Fergus, Ontario
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Fergus is the largest community in
Centre Wellington Centre Wellington is a township in south-central Ontario, Canada, located in Wellington County. The primary communities are Elora and Fergus. The area is agricultural but also includes industries such as manufacturing. In the Canada 2016 Cens ...
, a township within Wellington County in
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. It lies on the Grand River about 18 km NNW of
Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as The Royal City, it is roughly east of Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Ontario Highway 6, ...
. The population of this community at the time of the 2016 Census was 20,767, but the community is growing as new homes are being built for sale. Fergus was an independent town until 1999 when the Township was formed by amalgamating the Town of Fergus, the Village of Elora, and the Townships of Nichol, Pilkington, West Garafraxa, and part of Eramosa.


History

The first settlers to this area were freed slaves, who formed what was known as the Pierpoint Settlement, named after their leader,
Richard Pierpoint Richard Pierpoint ( – ) was a Senegalese-born farmer and soldier. Brought as a slave to British North America via the Atlantic slave trade, he fought as a Black Loyalist in the American Revolutionary War. After the war, he settled in a Black com ...
, a
United Empire Loyalist United Empire Loyalist (UEL; or simply Loyalist) is an honorific title which was first given by the 1st Lord Dorchester, the governor of Quebec and governor general of the Canadas, to American Loyalists who resettled in British North Ameri ...
originally from Bondou,
Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
in Africa. Along with a half dozen other men who had also fought with the British during the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, Pierpoint was granted land in Garafraxa Township somewhere around what is now Scotland Street in Fergus. Another settlement was founded nearby in 1833 and was first called Little Falls because of the scenic (water) falls, now between the Public Library and the Fergus Market. The primary developers were Adam Fergusson and James Webster, who had purchased 28 km² (7,000 acres) of land. Both were later lawyers by profession. The first bridge over the river in the heart of the settlement was built in 1834 by Fergusson. The first house was built in 1833, a hotel was built in 1844 and in 1835, a sawmill, grist-mill, church and school were opened. The post office was established in 1836. Fergusson was also a founder of the first curling club in Ontario; it was opened in 1834, and is still active today. After 1838, Scottish settlers purchased the land in what was previously Pierpoint Settlement. James Webster was the one who opened the Fergus Mills and cleared a great deal of land for farming. Alexander Dingwall Fordyce joined Ferguson and they controlled all of the industry in Fergus until 1855. Until approximately 1850, an unwritten policy of restricted growth was implemented. Because Fergusson, Webster and some other Scottish emigrants owned the land, only Scots could purchase village lots. However, in order to accommodate Irish settlers, Webster founded the town of Arthur (just north of Fergus) in 1840. By 1846 the settlement had 21 businesses. The population was 184 mostly of Scots.The community had a church and a post office and several tradesmen. James Wilson arrived in 1855 and opened an oatmeal mill, then a flour mill, then a saw mill and then a woolen mill and a factory, Monkland Mills, that supplied oatmeal for export. They and other Scots living in the settlement established a booming economy using the waterfalls on the Grand River to power local industry. They built solid stone houses, factories and other buildings which still characterize Fergus. Many of the buildings from the 1800s are still in use today. In addition to Scots, the other settlers in this area were Irish or freed slaves from the U.S. In 1858, the settlement, with a population of 1,000, was incorporated as a village called Fergus in honour one of its founders, Adam Fergusson. By 1869 the population was 1,500. On November 29, 1890, electricity became available in the village through the efforts of Dr. Abraham Groves. More extensive provision of power, by Ontario Hydro, began in 1914. Fergus was a centre for agricultural equipment manufacturing under
Beatty Brothers Limited Beatty Brothers Limited was a major international manufacturer of agricultural machinery, barn and stable equipment, and household appliances, which was based in Fergus, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1874 by brothers George and Matthew Beatty ...
, which was founded by George and Matthew Beatty in 1874. Originally from Albion Township, the brothers acquired an earlier equipment manufacturer in the area, Grindley, and began producing their own lines of farm equipment. The company spearheaded the transition from small-scale local artisan manufacturing of farm equipment of the mid- to late-19th century to standardized product lines, large factory floors, and national distribution of products that characterized the era of
Fordism Fordism is an industrial engineering and manufacturing system that serves as the basis of modern social and labor-economic systems that support industrialized, standardized mass production and mass consumption. The concept is named after Henry ...
. By the turn of the century, the company's operations, centred around the Foundry building (most recently in use as the Fergus Marketplace), dominated downtown Fergus. Around this time the company began to transition to appliance manufacturing and away from its roots in farm equipment, taking advantage of the growing suburban consumer market of the mid-20th century. With heavy competition from American manufacturers like Westinghouse, however, the company was ultimately taken over in successive mergers starting in the 1960s, which culminated in the final closure of the last remaining ex-Beatty plant in Fergus in 2013. The first library, built with a Carnegie grant, opened in 1911 and is in the register of Canada's Historic Places. In 1953, the village was incorporated as the "Town of Fergus" and in 1999 became a part of the Township of Centre Wellington.


From "poorhouse" to museum

In 1877, the County opened the Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge, or
Poorhouse A poorhouse or workhouse is a government-run (usually by a county or municipality) facility to support and provide housing for the dependent or needy. Workhouses In England, Wales and Ireland (but not in Scotland), "workhouse" has been the more ...
as it was called, on Wellington Road 18 between Fergus and Elora. Over the years, approximately 1500 "deserving" poor, including those who were destitute, old and infirm or suffering from disabilities were housed here. The sixty bed house for "inmates" was surrounded by a 30-acre "industrial" farm with a barn for livestock that produced some of the food for the 70 residents and the staff and also provided work for them. Others worked in the House itself. According to a 2009 report by the
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...
, "pauperism was considered a moral failing that could be erased through order and hard work". A hospital was added in 1892. A nearby cemetery has 271 plots for those who died. In 1947 the House was converted into the Wellington County Home for the Aged and in 1975 the building reopened as the Wellington County Museum and Archives. A historic plaque was erected at the museum, indicating that the "government-supported poorhouse" was "the shelter of last resort for the homeless and destitute, who traded spartan accommodations for domestic or agricultural labour".


Geography

Fergus is located north-northwest of
Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as The Royal City, it is roughly east of Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Ontario Highway 6, ...
and sits on the Grand River. It is near many natural settings such as the
Elora Gorge The Elora Gorge is a popular tourist attraction located at the western edge of Elora, Ontario, Canada, which is 25 km north from the city of Guelph. Elora Gorge Conservation Area is one of many conservation areas owned by the Grand River Co ...
and Conservation Area, and Belwood Lake. Fergus is a mostly residential community filled with streets lined with trees, many stone buildings, modern schools, and attractive parklands. It is laid out on a rectangular grid, with the Grand River flowing through the downtown heritage centre, its limestone riverbanks surrounding it.


Climate

Fergus has a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(''Dfb'') under the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
with cold winters and warm summers.


Economy

Centre Wellington is heavily agricultural but is also the home to industries, manufacturers, retailers, health care services and trades people. The local economy also benefits greatly from tourism. Data is not available for Fergus alone but at the time of the 2011 Census, 6.4% of the workforce of Centre Wellington was involved in agriculture and other resource-based industries/utilities, 24.8% in manufacturing and construction, 19.8% in health and education and 13.2% in wholesale and retail trade. The top three categories for employment (in order of importance) were in manufacturing, Healthcare and Agriculture. The major employers in the township include Jefferson Elora Corp., Nexans Canada, Polycorp Ltd., Groves Memorial Hospital, Wellington Terrace and PR Donnelly. The average real estate value, for a single detached home in 2014 was $342,817 in Centre Wellington. Some movie and TV shows have been filmed in this area. For example, parts of the Grand River in Elora and Fergus were the site for some of the scenes filmed for the 1994 movie Trapped in Paradise. as were some scenes for the 2011 TV movie Salem Falls. In 2010, parts of the movie If a Tree Falls were filmed here as were parts of the NBC mini series Heroes Reborn in 2015.


Demographics

The 2016 Census indicated a population of 20,767.


Sports and attractions

Fergus is best known for the annual Scottish Festival and Highland Games, held in August. The games represent the largest gathering of clans in the world outside
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
and
Cape Breton Island Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...
. Competitions are held for music, dancing and 'heavy' events such as the
caber toss The caber toss () is a traditional Scottish athletic event in which competitors toss a large tapered pole called a "caber" (), normally practised at the Scottish Highland Games. The term "caber" derives from the Gaelic word ''cabar'', whi ...
. A run is also contested. The organizers summarize the event as follows: "Celtic Music, crafts for the kids, heavy events championships, bagpipes, drums, author appearances, bands, Highland dancing, story telling, singing, clan information and heritage, beer tents, artisans and vendors .... Pipe Band Competitions, Military Tattoo, Highland Dancers. Fergus is also home to the Fergus Highland Rugby Football Club. The club plays in the Ontario Rugby Union, and has two Men's teams, two Women's teams and a strong and growing junior program. Fergus Curling Club, Ontario's oldest continuously running Curling Club, was founded in 1834 by settlers from Scotland. Adam Fergusson was the first president. Matches were held outdoors until 1879 when an indoor rink was opened. St Andrew Street runs parallel to the Grand River (on its north side) and is the heart of downtown. In addition to stores and restaurants, the Fergus Grand Theatre is located here, on the south side of the street. Originally a cinema that opened in 1928, the venue now hosts live entertainment and stage plays. On the south side of the river is Queen Street where the Fergus Market on the River (no longer a farmers' market) houses shops located in restored historic warehouses. The Wellington County Museum and Archives and the Wellington County library are in nearby Aboyne, halfway between Fergus and Elora. The museum is located in a two-storey
Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century It ...
-style stone building on a former working farm. The building is the oldest known state-supported
poorhouse A poorhouse or workhouse is a government-run (usually by a county or municipality) facility to support and provide housing for the dependent or needy. Workhouses In England, Wales and Ireland (but not in Scotland), "workhouse" has been the more ...
or
almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the poor of a locality, for those who had held ce ...
in Canada. It was called the House of Industry and Refuge when it opened in 1877. Subsequently, the home switched to caring for the elderly and chronically ill, eventually closing in 1971. The building was designated a
National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada () are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being of national historic significance. Parks C ...
in 1995. Nearby attractions include the Elora Gorge, Elora Quarry Conservation Area, the Elora Cataract Trailway for hiking, the County Museum and Elora Gorge Falls in addition to Grand River Raceway. Users of the
TripAdvisor Tripadvisor is an American company that operates online travel agency, travel agencies, comparison shopping websites, and mobile apps with user-generated content. Its namesake brand, Tripadvisor.com, operates in 40 countries and 20 languages, and ...
web site recommend the nearby Belwood Lake Conservation Area, the Fergus Grand Theatre for live performances, Grand River Troutfitters and the Wellington Artist's Gallery and Art Centre.


Government

The Centre Wellington Township council includes a Mayor (Shawn Watters) and six councillors. Three of the latter live in Fergus while one lives in Elora. The Township is also represented on the County of Wellington Council which is made up of seven mayors and nine councillors. The head of this council is the Warden (Dennis Lever).


Infrastructure


Education

Fergus and Centre Wellington have two major school boards that operate inside the municipality at a public level. The Wellington Catholic District School Board administers Catholic education in Guelph and Wellington County, operating St. Joseph's Catholic Elementary School (JK-8). The
Upper Grand District School Board The Upper Grand District School Board (known as English-language Public District School Board No. 18 prior to 1999) is a school board in Ontario, Canada. It spans an area of 4211 km2 and serves approximately 35,000 students through 65 element ...
administers to the area surrounding the upper Grand River operating in Fergus, J. D. Hogarth Public School (K-8), John Black Public School, James McQueen Public School (K-6), Victoria Terrace Public School (K-6).


High schools

*
Centre Wellington District High School Centre Wellington District High School, or CWDHS, is a fully composite high school located in Fergus, Ontario. The school was originally called Fergus High School and was constructed in 1928. Later, two additions were built, but eventually, the n ...
(C.W.D.H.S.) is located in the newer suburbs on the south-east edge of the town. It is home to the Falcons and has a student population of roughly 1500. *Emmanuel Christian High School (E.C.H.S) is a private
Canadian Reformed The Canadian and American Reformed Churches (CanRC) is a federation of Protestant Reformed (Calvinist) churches in Canada and the United States, with historical roots in the Reformed Churches of the Netherlands. Basic beliefs and doctrine CanRC c ...
Christian school located on the south side of Fergus and has a student population of roughly 200.


Health Care

Fergus is home to Groves Memorial Community Hospital, a health care centre located on Union Street East in Fergus. Dr. Abraham Groves (1847-1935) was a pioneer of many forms of healthcare in Fergus, and was recognized for his skill and ability as a surgeon. He opened his own hospital, the Royal Alexandria in 1902 and included a nursing school. Before Dr. Groves died in 1935, he gave the hospital to the community. It was then rebuilt as Grove's Memorial Community Hospital. In 2020 a new hospital was opened to replace the aging one. It was built on Fredrick Campbell street in between Fergus and Elora. It bears the same name as the old one but with "New" added as the Prefix.


Media


Online media

EloraFergusToday.com
is an online local news source in Fergus offering the latest breaking news, weather updates, entertainment, sports and business features, obituaries and more.


Print media

The ''Fergus News-Record'',1
.
later the ''News Express'', published for more than 100 years until Torstar/Metroland closed it down in 2016. Fergus was also covered by the ''
Guelph Mercury The ''Guelph Mercury'' was an English language daily newspaper published in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It published a mix of community, national and international news and is owned by the Torstar Corporation. The newspaper, in many incarnations, ...
'' until it ceased its print edition in January 2016. The ''Wellington Advertiser'' still serves Wellington County.


Radio

The Grand 101 FM '' CICW-FM'' is a not-for-profit community radio station that broadcasts a hot adult contemporary format with local news and specialty programming. Stations from Guelph and Waterloo Region are also receivable.


Notable people

* Arthur Black, writer and radio broadcaster * Robert Black, Canadian Senator * Lori Bowden, professional triathlete *
Ed Chadwick Edwin Walter Chadwick (May 8, 1933 – April 23, 2024) was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins between 1955 and 1962. The rest of his career, which laste ...
, former National Hockey League player and scout *
Michael Chong Michael David Chong (born November 22, 1971) is a Canadian politician who has represented the Ontario riding of Wellington—Halton Hills in the House of Commons since 2004. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the cabinet of Pr ...
, Wellington-Halton Hills MP, former federal cabinet minister, raised in Fergus * J.M. Frey, science fiction/fantasy author * Abraham Groves, physician * Ryan Laird, country musician * Bucko McDonald, former Member of Parliament and National Hockey League player *
Brock McGinn Brock McGinn (born February 2, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 47th overall by ...
, National Hockey League player * Jamie McGinn, National Hockey League player * Tye McGinn, professional ice hockey player *
William A. Paterson William A. Paterson (October 3, 1838 – September 8, 1921) was born in Canada in 1838 and arrived in Flint, Michigan in 1868. He established the W. A. Paterson Company, a carriage-manufacturer. One of the original stockholders of Buick Motor Com ...
, manufacturer of Paterson automobiles * Frank Sargent, president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and Dominion Curling Association


Twin cities

Source: *
Blairgowrie and Rattray Blairgowrie and Rattray () is a Twin cities (geographical proximity), twin burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Locals refer to the town as "Blair". Blairgowrie is the larger of the two former burghs which were united by an Act of Parliament in ...
,
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
*
Pleasanton, California Pleasanton is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. Located in the Amador Valley, it is an upscale suburb in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 79,871 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 cens ...
,
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...


References


Sources

*


External links

{{Coord, 43, 42, 11, N, 80, 22, 47, W, region:CA_type:city, display=title Communities in Centre Wellington Former towns in Ontario Populated places on the Grand River (Ontario) Populated places disestablished in 1999