Cobourg, Ontario

Cobourg (2001 population 17,172) is a town some 75 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in and the seat of Northumberland County, Ontario; its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, 7 km to the west. It is located along Highway 401 (exits 472 and 474) and Highway 2 (now County Road 2). To the south Cobourg borders Lake Ontario, while to the north, east, and west, it is surrounded by Hamilton Township.

History

The town was founded by United Empire Loyalists in 1798. Some of the founding fathers and early settlers were Eluid Nickerson, Joseph Ash, Zacheus Burnham and Asa Burnham. The Town was originally called Amherst but was renamed Cobourg in 1818, in recognition of the marriage of Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg (who would later become King of Belgium).

By the 1830s Cobourg had become a regional centre and the district town for the Newcastle District, much due to its fine harbour on Lake Ontario. In 1835 the Upper Canada Academy was established in Cobourg by Egerton Ryerson and the Wesleyan Conference of Bishops. In 1841 its name was changed to Victoria College. In 1842 Victoria College was granted powers to confer degrees. Victoria College remained in Cobourg until 1892, when it was moved to Toronto and federated with the University of Toronto. In 1842, John Strachan founded the Diocesan Theological Institute in Cobourg, an Anglican seminary that became integrated into the University of Trinity College in Toronto in 1852.

Standing at the heart of the downtown is Victoria Hall, a beautiful old building that now serves as the town hall, as well as home of the Art Gallery of Northumberland, the Cobourg Concert Hall, and an Old Bailey-style courtroom. Victoria Hall was designed by architect Kivas Tully, and was officially opened in 1860 by the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VII. At that time, Cobourg was a significant town in the Province of Canada, and some townspeople felt that Cobourg would be a suitable capital for the newly united provinces; this privilege went to Ottawa, Ontario, however.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, wealthy Americans built enormous summer homes there, many of which still stand today. A major ferry service connected Cobourg and Rochester, New York from 1907 to 1952, transporting passengers and cargo across Lake Ontario, allowing Americans to reach the town more readily. After World War II and the advent of improved transportation technology, this economic link decreased in importance.

Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, the town invested heavily in purchasing property along the waterfront and beautifying the area. The harbour and large sandy beach are now connected by a boardwalk and pathways that stretch through Victoria Park and into the downtown. Many community activities developed in conjunction with the revitalization of the waterfront lands. One of the major events that grew out of Cobourg's focus on the lake front was the Waterfront Festival.

Attractions

Cobourg retains its small-town atmosphere, in part due to the downtown and surrounding residential area's status as a Heritage Conservation District. The downtown is a well-preserved example of a traditional small-town main street. The Cobourg Waterfront Festival is an annual arts and crafts event occurring on Canada Day. It began in 1987 as a part of the town's sesquicentennial celebrations, and was conceived by the Art Gallery of Northumberland's former Director/Curator Peter Tulumello and former Concert Hall Manager Mark Finnan. In addition to three high schools (Cobourg District Collegiate Institute East, CDCI West and St. Mary's Secondary School), Cobourg is home to a satellite campus of Fleming College. Food processing is the largest industry in Cobourg, and it is home to operations of companies like Kraft, and Weetabix. The Cobourg Cougars play in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League.

Famous natives and long-time residents

Marie Dressler, silent film actress
Paul Kane, frontier artist
Justin Williams, NHL hockey player
James Cockburn, lawyer and Father of Confederation
Ed Greenwood, author of the Forgotten Realms setting for Dungeons and Dragons
Dr. Paavo Airola, artist, nutritionist and author
The Honourable John Douglas Armour, Puisne judge of the Supreme Court of Canada
Charles Arkoll Boulton, militia leader in the Red River Rebellion
Rev. John Weir Foote, politician, chaplain, and Victoria Cross recipient
William Weller, transportation and communications pioneer
James Crossen, railway car builder
James Renwick Riddel, early Canadian history writer and Ontario Supreme Court judge

Demographics

Age Profile

Age 0-14: 18.1%
Age 15-24: 11.9%
Age 25-44: 24.7%
Age 45-64: 24.2%
Age 65-74: 10.8%
Age 75+: 10.3%

Racial Profile

95.4% White
1.4% Aboriginal
0.8% Korean
0.7% Black

Religious Make Up

56.1% Protestant
23.9% Catholic
2.2% other Christian
0.7% other religions
17.1% non-professing

Economy

Median Household Income: $47,046
Average Residential Housing Cost: $224,900
Average Gross Rent: $687.14

Schools

Cobourg District Collegiate Institute West
Cobourg District Collegiate Institute East
Burnham Public School
C.R. Gummow Public School
Grant Sine Public School
Merwin Greer Public School
Terry Fox Public School
St. Mary's Secondary School
St. Joseph's Elementary School
St. Michael's Elementary School
Notre Dame Elementary School
Northumberland Christian School

External links

Coastal towns in Canada | Towns in Ontario | Northumberland County, Ontario