Thorold Explained

Thorold
Official Name:City of Thorold
Settlement Type:City (lower-tier)
Flag Size:120x100px
Seal Size:130px
Mapsize:200px
Pushpin Map:Canada Southern Ontario
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in southern Ontario
Coordinates:43.1167°N -91°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Type2:Region
Subdivision Name:Canada
Subdivision Name1:Ontario
Subdivision Name2:Niagara
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Title1:Governing body
Leader Title2:MP
Leader Title3:MPP
Leader Name:Terry Ugulini
Leader Name1:Thorold City Council
Leader Name2:Vance Badawey
Leader Name3:Jeff Burch
Established Title:Incorporated
Established Title2: 
Established Title3: 
Established Date:1850 (village)
Established Date2:1870 (town)
Established Date3:1975 (city)
Area Land Km2:82.99
Population As Of:2016
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:18801
Population Density Km2:226.5
Timezone:Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Elevation M:162
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:L2V, L2T, L0S
Area Code:905, 289, 365, and 742
Website:www.thorold.ca

Thorold is a city in Ontario, Canada, located on the Niagara Escarpment. It is also the seat of the Regional Municipality of Niagara. The Welland Canal passes through the city, featuring lock 7 and the Twin Flight Locks.

History

The first survey of Thorold, or Township 9 as it was known then, occurred in 1788. The earliest communities in what is now Thorold emerged at Beaverdams, DeCew Falls and St. Johns.[2] In 1846, the community had a population of about 1,000 and there were three churches or chapels and a post office. Various types of tradesmen worked here. Industry included two grist mills, a cement mill, a brewery and three wagon makers. There were seven taverns.[3] Thorold, located on the brow of the Niagara Escarpment, soon became dominant and was incorporated as a village in 1850. Its formation was linked to the creation of the First Welland Canal.[4] The village experienced population growth as the canal became more developed. In 1875, Thorold became a town.[5]

When the Regional Municipality of Niagara was formed in 1970, the Town of Thorold expanded to include the former Thorold Township. In 1975, the town became incorporated as the City of Thorold.[6]

Thorold is also the location of the War of 1812 battle site, Beaverdams, where, on June 25, 1813, Colonel Charles Boerstler and his American troops were defeated by the British regulars and Caughnawaga Mohawks.[7]

The 2021 Canadian census identified Thorold as the eighth-fastest growing municipality in Canada.[8]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Thorold had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 83.29km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[9]

Economy

Thorold's economy, like other municipalities in the Niagara Region, has benefitted from the Welland Canal.[10] An estimated 37 million tonnes of freight is handled and shipped there annually.[11]

Thorold South has several industrial and manufacturing businesses.[12]

Arts and culture

The Thorold Reed Band has been in operation since its formation in 1851. The band has performed every year, with the exception of 2020 and 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario.[13] The Canal Bank Shuffle is an annual musical festival that takes place in Thorold. The event features blues music.[14]

In July 2024, downtown Thorold was used as a filming location for the eighteenth season of Murdoch Mysteries.[15] 11 scenes were filmed in the city.[16] Thorold was chosen due to its proximity to other filming locations and the lack of "contamination" in historical buildings. The setting being filmed for the series was Grimsby.[17]

Attractions

Parks and trails

Officially opened in 2002, the Mel Swart Lake Gibson Conservation Park is a 29-acre waterfront park located on Lake Gibson.[18] The park is part of the Niagara Greenbelt.[19] The Short Hills Provincial Park is also partially located in the City of Thorold.[20]

The Welland Canal Parkway Trail is a paved 42 km recreational path along the Welland Canal, from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie.[21]

Historic sites

There are multiple historic sites in Thorold. These include:

Sports

The Thorold Blackhawks are a Junior 'B' hockey team in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. In 2023, the team permanently moved to Port Colborne from Thorold.[34]

Thorold, along with other municipalities in the Niagara Region, hosted events for the 2022 Canada Summer Games. The Canada Games Park was built in Thorold for the event.[35] The facility cost 102.7 million dollars.[36] In 2023, it was determined by a municipal lawyer that the city of Thorold did not own the arena and was instead one of three co-tenants leasing it from Brock University.[37]

Infrastructure

In 2015, the Ontario government provided money to Thorold under the Small Communities Fund.[38] The city used the 4.6 million dollars in funding to start building an affordable housing complex for seniors. 14.8 million dollars through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund was also used for the project.[39]

Transportation

The Thorold Tunnel is an underwater vehicular tunnel, built between 1965 and 1967, which allows Highway 58 to cross the Welland Canal without interrupting shipping. Approximately 24,300 vehicles pass through the tunnel daily.[40]

Niagara Detention Centre

Thorold is home to the Niagara Detention Centre, a 260-person capacity maximum-security prison. It generally serves people on remand, offenders sentenced to short terms (60 days or less), and offenders awaiting transfer to larger federal or provincial facilities.[41]

Education

Thorold Secondary School is the only high school in the city. In 2012, District School Board of Niagara trustees voted on whether to close the school and decided to keep it open.[42] Thorold is close in proximity to Brock University and therefore has a large student population.[43] In 2021, four students were arrested after a large street party took place in the city.[44]

Notable people

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Thorold, Ontario census profile . Statistics Canada . . March 5, 2017.
  2. Web site: History . https://web.archive.org/web/20180116004440/http://www.thorold.com/content/history . January 16, 2018 . live .
  3. Book: Smith, Wm. H. . 1846 . Smith's Canadian Gazetteer - Statistical and General Information Respecting all parts of The Upper Province, or Canada West . Toronto . H. & W. Rowsell . 191 . 2018-03-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160403155457/https://archive.org/details/smithscanadianga00smit . 2016-04-03 . live .
  4. Web site: Canals . City of Thorold . 28 July 2024.
  5. Web site: Gayler . Hugh . Thorold . The Canadian Encyclopedia . 28 July 2024.
  6. Web site: Gayler . Hugh . Thorold . The Canadian Encyclopedia . 22 May 2021.
  7. Book: Collins . Gilbert . Guidebook to the Historic Sites of the War of 1812 . 2006 . . 9781550029147 . 155 . 2 . 3 August 2022.
  8. Web site: Drevfjall . Ludvig . Welcome to Thorold—Population: 23,816 . Thorold Today . 28 July 2024.
  9. Web site: Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario . . February 9, 2022 . March 27, 2022.
  10. Web site: Vallier . Kevin . Welland Canal was a game changer . The Niagara Independent . 30 July 2024.
  11. Web site: Gayler . Hugh . Jackson . John . Welland Canal . The Canadian Encyclopedia . 30 July 2024.
  12. Web site: Lansbergen . Bernard . The man hired to help Thorold's economy grow . Thorold Today . 30 July 2024.
  13. Web site: Hutton . Richard . It’s been a long and winding road for the Thorold Reed Band . Thorold Today . 29 July 2024.
  14. Web site: Canal Bank Shuffle latest Covid-19 casualty . Thorold Today . 29 July 2024.
  15. Web site: Tymczyszyn . Bob . Photos: Thorold gets makeover for 'Murdoch Mysteries' filming . St. Catharines Standard . 28 July 2024.
  16. Web site: 'Murdoch Mysteries' to film in downtown Thorold . Niagara This Week . 28 July 2024.
  17. Web site: Hutton . Richard . Making Murdoch: 'The biggest challenge is that it’s not 1911' . Pelham Today . 28 July 2024.
  18. Web site: April 23, 2022 . Community Parks - City of Thorold . April 23, 2022 . City of Thorold.
  19. Web site: Community Parks - City of Thorold . April 23, 2022 . City of Thorold.
  20. Web site: Short Hills Provincial Park Management Plan . Ontario.ca . 28 July 2024.
  21. Web site: Trails . The City of Thorold . 28 July 2024.
  22. Book: Collins, Gilbert . Guidebook to the Historic Sites of the War of 1812 . Dundurn Press Ltd. . 2006 . Toronto . 153–154 . 1-55002-626-7.
  23. Web site: DeCew House, Thorold . Brock University . 28 July 2024.
  24. Web site: Blay . Jeff . Niagara designer breathes new life into Thorold’s old firehall . St. Catharines Standard . 28 July 2024.
  25. Web site: Pellatier . Cathy . History of the Thorold Public Library . Thorold Today . 29 July 2024.
  26. Web site: Pelletier . Cathy . History of the Thorold Public Library . Thorold Today . 1 August 2024.
  27. Web site: Chestnut Hall 'badly showing its age'. Niagara This Week . 28 July 2024.
  28. Web site: St. Johns Village . Niagara Greenbelt . October 9, 2017.
  29. Web site: The Pioneers at St. Johns Short Hills Upper Canada . Niagara Catholic District School Board . October 9, 2017.
  30. Web site: St. Johns Common School 1804 . Niagara Greenbelt . October 10, 2017.
  31. Web site: Walter . Karena . Thorold’s historic Keefer Mansion up for lease . St. Catharines Standard . 28 July 2024.
  32. Web site: Welland Mills, The . Ontario Heritage Trust . 28 July 2024.
  33. Web site: Beaverdams Church 1832, The . Ontario Heritage Trust . 29 July 2024.
  34. Web site: Lansbergen . Bernard . Why the Blackhawks decided to leave Thorold for good . Thorold Today . 29 July 2024.
  35. Web site: Rankin . Christine . Niagara region gets $29M from feds for 2021 Canada Summer Games . CBC News . 29 July 2024.
  36. Web site: Lansbergen . Bernard . City council closes door on Canada Games Park investigation . Thorold Today . 29 July 2024.
  37. Web site: Lansbergen . Bernard . City Council still debating 'crappy' Canada Games Park deal . Thorold Today . 29 July 2024.
  38. Web site: Ontario Funding Infrastructure in Thorold . Ontario.ca . 30 July 2024.
  39. Web site: Lansbergen . Bernard . Local politicians break ground on affordable housing for seniors . Thorold Today . 30 July 2024.
  40. Web site: Gannon . Dennis . Yesterday and Today: The Thorold Tunnel turns 50 . St. Catharines Standard . 3 August 2022.
  41. Web site: Niagara Detention Centre . https://web.archive.org/web/20120729055832/http://niagara.cioc.ca/record/NIA0249 . Niagara Community Information Database. July 29, 2012 .
  42. Web site: Keeping Thorold high school ‘logical’ choice . Niagara This Week . 28 July 2024.
  43. Web site: Camlasaran . Megan . Why people are flocking to Thorold . Thorold Today . 28 July 2024.
  44. Web site: Lansbergen . Bernard . Drevfjall . Ludvig . Rowdy party weekend in Juneberry-area of Thorold leads to 4 arrests and furious neighbours . Thorold Today . 28 July 2024.
  45. Web site: Blay . Jeff . Owen Nolan to be inducted into Thorold's Runway of Recognition . Niagara Falls Review . 3 August 2022.
  46. Web site: Lansbergen . Bernard . Thorold hockey star enjoying shift to new career . ThoroldToday . 3 August 2022.
  47. Web site: Liddycoat . Bob . NHL dream come true for Timmins . ThoroldToday . 3 August 2022.