Hastings is a community within 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 ...
of
Trent Hills
The Municipality of Trent Hills is a township municipality in Northumberland County, Ontario, Northumberland County in Central Ontario, Canada. It is on the Trent River (Ontario), Trent River and was created in 2001 through the amalgamation of t ...
,
Northumberland County, in the province of
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 ...
. It is situated on the
Trent-Severn Waterway and the
Trans Canada Trail
The Trans Canada Trail, officially named The Great Trail between September 2016 and June 2021, is a cross-Canada system of greenways, waterways, and roadways that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, Pacific to the A ...
in what is considered to be Ontario's "
cottage country
Cottage country is a common name in Ontario, New Brunswick, and other regions of Canada for areas that are popular locations for recreation, recreational properties such as cottages and summer homes. Cottage country is often socially, culturally, ...
". It can be reached from Highway 401 by exiting at exit 474 at Cobourg and going north on County Road 45. It can be reached from Highway 7 at the Norwood exit going south (also on County Road 45).
Hastings had a population of 1,208 at the
2001 Census.
It is known as "The Hub of the Trent" as Hastings is directly on the
Trent River and serves as a major centre for tourists, boaters, and fishermen. One of Hastings' notable symbols is a tall, blue water tower which is perched prominently on high ground in the northern portion of the community.
Hastings is now part of the municipality of Trent Hills and makes up the second most substantial population centre in the municipality. The position of
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of Trent Hills was filled in November 2017 by Hastings councillor and deputy mayor Robert Crate, following the death of Hector Macmillan who had served as mayor since 2003. Replacing Bob Crate as Ward 3 Hastings councillor is businessman, Michael Metcalf.
A
marina
A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.
A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...
was built in Hastings which added to the already bustling waterfront. In continuation of the street-scape design theme from the new Hastings Village Marina a Hastings Waterfront & Downtown Improvement Plan was prepared in early 2009. In 2009, after a four-year break, the local Chamber of Commerce was revived.
The largest annual event in Hastings, the
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, includes amongst other events a parade that runs through downtown during the day and a fireworks display at the waterfront at dusk. In recent years the fireworks display has attracted an increasing number of spectators and despite Hastings being a relatively small community the display has been considered one of the best in Ontario.
In 2012 Hastings was named Canada's Ultimate Fishing Town by the World Fishing Network.
[thestar.co]
"Best Fishing Town in Canada? Hastings, Ontario"
June 22, 2012. Retrieved 2017-07-01 Muskie, pickerel, pike, walleye, large and smallmouth bass, catfish, perch, crappie, and bluegill are found in Hastings in abundance.
History
General history
The first European presence in the area dates to 1615 when
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain (; Fichier OrigineFor a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December 1635) was a Fre ...
made a visit t
Huronia However, his "journals are too vague to make any final decisions." about the exact route taken. In 1810
James Crooks
Jamie Crooks (April 15, 1778 – March 2, 1860) was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada and Canada West.
He was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1778 and came to Fort Niagara in 1791 where his half-brother, Francis, was operating a ...
purchased of land on the north and south shores of the rapids at the top of
Rice Lake, Ontario. A map prepared by Lieutenant James Smith in 1816–17 shows the name Little Bobakaijuen opposite rapids. The settlement of Crooks' Rapids was named in 1820. "As late as 1835, the only house on the site of the present village of Hastings was a small frame building on the bank, erected several years before that date by the Hon. Mr. Crooks as a mill, containing one run of very common stones. It is doubtful whether it ever ground much, and it is believed to have been intended rather as a means to secure the valuable mill privilege, at that place, rather than for practical utility."
Between 1837 and 1839 at a preliminary estimated cost of £7062, a lock was built at Crooks' Rapids, together with a dam and slides, "the expenditure on which gave occupation to a great number of persons; laid the foundation for the village of Hastings".
The following is a contemporary description of the village in the middle 19th century:
From the building of the locks at Crook's Rapids in 1837–38, that place gradually grew into a thriving village of much importance. T. Coughlan, Esq., was the first hotel keeper and store keeper in that place. Its most marked progress took place after the chief portion of the property was acquired by Henry Fowlds, Esq., and his sons, and their removal there in 1857. A new grist and flouring mill was added to the old one, a saw mill of great power and numerous saws, capable of manufacturing large quantities of lumber yearly for the foreign market, were speedily erected.
These were followed in later years, by other extensive factories filled with valuable machinery. Adjoining the saw mill mentioned, was a large woolen factory, which had just got into active operation when it was swept away by a most destructive fire in 1863, which also consumed the sawmill and its contents, and also a large planing mill A planing mill is a facility that takes cut and seasoned boards from a sawmill and turns them into finished dimensional lumber. Machines used in the mill include the planer and matcher, the molding machines, and varieties of saws. In the planing mil ...
and sash and door factory just erected by Mr. Henry Lye in close proximity. This great loss for a time checked the progress of the village, and paralyzed the enterprise of several active and industrious citizens. Another large factory erected for a cotton mill, a wool carding and knitting factory, and a bit larger saw mill than the former one, had in the meantime been erected on the south side of the river, just below the bridge, and these important structures with their valuable machinery, continue in active operation, and not only reflect much credit upon the enterprise of the place, but contribute much towards its prosperity.
Another serious fire occurred in Hastings in the spring of 1864, by which a fine brick store and a large stock of goods were almost entirely destroyed. Hastings was buoyant, rapidly progressive, and looking forward to the time ere long, it might become an incorporated village, when these severe disasters, followed by the general depression occasioned by scant harvests, and the embarrassment of the agricultural community, placed a barrier against further progress, and caused a withdrawal of a portion of the inhabitants to seek more remunerative employment elsewhere. But this dark day, it is believed, has to a threat extent passed away; and increased hope and renewed enterprise promise ere long to restore this fine village to more than its former prosperity.
For many years Hastings was but poorly furnished with church accommodation. This want has, however, been abundantly supplied, and several fine church edifices crown the rising ground which commands a beautiful view of the river and the bustling village. The first of these was the Free Presbyterian church, a large frame structure, erected in 1858, in which the Rev. James Bowie ministered for several years. An Episcopal church, also frame, pleasantly situated on the south side of the river, followed in 1863, of which the Rev. M. A. Farrar is Incumbent. In 1864, the Wesleyan Methodists, with commendable zeal and enterprise, completed a tasteful and commodious brick church, while in 1865, a much larger and well finished edifice of stone was erected and dedicated by the Roman
Catholics, chiefly through the zeal and indefatigable exertions of their pastor, the Rev. J. Quirk.
A neat and tasteful brick school house has now been many years in use, -- two or more teachers employed, and the most liberal provision made for the education of the rising generation.
In the year 1864, a printing press and type were introduced to the village, by Mr. A. E. Hayter, and the Hastings ''Messenger'' was for a time published there, but the attempt was premature, and during the period of depression referred to, the effort was abandoned.
Hastings, besides its unlimited water power, is pleasantly and advantageously situated on the river Trent, which furnishes communication by steamboats with the Cobourg railway at Harwood at Rice lake, and other points above and below the village. A new steamboat, the Forest City, was built and launched here in 1858, by the Messrs. Fowlds, and has since continued to ply up and down the river and lake in the transport of goods, passengers and lumber.
In Hastings' early history, lumber from the northern part of
Peterborough
Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...
passed through Hastings
locks
Lock(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance
*Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lock ...
on its way to
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
. The Messrs.
Fowlds, at Hastings, also manufactured from two to three million feet of sawn lumber annually ... which at Port Hope was worth $12 per 1000 feet. It originally had a foundry, a cotton factory,
grist mills
A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separat ...
, a stone
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
,
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
and
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
and
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
Churches.
The locks were completed in 1844 and the waterways became part of the
Trent-Severn passage.
[Angus, James T. ''A Respectable Ditch: A History of the Trent-Severn Waterway 1833–1920''. McGill-Queens University Press, Montreal and Kingston, 1988.] There are from Lock 18 in Hastings to Lock 19 in Peterborough.
Henry Fowlds bought Crooks' Rapids in 1851 and renamed the settlement Hastings in 1852, the year of its post office opening. The population rose from 200 in 1852 to 1500 in 1882.
The Fowlds family
The Fowlds family had a large influence on the village of Hastings in its early history. Henry Fowlds bought and renamed the settlement of Crooks' Rapids to Hastings. He named the village after
Lady Flora Hastings
Lady Flora Elizabeth Rawdon-Hastings (11 February 1806 – 5 July 1839) was a British aristocrat and lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent. Her death in 1839 was the subject of a court scandal that gave the Queen a nega ...
, a boyhood acquaintance. His family played significant roles within the community, such as
reeve (now the term "mayor" is used in most communities), and also started small businesses. There is a park in Hastings named after Henry Fowlds.
Henry Fowlds was born in 1790 in Scotland. In 1813, he married Jane Marshall Steele. Together they had ten children, (Eliza, John, James S., Robert H., Elizabeth, Henry M., Mary C., William J., Mary Anne, and Theresa) of which only five survived (James S., Elizabeth, Henry M., William J., and Theresa). James S. (1818–1884) married Margaret MacGregor and they had nine children between the years of 1845 and 1860. Their seventh child, Frederick W. (1857–1930), married Elizabeth Sutherland and they had three children, Helen, Eric, and Donald. Eric and Donald were soldiers in World War I and Helen was a nurse in the same war. Helen married Gerald Marryat after the war and became a remarkable local historian of the Peterborough region. Helen Fowlds Marryat died on June 16, 1965. Her records and papers were bequeathed to
Trent University
Trent University is a public liberal arts university in Peterborough, Ontario, with a satellite campus in Oshawa, which serves the Regional Municipality of Durham. Trent is known for its Oxbridge college system and small class sizes. .
The family came to North America in 1821, settling first in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, and then in
Hartford
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
in 1833. In 1834, they crossed the border and settled in
Prince Edward County,
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the ...
. The Fowlds family settled in Asphodel Township in 1836, and then moved on to Westwood, where they set up a saw mill in conjunction with Dr.
John Gilchrist in what was to become the village of
Keene.
Henry Martin Fowlds (b. ca 1826 in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
– d. July 3, 1907 in Hastings) purchased the water rights, land and buildings of Crooks' Rapids, later known as Hastings, from the Honourable
James Crooks
Jamie Crooks (April 15, 1778 – March 2, 1860) was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada and Canada West.
He was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1778 and came to Fort Niagara in 1791 where his half-brother, Francis, was operating a ...
, on September 27, 1851. Henry Fowlds and sons built upon this base, expanding their original saw mill to a corporate business of a saw mill, grist mill, general store and post office. The three Fowlds' brothers, James, Henry M. and William, set up a lumber and flour business under the name of Jas. L. Fowlds and Bros. This company was terminated with the death of James Fowlds in 1884. The Fowlds were quite active in Hastings, occupying the seat of reeve, and the office of postmaster. From 1844 to 1852, Henry Fowlds was County Superintendent of Schools. Captain Henry J. Fowlds commanded the 57-man Hastings Infantry Company in June 1866 in response to the Fenian Invasion James S. Fowlds was postmaster in 1867. Postmaster was a position that the family kept for over 90 years in the village. These public-minded men served on local councils, notably as reeve.
Their industry resulted in a rise of population from 200 in 1852 to 1,500 in 1882.
Transportation
![Hastings ON](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Hastings_ON.jpg)
The
Trent River, part of the
Trent-Severn Waterway, is crucial for local boat transportation as well as recreation. The river connects directly to
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
, which is south of Hastings, making Hastings easily accessible by boat. Hastings is a hub for fishermen and boaters because of the marina; many people travel through and around Hastings each year.
Demographics and religion
In 2001, Hastings' population totaled 1,208, increasing by 6% from 1996 to 2001, when Hastings had a population of 1,140 people. There are 537 private dwellings located within Hastings, and the population density is 511.9 people per square kilometre (1,326/sq mi). The total area of the village is 2.36 square kilometres (0.91 sq mi).
The
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
population accounts for the vast majority of Hastings' residents, at 99%. The remaining 1% is made up of
First Nations
First Nations or first peoples may refer to:
* Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area.
Indigenous groups
*First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including:
**First Natio ...
,
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
and
South Asian
South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geography, geographical and culture, ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, ...
people. During the summer months, fishing on the Trent River in Hastings is locally popular, causing a short-term population increase due to the influx of tourist anglers. These tourists tend to be more diverse than the permanent residents of Hastings; for example, there are many ethnic Chinese fishermen. Most of Hastings' year-round residents speak English only, at about 90%. The majority of Hastings' full-time residents are
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, although about 25% reported that they have no religious affiliation.
Government
Hastings was incorporated as a village in 1874. In 2001, several municipalities in Northumberland County were amalgamated, and the Village of Hastings was merged with the Town of
Campbellford,
Township of Seymour and the
Township of Percy to form the Township of
Trent Hills
The Municipality of Trent Hills is a township municipality in Northumberland County, Ontario, Northumberland County in Central Ontario, Canada. It is on the Trent River (Ontario), Trent River and was created in 2001 through the amalgamation of t ...
.
Education
Hastings Public School provides elementary education to Hastings' children. For secondary education, Hastings residents attend the
Campbellford District High School
Campbellford District High School is a high school in the community of Campbellford in the municipality of Trent Hills, Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. it had 709 students. ...
. The nearby
Norwood District High School
Norwood District High School is located at 44 Elm Street in Norwood, Ontario, Canada. As of 2020 it has 21 teachers. It is a member of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.
Notable alumni
* International rock-stars Adam Gontier, Ne ...
serves the minority of residents who live in
Peterborough County
Peterborough County is located in Southern Ontario, Canada. The county seat is Peterborough, which is independent of the county.
The southern section of the county is mix of agriculture, urban and lakefront properties. The northern section of th ...
. These schools are all part of the
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (known as English-language Public District School Board No. 14 prior to 1999) is a public, secular, English language school board headquartered in Peterborough, Ontario. It is the amalgamation of the fo ...
.
Peterborough
Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...
, the most populous city in the area, has two institutions of post-secondary education:
Fleming College
Fleming College, also known as Sir Sandford Fleming College, is an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology located in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. The college has an enrollment of more than 6,800 full-time and 10,000 part-time student ...
and
Trent University
Trent University is a public liberal arts university in Peterborough, Ontario, with a satellite campus in Oshawa, which serves the Regional Municipality of Durham. Trent is known for its Oxbridge college system and small class sizes. . Trent University's academic focus is on environmental, cultural, and science studies. Vocational education is provided by Fleming College, which is a multidisciplinary institution with four campuses. The college is also a well-respected business skills training centre.
Belleville, another nearby city, also provides post-secondary education with
Loyalist College
Loyalist College (formally Loyalist College of Applied Arts and Technology) is an English-language college in Belleville, Ontario, Canada.
History
Prior to the 1960s, only trade schools co-existed with universities in the province of Ontario ...
, well known in the region for its
journalism
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...
,
photojournalism
Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...
, radio and television broadcasting programs as well as its health services programs.
The municipality of
Trent Hills
The Municipality of Trent Hills is a township municipality in Northumberland County, Ontario, Northumberland County in Central Ontario, Canada. It is on the Trent River (Ontario), Trent River and was created in 2001 through the amalgamation of t ...
is currently working to improve the local educational system, and to make it more convenient for residents to attend university or college without having to leave Trent Hills. After elementary and secondary education, residents tend to leave the area for university and college education, not to return, which inevitably depletes the local economy.
Economy
The municipality of Trent Hills is currently attempting to revitalize the economy with the help of an updated Trent Hills Economic Strategic Plan.
A major undertaking was the construction of a new recreational facility for Hastings,
a field house opened on July 3, 2015 by Canadian astronaut
Chris Hadfield. The facility features a walking track, soccer field, golf driving range and courts for basketball, ball hockey, and racquet sports. It has the capacity to accommodate many varied and unique training activities, as well as clinics and workshops.
The Hastings downtown core runs along central Bridge Street and central Front Street, with two- and three-storey buildings along much of Front St. The community's only set of street lights is located at this intersection.
Elmhirst's Resort in nearby
Keene is a local tourist attraction. Aside from the resort, there are trailer parks, beaches and camping grounds in the Hastings area. Most of the local beaches and camping grounds are located outside of Hastings on
Rice Lake.
The local post office at 9 Front Street West services locals with lock boxes and three rural routes.
Recreation
Th
Lang-Hastings Trailis a 33 km rail trail that runs between
Peterborough
Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...
and Hastings, and passes through
Keene and other areas. It is part of the
Trans-Canada Trail
The Trans Canada Trail, officially named The Great Trail between September 2016 and June 2021, is a cross-Canada system of greenways, waterways, and roadways that stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans. The trail extends ...
, the longest trail build in the country.
Climate
Because of the influence of the
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...
, Ontario experiences smaller variations in
temperature
Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer.
Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied o ...
and higher
precipitation
In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...
than would otherwise be expected for a region in the heart of a continent.
The last snowfall of the winter season is often experienced in spring. In the early portion of spring, climate can remain much like winter in Hastings, with possible snowstorms,
lake effect snow
Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when a cold air mass moves across long expanses of warmer lake water. The lower layer of air, heated up by the lake water, picks up water vapor from the lake and rises up through ...
, and cold temperatures. The temperature can plummet to less than , feeling much colder with the
wind chill
Wind chill or windchill (popularly wind chill factor) is the lowering of body temperature due to the passing-flow of lower-temperature air.
Wind chill numbers are always lower than the air temperature for values where the formula is valid. When ...
. To counter the winter temperatures, daytime highs can reach about . By mid-to-late spring, life returns to the area. April is the month in which the last snowfall usually occurs. By May, temperatures rise and rain often falls.
In the summer months, the Great Lakes have a cooling effect. However, heat waves lasting up to a week, with temperatures higher than , are not uncommon. The temperature can feel closer to or even when temperature and humidity (
humidex
The humidex (short for humidity index) is an index number used by Canadian meteorologists to describe how hot the weather feels to the average person, by combining the effect of heat and humidity. The term ''humidex'' was coined in 1965. The humid ...
) is taken into account.
Thunderstorms
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are someti ...
are also very frequent during the summer months, especially on very hot days.
Smog
Smog, or smoke fog, is a type of intense air pollution. The word "smog" was coined in the early 20th century, and is a portmanteau of the words ''smoke'' and '' fog'' to refer to smoky fog due to its opacity, and odor. The word was then inte ...
is an issue for Hastings and the rest of
southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a primary region of the province of Ontario, Canada, the other primary region being Northern Ontario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada. The exact northern boundary of Southern Ontario is disp ...
, primarily during hot and sunny weather.
In the
fall
Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southe ...
, the release of heat stored in the lakes has a moderating effect. This provides relief from the overly-hot summer temperatures. The first snowfall of the season is often in October or November, and prior to that, Hastings and the region experience
frost
Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...
. Lake effect snow and snow squalls often occur during the fall months. Even in early fall, late September, temperatures can dip down to near zero. Under the right conditions, frost may be produced. Daytime highs can vary from above in early fall to well below freezing in late fall.
Winter in Hastings is characterized by alternating currents of cold arctic air and relatively warm air masses from the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
. The normal winter temperature range is , and it can get quite a bit warmer. Temperatures, however, can dip below before taking wind chill into account.
Below is some additional information on climate, including average temperatures and precipitation.
This information was retrieved from The Weather Network
The Weather Network (TWN) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English language, English-language weather information specialty channel available in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. It delivers weather information on television, ...
's website. The data was collected from observations at Peterborough Airport
Peterborough Airport is located south-southwest of the city of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. It includes a main asphalt runway oriented east-west, and a smaller paved (2014) runway oriented northwest-southeast. A new terminal building was bu ...
over a 30-year period, 1961–1990.
Media
In November 2017, a newspaper serving Hastings—''Quinte West News''—was one of 36 community newspapers across Ontario to be closed. The remaining newspapers, the ''Community Press'' and ''The Tribune'' (Tribune Trent Hills), serve other local villages and towns as well as Hastings.
CKOL-FM is a community radio station which broadcasts from
Campbellford to serve
Trent Hills
The Municipality of Trent Hills is a township municipality in Northumberland County, Ontario, Northumberland County in Central Ontario, Canada. It is on the Trent River (Ontario), Trent River and was created in 2001 through the amalgamation of t ...
and the surrounding area. It broadcasts at 93.7 on the FM dial, and typically plays
oldies
Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...
music. CHEX-TV (
CBC affiliate) is the nearest television station to Hastings, and provides regular programming, local news and current events. It broadcasts from
Peterborough
Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...
at Television Hill.
Notable residents
*Fibre artist
Dorothy Caldwell
Dorothy Caldwell (born 1948) is a Canadian fibre artist. Her work consists primarily of abstract textile based wall hangings that utilize techniques such as wax-resistdischarge dyeing stitching, mark-making, and appliqué.
Biography
Caldwell ...
is a resident.
*
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
State Senator
Chester Howell Werden
Chester Howell Werden (August 10, 1857 – October 31, 1930) was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate.
Biography
Werden was born on August 10, 1857, in Hastings, Ontario.''Journal of Proceedings of the Sixtieth Session of the Wisconsin Legislatu ...
was born in Hastings.
* Humanitarian
Mark Joseph Cameron MB,
MSM is a graduate of Hastings Public School, Campbellford District High School, Charles Sturt University (Australia), Harvard University Program in Refugee Trauma (Cambridge Massachusetts) and Humber College (Toronto/Canada). Mark is a third generation Hastings resident currently residing on his grandfather's property (Joseph Mulholland) in Hastings village proper. Mark spends much of his time abroad overseeing the international NGO he co-founded (CIMRO.ca). Mark is the Recipient of the Medal of Bravery and the Meritorious Service Medal, both of which were awarded to him by David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II and on behalf of all Canadians.
[http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2017/2017-07-01/pdf/g1-15126.pdf p. 9. Retrieved 2017-07-01]
References
Bibliography
Poole, Thomas W., M.D.
A Sketch of the Early Settlement and Subsequent Progress of The Town of Peterborough, and of Each Township in the County of Peterborough.', Peterborough: Printed by Robert Romaine, At the Office of the "Peterborough Review". 1867. Retrieved 2017-07-01
External links
Municipality of Trent HillsHastings: An Architectural Walking Tour
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Communities in Northumberland County, Ontario
Former villages in Ontario
Populated places disestablished in 2001