Bayfield is a community in the municipality of Bluewater, Huron County in southwestern

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

with a 2016 population of 1,112. Bluewater Municipality includes Bayfield, Bruce field, Dashwood, Hensall, Varna, and Zurich This municipality is made up of 92.8% English speaking people, 6.3% of other language speaking people and 0.9% of French speaking people as of 2016. In addition to this the majority of Bayfield's population is made up of Canadians, creating 88.2% of the population in the year 2016. It is on the eastern shore of

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French ex ...

at the mouth of Bayfield River. Bayfield is a popular tourist destination. Visitors enjoy the historic Main Street with its many well-preserved old buildings, including the Little Inn which has served travelers since the 1800s, initially as a stagecoach stop. Main Street is lined with boutique shops, art galleries and fine dining restaurants. The nearby marina and public beaches draw crowds in the summer months.

History

Bayfield was founded in 1832 by Carel Lodewijk, Baron van

Tuyll The Tuyll family is a Dutch noble family, with familial and historical links to England, whose full name is Van Tuyll van Serooskerken. Several knights, members of various courts, literary figures, generals, ambassadors, statesmen and explorers ...

van Serooskerken (1784-1835), a Dutch nobleman who had purchased in the area, part of a much larger holding in the Huron Tract that he purchased from the

Canada Company The Canada Company was a private British land development company that was established to aid in the colonization of a large part of Upper Canada. It was incorporated by royal charter on August 19, 1826, under the ( 6 Geo. 4. c. 75) of the B ...

.History of Bayfield, Ontario
Retrieved 3 July 2018. Over the next 10 years, a plan was laid out for the community and two mills (grist and lumber) were built. It was named for noted Great Lakes surveyor and British naval officer Admiral Henry Wolsey Bayfield, who had personally selected the site for the community. The mouth of the Bayfield River is a natural sheltered harbour and by 1869, the settlement was a port of entry and vessels touched here on their route from

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

to Goderich. Stages travelled daily to Seaforth. In 1869, when the population was only 125, the settlement had a wagon and plough making shop, two blacksmiths, a distiller, a brickyard and two tanneries. A large, permanent harbour was built during the 1870s. By 1876, Bayfield was incorporated as a village, with a population of 846. In 1982, Bayfield was declared a heritage conservation district. The Town Hall was built in 1882 and was not moved to its present location on Clan Gregor Square until 1920. By then, Bayfield had been in decline for at least 20 years, because the railway was built far from this area. By 1984, it was closed as a fire hazard; fund raising allowed for repairs, and the hall was re-opened in 1993. On January 1, 2001, Bayfield merged with Hensall,

Zurich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

, Stanley and Hay to create Bluewater Municipality and the Bayfield Town Hall was used for community events. Additional upgrades to the building were made in 2013 and 2016.

Geography

Climate

As Blue Water is located on the eastern shore of Lake Huron this has impacted the climate of the region, having an influence of rain and snow in the community close to the shores.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...

, Bayfield had a population of 1,250 living in 628 of its 906 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 1,218. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Arts and culture

As a small community Bayfield has many yearly traditions which include the Bayfield Fair in August, and Christmas in Bayfield, which takes place the weekend after Remembrance Day and includes the lighting of the trees in Clan Gregor Square as well as an annual Christmas Parade. Other annual events include the Fireman's Breakfast, Pioneer Park 5k Run, Santa Run, Halloween Witches Walk, and Corvette Fest and Volks Fest. Bayfield has the largest croquet club in North America and members compete internationally. The Bayfield Historical Society operates a heritage centre containing historic artifacts, newspapers, and photographs. Tours are available.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Bayfield is located on Kings Highway 21 which is also known as Bluewater Highway, south of Goderich.

Gallery

Bayfield Town Hall.jpg, Bayfield's Town Hall Christmas Parade in Bayfield.jpg, Bayfield Christmas Parade Main Beach in Bayfield.jpg, Bayfield's Main Beach File:1904, Bayfield Ice Flood.jpg, In 1904, Bayfield Bayfield had an ice flood

References

External links

Bayfield Chamber of Commerce
website {{authority control Designated places in Ontario Communities in Huron County, Ontario Populated places established in 1832 Former villages in Ontario 1832 establishments in Upper Canada Populated places disestablished in 2000 Populated places on Lake Huron in Canada