Pefferlaw, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Pefferlaw is a community within the Town of Georgina
, located 3 kilometres south of the southeastern shores of Lake Simcoe
and in the eastern end of the town. A river, known officially as the Pefferlaw River, runs just south of the community's commercial district. Pefferlaw is passed on the north by Highway 48 and Lake Ridge Road (Durham Road 23) to the east, and is serviced by Pefferlaw Road which links these two traffic arteries. Area code 905 is bounded to the west, but Pefferlaw along with Virginia Beach, Udora and Port Bolster remains in the 705
area code. The Canadian National railway passes through Pefferlaw and, until the early 1990s, served a train station in the community's commercial district. This railway links Toronto with Orillia, as well as Northern Ontario with Via Rail
transcontinental trains heading to Vancouver.
Census information is not available for Pefferlaw. It is counted as part of the Georgina Census division.
The town is largely centered around the Pefferlaw Dam, blocking the Pefferlaw River. The dam is operated by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority
. Pefferlaw's commercial district lies just north of the dam, and features a supermarket, hotel, youth centre, automobile service station, Canada Post
office, medical centre with pharmacy, Liquor Control Board of Ontario
retail store, and a branch of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
. The town features several public facilities operated by the Town of Georgina
, including a public library completed in 1989, community centre, fire station, and a large multi-use park. Cedardale Church is now the only place of worship in Pefferlaw, located just north of the intersection of Morning Glory Road and Pefferlaw Road. The York Region District School Board
operates Morning Glory Public School, an elementary school 5 minutes north of town on Highway 48
.
Pefferlaw is primarily situated in a forest setting. Farmlands are to the west, the northwest and the north. More farmlands are east of Lake Ridge Road and Pefferlaw. The forests are almost connected with the forests south of Sutton. The forests cover most of the area around Pefferlaw and to the south with a few farmlands as well as within the shoreline of Lake Simcoe. The forests are mainly composed of pine
and other varieties of trees and the size is about 600 to 700 square kilometres and about 80% of the area around Pefferlaw.
, about 15 kilometres east of Sutton
, and about 45 kilometres south of Orillia
. It is 37 kilometres west of Lindsay
, 23 kilometres north of Uxbridge
, about 50 kilometres north of Whitby
, about 90 kilometres northeast of Toronto, and 40 kilometres northeast of the nearest major commercial centre and seat of York Region, Newmarket
.
; a British Naval Officer who was released from service in 1815 following the Battle of Waterloo
. The name, Pefferlaw, was suggested to Captain Johnson by his brother in remembrance of a field among the heather on their old homestead and means, “a beautiful greensward.”
The first preserved diaries of William Johnson begin in 1832. By that time he had a sawmill, woolen mill and gristmill built at Pefferlaw.
The first store in the village of Pefferlaw was built in August 1833. Soon after, Robert Johnson, brother of William, took over running the store and shortly thereafter built a large two-story red brick house on the edge of the bank beside the store which still stands today. The second store in Pefferlaw was built by George Johnson, son of Captain William, this in 1856.
Banking came to Pefferlaw with the arrival of the C.N.R. Railway in 1906.
The Pefferlaw area like all early hamlets had its share of hotels – one at every crossroad. The Morning Glory Hotel was built in the 1860s and stood for many years on the site of the present day Morning Glory Public School. The tavern was well patronized by river drivers, lumber workers and stage coach passengers and drivers. The Mansion House Hotel was built in 1884. When it changed owners in 1906 the establishment was renamed, Hotel Belvedere.
Captain Johnson died in 1851 at "Oldcastle", lot 6, conc. 7, Georgina, which was always his home. He is buried there.
Georgina, Ontario
Georgina is a town in south-central Ontario, and the northernmost municipality in the Regional Municipality of York. It forms part of the northern boundary of the Greater Toronto Area and is situated on the southern shores of Lake Simcoe...
, located 3 kilometres south of the southeastern shores of Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
and in the eastern end of the town. A river, known officially as the Pefferlaw River, runs just south of the community's commercial district. Pefferlaw is passed on the north by Highway 48 and Lake Ridge Road (Durham Road 23) to the east, and is serviced by Pefferlaw Road which links these two traffic arteries. Area code 905 is bounded to the west, but Pefferlaw along with Virginia Beach, Udora and Port Bolster remains in the 705
Area code 705
Area codes 705 and 249 are telephone area codes that covers most of northeastern and central Ontario in Canada. 705 was initially created in 1957 by the North American Numbering Plan from portions of the area covered by area codes 613 and 519...
area code. The Canadian National railway passes through Pefferlaw and, until the early 1990s, served a train station in the community's commercial district. This railway links Toronto with Orillia, as well as Northern Ontario with Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
transcontinental trains heading to Vancouver.
Geography and Information
- Population: about 3,000 (2005 estimate)
- Altitude: about 200 to 250 metres above sea level
The town is largely centered around the Pefferlaw Dam, blocking the Pefferlaw River. The dam is operated by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority
Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority
The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority is a conservation authority established in 1951, and is among the oldest in the Canadian province of Ontario....
. Pefferlaw's commercial district lies just north of the dam, and features a supermarket, hotel, youth centre, automobile service station, Canada Post
Canada Post
Canada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...
office, medical centre with pharmacy, Liquor Control Board of Ontario
Liquor Control Board of Ontario
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario is a provincial Crown corporation in Ontario, Canada established in 1927 by Lieutenant Governor William Donald Ross, on the advice of his Premier, Howard Ferguson, to sell liquor, wine, and beer through a chain of retail stores...
retail store, and a branch of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is one of Canada's chartered banks, fifth largest by deposits. The bank is headquartered at Commerce Court in Toronto, Ontario. CIBC's Institution Number is 010, and its SWIFT code is CIBCCATT....
. The town features several public facilities operated by the Town of Georgina
Georgina, Ontario
Georgina is a town in south-central Ontario, and the northernmost municipality in the Regional Municipality of York. It forms part of the northern boundary of the Greater Toronto Area and is situated on the southern shores of Lake Simcoe...
, including a public library completed in 1989, community centre, fire station, and a large multi-use park. Cedardale Church is now the only place of worship in Pefferlaw, located just north of the intersection of Morning Glory Road and Pefferlaw Road. The York Region District School Board
York Region District School Board
The York Region District School Board, also known as YRDSB, is the English-language public school board for York Regional Municipality located in Ontario, Canada. The York Region District School Board is currently the province's third largest school board, with an enrollment of over 115,000 students...
operates Morning Glory Public School, an elementary school 5 minutes north of town on Highway 48
Highway 48 (Ontario)
King's Highway 48, also known as Highway 48, is a provincially-maintained highway in southern Ontario that extends from Major Mackenzie Drive in Markham, through Whitchurch-Stouffville, to Highway 12 south-east of Beaverton, Ontario. Prior to 1998, Highway 48 extended from Highway 401 in Toronto to...
.
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and other varieties of trees and the size is about 600 to 700 square kilometres and about 80% of the area around Pefferlaw.
Community Groups
- 659 Brock Squadron, Royal Canadian Air CadetsRoyal Canadian Air CadetsRoyal Canadian Air Cadets is a Canadian national youth program for persons aged 12 to 18. It is administered by the Canadian Forces and funded through the Department of National Defence with additional support from the civilian Air Cadet League of Canada...
- Pefferlaw Lions Club
- Pefferlaw Association of Ratepayers (PAR)
Approximate Driving Times to Nearby Communities
- UdoraUdora, OntarioUdora is a small rural community in Ontario, Canada. It has a population estimated to be around 500 and is situated in the most south-eastern part of Georgina, split between York Region and Durham Region. The town was originally known as Snoddon Corners and was the location of the Snoddon Hotel....
, 10 minutes south - CanningtonCannington, OntarioCannington is a community located in Brock Township, Durham Region, Ontario, Canada.-History:Originally part of the original Brock Township, Cannington was first settled in 1833. It was originally known as McCaskill's Mills after a local mill-owning family...
, 15 minutes east - SuttonSutton, OntarioSutton is a suburban community located nearly 2 km south of Lake Simcoe in Ontario, Canada. The community was formerly a village but is now part of the Town of Georgina after amalgamation with it and North Gwillimbury in 1971.-Geography and information:...
, 15 minutes west - KeswickKeswick, OntarioKeswick is a community in the south central portion of the Canadian province of Ontario. Located north of Toronto on Cook's Bay , Keswick is part of the Town of Georgina...
, 20 minutes west - BeavertonBeaverton, OntarioBeaverton is a community in Brock Township in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada.Originally part of Thorah Township in Ontario County, Beaverton was first settled in 1822. The settlement is located on Lake Simcoe at the mouth of the Beaver River...
, 20 minutes northeast - Uxbridge, 20 minutes south
- SunderlandSunderland, OntarioSunderland is a community located approximately 100 km northeast of Toronto, Ontario in Brock Township, in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada.-Business and Commerce:...
, 25 minutes southeast - NewmarketNewmarket, OntarioNewmarket 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...
, 50 minutes southwest
Relative Location
Pefferlaw is located about 13 kilometres southwest of BeavertonBeaverton, Ontario
Beaverton is a community in Brock Township in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada.Originally part of Thorah Township in Ontario County, Beaverton was first settled in 1822. The settlement is located on Lake Simcoe at the mouth of the Beaver River...
, about 15 kilometres east of Sutton
Sutton, Ontario
Sutton is a suburban community located nearly 2 km south of Lake Simcoe in Ontario, Canada. The community was formerly a village but is now part of the Town of Georgina after amalgamation with it and North Gwillimbury in 1971.-Geography and information:...
, and about 45 kilometres south of Orillia
Orillia, Ontario
Orillia, pronounced ōrĭl'ēə, is a city located in Simcoe County in Southern Ontario, Canada, between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe, 135 kilometres north of Toronto.Originally incorporated as a village in 1867, the history of...
. It is 37 kilometres west of Lindsay
Lindsay, Ontario
Lindsay is a community of 19,361 people on the Scugog River in the Kawartha Lakes region of south-eastern Ontario, Canada. It is approximately west of Peterborough...
, 23 kilometres north of Uxbridge
Uxbridge, Ontario
Uxbridge is a township in south-central Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Durham, in the Greater Toronto Area.The main centre in the township is the namesake community of Uxbridge...
, about 50 kilometres north of Whitby
Whitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region...
, about 90 kilometres northeast of Toronto, and 40 kilometres northeast of the nearest major commercial centre and seat of York Region, 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...
.
History
Pefferlaw was founded in the late 1820s by Captain William JohnsonCaptain William Johnson
Captain William Johnson was born in Chirnside, Scotland on September 19, 1784. He was a second lieutenant on HMS Blake and retired with the title of Captain. When he entered the Navy in 1801 he dropped the "t" and "e" from his last name which was previously Johnstone.He later founded the town of...
; a British Naval Officer who was released from service in 1815 following the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
. The name, Pefferlaw, was suggested to Captain Johnson by his brother in remembrance of a field among the heather on their old homestead and means, “a beautiful greensward.”
The first preserved diaries of William Johnson begin in 1832. By that time he had a sawmill, woolen mill and gristmill built at Pefferlaw.
The first store in the village of Pefferlaw was built in August 1833. Soon after, Robert Johnson, brother of William, took over running the store and shortly thereafter built a large two-story red brick house on the edge of the bank beside the store which still stands today. The second store in Pefferlaw was built by George Johnson, son of Captain William, this in 1856.
Banking came to Pefferlaw with the arrival of the C.N.R. Railway in 1906.
The Pefferlaw area like all early hamlets had its share of hotels – one at every crossroad. The Morning Glory Hotel was built in the 1860s and stood for many years on the site of the present day Morning Glory Public School. The tavern was well patronized by river drivers, lumber workers and stage coach passengers and drivers. The Mansion House Hotel was built in 1884. When it changed owners in 1906 the establishment was renamed, Hotel Belvedere.
Captain Johnson died in 1851 at "Oldcastle", lot 6, conc. 7, Georgina, which was always his home. He is buried there.