Chesley, Ontario

Chesley (originally Sconeville) is a community in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada, located within the municipality of Arran–Elderslie.[1][2] The name Sconeville was replaced in 1868 to mark the career of Solomon Chesley, an official in the pre-Confederation Indian Department.[3] Its town slogan is "The Nicest Town Around."[4] Chesley is located north of both Walkerton on Bruce Road 19 and Hanover on County Road 10. It is now an example of a typical rural Ontario community.

Chesley
Community
Motto: 
Nicest Town Around
Chesley is located in Southern Ontario
Chesley
Chesley
Location in southern Ontario
Coordinates: 44°18′N 81°06′W
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
CountyBruce County
TownshipArran-Elderslie
Founded1858
Established1865
Incorporated1879
Government
 • Mayor of Arran-ElderslieSteve Hammell
 • MPAlex Ruff
 • MPPBill Walker
Elevation
300 m (1,000 ft)
Population
 • Total1,800
 • Demonym
Chesleyite
Time zoneUTC– 05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC– 04:00 (EDT)
Area code(s)226, 519
Websitearran-elderslie.com

Chesley originally developed around mills built on the Saugeen River around 1858.[5] It expanded further when it was connected to the Grand Trunk Railway 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.

Postcard of the Main Street (now 1st Avenue) in 1910

From 1877 to 2004, the town had a weekly newspaper called The Chesley Enterprise.[5][6]

The town's major source of employment is commercial manufacturing. From 1886 to 1987, the Krug family operated the Krug Bros. furniture manufacturing business. Currently Crate Designs,[7] a locally owned furniture manufacturing factory, is the only surviving furniture factory, following the recent downsizing of Durham Furniture (2007).

Chesley is part of the Bluewater District School Board and has a junior kindergarten to grade 8 school called the Chesley District Community School.[8] In 2014, the original Chesley District High School joined with the Kinghurst Community School to form a junior kindergarten to grade 12 facility. In 2017, the high school section closed and it is now a junior kindergarten to grade 8 facility.[9]

A number of franchises also exist in the town, including New Orleans Pizza, Rona, Home Hardware, and Rexall Drugs.

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.

In 2005, Chesley was able to open a Heritage and Woodworking Museum due to a Ontario Trillium Foundation grant.[10] The museum was housed in the Dawson House on 1st Avenue, formerly the home of town doctors Stewart and Dawson.[11][12] The building had been left to the town for public use in the 1970s; in 2013, Chesley put Dawson House up for sale.[11]

Notable people

References
  1. "The Founding of Chesley Historical Plaque". www.ontarioplaques.com. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  2. "Railpast Junction – Chasing History & Railfanning for Fun". railpast.com. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  3. Hamilton, William (1978). The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names. Toronto: Macmillan. pp. 167. ISBN 0-7715-9754-1.
  4. "Chesley, Ontario Canada | town on Saugeen River – Bruce County – Explore The Bruce". Bruce County – Explore The Bruce. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  5. "History of the County of Bruce Ontario Canada". www.electricscotland.com. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  6. nurun.com. "An enterprising history". The Post. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  7. Crate Designs
  8. Chesley District Community School
  9. "About Our School". www.cdcs.bwdsb.on.ca. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  10. nurun.com. "Chesley museum in danger of closing". Owen Sound Sun Times. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  11. nurun.com. "Municipality to put Dawson House up for sale". The Post. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  12. "Illustrated number of the Chesley enterprise : Christmas, 1902". Toronto Public Library. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
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