Ayr, Ontario
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The community of Ayr,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
is located within the Township of
North Dumfries The Township of North Dumfries is a rural township in Ontario, Canada, part of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Communities North Dumfries includes the following communities: Ayr, Branchton, Clyde (formerly from Beverley Township, Wentwort ...
in the
Regional Municipality of Waterloo The Regional Municipality of Waterloo (Waterloo Region or Region of Waterloo) is a metropolitan area of Southern Ontario, Canada. It contains the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo (KWC or Tri-Cities), and the townships of North Dumfr ...
in
Southwestern Ontario Southwestern Ontario is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It occupies most of the Ontario Peninsula bounded by Lake Huron, including Georgian Bay, to the north and northwest; the St. Clair River, Lake St. ...
. Ayr is located south of Kitchener and west of
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
.


History

The village later to be called Ayr, on the Nith River, was originally a group of settlements, Mudge's Mills in the centre, Jedburgh to the east and Nithvale to the west, that eventually combined into one as they expanded. The name Ayr was first used in 1840 when it was assigned to the post office. The territory in this area, eventually to be the township of North Dumfries, consisting of 94,305 acres, had been sold to Philip Stedman in 1798 from
Joseph Brant Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk people, Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York (state), New York, who was closely associated with Kingdom of Great Britain, Great B ...
of the Six Nations. Ownership transferred to Thomas Clarke and then in 1816 to William Dickson a wealthy immigrant from Scotland. Absalom Shade was the only individual land owner in the area of the junction of Smith's Creek (now the Nith River) and Cedar Creek in 1822 and the first actual settler was Abel Mudge, initially as a squatter. He built a dam, a sawmill and a grist mill. The Nith River and Cedar Creek were useful for powering mills. Most subsequent settlers at Mudge's Mills were Scottish, farmers, artisans or tradesmen. Jedburgh was founded by John Hall from Scotland in 1832. He built a flour mill and a distillery. Nithvale was founded during the early 1830s when a flour mill and two sawmills were opened but little information remains from that era. Hall opened a flour mill and a distillery nearby in 1832. The settlement at Mudge's Mill was laid out by James Jackson, the first settler, with J. R. Andrews, and Robert Wylie in 1839. The name Ayr was chosen by Wylie after his hometown of
Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire council area and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With a population ...
, Scotland; Wylie served as the community's second
postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...
after Jackson. The other two settlements were not a part of Ayr but received their mail at the single post office. The ''Smith's Canadian Gazetteer'' of 1846 describes Ayr, population 230, as containing two churches, a post office receiving mail once a week and businesses such as a grist mill, fulling mill and carding machine, a tannery, two stores, a blacksmith, two shoemakers, two tailors, one cooper and two carpenters. The largest business in Ayr for many decades was a foundry. In 1849, the John Watson Manufacturing Company (later Ayr Machinery Works) was already making threshing, mowing, reaping and other farm implements. By then, the population was 700 and a newspaper and library were operating. The town-hall was built in 1850. A large furniture factory also opened at about the same time. There were also five flour mills in the three communities that later formed Ayr, a very large sawmill and a woolen mill by then. Watson's company was very successful, shipping agricultural implements across the country by 1864. By 1850, a good road to Galt had been built and a railway had reached Galt, some distance from Ayr. During that time, goods for export were taken by ox carts to the train station at
Paris, Ontario Paris (2021 population, 14,956) is a community located in the County of Brant, Ontario, Canada. It lies just northwest from the city of Brantford at the spot where the Nith River empties into the Grand River. Paris was voted "the Prettiest Littl ...
. The town hall was built in 1850 and a fire department was started the same year. By 1854, the village had a small library, two school houses, a fire company, a newspaper and a single (Presbyterian) church. In addition to the major farm implements manufacturer, other businesses that were operating in 1864 included grist and saw mills, five flour mills, a woollen mill, stores and a furniture factory. The population was 1000, there were five churches, a fire company, a weekly newspaper and a large school with students from primary to senior level. The village got a rail line from the
Credit Valley Railway The Credit Valley Railway was a railway located in Ontario, Canada from Toronto to St. Thomas. Chartered in 1871 by Ontario railway magnate George Laidlaw, it operated as an independent company until 1883 when it was leased by the Ontario and Quebe ...
in 1879, which helped facilitate the importing and exporting of goods. Jedburg and Nithvale were absorbed into Ayr in 1884 when the village was incorporated, with foundry owner John Watson as the first Reeve. By 1888, the streets were lit with coal oil lamps and concrete sidewalks were installed in 1901. A large library was built in 1909 with funds provided by a Carnegie grant. Ayr was declining by around 1910 and some of the population moved to nearby Berlin and Preston. Starting in the 1950s and still continuing, new homes were built for commuters, helping to increase the population. In January 1973, Ayr was incorporated into the Township of
North Dumfries The Township of North Dumfries is a rural township in Ontario, Canada, part of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Communities North Dumfries includes the following communities: Ayr, Branchton, Clyde (formerly from Beverley Township, Wentwort ...
and the
Regional Municipality of Waterloo The Regional Municipality of Waterloo (Waterloo Region or Region of Waterloo) is a metropolitan area of Southern Ontario, Canada. It contains the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo (KWC or Tri-Cities), and the townships of North Dumfr ...
.


Sports

Ayr is home to the
Ayr Centennials The Ayr Centennials are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Ayr, Ontario. They play in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. History The Ayr Centennials were founded in 1982 as members of the Southe ...
, a junior hockey team in the
Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) is a Canadian junior ice hockey league based in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association, Ontario Hockey Federation, and Hockey Canada. The league is c ...
.


Community buildings

The newest major addition to the village of Ayr is the North Dumfries Community Complex; major construction was completed in 2011.


Education

The community of Ayr is served by three publicly funded elementary schools. Built in 1890, Ayr public school was the area's first school for nearly a century. The school's current population of 200 ranges from
Junior Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...
to Grade 6, feeding into Cedar Creek Public School. St. Brigid Catholic Elementary School was opened in 1998 to serve the students from kindergarten to Grade 8 The most recent school of the three, Cedar Creek public school first opened its doors in 1999; currently serving 460 students in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. As Ayr does not have a high school, most of the community's students attend school in Cambridge. Graduates of Cedar Creek Public School will go on to attend
Southwood Secondary School Southwood Secondary School is a high school in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, for students in West Galt and North Dumfries. History Southwood was founded in 1962. Although it has one of the lower student enrollments in the region, that does not see ...
; while catholic students will attend
Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary School Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary School is a public, Catholic High School in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada which opened in 1976 as a junior high school, and is the second smallest Catholic secondary school of the Waterloo Catholic District School ...
.


TV and movies

*''Sketches of Our Town'', a half-hour Canadian documentary series from the mid 80s and early 90s, featured Ayr in one of their episodes. *The 2003 movie ''
Cold Creek Manor ''Cold Creek Manor'' is a 2003 American thriller film directed by Mike Figgis, and starring Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone, Stephen Dorff, Juliette Lewis, Kristen Stewart and Christopher Plummer. The screenplay by Richard Jefferies (screenwriter), R ...
'', starring
Dennis Quaid Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor known for a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the late 1970s, some of his notable credits include ''Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The ...
,
Sharon Stone Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various ...
,
Stephen Dorff Stephen Hartley Dorff Jr. (born July 29, 1973) is an American actor. He is known for portraying Roland West in the third season of HBO's crime drama anthology series ''True Detective'', PK in '' The Power of One'', Stuart Sutcliffe in ''Backbe ...
and
Juliette Lewis Juliette Lake Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress and alternative rock singer. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in films with dark themes. Lewis became an "it girl" of American cinema in the early 1990s, ...
, was filmed in Ayr. *''
Blood and Guts (film) ''Blood and Guts'' is a Canadian sports drama film, directed by Paul Lynch and released in 1978."Lynch's Rocky pulls punches". ''The Globe and Mail'', September 16, 1978. It was financed by Melvin Simon Productions.FILM CLIPS: Mr. Simon Goes to ...
'', the 1978 Paul Lynch film had scenes shot inside of an Ayr pub. Lynch also used the town for ''The Hard Part Begins'' five years prior. *Portions of the film ''
How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days ''How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days'' is a 2003 romantic comedy film directed by Donald Petrie, starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. It is based on the picture book of the same name by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long. The book has no narrat ...
'' were filmed in downtown Ayr. *The
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
miniseries ''
11/22/63 ''11/22/63'' is a novel by Stephen King about a time traveller who attempts to prevent the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy, which occurred on November 22, 1963 (the novel's titular date). It is the 60th book published b ...
'', starring
James Franco James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in '' 127 Hours'' (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for his roles in films, such as Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Ma ...
, was filmed in and around Ayr and the Township of North Dumfries *Numerous scenes for ''
Murdoch Mysteries ''Murdoch Mysteries'' is a Canadian television drama series that premiered on Citytv on January 20, 2008, and currently airs on CBC. The series is based on characters from the ''Detective Murdoch'' novels by Maureen Jennings and stars Yannick B ...
'' Season 9 Episode 6 were shot in Ayr *Scenes for ''
Impulse (TV series) ''Impulse'' is an American science fiction drama television series based on the 2013 Steven Gould novel ''Impulse''. The novel was one of a series following Gould's novel ''Jumper''. The series is a loose sequel to the 2008 film adaptation of th ...
'' were filmed in downtown Ayr


Notable people

*
Kyle Clifford Kyle Frank Clifford (born January 13, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League ( ...
, ice hockey player, two time
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
champion * John Goldie, Scottish-born botanist, founder of the adjacent hamlet Greenfield *
William Goldie William Glover Goldie (22 January 1878 – 3 February 1952) was a footballer who played for Liverpool in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, helping them to a Football League Championship. Life and playing career Born in Hurlford, Ayrshire, ...
, physician and lecturer at the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
* Will Kidman, musician, best known for role in Canadian rock band
Constantines Constantines is an indie rock band from Guelph, Ontario, Canada. History Constantines was formed in 1999 by vocalist and guitarist Bryan Webb, drummer Doug MacGregor and guitarist Paul Bright, all of whom had played together in the emo band Shou ...
*
Joseph Kilgour Joseph Kilgour (11 July 1863 – 21 April 1933) was a Canadian actor of the silent film era. He was a well-known veteran stage actor in Broadway theatre before entering silent films. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1909 and 1926. Kil ...
, early twentieth century stage and film actor * Henry Maracle,
Mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans *Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people *Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been t ...
hockey player born in Ayr who played for the
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
in 1931, controversially viewed as potentially the first Indigenous NHLer *
Dean Prentice Dean Sutherland Prentice (October 5, 1932 – November 2, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 22 seasons between 1952–53 and 1973–74. He had 10 NHL seasons with 20 or mo ...
, ice hockey player, 22 years in the NHL with the
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
,
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
,
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
,
Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
and
Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...
*
Jay Wells Gordon Jay Wells (born May 18, 1959) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach and former player. He was nicknamed "The Hammer" for his tough, physical style of play. Playing career Jay Wells played his junior hockey with the Kingston ...
, ice hockey player, Stanley Cup champion with the New York Rangers in 1994 *
Kortney Wilson Kortney Wilson (born February 8, 1979 as Kortney Galerno) is a Canadian actress, country music singer, real estate professional, designer, and television presenter, best known as cohost with her former husband Dave Wilson of home renovation progra ...
, country music singer and star of the HGTV Show '' Masters of Flip'' along with her husband Dave


See also

*
List of population centres in Ontario A population centre, in Canadian census data, is a type of census unit which meets the demographic characteristics of an urban area, having a population of at least 1,000 people and a population density of no fewer than 400 persons per square km ...
*
List of unincorporated communities in Ontario The following is a list of unincorporated and informal communities in the province of Ontario, Canada. These communities are not independent communities, these are usually a part of a township for the district, within a county. In non-urban areas, ...


References

{{authority control North Dumfries Communities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo