|
|
Wiarton, OntarioWiarton is a town in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada, on the shores of Georgian Bay. Municipally, it is part of the town of South Bruce Peninsula. Wiarton lies at the western end of Colpoys Bay on the Bruce Peninsula. The town of Wiarton began its existence in 1855 when it was surveyed and laid out on lands recently acquired from the Aboriginal Peoples of the area. It was named after the birthplace of Sir Edmund Head, the Governor General of Canada from 1854 to 1861. Settlement first began in 1866, and in 1868, a post office was established. In 1880 it was incorporated as a Village, then with a population of 750. By 1894, Wiarton became a Town with a population of 2,000, a number similar to its present population of 2,300. In 1999, administratively, Wiarton was amalgamated into the new municipality of the Town of South Bruce Peninsula. Geographically, the town is defined by the rugged limestone cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment, (a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve - one of only twelve such reserves in Canada), which bisects the town. The town rests on the picturesque shores of Colpoys Bay, part of Georgian Bay, itself part of Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes whose border is shared between Canada and the U.S.A. The town has long been known as the gateway to the Bruce Peninsula, the peninsula separating Lake Huron from Georgian Bay. Wiarton's most important businesses were initially founded on the lumber industry. The harvest of timber and the manufacture of goods from lumber were an important industry early in the town's development, until unsustainable timbering practices wiped out the local forests. The next most important industry was fishing. In 1906, Wiarton was awarded a federal fish hatchery, which helped maintain the fish stock in the area for many years. Fishing was at its peak in the early 20th century, but suffered from the introduction of the lamprey eel to the upper Great Lakes through the Welland Canal in 1921. By 1932, the lamprey eel had arrived in Georgian Bay, and, together with the Great Depression, it brought the decline of the fishing industry. In 1881, the first train arrived in the town as part of Grand Trunk Railway system, for which Wiarton served as its northern terminus, extending to a new wharf in Colpoys Bay constructed in 1882. The last passenger train ran in 1957, when, due to the prevailing use of the automobile, the demand for train service declined. Freight trains continued using the tracks until 1968, when the lines were abandoned. is best known for the Wiarton Willie Festival and Wiarton Willie, the albino groundhog who predicts the length of winter every Groundhog day. Tourism forms an important part of the town's modern economy, attracting many seasonal visitors to the area's cottages and resorts, and to the town's extensive marina. The Bruce Trail, Canada's oldest and longest footpath, provides public access to the 725 kilometre long Niagara Escarpment which runs through the town.
|
 |