Blenheim is a community in

Chatham-Kent Chatham-Kent (Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population: 103,988) is a Census divisions of Ontario#Single-tier municipalities, single-tier municipality in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is mostly rural, and its population centres are Chatham, Wallac ...

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 ...

History

The

region was settled as a

British colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony governed by England, and then Great Britain or the United Kingdom within the English and later British Empire. There was usually a governor to represent the Crown, appointed by the British monarch on ...

following Alexander McKee's acquisition of land under Treaty #2 ( McKee's Purchase) in 1790. Treaty #2 negotiations took place in Detroit and involved Pottowatomie, Wendat,

Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...

, and Odtawa leaders. 18th Century: Survey & Settlement Land in Harwich Township including present-day Blenheim was first surveyed in 1791 by British settlers Lt.-Col. John Graves-Simcoe and Thomas Talbot. The area was a dense

Carolinian forest The Carolinian forest refers to a life zone in eastern North America characterized primarily by the predominance of deciduous (broad-leaf) forest. The term "Carolinian", which is most commonly used in Canada, refers to the deciduous forests which ...

with wild elk,

bears Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout most o ...

wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

, and

eagles Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

. Blenheim initially sat amidst of dense forest. However, the region became a "patchwork quilt of farms" when the forests were cut down. Historically, the area was used to grow

sugar beet A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and that is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together with ...

tomatoes The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originated from and was d ...

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

, and

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

. Early settlers built roads to connect the area with nearby

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 ...

. 19th Century: Development & Incorporation Settlement of the area increased after the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. Land near Blenheim was purchased by Albert Robertson, and later, Harvey Halstead, Thomas Lynch, and George Hughson were recorded as the first three lot tenants who built homes in Blenheim. In 1837, James W. Little, a militia officer and land speculator of neighbouring Raleigh Township, purchased land at the intersection of Ridge Road and Communication Road, the latter planned by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe to connect the town of Chatham with

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( ) is the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and also has the shortest avera ...

. By 1845, the first

general store A general merchant store (also known as general merchandise store, general dealer, village shop, or country store) is a rural or small-town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, someti ...

opened, followed by a town

hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and the Early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gre ...

in 1866. By 1874, Blenheim was home to

dentists A dentist, also known as a dental doctor, dental physician, dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry, the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. The dentist's supporting team aids in providi ...

and

carpenters Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters trad ...

. Whilst settled between 1825–1850, Blenheim was not incorporated until 1885. Historians Dr. Fred Landon and Alvin Armstrong state that the town got its name after resident Mungo Samson recited " The Battle of Blenheim" poem at the Samuel Brundage Inn.

Bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...

introduced the

telephone A telephone, colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that enables two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most ...

in 1885, followed three years later by electricity and a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

church. A

fire department A fire department (North American English) or fire brigade (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as a fire company, fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organi ...

was established in 1891 and three years later was followed by a

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

that traveled through Blenheim to Windsor. The first

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

was built in 1900. 20th Century: Prohibition and Redevelopment. Blenheim paved its first street in 1920. Blenheim grew during the

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...

as men were involved in illegal rum-running operations. In 1924, W.G. Thompson opened a grain mill for local farmers. Blenheim became a part of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent during the 1998 amalgamation of Kent County and its municipalities. Up until 1988, Blenheim had its own elected officials with a mayor, two

reeves Reeves may refer to: People * Reeves (surname) * B. Reeves Eason (1886–1956), American director, actor and screenwriter * Reeves Nelson (born 1991), American basketball player Places ;Ireland * Reeves, County Kildare, townland in County Kild ...

, and six councillors. The current mayor of Chatham-Kent is Darrin Canniff. In the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Blenheim is a part of the South-Kent region which is represented by 3 councillors: Anthony Ceccacci, Mary Clare Latimer, and Trevor Thompson. Blenheim received regional media attention in 2019 when councillor Trevor Thompson refused to remove an image of a toy car with the Confederate flag on it, which he had shared via social media.

Economy and industry

Blenheim is home to Rol-land Farms, Platinum Produce and Thompsons Ltd. Blenheim's Industrial Park and surrounding area house many employers. Major employers in the area include: * Apollo General Contracting (60 employees), General contractor specializing in commercial and industrial construction. * G.W. Clarke Drainage (approx 50 employees), farm drainage services * Gincor Trailer Werx (90 employees), trailer manufacturer * The Andersons (approx. 10-20 employees), processors of agricultural grain and corn products * Sylvite Agri-Services (approx. 5-10 employees), crop protection and fertilizer products * Hopkins Canada Inc. (formerly Mallory Inc.) (127 employees), produces snow and car wash brushes and window cleaning products * Lakeview Greenhouses & Farm Ltd (20-40 employees), greenhouse plant growers * Konal Engineering & Equipment Inc. (87 employees), designers, manufacturers and installers of rim metering systems * Woodbridge Foam (42 employees), manufacturer of headrests for the automotive industry * Joycor Inc., (30 employees) manufacturer of wood pallets and heat treated crates * Rodger Industries (approx. 30 employees), manufacturers of quality stainless steel parts * Resistance Welding Products (approx. 30 employees), manufacturer of resistance and spot welding products Blenheim and its surrounding region are home to a number of family farms, many being fruit farms. These include: * Delhaven Orchards (established 1961) * Glad to Grow Glads * Golden Acres Peach Co. (3rd generation farm) * Hat Trick Farms (4th generation farm) * Manitree Fruit Farm (5th generation farm) * Pardo's Berrie Farm * Svec's Sweet Cherry Farm (closed) * Thompson's Orchards (established 1881) * Wildflower Bee Farm (established 2020) The Ridge Landfill, owned by Waste Connections of Canada, is located in Blenheim.

Tourism

Blenheim's slogan is "Experience Unique Shopping", referring to its selection of boutiques and specialty stores. In July, downtown businesses offer discounts during Ontario's longest running carnival-sidewalk sale, the Cherry Fest and Sidewalk Days. The Cherry Fest has been held annually since 1963 with the exception of 2020 and 2021 when it can cancelled due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. The Cherry Fest includes a cherry pit spitting contest. Since 1981 it has been the site of the Canadian National Pit Spit Championship. Longtime organizer of the Cherry Fest, J.P. Huggins, was named Citizen of the Year by the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce in 2021. Another tourist attraction in Blenheim is the RM Classic Car Exhibit. A guided tour gives a close-up view of more than 50 classic automobiles from the past century. Blenheim also hosts the

Father's Day Father's Day is a day set aside for honoring one's father, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. "Father's Day" complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Mother's Day and, in som ...

weekend for the Blenheim Classics Auto-show. Blenheim is home to two golf courses
Willow Ridge Golf & Country Club
an
Deer Run
You can also visit Giffin's Maple Syrup Farm. Blenheim also offers a variety of parks and trails including the Talbot Trail place. Other outdoor recreation opportunities can be found in

Rondeau Provincial Park Rondeau Provincial Park is the second oldest provincial park in Ontario, Canada, having been established with an order in council on 8 September 1894. The park is located in Southwestern Ontario, on an 8 km long crescentic sand spit exten ...

, or C.M. Wilson Conservation area.

Demographics

The population of Blenheim is 4,487. In 2021 27.6% of the resident population in Blenheim were 65 or over compared with 19% in

. The median age was 50.4 years compared to 41.1 for all of

Indigenous Population

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

: 1.8% *

Métis The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...

: 1.7%

Citizenship and Immigration

*Canadian Citizens: 98.5% *Non-Immigrants: 93.3% *Immigrants: 6.6%

Language Spoken Most Often at Home

*English 98.6% *French: 0.1% *Non-Official Languages: 0.8%

Religion

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

: 65.3% *

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

: 22.7% * United: 13.4% *

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

: 6.8% *Non-Religious or Secular: 33.5%

Education

*No Certificate, Diploma, or Degree: 19.5% *High School Diploma or Equivalency: 33.2% *Post-Secondary Certificate, Diploma, or Degree: 47.3%

Labour Force

*Sales and Service: 23.3% *Trades, Transport, Equipment: 20.2% *Business and Finance: 12.7% *Education, Law, Community, Government Services: 10.9% *Health: 9.8% *Manufacturing and Utilities: 9.8% *Natural Resources and Agriculture: 4.7%

Education

Blenheim's elementary and

secondary schools A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

are under the control of two school boards, the

Lambton Kent District School Board The Lambton Kent District School Board (known as English-language Public District School Board No. 10 prior to 1999) is the school board responsible for public education in Lambton County and Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada. Lambton and Kent Coun ...

and the St. Clair Catholic District School Board.

Elementary schools

*Harwich-Raleigh Public School is the "rural" public school. It offers Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. H.R.P.S offers both English and French Immersion programs. H.R.P.S is home of the Wildcats and its school colours are red and white. The motto of the school is: "live to learn, learn to live". *St. Anne Catholic School serves the rural community and the town. It offers Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. St.Anne's offers both English and French Immersion programs. St.Anne's is home to the Stars. *W.J Baird is the in-town public school and offers Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. "Baird" as it is known is home to the Griffins. Its school colours are green and white.

Secondary school

*Blenheim District High School is the public high school in the town and is the heart and centre of a lot of community events. B.D.H.S is home of the Blenheim Bobcats, and their colours are Black and Gold (yellow). The population of the school has declined in recent years and is currently under 500 students. **B.D.H.S. offers a variety of Clubs and Athletics including: Student Union, Sears Drama, Musicals, Redfeather events, Volleyball, Basketball, Football, Cross-Country, Golf, Tennis, Curling, Rugby, Track & Field, and Badminton.

Media

*''Blenheim News Tribune'': A weekly newspaper published every Wednesday.

Sports

Blenheim is home to a strong sports community. It is known for its high school sports teams from Blenheim District High School, which are particularly known for their football and rugby programs. The most popular sports team in Blenheim is the

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

team the Blenheim Blades. Blenheim also offers a variety of minor and competitive sports including: * Minor hockey: South Kent Lightning, the South Kent Lightning was formed by the Communities of Blenheim and Ridgetown. * The minor soccer team is the Blenheim Blaze offering both house league and competitive teams within the Sun County Soccer League. * Blenheim Golden Eagles Gymnastics Club, which is the longest running gymnastics facility in Chatham-Kent. * Blenheim & District Minor Baseball Association * The Blenheim Blast Swim Team, a competitive swim team * Blenheim Golden Acres Curling Club * Blenheim Youth Bowling * Blenheim Figure Skating Club * There are also two golf courses in Blenheim: Willow Ridge and Deer Run. Prominent athletes from Blenheim include hockey player Todd Warriner. Southern Ontario Motor Speedway(South Buxton Raceway) which features a dirt track for auto racing, is located southwest of Blenheim in South Buxton Ont

Notable people

* Bob Izumi * Frederic Lister Burk * Charles Hefferon * Ron Pardo * George Perry * Benjamin Parkyn Richardson * Cassandra Vasik * Todd Warriner

References

External links

Blenheim Web Page
{{authority control Communities in Chatham-Kent