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135-566: Southwestern Ontario is often not consistently defined. The Government of Ontario, in certain documents, classifies municipalities along the eastern side of Southwestern Ontario near the Grand River , including Wellington County , Waterloo Region , and Brant County , as part of the Greater Golden Horseshoe region that surrounds western Lake Ontario , mainly due to the presence of modern transportation connections that link these areas to

270-542: A "Big Six" professional team. Various additional professional teams currently and have formerly existed in lower-tier professional leagues in the region, with the only current active professional teams being basketball teams in the Basketball Super League , and semi-professional baseball and soccer teams in the Intercounty Baseball League and League1 Ontario , respectively. Major junior hockey

405-475: A Catholic mission settlement just south of Montreal that was occupied primarily by converted Mohawk who had migrated north from New York. In 1674 identifiable groups of Neutrals were recorded among its population. It can be presumed that many of their descendants are still living there today. In later wars between Britain and France, the Caughnawaga people, many of whom had converted to Catholicism, were allies of

540-597: A distinct county in its own right. In 1998, the County of Kent and the city of Chatham were amalgamated by the Province of Ontario to form the Municipality of Chatham–Kent. Most services were also combined. Since then, bus service has begun to serve all of Chatham-Kent. Starting in 2007, routes were set up to include the former towns of Wallaceburg and Dresden . Before 1998, each town had their own fire department. It then became

675-573: A domestic source of out-of-season crops throughout Canada in the winter. The region is also a centre for wine production . While the majority of wine production in Ontario is currently located in the Niagara Region and Prince Edward County , a wine appellation designated by the Vinters Quality Alliance (VQA) , the regulatory system for wine in Ontario and British Columbia , is located on

810-402: A gorge roughly parallel to the current Grand River. Evidence of the "buried gorge" of the previous river has been found when wells have been drilled. Rather than finding water-bearing bedrock at a depth of a dozen metres or less, the path of the buried gorge can be found with overburden of dozens of metres. The Laphroaig site ( AgHa-54 ) on the lower Grand River shows evidence of occupation in

945-680: A long history in the region. Oil was initially discovered in Canada in 1858, when the first oil well was advanced in Oil Springs , located in Lambton County. However, oil and petrochemicals did not play a significant role in the regional economy until the large-scale development of oil deposits in Alberta in the 1930s and after World War II , when the first large-scale oil refineries were built in Sarnia. Oil

1080-628: A loose confederacy of peoples who moved west in the 1720s, fleeing lands invaded by Iroquois, and settled in present-day Ohio . The Mingo were among tribes who later fought the Americans in the Northwest Indian Wars for the Ohio Valley (1774–95). During the 1840s, they were among the tribes removed to Oklahoma and Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. Neutral descendants are among

1215-610: A modest presence in the region. A strong commercial greenhouse sector has also emerged in the region, centred predominantly on the towns of Leamington and Kingsville in Essex County, which boast the largest concentration of commercial greenhouses in North America , made viable due to the presence of sandy soils, low energy costs, and mild winters. Crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers , bell peppers , berries, flowers , and cannabis are grown year-round in these greenhouses, providing

1350-444: A mother tongue and 1,500 have French as their home language. Essex County also has a relatively large francophone population, especially in the municipality of Lakeshore . Together, Chatham–Kent and Essex Counties make up one of the concentrations of Franco-Ontarians in the province of Ontario. Both elementary and secondary francophone schools exist across the municipality. A French socio-cultural organization, La Girouette , which

1485-518: A number of regular contributing columnists. The Chatham-Kent Sports Network is an online source covering local sports news, scores, and highlights from each of Chatham-Kent's communities. CKSN also follows Chatham-Kent athletes who have progressed to the Junior, College, International, or Professional ranks. There are two anglophone school boards and one francophone school board in Chatham–Kent. These are

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1620-575: A patent under the Great Seal, issued by Lieutenant Governor Simcoe, and bearing date January 14, 1793 ... The original extent of the tract was 694,910 acres, but the greater part of this has been since surrendered to the Crown, in trust, to be sold for the benefit of these tribes. And some smaller portions have been either granted in fee simple to purchasers with the assent of the Indians, or have been alienated by

1755-703: A population of 104,316 in the 2021 census. The area of Chatham-Kent is part of the traditional territory of the Odawa , Potawatomi , Ojibwe and Wyandot First Nations of Canada. After the Treaty of Paris in 1763 ceded control of the area from the French to the British, it became part of the Territory of Quebec. The title to the Chatham-Kent area was surrendered to the British as part of

1890-537: A readily-available supply of brine and chlorine , which has aided the ease of production of chemicals locally. Southwestern Ontario's economy and political identity is heavily rooted in the manufacturing industry. Proximity to heavy industry in the United States Rust Belt , predominantly Detroit , and the nearby location of hydroelectric power sources in Niagara Falls provided a foundation for allowing

2025-697: A relatively flat geography with rolling hills, with the exception of areas near the Niagara Escarpment in Bruce and Grey Counties, where exposed limestone cliff faces can be seen along the shores of Georgian Bay . Sandier soils are generally located near Lake Erie, resulting in the creation of a sandy escarpment along the entire north shore, in addition to many sandspit peninsulas, including Point Pelee in Essex County, Pointe aux Pins ( Rondeau ) in Chatham-Kent, and Long Point in Norfolk County. Pelee Island ,

2160-678: A retail centre for the municipality and surrounding area. This includes the large big-box stores in Super Centre on St. Clair Street and arguably the north end of Communication Road in Blenheim. The long, white sandy beaches, fishing, hiking trails and conservation areas make Erieau a popular vacation spot. There are two Provincial Parks in Chatham-Kent: Rondeau Provincial Park and Wheatley Provincial Park , There are also numerous local conservation areas. Downtown Chatham

2295-496: A sharp contrast, Essex County and Chatham-Kent receive less snow than average due to their location further south. Summers are typically hot and humid, with Windsor experiencing the warmest weather in Ontario. Summers are often cooler and less humid on the peninsulas in Lake Erie and Lake Huron. Southwestern Ontario also experiences the highest annual frequency of thunderstorms in Canada, with Windsor, Chatham-Kent, and London experiencing

2430-461: A significant portion of the city's political power. Nearby Dresden and Buxton were also home to thousands of land-owning black residents. However, after the abolition of slavery in the United States, many black families left the area. Today the city of Chatham is just 3.3% black, with Chatham-Kent as a whole being 2.1% black. Few of the black-owned institutions are still in operation. In 1846,

2565-509: A tavern and a library where one could read books and newspapers. By 1869, the population was 3,000 in this industrial area with several mills, foundries, and breweries; a great deal of wood was being produced. A steamboat offered transportation to Windsor and Detroit. There was one bank office. Between 1906 and 1909, the city was home to the Chatham Motor Car Company , and from 1919 to 1921, Denby Motor Truck Company of Canada. It

2700-562: A variety of projectile point types, one distinct type, the Innes point, was associated with the Grand River drainage basin and took its name from a type site a few kilometres west of Brantford , which sits on the lower Grand River. Due to high water levels at the start of the Late Archaic, sites which are today located inland up the river may once have been true shoreline sites, similarly to

2835-456: A warm-summer Dfb climate , with the exception of Windsor and Chatham-Kent, which experiences a hot-summer Dfa climate. Additionally, a very small area near Long Point experiences a temperate oceanic Cfb climate, due to its location in Lake Erie creating slightly cooler summers and slightly warmer winters than the remainder of the province. Southwestern Ontario has historically been a strong centre for Canadian agricultural production, given

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2970-528: Is Owaashtanong-ziibi . A. Jones, the General Surveyor of Upper Canada reported the name of the river among the Mississaugas to be ' O-es-shin-ne-gun-ing' , and he wrote "the one that washes the timber down and carries away the grass and the weeds" as the meaning of the name. The Grand River watershed consists of all the land that drains into the Grand River through tributary creeks and rivers such as

3105-504: Is Canada's smallest forest zone, but it is home to a very high biodiversity of species due to it being one of the warmest regions in the country. Over 500 rare and/or endangered species are located in this region and is estimated to contain around 25% of Canada's species at risk , including the American badger , Midland painted turtle , Jefferson salamander , monarch butterfly , and southern flying squirrel . Southwestern Ontario's climate

3240-565: Is a major fixture of the sporting landscape in the region, with all major cities hosting OHL teams. Southwestern Ontario teams regularly experience high attendance, with the London Knights and Kitchener Rangers regularly boasting the highest attendance in the league. In the late 2000s, former BlackBerry co- CEO Jim Balsillie made three unsuccessful attempts to purchase and move an NHL franchise to Southern Ontario , with planned destinations being either Kitchener or Hamilton ; in 2006 with

3375-591: Is a museum of the Dawn Settlement, established in 1841 by Josiah Henson near Dresden as refuge for the many slaves who escaped to Canada from the United States. John Brown , the abolitionist, planned his raid on the Harpers Ferry Arsenal in Chatham and recruited local men to participate in the raid. He held in Chatham a Convention of Colored Men on May 8–10, 1858. The small village of North Buxton , part of

3510-647: Is a road that runs from St. Thomas to London, with a small section of freeway running north from Highway 401, formerly known as Highway 126. Southwestern Ontario also has multiple road connections with the United States. These include the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, the Bluewater Bridge in Sarnia, and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel that runs from downtown Detroit to downtown Windsor. A new bridge crossing,

3645-545: Is also home to many historic buildings which are part of an annual ghost tour offered each year at Halloween. The participants go on a guided walk of downtown while the guide informs them of various ghost stories tied to the local buildings in which they pass. Chatham-Kent was a major part of the Underground Railroad and as such hosts the Buxton Homecoming each September. This celebrates the area's black culture and

3780-547: Is based in Chatham, promotes French-Canadian culture and language in the area. Knowledge of official language statistics: A breakdown of the total labour force in Chatham-Kent shows the leading industries ( NAICS ) are manufacturing, health care, and retail: At the outskirts of Chatham is the headquarters for Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited (a division of DuPont ), a major agricultural seed breeding and biotechnology company. GreenField Specialty Alcohols Inc.'s Commercial Alcohols division, Canada's largest ethanol plant and one of

3915-480: Is central to the regional economy, with major active automotive plants being located in Windsor, London, Ingersoll , Woodstock , and Cambridge. The effects of the 2008–2010 automotive industry crisis on Canada included a large number of plants shutting down across the region in the following years. The 2020s saw a widespread resurgence in industrial development, predominantly due to the comparative lack of available land for development and fast-rising property prices in

4050-501: Is concentrated at lakeshore sites located at river mouths ; no known site of this type, however, has been located on the Grand River. No evidence of fish at upland sites has been found, suggesting a pattern of seasonal upland hunting and lowland fishing. Tincombe points out, however, that fishing may still have occurred on the upper Grand River, notwithstanding a lack of surviving remains at sites. He further proposes areas around Caledonia and Brantford as persistent places of occupation in

4185-516: Is currently being planned. Freight rail in the region is dominated by CN Rail and CPKC , the two major cross-national Canadian rail companies. Smaller railway companies operating in the region include Essex Terminal Railway , Goderich-Exeter Railway , Ontario Southland Railway , Southern Ontario Railway , and Waterloo Central Railway . Southwestern Ontario has two major ports, located in Goderich and Windsor, that service cargo ships as part of

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4320-480: Is heavily influenced by the proximity of the Great Lakes . Winters in the region are typically milder than the rest of Ontario due to the gradual release of stored heat in the lakes. Despite this, however, portions of the region experience significantly more snow than others due to lake-effect snow caused by eastward winds. A portion of the regional Snowbelt is located in Bruce, Grey, Huron, and Middlesex Counties. In

4455-412: Is home to RM Auctions , a vintage automobile auction house, and RM Restorations, a vintage automobile restoration company. The nickname "The Classic Car Capital of Canada" comes from the abundance of classic car events in the community. Chatham is home to a major corporate office of Enbridge Gas Inc., a natural gas utility and Enbridge company. Other energy related companies include wind farms near

4590-608: Is home to the annual "Retrofest" organized by the Historic Downtown Chatham BIA, in partnership with the Kent Historic Auto Club. Hundreds of classic car enthusiasts travel to downtown Chatham to showcase their classic cars and vintage vehicles. Downtown Chatham is also home to the Chatham Capitol Theatre, a theatre that, when it opened in 1930, was the largest in the region. The theatre is run by

4725-438: Is home to three major airports; Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) , London International Airport (YXU) , and Windsor International Airport (YQG) , in addition to multiple minor airports in various smaller communities, such as Sarnia Chris Hadfield Airport (YZR) and St. Thomas Municipal Airport (YQS) . The three major airports predominantly offer limited international flights (mainly to vacation destinations such as

4860-456: Is the falls and Gorge at Elora . The Grand River is the largest river that is entirely within southern Ontario's boundaries. The river owes its size to the unusual fact that its source is relatively close to the Georgian Bay of Lake Huron , yet it flows southwards to Lake Erie, rather than westward to the closer Lake Huron or northward to Georgian Bay (most southern Ontario rivers flow into

4995-420: The 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Chatham-Kent had a population of 103,988 living in 44,028 of its 46,752 total private dwellings, a change of 2.3% from its 2016 population of 101,647 . With a land area of 2,451.9 km (946.7 sq mi), it had a population density of 42.4/km (109.8/sq mi) in 2021. 2006 census For all groups that comprise at least 1% of

5130-533: The African Canadian Heritage Tour , also played an important role in the Underground Railroad . By the 1850s, the city of Chatham was referred to as the " black mecca of Canada". A museum in the city, the Black Mecca Museum, still bears this name. Chatham was home to a number of black churches and business, with Black Canadians making up one-third of the city's population and controlling

5265-971: The American Revolution and the Gnadenhutten massacre , a group of Christian Munsee settled in what is now the Moraviantown reserve. In the War of 1812 , the Battle of the Thames took place between Moraviantown and Thamesville on October 5, 1813. During the 19th century, the area was the northern terminus of the Underground Railroad . As a result, Chatham-Kent is now part of the African-Canadian Heritage Tour. Josiah Henson Museum for African-Canadian History, formally known as Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site

5400-496: The Bluewater Highway due to its route along the shore of Lake Huron). Southwestern Ontario's political sentiments have largely been influenced by its historical position as Canada's manufacturing heartland. The cities of Windsor , London , and Waterloo Region have historically been political strongholds for both the provincial and federal New Democratic Party , owing to all three having historically been major centres for

5535-715: The Chatham Voice, Wallaceburg Courier Press , the Blenheim News Tribune , Chatham-Kent This Week , Ridgetown Independent News , Tilbury Times , and the Wheatley Journal . The Chatham Daily News , Chatham-Kent This Week , and Wallaceburg Courier Press are all owned by Postmedia . The Chatham Daily News , Chatham-Kent This Week , Wallaceburg Courier Press , Chatham Voice and CKReview are daily online news media in Chatham-Kent with coverage of local news, sports, entertainment, and cultural events as well as

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5670-538: The Conestogo , Speed , Eramosa , Irvine and Nith rivers. The Grand River has Southern Ontario's largest watershed. Because the watershed is an ecosystem with natural borders, it includes and crosses many municipal boundaries and can be considered a transitional area between Southwestern Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe region that surrounds the west end of Lake Ontario . Its headwaters are near Dundalk in

5805-588: The Golden Horseshoe . Multiple large investments in electric vehicle production were also made in the region in the 2020s, and resulted in the establishment of multiple plants for battery production in Windsor and St. Thomas . (2021) (2016) (2011) (2006) (2001) (km) (km) Density (/km) Southwestern Ontario is located within the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone (as classified by Environment and Climate Change Canada, further subclassified into

5940-648: The Great Lakes . Sections of Southwestern Ontario are occasionally referred to as Bluewater Country . This is predominantly used to refer to the areas surrounding Lake Huron , but is also used in areas around Lake Erie , to a lesser extent. Multiple locations and roads carry this moniker, including the Municipality of Bluewater (located in Huron County ), the Blue Water Bridge and Bluewater Trail System in Sarnia , and Ontario Highway 21 (informally being referred to as

6075-1049: The Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway system. The Port of Goderich is predominantly used for the export of salt from the Goderich Salt Mine, but also moves grain and calcium chloride. The Port of Windsor is significantly more developed and is the third-busiest Great Lakes port, behind the ports in Hamilton and Thunder Bay . The port of Windsor moves a wider variety of cargo including aggregates, salt, grain, fertilizer, lumber, steel, petroleum, vehicles and machinery. Minor ports are also located in Sarnia, Kingsville , Owen Sound , and Nanticoke . The Owen Sound Transportation Company currently operates passenger ferry services connecting Leamington to Pelee Island , and Tobermory to Manitoulin Island in Northern Ontario . Southwestern Ontario

6210-650: The Grey Cup prior to the formation of the CFL in 1958, including the Brantford Redskins , Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen , London Lords , Sarnia Imperials (2-time Grey Cup champions in 1934 and 1936 ), and Windsor Royals of the Ontario Rugby Football Union . The combined London-Kitchener TV market, as of 2023, is the fourth largest media market in Canada, and the largest in Canada without representation from

6345-1000: The Lambton Kent District School Board (headquartered in both Chatham and Sarnia), the St. Clair Catholic District School Board (headquartered in Wallaceburg) and the Conseil scolaire catholique Providence (CSC Providence). The LKDSB is a public school board, and consists of 13 secondary and 53 elementary schools. Chatham-Kent Secondary School is the largest public high school in Lambton-Kent. The St. Clair Catholic board consists of two secondary schools (one in Chatham and one in Sarnia) and 26 elementary schools. There are also independent schools, such as Wallaceburg Christian School and Chatham Christian Schools—an elementary and secondary school in

6480-563: The Mohawk nations of the Iroquois destroyed the smaller Neutral tribe in the 17th century, in the course of attacking and severely crippling the Huron /Wyandot. The Iroquois were seeking to dominate the lucrative fur trade with the Europeans. It was during this warfare that the Iroquois attacked the Jesuit outpost of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons . The Jesuits abandoned the mission after many Wyandot and numerous priests were killed here. To survive, remnants of The Neutral tribe migrated in 1667 to La Prairie ( Caughnawaga or Kahnawake ),

6615-432: The Pittsburgh Penguins , in 2007 with the Nashville Predators , and in 2009 with the Arizona Coyotes . Grand River (Ontario) The Grand River , formerly known as the River Ouse , is a large river in Ontario , Canada. It lies along the western fringe of the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario which overlaps the eastern portion of southwestern Ontario, sometimes referred to as Midwestern Ontario, along

6750-476: The Princess Point complex ( c.  500 CE – 1000 CE) are strongly associated with the Grand River by archaeologists. Princess Point sites cluster heavily along the river's length, where the focus and concentration of Princess Point people shifted from their earlier territory around Princess Point near Hamilton . Princess Point people were attracted to the fertile Grand River floodplains , in common with other peoples engaging in maize horticulture around

6885-482: The Seven Years' War , the Grand River Valley remained largely unoccupied and largely uncharted. An explorers' map in 1669 showed the River as being called the Tinaatuoa or Riviere Rapide. A 1775 map shows it as Urse, a name which also appeared on a 1708 map and on Bellin’s Carte des Lacs of 1744. The d’Anville map of 1755 shows the river Tinaatuoa but adds the words Grande River at its mouth. Other 18th Century names were Oswego and Swaogeh. In 1792, Simcoe tried to change

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7020-483: The U15 Group , the association of Canada's dominant research universities. The accent/dialect in the region, Southwestern Ontario English , is distinct from the rest of Ontario. The region also has a small Francophone population, predominantly located around the Windsor area, owing to the region's historical roots in French colonization . Local identity is heavily rooted in historical industries like agriculture and automotive manufacturing , as well as proximity to

7155-440: The United States border with Michigan in Sarnia to London, where it connects with Highway 401 in southern London. Highway 403 connects with Highway 401 in Woodstock and runs east toward Brantford, where it continues toward Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area . Additional major provincial highways in the region include Highway 3 , Highway 4 , Highway 6 , Highway 7 , Highway 8 , Highway 10 , and Highway 85 . Additionally,

7290-440: The automotive industry . The decline and subsequent economic stagnation over the following decade resulted in the emergence of populist and protectionist political attitudes in cities like Windsor and London, holding the strongest such attitudes in Canada, ranking amongst Prairie cities like Regina , Saskatoon , Edmonton , and Calgary . Southwestern Ontario has never been the home of any professional sports franchises from

7425-410: The contemporary "Big Six" leagues ( MLB , NBA , NFL , NHL , MLS , and CFL ), with the exception of the NHL's Detroit Cougars (now the Detroit Red Wings ) in 1926-1927 , when they played at the Border Cities Arena (now Windsor Arena ) in Windsor for a singular season while the Detroit Olympia was under construction. Multiple cities historically hosted professional hockey teams from the OPHL in

7560-472: The 16th and 17th centuries, the Grand River valley was inhabited by the Neutral people . This was a name given to them by European settlers, as they refused to side with either the Iroquois or the Petun tribes during their conflicts in the area. An Iroquoian people, they had close trade and cultural relations with other Ontario Iroquoian societies such as the Huron and Petun . The Wyandot , another distinct Iroquoian-speaking nation, who resided northeast of

7695-412: The 1790 McKee's Purchase, (named for Alexander McKee ) to provide land for settlers. McKee's Purchase was designated an Event of National Historic Significance in Canada in 1931. A historical plaque for the purchase is located in Blenheim Park in Blenheim. Indigenous persons remain resident in the area today at the Delaware Nation at Moraviantown and Walpole Island First Nation . European settlement of

7830-479: The 1830s. Indigenous peoples had occupied Southwestern Ontario for thousands of years prior to European settlement. Archaeological sites such as the Princess Point Complex and the Parkhill Complex indicate the presence of Paleo-Indians in the area dating back approximately 11,000 years. First Nations peoples located in the region included Anishinaabe , Algonquin , Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) , and Wendat peoples. Initial European settlement and colonization of

7965-414: The 1920s until the early 2000s, when Ontario bought out the tobacco quotas of most farms in the region in 2008 for $ 300,000,000 CAD. While some tobacco farms still remain, most have switched to alternative crops, including specialty crops like ginseng , hazelnut , and mushrooms . Fruits such as blueberries , strawberries , raspberries , blackberries , gourds , apples , and tomatoes are also grown in

8100-607: The 1950s and 1960s, there was a tendency for archaeologists in eastern North America to identify sedentarization with progress on a conceptual level. Some sites may have had a number of distinct occupations, occurring in different seasons and for different purposes. Nevertheless, there is a broad grouping of sites into warm-weather, lowland sites characterized by ground stone tools and fishing equipment, or cold-weather, upland sites with abundant scrapers and projectile points, possibly indicating fall and winter deer hunting activities. Evidence of Late Archaic fishing activities in Ontario

8235-563: The American War of Independence, the Crown purchased land from the Mississaugas in Upper Canada to award as grants to Loyalist refugees as compensation for their property losses in the colonies. Loyalists from New York, New England and the South were settled in this area, as the Crown hoped they would create new towns and farms on the frontier. In the 19th century, many new immigrants came to Upper Canada from England, Scotland, Ireland and Germany seeking opportunity. Settlements were popping up all over Southern Ontario, and many colonists coveted

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8370-441: The American automotive companies such as Chrysler , Ford , General Motors , and Studebaker . Production increases during World War I and World War II allowed the industry to grow significantly, at one point making Canada the second largest automotive manufacturer globally, exporting predominantly to other countries within the British Empire . The Canadian and United States automotive industries were eventually integrated with

8505-420: The British Crown for help, as they had promised aid for allies. In gratitude for their assistance during the war, the Crown awarded the Iroquois land in Upper Canada. Brant led Mohawk from the Upper Castle and families of the other Six Nations to Upper Canada. They first settled at what is present-day Brantford, where Brant crossed, or ‘forded’ the Grand River. It was also called Brant's Town. Not all members of

8640-406: The Chatham-Kent Community as well as Sarnia/Lambton and Windsor/Essex. The ESC LHIN is located in the town of Chatham. Chatham-Kent is also served by stations coming from Windsor, London, Detroit , Toledo , and Cleveland . The Chatham Daily News is the only daily newspaper in Chatham-Kent. There are several weeklies located in Chatham and the various communities in the municipality, including

8775-418: The Chatham-Kent Fire Department upon amalgamation. The county also had separate police departments until 1998. The city of Chatham , as well as the towns of Wallaceburg, Dresden, and Tilbury , each had their own departments. The Chatham-Kent Police Service was formed on September 1, 1998. Many residents opposed amalgamation, as 18 city councillors boycotted the official vote, and the final decision to amalgamate

8910-428: The French explorers and Coureurs de bois came to the region in search of fur and other items of value to Europeans, the Grand River Valley was among the last areas of southern Ontario to be explored. Since the French worked closely with their Native allies in the acquisition of fur and trading of European goods for it, they went only where the natives resided. Even after the English conquered New France in 1760 during

9045-405: The French. The Iroquois League in New York then was neutral or sided with the British. Because different nations were on different sides in this war, it was difficult for the Iroquois nations to adhere to the Great Law of Peace and avoid killing each other. They managed to avoid such bloodshed until the American Revolution (1775–83). Other descendants of the Neutrals may have joined the Mingo ,

9180-423: The Gordie Howe International Bridge, is currently under construction and slated to open in 2025, and is meant to serve as a direct freeway-to-freeway connection between Highway 401 and E.C. Row in Windsor and Interstate 75 in Detroit . Via Rail operates inter-regional passenger train service on the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor , in Windsor-London-Toronto and Sarnia-London-Toronto configurations, running both on

9315-422: The Grand River flows from Dundalk to Lake Erie with numerous tributaries flowing into it: The Conestogo River joins the Grand at the village of Conestogo just north of Waterloo . The Eramosa River joins the Speed River in Guelph . The Speed River joins the Grand in Cambridge . The Nith River joins the Grand in Paris . Prior to the most recent glaciation—the Laurentide —an earlier river flowed through

9450-415: The Grand River valley, had long competed to remain independent of their enemy the Iroquois Confederacy , a powerful alliance of five nations based around the Great Lakes in the present central and western New York state area. Caught in between, the Neutrals paid dearly for their refusal to ally. Historical accounts differ on exactly how the Neutral tribe was wiped out. The consensus is that the Seneca and

9585-449: The Grand River, '' O:se Kenhionhata:tie'' means "Willow River," for the many willows in the watershed. During the 18th century, the French colonists named it '' Grande-Rivière . It was later renamed as Ouse River by John Graves Simcoe for the River Great Ouse near his childhood home in Lincolnshire on the east coast of England. The anglicized form of the French name has remained in common use. The Ojibwe name for Grand River

9720-614: The Indian reserve of Moravian 47 is an enclave within the city and is part of the Chatham–Kent census agglomeration and census division. Chatham-Kent has a humid continental climate ( Köppen climate classification Dfa ), with cold, snowy winters and warm to hot, humid summers. A typical summer will feature heat waves with temperatures exceeding 30 °C (86 °F) often. Winters are cold, and feature occasional cold snaps bringing temperatures below −15 °C (5 °F), but also commonly include mild stretches of weather above freezing. In

9855-562: The Lake Erie Lowland and Manitoulin-Lake Simcoe regions), which largely consists of glacial till and glaciolacustrine sand / silt / clay plains underlain by sedimentary limestone , dolostone , siltstone , sandstone , and shale bedrock, with pockets of evaporite gypsum and salt beds. Bedrock is rarely exposed in the region, with the exception being the Bruce Peninsula . The vast majority of Southwestern Ontario maintains

9990-533: The Lake Erie north shore and Pelee Island in Essex County. Additionally, the VQA recognizes additional emerging wine regions located in Norfolk County, Georgian Bay, and Lake Huron east shore. The energy sector is a major industry in Southwestern Ontario. Energy production in the region is sourced from a mixture of nuclear , hydroelectric , wind , solar , and natural gas sources. The bulk of energy production in

10125-469: The Lake Erie north shore and under the Lake Erie lake bed. The chemical industry also has a strong presence in Sarnia, to the point that the area including Sarnia and St. Clair Township is colloquially known as Chemical Valley . The chemical industry has its origins around the same time as the oil industry, during World War II, when tropical sources of natural latex for rubber production were being threatened. The federal government designated Sarnia as

10260-505: The Late Archaic, due to a high concentration of consecutively dated sites from that period. One especially significant site, the Johnson Flats site ( Borden AgGx-214), is located on a former bar in the Grand River near Caledonia. Discovered in 1994, the site contains materials dating to the Early, Middle, and Late Archaic periods, as well as the later Princess Point complex . The people of

10395-606: The Municipality of Chatham-Kent and hosts shows and entertainers. Chatham was home to the Wheels Inn, a family resort for four decades until its closure in 2010. In 2011, the Chatham-Kent John D. Bradley Convention Centre was constructed on the site of the Wheels Inn. In July 2019, a new Cascades casino was opened in Chatham, close to the Convention Centre on Richmond Street. The Thames Art Gallery and ARTspace, located in

10530-594: The Ontario government announced plans to expand the plant's generating capacity by an additional 4,800 MW to meet growing energy demands in the province. Additional energy production is supplemented by wind, solar, and hydroelectric power. Large-scale wind turbine fields are located predominantly in Essex County, Chatham-Kent, and Lambton County. Belwood Lake , Conestogo Lake , Fanshawe Lake , Guelph Lake , Pittock Reservoir , and Wildwood Lake are all artificial reservoirs created for local hydroelectric production. The petrochemical and oil/natural gas industry also has

10665-402: The Province of Quebec from 1763 to 1791, and eventually the Province of Upper Canada from 1791 to 1841. One of the earliest British settlements, Port Talbot , was settled by Thomas Talbot in 1803, and was amongst the first successful settlements due to the construction of Talbot Trail , one of the earliest major roads in the region. Kitchener, originally known as Ebytown and later Berlin ,

10800-595: The Six Nations moved north. Remnants of the past confederacy live today throughout New York state, some on federally recognized reservations. In 1784 the British Crown awarded to the Six Nations the " Haldimand Tract ", a tract of land "six miles deep from each side of the river beginning at Lake Erie and extending in that proportion to the [source] of the said river." Much of this land was later sold or otherwise lost to

10935-649: The Six Nations. A portion of this tract near Caledonia, Ontario , is the basis for the 2006 Caledonia land dispute , in which the Six Nations filed a land claim with the government. The Six Nations reserve south of Brantford, Ontario, is what remains of the Haldimand Tract. Throughout the 19th century, many Anglo-Canadian settlements developed along the Grand within former Six Nations territory, including Waterloo , Berlin (now Kitchener ), Cambridge , Paris , Brantford , Caledonia , Dunnville and Port Maitland . After

11070-533: The United States, Mexico , and the Caribbean ) on a seasonal basis, in addition to some select all-season routes to other Canadian cities. All airports also offer frequent connecting flights to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) , usually via Air Canada . Southwestern Ontario has multiple tertiary education institutions in the form of both universities and colleges . Two universities, University of Waterloo and University of Western Ontario , are part of

11205-492: The abundance of arable land and warmer climate that provides for a longer growing season than the rest of the country. Most of the land area in the region is used for agriculture. Common crops grown in the region include sweet corn , soybean , winter wheat , and canola . Tobacco was also historically grown in the tobacco belt , centred on the towns of Delhi , Aylmer , and Tillsonburg in Elgin, Oxford, and Norfolk Counties from

11340-429: The area where synthetic petroleum-based rubbers would be developed for use in the allied war effort. Over time, various chemical companies, including Bayer and NOVA Chemicals , have built many facilities in the region for the production of various chemicals, including plastics , paints , lubricants , food additives , cosmetics , rubbers, and other chemicals. The presence of local underground salt beds resulted in

11475-400: The automotive sector in Southwestern Ontario. The modern regional automotive industry has multiple large-scale plants in the region, in addition to numerous smaller automotive parts manufacturers/suppliers. The following large automotive plants are currently active or under construction in the region (as of 2024): Food and beverage processing also has a significant regional presence, owing to

11610-413: The chemical industry. Additionally, smaller-scale oil and natural gas development is common in rural Ontario, with small shale oil pools and natural gas deposits being found in local sedimentary bedrock. Shale oil pools are commonly found in Essex County, Chatham-Kent, and Lambton County, where small oil wells can often be seen operating on farms. Natural gas deposits are largely found and exploited along

11745-631: The chiefs upon leases; which, although legally invalid, the government did not at the time consider it equitable or expedient to cancel." 42°51′19″N 79°34′40″W  /  42.85528°N 79.57778°W  / 42.85528; -79.57778 Chatham-Kent Chatham-Kent ( 2021 population : 103,988) is a single-tier municipality in Southwestern Ontario , Canada. It is mostly rural, and its population centres are Chatham, Wallaceburg , Tilbury , Blenheim , Ridgetown , Wheatley and Dresden . The current Municipality of Chatham-Kent

11880-464: The cities of Windsor and London have municipally-owned expressways. E.C. Row Expressway is a fully grade-separated freeway running east-west through Windsor, formerly known as Highway 2 . Veteran's Memorial Parkway is a limited-access highway running north-south through London, formerly known as Highway 100. Dougall Avenue is a road in Windsor with a small section of freeway running north from Highway 401, formerly known as Highway 3B. Highbury Avenue

12015-516: The community, including asthma , chronic allergies , sinus problems , many types of cancer, diabetes , inflammatory bowel disease , alcoholism, and obesity . In October 2008, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance was named one of " Canada's Top 100 Employers " by Mediacorp Canada Inc., and was featured in Maclean's newsmagazine. Chatham-Kent features one of the 14 provincial Local Health Integration Networks (LHIN). The Erie St. Clair (ESC) LHIN services

12150-557: The core sections of the Golden Horseshoe . A more traditional definition of the region boundary can be traced back to early colonial districts in the British Province of Quebec and Upper Canada . The Western District , originally known as the Hesse District from 1788 to 1792, was originally designated as everything west of a north-south line intersecting the extreme projection of Long Point into Lake Erie , which roughly follows

12285-448: The designation of the Grand as a Canadian Heritage River . The Grand Valley Dam, located near the village of Belwood , helps to control the flow of water, especially during periods of spring flooding. The dam, completed in 1942, is commonly referred to as Shand Dam , named for a local family who were displaced by filling of the dam's reservoir, Lake Belwood . With a watershed area of 7,000 square kilometres (2,700 sq mi),

12420-763: The early 20th century who competed for the Stanley Cup prior to the formation of the NHL in 1917, including the Berlin Dutchmen (who challenged the Montreal Wanderers for the Cup in 1910 ), Brantford Indians , Galt Professionals (who challenged the Ottawa Senators for the Cup in 1909 and 1911 ), Guelph Royals , and Waterloo Colts . The region has also historically hosted multiple Canadian football teams that competed for

12555-430: The eastern boundaries of modern Grey, Dufferin, Wellington, Brant, and Norfolk Counties. The northern portion of Southwestern Ontario is sometimes referred to as Midwestern Ontario . This area includes Perth, Huron, Wellington, Dufferin, Bruce, and Grey Counties, corresponding roughly with the historical boundaries of Queen's Bush , an area of crown land that did not see formal subdivision or wide-scale settlement until

12690-591: The former City of Chatham. Other population centres in the municipality include Wallaceburg , Blenheim and Tilbury , Ridgetown and Dresden . The Lower Thames River runs through Chatham–Kent to Lake St. Clair in the west, while the Sydenham River flows through Wallaceburg and Dresden. The municipality has approximately 88 kilometres of shoreline along lake Erie and 24 kilometres along lake St. Clair. The Indian reserve of Bkejwanong (commonly referred to as Walpole Island) borders on Chatham–Kent, whereas

12825-517: The former city of Chatham area began with a naval dockyard in 1792, at the fork of the Thames River with McGregor's Creek. The town was named after William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham . It was built as a naval dockyard, a characteristic shared by Chatham, Kent , England. In England, the name Chatham came from the British root ceto and the Old English ham thus meaning a forest settlement. Following

12960-560: The frontier of the Mohawk Valley had resulted in massacres and atrocities on both sides, aggravating anti-Iroquois feelings among the colonists. Without consultation or giving the Iroquois a place in negotiations, the British ceded their land in New York to the new United States. The Iroquois were unwelcome in the newly created nation. After the war, Six Nations leader Joseph Brant appealed to

13095-535: The historic downtown, feature exhibitions showcasing local artists from the Chatham-Kent area, while also housing other Canadian and international works. Chatham-Kent is served by the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance. The Public General Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital in Chatham were moved to a single campus in 2004, while the former Sydenham District Hospital remains in Wallaceburg. The eastern portion of

13230-535: The latter part of the Early Archaic period . During the Late Archaic period ( c.  4500 RCYBP to c.  2800 RCYBP), water levels in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario were higher due to drainage reasons as the land continued to deglaciate . The people of the Late Archaic were mobile hunter-gatherers who had not yet developed ceramics . While Late Archaic people in what is now southern Ontario used

13365-406: The length of this river. From its source near Wareham, Ontario , it flows south through Grand Valley , Fergus , Elora , Waterloo , Kitchener , Cambridge , Paris , Brantford , Ohsweken , Six Nations of the Grand River , Caledonia , and Cayuga before emptying into the north shore of Lake Erie south of Dunnville at Port Maitland . One of the scenic and spectacular features of the river

13500-519: The manufacturing industry, and subsequently having large proportions of a unionized workforce, which the NDP's policies have historically favoured. Rural segments of the region have historically voted consistently for both the provincial Progressive Conservative party and federal Conservative Party of Canada . In the Great Recession , the manufacturing industry suffered significant decline, particularly in

13635-504: The most days on average with lightning per year. Southwestern Ontario also regularly experiences severe weather events, including tornadoes , due to its proximity to the Great Lakes and warmer-than-average weather during the summer. Under the Köppen climate classification , the vast majority of Southwestern Ontario has a humid continental climate , with a large portion of the area experiencing

13770-603: The municipality is served by the Four Counties Health Services in Newbury in nearby Middlesex County . Research published in 2002 by the Heart and Stroke Foundation cited Chatham-Kent as a hotspot for heart disease in Ontario. Further research is underway to determine the reasons for this and other hotspots. The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit launched a campaign in fall 2007 to tackle other ailments prevalent throughout

13905-727: The name of Grande Riviere to Ouse, after a river in England and the Thomas Ridout map of 1821 shows "Grand R or Ouse". Simcoe failed because the name Grand River had been in common usage for some time by then. Apart from large numbers of Tuscarora and Oneida , who mainly allied with the American colonists, the other four nations of the Iroquois Confederacy sided with the British during the American War of Independence . Warfare throughout

14040-432: The nearest Great Lake , which is why most of them are small), thus giving it more distance to take in more water from tributaries . The river's mostly rural character (even when flowing through the edges of Waterloo and Kitchener), ease of access and lack of portages make it a desirable canoeing location, especially the stretch between West Montrose and Paris . A number of conservation areas have been established along

14175-440: The north. The Grand River flows south-south-east. Luther Marsh, a 52-square-kilometre wetland on the upper Grand, is one of the largest inland wetlands in southern Ontario and provides habitat for waterfowl, including least bittern and black tern , and amphibians . It is also an important staging area during bird migrations . The importance of the watershed (7000 square kilometers or 2600 square miles) has been recognized by

14310-477: The northern route through Stratford and Kitchener, and the southern route through Woodstock and Brantford. GO Transit also operates inter-regional commuter rail in the region, currently limited to as far west as Waterloo Region on the Kitchener Line . In fall 2021, the provincial government announced a pilot program extending GO commuter rail service to London through Stratford and St. Mary's , but this service

14445-731: The people now known as the Seneca in Oklahoma. After the desolation of the Neutral tribe, the Iroquois Confederacy used the Grand River Valley as a hunting ground and trapping territory. Though the Six Nations (by then including the Tuscarora ) held the territory by right of conquest, they did not settle it, apart from a limited presence on the northern and western shores of Lake Ontario . When

14580-640: The phenomenon of site stratification observed on Lake Huron. This phenomenon is also observable in reference to Lake Erie. For example, the Canada Century site (located on the Welland River ) lies 17 kilometres (11 mi) north of the Lake Erie shore, but may once have been significantly closer. Due to the absence of ceramics, it is difficult to date Archaic sites. It is generally believed that sites were occupied seasonally, though there are notable exceptions to this. The archaeologist Chris Ellis argues that in

14715-632: The population. Note that a person can report more than one ethnic origin. Although most of the population of Chatham-Kent is English-speaking, a few of its communities and Catholic parishes were settled by francophone (French-speaking) farmers in the mid-nineteenth century. These include Pain Court, Tilbury and Grande Pointe, where French is still spoken by a significant percentage of the population. These communities are designated French language service areas under Ontario's French Language Services Act . Approximately 8,500 residents of Chatham-Kent have French as

14850-448: The primary vehicular traffic network in Southwestern Ontario is served mainly by the controlled-access 400-series highways . Highway 401 , the main highway in the network, starts in Windsor at the terminus of the under-construction Gordie Howe International Bridge and runs northeast to Waterloo Region , where it continues northeast through the Golden Horseshoe and Eastern Ontario . Highway 402 , another major highway, runs east from

14985-516: The prize Grand River Valley. The 1846 Gazetteer relates the history of the First Nations of the area as follows: "In 1784, Sir F. Haldimand ... granted to the Six Nations and their heirs for ever, a tract of land on the Ouse, or Grand River, six miles in depth on each side of the river, beginning at Lake Erie, and extending to the head of the river. This grant was confirmed, and its conditions defined, by

15120-487: The region due to extensive agricultural development and urbanization, but conservation efforts are underway to preserve and/or protect these forests. Three major federally protected areas, Point Pelee National Park , Bruce Peninsula National Park , and Long Point National Wildlife Area , are located in Southwestern Ontario. In 2021, the federal government announced plans to designate a new National Urban Park in Windsor's Ojibway Prairie Complex . The Carolinian forest zone

15255-570: The region is produced by the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station in Kincardine . The plant is the second largest nuclear generating station in the world. The plant began operation in 1971 and currently has a generating capacity of 6,550 MW spread across 8 CANDU PHWR reactors. It is anticipated to eventually reach a generating capacity of 7,000 MW through uprates achieved as a result of an ongoing reactor refurbishment program. In 2023,

15390-453: The region occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries by the French as part of the colony of Canada within New France . The oldest continually-inhabited European settlement in Southwestern Ontario is Windsor, which originated as a southerly extension of the settlement of Fort Detroit in 1701 and was established as la Petite Côte in 1749. Further development occurred under the British as part of

15525-663: The region to emerge as Canada's manufacturing heartland. Automotive manufacturing is a major component of the regional manufacturing sector. The Canadian automotive industry first emerged in Windsor and Chatham-Kent in the early 20th century, with the first large-scale automotive plant in Canada being opened in Walkerville in 1904 by the Ford Motor Company of Canada . Early domestic automotive brands in Canada were based in Windsor and Chatham-Kent, including Brooks , Gray-Dort , and Hyslop and Ronald , but were eventually dominated by

15660-679: The region, settling and owning farms in areas such as Essex County, Chatham-Kent , and Queen's Bush . The region's economy was predominantly focused on agriculture until the late 19th century, when industrialization of the region began to occur. Southwestern Ontario emerged as an ideal location for manufacturing due to the presence of cheap and abundant hydroelectric power sourced from the nearby Niagara Falls , and eventually became Canada's manufacturing heartland, which attracted multiple heavy industrial sectors, including automotive manufacturing , chemical production , petrochemical refinement and transport, and food processing . Automotive manufacturing

15795-563: The region. Cattle ranching is also another important agricultural industry in Southwestern Ontario, with dairy and beef farming, standardbred horse breeding and training, sheep , poultry , and pig farming being common. The dairy and cheesemaking industry in Southwestern Ontario has been predominantly concentrated in Oxford, Perth, and Wellington Counties, with the region accounting for approximately 56% of Ontario's milk production as of 2020. Sugar bushes for maple syrup production also have

15930-507: The river, and are managed by the Grand River Conservation Authority . The Grand Valley Trail stretches 275 km along the river's valley between the town of Dundalk and Lake Erie . In 1669 the indigenous name '' Tinaouatoua'' was recorded by Galinée . A 1945 book about the Grand River recorded the spelling ' Tinaatoua' and attributed it to the Seneca , though its sources are unclear. The Mohawk name for

16065-520: The roots laid by early black settlers in the Buxton area. The Municipality of Chatham-Kent currently consists of the following communities, listed by the Townships of the former Kent County (pre-1998 amalgamation): At 2,458 square kilometres (949 sq mi), Chatham-Kent is the 9th largest municipality by area in Canada and the largest in southwestern Ontario. Over 44,000 of the 107,000 residents live in

16200-606: The same time. Floodplains provided rich soils for cultivation, as well as easy access to riverine resources. Indeed, early evidence of lake sturgeon fishing on the Grand River has been discovered at the Cayuga Bridge site, which is also associated with the Princess Point complex and dated to AD 700–900. Thousands of fish remains were also unearthed at the Porteous and Holmedale sites near Brantford, which date to around AD 1000. By

16335-571: The shores of Lake Erie . The Canadian Federal government is one of the largest employers in the Chatham-Kent area with over 450 employees in several departments in the area. The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Disability Unit is housed in the Judy Lamarsh (see Notable Residents) Building in downtown Chatham. This federal office is the single largest disability processing centre in Canada, processing 50% of all CPP Disability benefits. The office also processes Old Age Security benefit claims. Chatham serves as

16470-569: The signing of the APTA in 1965, which reduced cross-border tariffs and production inefficiencies in Canada, resulting an increase in motor vehicle exports to the United States and domestic parts production, but came at the cost of the decline of domestic automotive brands and consolidation of plants. The signing of NAFTA in 1994 with the United States and Mexico further integrated automotive production across North America , leading to further decline of

16605-553: The southern coast of Kent County. Before 1998, Kent County consisted of the townships of Camden , Chatham , Dover , Harwich , Howard , Orford , Raleigh , Romney , Tilbury East and Zone . In some of Canada's earliest post-Confederation censuses, some residences in Kent County were incorrectly reported as being in Bothwell "County" , which was a separate electoral district comprising parts of Kent and Lambton counties but not

16740-494: The southernmost populated area in Canada, is located south of Point Pelee in Lake Erie. Southwestern Ontario was originally covered by vast forests prior to agricultural development in the region. Two forest regions are located in Southwestern Ontario; Carolinian forest , located predominantly along Lake Erie and the southern tip of Lake Huron, and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest , located around Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. A very small percentage of forest coverage areas remain in

16875-774: The strong agricultural industry. Major food products processed in Southwestern Ontario include refined grains , tomato paste , sauces , condiments , meat products , canned foods , dairy products , parcooked foods , rendered products , and dietary supplements . Major plants include Cargill in London, Maple Leaf in Brantford , London, Guelph, and New Hamburg , Highbury Canco in Leamington , Bonduelle in Tecumseh , Ferrero in Brantford, and Jamieson in Windsor. Beer and liquor production

17010-406: The town of Chatham had a population of about 1,500, with part of the town being called Chatham North. There were four churches, a theatre, a weekly newspaper and a cricket club. The road between London and Amherstburg was open, and transportation by stagecoach was available. A fast boat also provided transportation to Detroit and Buffalo. Chatham had many tradesman, a foundry, two banks, three schools,

17145-990: The world's largest, opened in Chatham in 1996. The plant produces ethanol for industrial, medical, and beverage uses. There are a number of vineyards in the municipality. Chatham's roots in the automotive sector go back to Gray-Dort Motors Ltd. , one of Canada's earliest automobile manufacturers. In the 21st century, auto industry plants in the municipality include Autoliv Canada in Tilbury (airbags), Mahle in Tilbury (emissions controls and plastics), in Ridgetown (automotive electronic pedal assembly and sensors), Dana Canada in Chatham (heat shields for thermal and acoustic management of exhaust manifolds, catalytic converters, and turbochargers), and Vitesco Technologies (Powertrain Canada ULC) in Chatham (design, development, and testing of Actuators for clean, efficient vehicles). Chatham-Kent also

17280-498: Was a major historical industry in the region. Windsor was an important location for production during Prohibition in the United States , where alcohol was smuggled across the Detroit River . Multiple large breweries and distilleries are located in Southwestern Ontario, in addition to a large number of small craft brewers , distillers , and local wineries . The following are located in the region (as of 2024): The vast majority of

17415-549: Was also where the Hyslop and Ronald steam fire engine manufacturer was located; the factory would be taken over by Chatham Motor Car. In addition, it hosted meat packer O'Keefe and Drew . The Hawaiian pizza is claimed to have been invented in Chatham in 1962 at the Satellite Restaurant by Sam Panopoulos . In the U.S., former Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes proposed building a bridge across Lake Erie linking Cleveland to

17550-502: Was created in 1998 by the amalgamation of Blenheim, Bothwell, Camden, the City of Chatham, the Township of Chatham, Dover, Dresden, Erie Beach, Erieau, Harwich, Highgate, Howard, Orford, Raleigh, Ridgetown, Romney, Thamesville, Tilbury East, Tilbury, Wallaceburg, Wheatley and Zone. The Chatham-Kent census division , which includes the independent Delaware Nation at Moraviantown First Nation, had

17685-472: Was discontinued in fall of 2023 due to poor ridership and travel times along the corridor. As of 2024, the provincial government and Waterloo Region are planning for an extension of GO rail service into Cambridge. Only one municipality in Southwestern Ontario, Waterloo Region, currently has a rail-based transit system in operation. This transit system is known as the iON LRT and runs from Waterloo to Kitchener. A southern extension of this rail line into Cambridge

17820-460: Was established by German Mennonite and Pennsylvania Dutch settlers in 1807, after sections of the Haldimand Tract were purchased from the Six Nations in 1798. London, originally called Georgiana upon its selection in 1793 as the potential site of the future capital of Upper Canada, was formally founded in 1826 by John Graves Simcoe , the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada . Guelph

17955-476: Was founded in 1827 by John Galt as a headquarters for the Canada Company . Many other cities in the region did not see major settlement until the mid-19th century, when agricultural expansion was occurring. During the early-to-mid 19th century, the region was the northern terminus of the Underground Railroad for enslaved African Americans seeking escape from the United States. Thousands of slaves escaped to

18090-569: Was imposed on the County by a provincial commissioner. In a study on amalgamations in Ontario from 2003, 48% of respondents in Chatham-Kent felt the value they received as taxpayers became worse after amalgamation, and 64% of respondents still did not think of the community as "the Municipality of Chatham-Kent." Chatham-Kent has many historic festivals throughout the year, such as the Battle of Longwoods reenactment, which takes place on Labour Day weekend at Fairfield Museum on Longwoods Road. Chatham Kent

18225-545: Was originally shipped by tankers through the Great Lakes from Superior, Wisconsin until the 1953 expansion of the Enbridge pipeline system into Sarnia. Today, Sarnia is home to 3 major oil refineries owned by Suncor , Imperial Oil , and Shell Canada . An additional refinery owned by Imperial Oil is located in Nanticoke . These refineries collectively supply much of the province's fuel demand, in addition to providing feedstocks for

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