Exeter is a community in the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

South Huron South Huron is a municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the southern part of Huron County. It was formed by amalgamation of the townships of Stephen and Usborne with the Town of Exeter in 2001, in an Ontario-wide municipal ...

, in the southern portion of Huron County,

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 ...

, located approximately 40 kilometres north of

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. The community proclaims itself the "Home of the White

Squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

", owing to the presence of the unusually-coloured mammals. Exeter's

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

, "Willis The White Wonder", can be seen at many community events throughout the year, including

Canada Day Canada Day (french: Fête du Canada), formerly known as Dominion Day (french: Fête du Dominion), is the national day of Canada. A federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 18 ...

celebrations, the Exeter Rodeo, and the Santa Claus Parade.

History

Exeter was first founded in the winter of 1832 by the

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

settlers James and Jane Willis accompanied by the explorer Sir Michael Jacques. By 1853, Exeter had grown into a community of over 300 with the help of Isaac Carling bringing immigrants from the

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

and

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

areas of

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The original Carling homestead, a designated historical landmark still stands on Huron St.W. It was on July 1, 1873, when the settlements north and south of the

Ausable River Au Sable or Ausable may refer to various places: Michigan *Au Sable Township, Iosco County, Michigan **Au Sable, Michigan, an unincorporated community in the above township *Au Sable Township, Roscommon County, Michigan New York *Au Sable, New Y ...

(Francistown and Exeter respectively) merged to form the Village of Exeter. The first written reference to Exeter was by Rev. William Proudfoot who passed through the area in 1833. He described the area as having "excellent soil" with the trees "being chiefly maple, elm, oak, ironwood and black ash". When he passed through the area through London Road, which was barely a trail, there were only two dwellings in what is now Exeter. They were the homes of James Willis and William McConnell. Proudfoot spent the night in McConnell's home which also served as a tavern for the area. Railway service arrived in Exeter in the 1870s. This was in the form of the

London, Huron and Bruce Railway The London, Huron and Bruce Railway (LH&BR) was a short line railway in Ontario, Canada. It started in London, Ontario, running northward for to the small town of Wingham. It originally planned to continue north to Southampton or Kincardine, bu ...

. Incorporated in 1871, it was leased to the

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...

in 1873, which also provided financial guarantees for its construction costs. Completed in 1876, it was built northward from a

junction Junction may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Junction'' (film), a 2012 American film * Jjunction, a 2002 Indian film * Junction (album), a 1976 album by Andrew Cyrille * Junction (EP), by Basement Jaxx, 2002 * Junction (manga), or ''Hot ...

near London, crossing the original

Grand Trunk Railway The Grand Trunk Railway (; french: Grand Tronc) was a railway system that operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The rai ...

mainline (later the CN Forest Subdivision) at Lucan Crossing, the Buffalo and Lake Huron Railway (later the CN Goderich Subdivision) at Clinton Junction, and terminating at Wingham Junction with the

Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway The Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway (WG&BR) was a railway in Ontario, Canada. It ran roughly northwest from Guelph (in Wellington County) to the port town of Southampton (in Bruce County) on Lake Huron, a distance of . It also had a branch ...

. It passed through Exeter on its way from Lucan Crossing to Clinton Junction. A rail yard existed in Exeter by 1949, as well as a

spur line A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Industrial spur An industri ...

serving the Exeter Produce and Storage Company. By this time, the railway had come under the management of the Grand Trunk conglomerate and, later, the

Canadian National Railways The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I railroad, Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern United States, M ...

(CN). The line was later sold to the Goderich-Exeter Railway (GEXR) in 1991. Exeter eventually became a town of over 4,700 people. Paintings of some of Exeter's historical citizens, by the late artist Harry Burke, may be seen at the Exeter Legion Hall. Exeter was damaged by an F2 tornado on December 12, 1946.

Transportation

Sir Wilfrid Laurier speaking from the platform of a railway observation car during the federal election campaign

Exeter is located on the north-south Highway 4. At the north end of the community, Highway 4 intersects with County Road 83. This intersection of Highway 4 and County Road 83 is the busiest intersection in Huron County.

Freight train Rail freight transport is the use of railroads and trains to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers. A freight train, cargo train, or goods train is a group of freight cars (US) or goods wagons (International Union of Railways) haul ...

service is provided by the Goderich-Exeter Railway, connecting to

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

service at

, Stratford and

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

. The line running through Exeter is most commonly used by the Hensall District Co-Operative. The closest local airfield is at Centralia/James T. Field Memorial Aerodrome, south of Exeter in Huron Park. Closest major international airport is

London International Airport London International Airport is located northeast of the city of London, Ontario, Canada. In 2018, the airport handled 514,685 passengers, and, in 2011, was the 20th busiest in Canada in terms of aircraft movements, with 94,747. Air Canada E ...

. Exeter is served by scheduled bus service to

Owen Sound Owen Sound ( 2021 Census population 21,612) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat of Grey County, it is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi and Sydenham Rivers on an inlet of Georgian Bay. The primary tourist attract ...

and

Organizations

Exeter is home to many community organizations including: * The Cultural Collective * The Exeter BIA * The Exeter Lions Club * The Huron Waves Music Festival * The Exeter Farmers Market * The Independent Order of Oddfellows * The South Huron Hospital Foundation * The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority *The South Huron Community Choirs: Adult and Handbells

Media

*''

Exeter Times-Advocate The ''Exeter Lakeshore Times-Advance'' is a weekly local newspaper, published in the town of Exeter, Ontario. It serves the counties of Huron, Middlesex, and Lambton. It was established in 1873 as the ''Exeter Times-Advocate''. The ''Exeter Tim ...

'' - Exeter's local newspaper, owned by

Metroland Publishing Metroland Media Group (also known as Community Brands) is a Canadian mass media publisher and distributor which primarily operates in Southern Ontario. A division of the publishing conglomerate Torstar Corporation, Metroland publishes more than ...

. This paper publishes once-weekly, on Wednesdays. *''The Examiner'' - Formerly the ''Exeter Examiner'', first issue published in 2015. This paper is not associated with the ''Times-Advocate'' and serves the larger area around Exeter. *

Cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...

is provided by Eastlink TV and includes local community station ETM Television. *

CKXM-FM CKXM-FM is a radio station that broadcasts an adult contemporary format on the frequency at 90.5 FM in Exeter, Ontario branded as ''90.5 myFM''. Owned by My Broadcasting Corporation, the station was licensed on August 4, 2008. In 2009, the sta ...

90.5 "myFM" - Exeter and area local news coverage, adult contemporary music. *

CKNX-FM CKNX-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts at 101.7 FM in Wingham, Ontario. The station broadcasts a hot adult contemporary format as ''101.7 The One''. The station was formerly known as ''FM102'' before summer 2006. History The sta ...

101.7 "The One" - local, regional and national news and adult contemporary music *

CIBU-FM CIBU-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts at 94.5 FM in Wingham, Ontario. The station broadcasts a classic hits format with the brand name ''Cool 94.5''. In 2003, the CRTC denied the application by Blackburn Radio. In 2004, Blackb ...

94.5/91.7 "The Bull" - local, regional and national news and classic rock music

Sports

Exeter Hawks The Exeter Hawks are a Junior ice hockey team based in Exeter, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. History The Exeter Hawks were founded in 1961 as members of the Shamrock Juni ...

- Exeter's

junior hockey Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...

team that plays in the

Provincial Junior Hockey League The Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) is a Canadian junior ice hockey league spanning parts of Southern Ontario. The PJHL is the third tier of the Ontario Hockey Association and is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Cana ...

* Exeter Mohawks - a defunct Senior Hockey team that played in the

Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League The WOAA Senior AA Hockey League is a Canadian senior ice hockey league governed by the Western Ontario Athletic Association. The league operates in Southwestern Ontario. History Format The league uses Hockey Canada playing rules but is not o ...

Notable people

Harriet Brooks Harriet Brooks (July 2, 1876 – April 17, 1933) was the first Canadian female nuclear physicist. She is most famous for her research on nuclear transmutations and radioactivity. Ernest Rutherford, who guided her graduate work, regarded her as ...

(1876–1933), early pioneer in nuclear physics * Charles Trick Currelly (1876–1957), founder and first Curator of the

Royal Ontario Museum The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest museums in North America and the largest in Canada. It attracts more than one million visitors every year ...

Paul De Lisle Paul Gerald De Lisle (born June 13, 1963) is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He is the bassist and the only consistent member of the pop rock band Smash Mouth since their formation in 1994. Early life and education De Lisle was born in Exet ...

(b. 1963), bassist for

Smash Mouth Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell (lead vocals), Kevin Coleman (drums), Greg Camp (guitar), and Paul De Lisle (bass). With Harwell's depar ...

Donald Fleming Donald Methuen Fleming, (May 23, 1905 – December 31, 1986) was a Canadian parliamentarian, International Monetary Fund official and lawyer, born in Exeter, Ontario, Canada. Life and career Fleming was first elected to the House of C ...

(1905–1986) Canadian Federal Finance Minister, Governor of the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster globa ...

official *

Tim Long Tim Long (born June 14, 1969) is a comedy writer born in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Long calls Exeter, Ontario, his home town and has written for ''The Simpsons'', ''Politically Incorrect'', '' Spy'' magazine and the ''Late Show with David Letter ...

, executive producer and writer, ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'' * John A MacNaughton (1945–2013), investment banker and founding President and CEO of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board * Marc Pepin (b.1958), The first male tennis player inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame *

Al Pickard Allan Wilfrid Pickard (January 2, 1895April 7, 1975) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator, who served as president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) from 1947 to 1950. When Canada opted out of the 1947 Ice Hockey World Champ ...

(1895–1975), president of the

Canadian Amateur Hockey Association The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA; french: Association canadienne de hockey amateur) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada. Its jurisdiction include ...

and a

Hockey Hall of Fame , logo = Hockey Hall of Fame Logo.svg , logo_upright = 0.5 , image = Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto.jpg , caption = The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992 , map_type = , former_name = , established = 1943 , location = 30 Y ...

inductee

Landmarks

* MacNaughton Park, including scenic gardens * Morrison Dam Conservation Area * Restored Town Hall * Carling House

Education

Public education in Exeter is managed by the

Avon Maitland District School Board The Avon Maitland District School Board (known as English-language Public District School Board No. 8 prior to 1999) administers public school education in Huron and Perth Counties, including the city of Stratford, in southern Ontario. Second ...

, which has Exeter Elementary School and South Huron District High School in the town, on adjoining properties. Catholic education is under the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board, which manages Precious Blood Catholic Elementary School in Exeter. There is no Catholic secondary school in the town; students have to travel to Clinton or Stratford.

Health & Wellness Facilities

South Huron Recreation Centre (NW View) - Exeter, ON

Health and wellness facilities in the Exeter area include the South Huron Hospital, South Huron Medical Centre/Walk-In Clinic, and the Grand Bend and Area Community Health Centre. Jessica's House is a residential hospice that offers care close to home. Community Psychiatric Services and CMHA Middlesex offer mental health support services. The Exeter Villa and One Care Home & Community Support Services offers help seniors in all capacities.

References

External links

Experience Exeter
{{authority control Communities in Huron County, Ontario Former towns in Ontario