| Settlement Type: | Community |
| Official Name: | Chesley |
| Motto: | Nicest Town Around |
| Pushpin Map: | Canada Southern Ontario |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in southern Ontario |
| Coordinates: | 44.3°N -87°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Canada |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Ontario |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Bruce County |
| Subdivision Type3: | Township |
| Subdivision Name3: | Arran-Elderslie |
| Leader Title: | Mayor of Arran-Elderslie |
| Leader Name: | Steve Hammell |
| Leader Title1: | MP |
| Leader Name1: | Alex Ruff |
| Leader Title2: | MPP |
| Leader Name2: | Bill Walker |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1858 |
| Established Title2: | Established |
| Established Date2: | 1865 |
| Established Title3: | Incorporated |
| Established Date3: | 1879 |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Elevation M: | 300 |
| Population Total: | 1800 |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Demonym |
| Population Blank1: | Chesleyite |
| Timezone: | EST |
| Utc Offset: | – 05:00 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | – 04:00 |
| Postal Code: | N0G 1L0 |
| Area Code: | 226, 519 |
| Website: | arran-elderslie.com |
Chesley (originally Sconeville) is a community in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada, located within the municipality of Arran–Elderslie.[1] [2] The name Sconeville was replaced in 1868 to mark the career of Solomon Chesley, an official in the pre-Confederation Indian Department.[3] Its town slogan is "The Nicest Town Around."[4] Chesley is located north of both Walkerton on Bruce Road 19 and Hanover on County Road 10. It is now an example of a typical rural Ontario community.
Chesley originally developed around mills built on the Saugeen River around 1858.[5] It expanded further when it was connected to the Grand Trunk Railway in 1881. A great fire destroyed most of the original downtown core in 1888, and the destroyed wood buildings were replaced by brick and stone.
From 1877 to 2004, the town had a weekly newspaper called The Chesley Enterprise.[6]
The town's major source of employment is commercial manufacturing. From 1886 to 1987, the Krug family operated the Krug Bros. furniture manufacturing business. Currently Crate Designs,[7] a locally owned furniture manufacturing factory, is the only surviving furniture factory, following the recent downsizing of Durham Furniture (2007).
Chesley is part of the Bluewater District School Board and has a junior kindergarten to grade 8 school called the Chesley District Community School.[8] In 2014, the original Chesley District High School joined with the Kinghurst Community School to form a junior kindergarten to grade 12 facility. In 2017, the high school section closed and it is now a junior kindergarten to grade 8 facility.[9]
The town is known for the statue of a giant bull on the north end of town, which is affectionately known as "Big Bruce."
Recently the town has begun to create a network of walking trails that encompasses much of the town's existing infrastructure of walking paths. Known as the heritage trail, it spans a large part of the town, and its waterside parks.
In 2005, Chesley was able to open a Heritage and Woodworking Museum due to an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant.[10] The museum was housed in the Dawson House on 1st Avenue, formerly the home of town doctors Stewart and Dawson.[11] [12] The building had been left to the town for public use in the 1970s; in 2013, Chesley put Dawson House up for sale.