Canadian multi-platinum record selling, rock singer, writer, poet, motivational speaker and actress.-Personal life:...
, Hedley
Hedley (band)
Hedley is a Canadian pop rock band comprising lead singer Jacob Hoggard, Tommy Mac on bass, Dave Rosin on lead guitar and Chris Crippin on drums. The current band retains the original name of Hoggard's pre-Canadian Idol group, although the membership has changed. The band originated in Abbotsford,...
, K-OS
K-os
Kevin Brereton , better known by his stage name k-os , is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer...
, Kim Mitchell
Kim Mitchell
Joseph Kim Mitchell is a Canadian guitarist. He was the lead singer and guitarist for the band Max Webster before going on to lead a solo career. He is currently a radio show host for CILQ-FM in Toronto....
, Blue Rodeo
Blue Rodeo
Blue Rodeo is a Canadian pop and country rock band, which was formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have been signed with Warner Music Group since their debut album Outskirts in March 1987...
, Jann Arden
Jann Arden
Jann Arden is a Canadian singer-songwriter.-Life and career:Arden was born and raised near Calgary in Springbank, Alberta and attended Springbank Community High School. Her breakthrough came with her critically acclaimed 1993 debut album Time for Mercy and her first single "I Would Die For You"...
, Doves, Paul Brandt
Paul Brandt
Paul Rennée Belobersycky is a Canadian country music artist, known professionally as Paul Brandt. Growing up in Calgary, he was a pediatric RN at the time of his big break...
, and George Canyon
George Canyon
George Canyon is a Canadian country music singer. He was runner up Nashville Star 2 in 2004. He grew up in Fox Brook, Pictou County, Nova Scotia and later lived in Hopewell, Nova Scotia before he moved west. He currently lives in High River, Alberta...
.
Mount Forest also hosts a number of different sporting events throughout the year. The Mount Forest Patriots
Mount Forest Patriots
The Mount Forest Patriots are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Western Junior C Hockey League .-History:...
are a local junior "C" hockey club that were very successful through the mid-1990s. The Trillium 10k is an annual race held each May which features 10km and 5km running races, a 5km walk event, and a 10km inline speed skating
Inline speed skating
Inline speed skating is the sport of racing on inline skates It is often called inline racing by participants. Although it primarily evolved from racing on traditional roller skates, the sport is similar enough to ice speed skating that many competitors are now known to switch between inline and...
race which has been contested by members of the Canadian national team.
The Town of Mount Forest is also home to (now defunct) indie folk
Indie folk
Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s from singer/songwriters in the indie rock community showing heavy influences from folk music scenes of the 50s, 60s and early 70s, country music, and indie rock. A few early artists included Lou Barlow, Beck, Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith...
band Sampson & The Doc, and hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
bands Bestial Death, Overdose, Skabies and Slag.
External links
- Mount Forest
- Ontario Plaques - The Founding of Mount Forest
- Mount Forest at Geographical Names of Canada