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Arthur, Ontario

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Coordinates: 43°49′58″N 80°32′16″W / 43.83278°N 80.53778°W / 43.83278; -80.53778
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Arthur
Unincorporated community
The Village of Arthur Sign at the Intersection of Hwy 6 and Wellington Road 109.
The Village of Arthur Sign at the Intersection of Hwy 6 and Wellington Road 109.
Map
Coordinates: 43°49′58″N 80°32′16″W / 43.83278°N 80.53778°W / 43.83278; -80.53778
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
CountyWellington County
TownshipWellington North
Area
 • Total
524.38 km2 (202.46 sq mi)
 • Density21.3/km2 (55/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Forward sortation area
N0G 1A0
Area codes519 and 226
NTS Map040P15
GNBC CodeFADVI

Arthur (population 2,628) is a community located just north of Highway 6 and Wellington Road 109 in the township of Wellington North, Ontario, Canada. Formerly an independent village, Arthur was amalgamated into Wellington North on January 1, 1999.

History

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The village was named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Settlers began arriving in 1840. The area was first surveyed in 1841 by John McDonald and then officially in 1846 by D.B. Papineau. During the first survey in 1841, the population of Arthur was 22 people. Over the next 15 years, this number rose to 400, and by 1900, the population had risen to just over 1500. The saw and grist mills on the Conestogo River encouraged people to settle here. In 1851, a post office, church and school were organized. Development increased in 1872 when the train line of the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway reached the village, which was incorporated in that year.[1] The Arthur Enterprise News, established in 1863, was one of the few non-syndicated weekly newspapers in Canada. By 1890, a high school had been opened.[1] In 1897, Arthur was one of the first villages in Ontario to be connected to an electricity line; power was only available in the evenings.[1]

Canada's most patriotic village

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Arthur Cenotaph

On November 2, 1942, the Toronto Star ran a front-page headline that read "Arthur Village Gives Sons and Money to Aid the War", as one out of every seven Arthur residents fought in the Second World War. At that time, 100 residents had enlisted from the population of 890. The Toronto Star article only calls the village 'patriotic' and does not use the phrase "Canada's Most Patriotic Village" [2]

It was the highest ratio in comparison to villages of comparable sizes in Canada. By the end of the war, 338 Arthur residents had enlisted, and 25 were killed in action.

During the first war bond campaign of World War II, the village of Arthur was the first community in Ontario to reach its quota, which it did within a few minutes. Arthur also led the communities in Wellington for every other war and victory bond campaign and surpassed all objectives that had been set. By the end of the fourth campaign, Arthur had raised a total of $250,000, which was equal to 64% of the assessed value of the village's taxable property.

In 2002, David Tilson, MPP for Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey stated in the Ontario legislature that because of the village of Arthur's extraordinary World War II record, the community was now being recognized as "Canada's Most Patriotic Village".

The sacrifice of these soldiers is honoured by the Cenotaph of Arthur, located in the heart of the village. The monument was unveiled on August 6, 1923, by Mrs. David Brocklebank, whose son was killed at the end of World War I, before the largest crowd ever assembled in Arthur village. After the unveiling, the Toronto Star described the cenotaph as "a war memorial whose design and beauty cannot be equalled as yet in the Province." On the cenotaph are engraved the names of the 193 men who enlisted in World War I (including the 40 who were KIA), as well as the 363 men and women who enlisted in World War II, among whom 25 made the ultimate sacrifice. One unique feature of the cenotaph was that when it was being designed, a decision was made to build the monument with stones gathered from local farms. It was later discovered that the memorial was the first fieldstone Cenotaph Memorial built in the province.

Some of the men who enlisted from the Arthur area were British Home Children sent here from orphanages in the UK. Between 1869 and 1948, over 118,000 orphaned and abandoned children up to the age of 16 were sent to Canada to work as farm hands and domestic servants.

Culture

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Historic sites

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The Founding of Arthur Plaque.

The Village of Arthur Historical Walking Tour is a local tour, allowing people to learn about Arthur's rich heritage. The walk includes 21 historic sites in the community.[3]

  • Arthur Cenotaph: unveiled on August 1, 1923, it commemorates those in the community who have served in the war.[4]
  • Arthur United Church: constructed in 1892 by the Methodist congregation, in 1925, the United Church of Canada was formed when the Methodists joined with Congregationalists and a portion of the Presbyterian congregations.[5]
  • Grace Anglican Church: The first Anglican church was constructed in 1854, however a new church was built in 1880. A fire in 1925 destroyed this structure and a replacement was constructed at the current site.[6]
  • Old Methodist House: The building was constructed in the 1870's and was home to the Methodist/United Church of Canada manse from 1900 – 1972.[7]
  • Old Arthur High School: Built in 1890, it was opened for a total of 63 years. Now, it is an apartment building.[8]
  • Former High School: Arthur District High School opened in 1954 and served the community until 2004. The school re-opened in 2006 and is currently Arthur Public School.[9]
  • CPR Station: Built in 1870, construction was initiated on building the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway from Orangeville to Arthur. The last passenger train came through Arthur in 1957 and the last freight train was in 1984.[10]
  • St. John Catholic School: The original school was demolished in 1963 and replaced with a new school. This school closed in 1995.[11]
  • Old Presbyterian Manse: Old, stone residential house once served as the Presbyterian Manse.[12]
  • St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church: Built in 1899, this church was the third Presbyterian church built in the community.[13]
  • St. John Catholic Church: Built in 1874, the church once had a gothic steeple that was replaced in the 1960's due to structural weakness.[14]
  • The Old Catholic Convent: A residential home that was originally used as a convent for the nuns of St. John Catholic Church.[15]
  • St. John Parish Hall: Served as St. John Catholic School from 1963 – 1995.[16]
  • Arthur Pentecostal Assembly: the newest church in the village, which opened in 2002.[17]
  • Old Town Hall: Oldest public building in Arthur, built in 1863. Originally served as a military training centre for local militia before transforming into Arthur's Town Hall. Currently, it serves as a Senior Citizen's Hall.[18]
  • Former Arthur Public School: Constructed in 1945 on the same grounds behind the previous Public School. The school was relocated in 2005.
  • Old County Registry Office: Built in 1872 and served North Wellington until 1991 before closing and its records were moved to Guelph.[19]
  • The Original Commercial Hotel: residential home on Edward Street that was the Original Commercial Hotel.[20]
  • Founding of Arthur Plaque: highlights key events in Arthur's history.[21]
  • James Morrison Plaque: famous local figure in the community.[22]

Outdoor attractions

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  • Arthur Community Centre Fairgrounds Park: Located at the Arthur Fairgrounds, this park has two baseball diamonds with lighting, one junior baseball diamond, the Arthur Optimist pavilion and splash pad, the Arthur Opti-Mrs. Playground,[23] an outdoor pool and a walking track.[24]
  • Arthur Community Park: Located at the south end of the village along the Conestoga River.[25]
  • Arthur Lions Park: Located at the beginning of River Trail, which is 4km in length with several loops and side trails.[26] The playground and park features a natural tree canopy.[27]

Festivals

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  • Arthur Fall Fair: Held each September the weekend following Labour Day at the Arthur Community Centre and Fairgrounds Park.[28]

Demographics

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Population history of Arthur
YearPop.±%
18811,257—    
18911,296+3.1%
19011,285−0.8%
19111,102−14.2%
19211,104+0.2%
19311,021−7.5%
1941937−8.2%
19511,088+16.1%
19611,200+10.3%
19711,414+17.8%
19811,720+21.6%
19912,123+23.4%
19962,139+0.8%
20012,284+6.8%
20062,327+1.9%
20112,421+4.0%
20162,556+5.6%
20212,628+2.8%
Source: [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]

As of the 2021 Canadian Census, Arthur's population was 2,628. This represents an increase of 72 people, or 2.8%, compared to the 2016 Canadian Census.

Arthur did not appear in the first Canadian census in 1871.

Arthur's population was 1,257 in 1881, and the total population grew to 1,296 in 1891 before a slight drop to 1,285 in 1901.

From 1901 to 1941, Arthur's population dropped significantly, to a low of 937 in 1941.

Following World War II, Arthur saw a lot of growth. Between 1951 and 1991, the village's population more than doubled, going from 1,088 in 1951 to 2,123 in 1991.

The village has continued to have steady growth since the turn of the century, as Arthur's population has grown from 2,284 in 2001 to 2,628 in 2021.

As of the latest census in 2021, the median age in Arthur is 37.6 years old. There are 1,043 private dwellings in Arthur, with 1,007 of them occupied by usual residents.

The median total income for a household in Arthur was $88,000 in 2020.

Education

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Arthur Public School is a K-8 school located in the community.

Upper Grand District School Board

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Arthur is served by the Upper Grand District School Board as Arthur Public School is a K-8 school located on Conestoga Street.[41] Local high school students in the UGDSB are bussed to Wellington Heights Secondary School in Mount Forest.[42] French immersion students from Arthur are assigned to Palmerston Public School in Palmerston, Ontario when in K-8. [43] French immersion high school students attend Norwell District Secondary School, which is also in Palmerston, when in grades 9-12.[44]

Wellington Catholic District School Board

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Arthur is served by the Wellington Catholic District School Board as St. John Catholic Elementary School is a K-8 school located on Tucker Street.[45] Local high school students in the WCDSB are bussed to Saint James Catholic High School in Guelph.[46]

Public library system

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The Wellington County Library system consists of 14 branches throughout the county, including one in Arthur on Charles Street.[47]

Fire and emergency services

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Ambulance

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Ambulance service in Arthur is provided by the Guelph-Wellington Paramedic Service. The headquarters for GWPS is located in Guelph and Arthur has one GWPS station located within the community.[48]

Fire services

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Residents of Arthur are served by the Wellington North Fire Service. The WNFS is a volunteer fire service, with approximately 50 volunteer fire fighters. Arthur has a fire station located within the community, Fire Station 90.[49]

Police

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The Ontario Provincial Police provides service for Arthur. There isn't an operation centre located within the community. The OPP operation centre that serves Arthur is located in Teviotdale.[50]

Health care

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Arthur is home to the Arthur Family Health Centre, as it provides health care within the community.[51] Arthur does not have a hospital located within the community, however, there are hospitals nearby. Louise Marshall Hospital is located in Mount Forest, Palmerston and District Hospital is located in Palmerston and Groves Memorial Community Hospital is located in Fergus. These hospitals, as well as the Arthur Family Health Centre, are apart of the Wellington Health Care Alliance.[52] Caressant Care is a long term care/retirement home located within the community.[53]

Media

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[edit]

The Arthur and area current print media coverage comes from The North Wellington Community News and the Wellington Advertiser.[54]

Radio

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While Arthur does not have their own radio station, 88.7 The River (CIWN-FM) from nearby Mount Forest serves the Wellington North area.[55]

Transportation

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Arthur sits just north of the junction of Ontario Highway 6 (north−south) and Wellington Road 109 (east−west).

Air

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Arthur has five small private aerodromes in the area, including Arthur South, Damascus Field, Metz Field, Peskett Field and Walter's Field. The closest major airports to Arthur is the Region of Waterloo International Airport located in Woolwich.[56] and Toronto Pearson International Airport located in Mississauga.[57]

Bus

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The Guelph Owen Sound Transit (GOST) bus service connects Arthur with the cities of Guelph and Owen Sound. This service includes stops in Chatsworth, Williamsford, Durham, Mount Forest, Fergus and Elora.[58]

Rail

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The closest train station to Arthur is Guelph Central Station in Guelph. At this location, Via Rail along the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor[59] and GO Transit along the Kitchener line is offered.[60]

RIDE WELL

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RIDE WELL is an on-demand, publicly-funded, rural transit service offering service that is available in Arthur, as well as throughout Wellington County and in the city of Guelph.[61]

Sports

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Arthur has one arena, the Arthur and Area Community Centre, where local teams play their home games, including baseball, ice hockey, lacrosse, pickleball and softball.[62][63]

Previously, Arthur was home to a WOAA Senior League team at the Community Centre, the Arthur Tigers, which operated from 1985 to 1999. The Tigers won the 1990-91 WOAA Grand Championship.[64]

The Arthur Area Curling Club is the local curling club is located beside the Community Centre. It is home to many curling leagues and hosts bonspiels from October until March.[65]

Notable people

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Athletes

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Politicians

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See also

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References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arthur, Ontario.
  1. ^ a b c "History of Wellington North - Township of Wellington North". Wellington North. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  2. ^ Nicol, James (November 2, 1942). "Arthur Village Gives Sons, Money to Aid War". Toronto Daily Star. p. 1.
  3. ^ "The Village of Arthur Historic Walking Tour". Wellington North. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Arthur Cenotaph". Government of Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  5. ^ "History of the Arthur United Church". Wellington Advertiser. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  6. ^ "Arthur Walking Tour Brochure" (PDF). Wellington North. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Welcome to Grace Church, Arthur". Anglican Diocese of Niagara. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  8. ^ "Arthur Walking Tour Brochure" (PDF). Wellington North. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  9. ^ "Former Village of Arthur". Wellington North. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  10. ^ "Toronto, Grey & Bruce Railway". Ontario Railway Stations. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  11. ^ "Our School - St. John Catholic Elementary School". St. John Catholic Elementary School. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  12. ^ "Arthur Walking Tour Brochure" (PDF). Wellington North. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  13. ^ "About - St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Arthur, Ontario". The Presbyterian Church in Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  14. ^ "About Our Parish". St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  15. ^ "Arthur Walking Tour Brochure" (PDF). Wellington North. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  16. ^ "Arthur Walking Tour Brochure" (PDF). Wellington North. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  17. ^ "About Us". Arthur Pentecostal Assembly. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  18. ^ "Arthur Walking Tour Brochure" (PDF). Wellington North. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  19. ^ "Land Records". Ontario Ancestors Wellington County Branch. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  20. ^ "Arthur Walking Tour Brochure" (PDF). Wellington North. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  21. ^ "The Founding of Arthur". Ontario Heritage Trust. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  22. ^ "James Morrison Historical Plaque". Ontario Plaques.
  23. ^ "Arthur Opti-Mrs. Playground & Picnic Shelter". Wellington North. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  24. ^ "Arthur Community Centre Fairgrounds". Wellington North. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  25. ^ "Arthur Community Park". Wellington North. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  26. ^ "River Trail". Wellington North. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  27. ^ "Arthur Lions Park". Wellington North. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  28. ^ "Home". Arthur Fall Fair. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  29. ^ "Seventh Census of Canada, 1931" (PDF). Government of Canada. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  30. ^ "Ninth Census of Canada 1951" (PDF). Government of Canada. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  31. ^ "1956 Census of Canada" (PDF). Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  32. ^ "1966 Census of Canada Population" (PDF). Government of Canada. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  33. ^ "1976 Census of Canada Population: Geographic Distributions" (PDF). Government of Canada. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  34. ^ "Data tables, 1981 Census". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  35. ^ "Canada 1986 Population" (PDF). Government of Canada. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  36. ^ "1991 Census of Canada". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  37. ^ "Data tables, 1996 Census". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  38. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  39. ^ "Census Profile". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  40. ^ "Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Arthur [Population centre], Ontario". 9 February 2022.
  41. ^ "Arthur Public School". Upper Grand District School Board. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  42. ^ "Wellington Heights Secondary School". Upper Grand District School Board. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  43. ^ "Palmerston Public School". Upper Grand District School Board. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  44. ^ "Norwell District Secondary School". Upper Grand District School Board. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  45. ^ "St. John Catholic Elementary School". Wellington Catholic District School Board. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  46. ^ "St. James Catholic High School". Wellington Catholic District School Board. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  47. ^ "Arthur Branch, Wellington County Library". Wellington County. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  48. ^ "Guelph-Wellington Paramedic Service". City of Guelph. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  49. ^ "Wellington North Fire Services". Wellington North. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  50. ^ "Emergency, Paramedics & Police". Wellington North. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  51. ^ "Arthur Family Practice". Arthur Family Practice. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  52. ^ "About Us". Wellington Health Care Alliance. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  53. ^ "Caressant Care Arthur". Caressant Care. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  54. ^ "Former Village of Arthur". Wellington-North. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  55. ^ "88.7 The River - Community Radio". 88.7 The River. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  56. ^ "Welcome to Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF)". Region of Waterloo International Airport. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
  57. ^ "Toronto Pearson Airport". Toronto Pearson. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
  58. ^ "Guelph Owen Sound Transit". Owen Sound. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  59. ^ "Guelph train station". VIA Rail.
  60. ^ "Guelph Central GO". GO Transit.
  61. ^ "RIDE WELL". Wellington County. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  62. ^ "Arthur & Area Community Centre". Wellington North. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  63. ^ "Arthur & Area Community Centre - Ball Diamonds". Wellington North. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  64. ^ "1990-91 Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey" (PDF). Western Ontario Athletic Association. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  65. ^ "Arthur Curling Club". Arthur Curling Club. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
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