Tilbury, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Tilbury is a community
in the municipality of Chatham-Kent
, Ontario
, Canada
. It is located between Chatham
and Windsor
on Highway 401
.
and Tilbury East in Kent County
were named for the port of Tilbury
in the English
county of Essex. A settlement, called Henderson after the local postmaster, was established with the construction of the Canada Southern Railway
in 1875. The name of the post office was changed to Tilbury Centre after the adjoining townships and the community was incorporated as a village in 1887. The name changed again to Tilbury a few years later and incorporation as a town followed in 1910.
In 1998, the town was amalgamated with the City of Chatham and all municipalities of Kent County to form the City of Chatham-Kent.
Tilbury is also home to larger franchise restaurants such as, Tim Hortons, KFC, and Little Caesars Pizza.
, Mahle
, Autoliv
, AP Plasman and others. A number of plants have closed in recent years, including Fleetwood Metal Industries and KS Centoco and recently ArvinMeritor
(formerly Rockwell International
), in June 2009.
, with an attendance of around 300 students. There is also a french elementary school, a public elementary school as well as a catholic elementary school.
Famous residents include actress Margaret Mather
.
Along with the former townships of Tilbury East and Dover, Tilbury is a designated French language
service area under Ontario's French Language Services Act
. See also Franco-Ontarian
.
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...
in the municipality of Chatham-Kent
Chatham-Kent, Ontario
Chatham–Kent is a unitary authority in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Mostly rural, its centres of population are Blenheim, Chatham, Dresden, Ridgetown, Tilbury and Wallaceburg. Modern Chatham–Kent was created in 1998 by the merger of Kent County and its municipalities.- History :The former city 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....
, 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...
. It is located between Chatham
Chatham, Ontario
Chatham is the largest community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Formerly serving as the seat of Kent County, the governments of the former city of Chatham, the county of Kent, and its townships were merged into one entity known as the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in 1998.Located on...
and Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
on Highway 401
Highway 401 (Ontario)
King's Highway 401, also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway and colloquially as the four-oh-one, is a 400-Series Highway in the Canadian province of Ontario stretching from Windsor to the Quebec border...
.
History
The nearby townships of Tilbury West in Essex CountyEssex County, Ontario
Essex County is a county and census division located in Southwestern Ontario and covers an area at the southernmost tip of Canada. The administrative seat is Essex...
and Tilbury East in Kent County
Kent County, Ontario
Kent County, area 2,458 sq km is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. Population in 2006 was 108,589.The county was created in 1792 and named by John Graves Simcoe in honour of the English County. The county is in an alluvial plain between Lake St...
were named for the port of Tilbury
Tilbury
Tilbury is a town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. As a settlement it is of relatively recent existence, although it has important historical connections, being the location of a 16th century fort and an ancient cross-river ferry...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Essex. A settlement, called Henderson after the local postmaster, was established with the construction of the Canada Southern Railway
Canada Southern Railway
The Canada Southern Railway was a railway in southern Ontario, Canada, founded on February 28, 1868 as the Erie and Niagara Extension Railway. It adopted the Canada Southern Railway name on December 24, 1869. In 1904 the railway was leased to the Michigan Central Railroad for 99 years; in 1929 it...
in 1875. The name of the post office was changed to Tilbury Centre after the adjoining townships and the community was incorporated as a village in 1887. The name changed again to Tilbury a few years later and incorporation as a town followed in 1910.
In 1998, the town was amalgamated with the City of Chatham and all municipalities of Kent County to form the City of Chatham-Kent.
Stores
Some stores in Tilbury include Foodland (formerly Knechtels), No Frills (formerly Zehrs), Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, Home Building centre, and The Bargain Shop.Restaurants
Tilbury is home to many locally owned restaurants and bars including, Blue Bonnet, Uncle Chow's, Fong's Restaurant, and FlapJacks.Tilbury is also home to larger franchise restaurants such as, Tim Hortons, KFC, and Little Caesars Pizza.
Fuel stations
There are several fuel stations in Tilbury that serves gasoline and diesel, including Macs, Shell, UPI, and Esso. In 2011, Mac's convenience store added a fuel station that serves gasoline and dieselCar dealerships
There are several car dealerships in Tilbury. The 4 main dealerships are Chevrolet (Gary Mackie, used to also sell Oldsmobiles), Ford (Lally), Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram, and Andre Lanoe (in which it sells GMC and Buick, but used to sell Pontiacs also). The rest are locally-owned, in which it sells ATVs, motorhomes, RVs and used vehicles.Economy
Tilbury is home to a number of industries related mainly to the auto sector. Companies present in the community include Woodbridge FoamWoodbridge Foam
The Woodbridge Group offers chemical conversion technologies, that support several business sectors around the globe. Since its inception in 1978, the company has grown to over 8,000 employees in over 60 facilities throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia Pacific...
, Mahle
Mahle
Mahle may refer to:*Ernst Mahle, a Brazilian composer and orchestra conductor*Mahle GmbH, a large German industrial company automotive supplier*Mahle , a Bangladeshi ethnic group...
, Autoliv
Autoliv
Autoliv is a Swedish-American company with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, that in 1997 sprung from the merger of the Swedish company Autoliv AB and Morton Automotive Safety Products, Inc., a division of the American firm Morton International....
, AP Plasman and others. A number of plants have closed in recent years, including Fleetwood Metal Industries and KS Centoco and recently ArvinMeritor
ArvinMeritor
Meritor, Inc. is a corporation headquartered in Troy, Michigan which manufactures automobile components for military suppliers, trucks, and trailers. Meritor is a Fortune 500 company.In 1997, Rockwell International spun off its automotive business as Meritor...
(formerly Rockwell International
Rockwell International
Rockwell International was a major American manufacturing conglomerate in the latter half of the 20th century, involved in aircraft, the space industry, both defense-oriented and commercial electronics, automotive and truck components, printing presses, valves and meters, and industrial automation....
), in June 2009.
Community
Tilbury is also home of the Titans of Tilbury District High SchoolTilbury District High School
Tilbury District High School is a high school located in Tilbury, Ontario and is part of the Lambton Kent District School Board. It has a high percentage of country and bus students, and serves the communities of Wheatley, Comber, Merlin and Coatsworth....
, with an attendance of around 300 students. There is also a french elementary school, a public elementary school as well as a catholic elementary school.
Famous residents include actress Margaret Mather
Margaret Mather
Margaret Mather was a Canadian actress.She was born in poverty in Tilbury, Ontario as Margaret Finlayson, daughter of John Finlayson, a farmer and mechanic, and Ann Mather...
.
Along with the former townships of Tilbury East and Dover, Tilbury is a designated French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
service area under Ontario's French Language Services Act
French Language Services Act
The French Language Services Act is a law in the province of Ontario, Canada which is intended to protect the rights of Franco-Ontarians, or French-speaking people, in the province....
. See also Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
.
External links
- Tilbury at Geographical Names of Canada
- Fong's Restaurant on Facebook