Belleville, Ontario

Belleville
City (single-tier)
City of Belleville

Belleville skyline
Belleville
Coordinates: 44°10′N 77°23′W / 44.167°N 77.383°W / 44.167; -77.383Coordinates: 44°10′N 77°23′W / 44.167°N 77.383°W / 44.167; -77.383
Country  Canada
Province  Ontario
County Bay of Quinte
Settled 1789
Named 1816
Incorporated 1836 (as police village)
Incorporated as city 1878
Government[1]
  Mayor Taso Christopher
  Federal riding Bay of Quinte
  Prov. riding Prince Edward—Hastings
Area[2][3]
  Land 247.21 km2 (95.45 sq mi)
  Metro 741.36 km2 (286.24 sq mi)
Population (2011)[2][3]
  City (single-tier) 49,454
  Density 200.0/km2 (518/sq mi)
  Metro 92,540
  Metro density 124.8/km2 (323/sq mi)
Time zone EST (UTC−5)
  Summer (DST) EDT (UTC−4)
Postal Code FSA K8N, K8P, K8R
Area code(s) 613, 343
Website www.city.belleville.on.ca

Belleville (Canada 2011 Census population 49,454;[2] census agglomeration population 92,540[3]) is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern (Central) Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but politically independent of it, and is the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region.

History

Front Street, 1900
Belleville Armoury is a recognized Federal Heritage building 1992 on the Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings[4]
Flowerbed beside Highway 401 near Belleville

Originally the site of an Anishinaabe (Mississaugus) village in the 18th century known as Asukhknosk, the future location of the city was settled by United Empire Loyalists, after which it became known as Meyer's Creek after prominent settler and industrialist John Walden Meyers.[5] It was renamed Belleville in honour of Lady Arabella Gore in 1816, after a visit to the settlement by Sir Francis Gore and his wife.

Belleville became an important railway junction with the completion of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1855. In 1858 the iron bridge over the Moira River at Bridge Street became the first iron bridge in Hastings County. Belleville's beautiful High Victorian Gothic city hall was built in 1872 to house the public market and administrative offices.[6] The City Hall tower stands some 185 feet (56 m) above street level.

The Dixie Lee Fried Chicken chain (1964) and the Journey's End Corporation economy limited service hotel chain (1978) were both founded in the city.

In 1998, the city was amalgamated with the surrounding Township of Thurlow to form an expanded City of Belleville as part of Ontario-wide municipal restructuring. The city also annexed portions of Quinte West to the west.

Geography and climate

Belleville is located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in southeastern Ontario between the cities of Quinte West to the west and Napanee to the east. These cities are connected by both Ontario's Highway 2 and the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway (Highway 401); The city is also served by Highway 37, running north-south from Belleville towards Tweed to the east of the Moira River; and Highway 62 (once Highway 14 south of 401), northwards towards Madoc, and southward to Prince Edward County over the Bay Bridge.

Belleville is located in a transitional zone which may be considered part of the Central Ontario or Eastern Ontario regions by different sources. Officially, Belleville is properly considered part of the Central Ontario region as it is located west of the St. Lawrence River's starting point, but the city is popularly considered part of Eastern Ontario as it shares the eastern region's area code 613 and K postal code.

Major Routes in Belleville

Highway 62/North Front Street
Highway 62 runs from the northern city limit with the Township of Centre Hastings to the southern boundary with the Municipality of Prince Edward County (where the highway crosses the Norris Whitney Bridge over the Bay of Quinte). From Highway 401 south to the Canadian National Railways overpass, 62 follows North Front Street. South of there, as that street splits entering downtown, 62 follows the eastern branch, Pinnacle Street, across the Sagonaska Bridge and through downtown. 62 then turns East at Dundas Street (old Highway 2), and continues to Bay Bridge Drive, where the highway heads south into 'the County'.
Highway 37/Cannifton Road Parkway
Highway 37 runs from the northern city limit with Tweed south to the 401, where it is co-designated as Cannifton Road Parkway until it meets Station Street. There, it follows Station Street west to its terminus at Pinnacle Street downtown.
Highway 2/Dundas Street
Running across southern Belleville, Dundas Street is a four-lane highway from where it enters Belleville's west end at Wallbridge-Loyalist Road to Point Anne Road, approximately 11 km east. Highway 2 originally crossed the Moira River at the Lower Bridge, co-designated with Bridge Street, but when Dundas Street finally crossed the Moira in the early 1970s, the old route was forgotten, although it is still signed as Highway 2.
Of interest is the eastern section of Dundas Street where, as Highway 2, it was rebuilt in the late 1930s as a "dual highway" (four lanes), to the same standards as the concurrent Queen Elizabeth Way. Part of a period of freeway design experimentation in Ontario, it was never upgraded in the same manner as the QEW, as Highway 2 was supplanted by the new 401 as the major transportation corridor along Lake Ontario.[7] It remains today as an example of early freeway design.
Bell Boulevard/Adam Street
Bell in 2010 was extended east to the Moira River, where the new Veterans Memorial Bridge connects it to Adam Street, with the combined route now connecting Wallbridge-Loyalist Road on the western boundary of Belleville, running through the North-west Industrial Park and over the Moira as it passes through Riverside Park, ultimately ending at University Avenue, in the city's North-East Industrial Park. From Sidney Street east to North Park Street, Bell is home to a variety of commercial properties, including Reid's Dairy and the Quinte Mall, as well as a number of restaurants, hotels and motels.
College Street/Airport Parkway
College Street runs from the residential area of West Park Village, across the city to the North-East Industrial Park. Branching off of College and running east to Shannonville Road is Airport Parkway, formerly known as the Byron Street Extension.

Climate

Belleville's climate has four distinctive seasons. The City's traditional continental climate (hot summers, cold winters) is moderated by its location near Lake Ontario. The lake moderates temperature extremes, cooling hot summer days and warming cold days during the fall and winter. As such, winter snowfall is somewhat limited due to the increased frequency of precipitation falling as rain during the winter months. In the summer months, severe thunderstorm activity is usually limited because of the non-favourable lake breeze conditions. The city, being located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, is also in an unfavourable location for lake effect snow. One notable exception however, was in December 2010 when 14 cm of snow occurred in one day as a result of a snow band from Lake Ontario. The summer months do not typically experience exceedingly hot temperatures, however humidity levels can make daytime highs uncomfortable. Summer rainfall is usually modest, and delivered by passing thunderstorms or warm fronts. Remnants of tropical systems do pass through on occasion towards summer's end, resulting in one or two days of consistently wet weather. The winter season is highly variable, with the record setting winter of 2007-08 experiencing near 270 cm of snow. Four years later, the winter of 2011-12 experienced only 60 cm of snow. Winter temperatures are also highly variable, even in one season. Air masses change frequently, and while a few days may see above freezing temperatures at a time in January, the next week may bring cold and snowfall. Autumn is usually mild, with an increase in precipitation starting in late September as conditions for fall storms develop. Recent years have had a tendency to bring almost snow free Novembers to the region.

Climate data for Belleville (1981−2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 13.9
(57)
13.0
(55.4)
23.0
(73.4)
29.0
(84.2)
35.0
(95)
35.6
(96.1)
40.0
(104)
36.1
(97)
35.0
(95)
28.3
(82.9)
22.2
(72)
16.5
(61.7)
40.0
(104)
Average high °C (°F) −2.2
(28)
−0.5
(31.1)
4.1
(39.4)
11.7
(53.1)
18.7
(65.7)
23.9
(75)
26.8
(80.2)
25.7
(78.3)
21.0
(69.8)
13.7
(56.7)
7.2
(45)
1.2
(34.2)
12.6
(54.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) −6.7
(19.9)
−5.1
(22.8)
−0.4
(31.3)
7.0
(44.6)
13.7
(56.7)
19.0
(66.2)
21.8
(71.2)
20.8
(69.4)
16.3
(61.3)
9.5
(49.1)
3.6
(38.5)
−2.6
(27.3)
8.1
(46.6)
Average low °C (°F) −11.1
(12)
−9.7
(14.5)
−5
(23)
2.3
(36.1)
8.7
(47.7)
14.0
(57.2)
16.9
(62.4)
15.9
(60.6)
11.7
(53.1)
5.3
(41.5)
0.1
(32.2)
−6.3
(20.7)
3.6
(38.5)
Record low °C (°F) −37.8
(−36)
−39.4
(−38.9)
−29.4
(−20.9)
−17.2
(1)
−7.2
(19)
0.0
(32)
6.1
(43)
3.3
(37.9)
−1.7
(28.9)
−10
(14)
−22.2
(−8)
−34.4
(−29.9)
−39.4
(−38.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 67.3
(2.65)
58.1
(2.287)
62.4
(2.457)
75.8
(2.984)
81.3
(3.201)
74.5
(2.933)
65.1
(2.563)
75.5
(2.972)
91.9
(3.618)
85.2
(3.354)
95.7
(3.768)
79.1
(3.114)
911.6
(35.89)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 30.6
(1.205)
29.4
(1.157)
40.3
(1.587)
69.2
(2.724)
81.2
(3.197)
74.5
(2.933)
65.1
(2.563)
75.5
(2.972)
91.9
(3.618)
84.9
(3.343)
84.7
(3.335)
44.6
(1.756)
771.9
(30.39)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 36.8
(14.49)
28.6
(11.26)
22.1
(8.7)
6.5
(2.56)
0.0
(0)
0.0
(0)
0.0
(0)
0.0
(0)
0.0
(0)
0.2
(0.08)
11.0
(4.33)
34.5
(13.58)
139.7
(55)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 15.4 11.8 12.0 12.2 12.4 11.6 9.7 10.5 11.3 13.5 14.0 14.2 148.6
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 5.3 4.9 7.4 11.0 12.3 11.6 9.7 10.5 11.3 13.4 11.4 7.5 116.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 11.7 8.5 6.4 2.1 0.04 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.12 3.7 8.8 41.2
Source: Environment Canada[8]

Government

Belleville City Council

Belleville City Hall

Local government is represented by Belleville City Council with a mayor and 8 councillors. There are two city wards with Ward 1 (Belleville) represented by 6 councillors and Ward 2 (Thurlow) by 2 councillors. Ward 1 consists of the historic city and Ward 2 was created in 1998 with the amalgamation of Township of Thurlow.

City Council sits at Belleville City Hall.

Economy

Procter & Gamble, Kellogg's, Bardon Supplies Limited, Redpath, Parmalat, Sigma Stretch, Magna, Amer Sports Canada, Sears and Avaya (formerly Nortel) are corporations operating in Belleville. Many other manufacturing sector companies operate within the City of Belleville, including Bioniche Life Sciences, Sprague Foods, Airborne Systems Canada Ltd, Berry Plastics Canada, Sigma Stetch Film Canada, CpK Interior Products, Halla Climate Control Canada, Reid's Dairy, Parmalat Canada - Black Diamond Cheese Division, Kelloggs Canada and Norampac Inc, just to name a few.

Belleville is home to 2 shopping malls: The Bay View Mall in east-end Belleville and the Quinte Mall along Highway 401 in North Belleville.

Transportation

The City of Belleville is located within a 15-minute drive of 8 Wing / Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton. 8 Wing CFB Trenton is Canada’s largest Canadian Forces Air Base and is available for commercial flights for passenger and cargo uses, by prior arrangement with DND. There is a Customs and Immigration office located on site for international flights. Airport facilities include snow removal, crash response, fire fighting and rescue services, 24-hour-a-day air traffic control tower, fully equipped airfield navigational and visual approach, and one paved runway which is 10,000 feet long and can accommodate 747 and C5A classes.

Belleville is serviced by the 401 highway system, and bus service to and from Toronto International Airport is provided three times daily each way by Megabus. Deseronto Transit provides public transportation services to destinations including Deseronto, Napanee, and Prince Edward County.[9]

Belleville is located on the Toronto-Montreal main rail lines for both Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway; both companies provide freight access. VIA Rail also operates five daily passenger services each way along its Windsor–Québec rail corridor.

Quinte Economic Development Commission

The Quinte Economic Development Commission is the regional economic development office representing the City of Belleville, the City of Quinte West and the Municipality of Brighton. The Quinte EDC is mandated with the responsibility for regional marketing for its member municipalities as well as supporting existing industries through regional strategies.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
18412,040    
18514,593+125.1%
18717,305+59.0%
18819,516+30.3%
18919,916+4.2%
19019,117−8.1%
19119,876+8.3%
192112,206+23.6%
193113,790+13.0%
194115,498+12.4%
195119,519+25.9%
196130,655+57.1%
197135,128+14.6%
198134,881−0.7%
199137,243+6.8%
199637,083−0.4%
200145,986+24.0%
200648,821+6.2%
201149,454+1.3%
[10] The 1991 and 1996 populations are 44,858 and 45,069 respectively when adjusted to the 2001 boundaries. The 2001 population is 46,029 when adjusted to the 2006 boundaries.

According to the 2011 Canadian Census,[11] the population of Belleville is 49,454, a 1.3% increase from 2006. The population density is 200.0 people per square km. The median age is 43.5 years old, a bit higher than the national median at 40.6 years old. There are 22,153 private dwellings with an occupancy rate of 95.1%. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, the median value of a dwelling in Belleville is $200,473 which is a fair bit lower than the national average at $280,552. The median household income (after-taxes) in Belleville is $48,552, not much lower than the national average at $54,089.

Belleville is mostly made up of European descents. The racial make up of Belleville is:

Most of Belleville is either a Christian (67.1%), or affiliates with no religion (30.3%). The remaining 2.6% affiliate with another religion.

Bridge Street United Church.

The city of Belleville, with the amalgamation of the Township of Thurlow, and the annexation of a portion of the City of Quinte West, had a population of 48,821 people in the Canada 2006 Census. Belleville is the largest urban centre in a much larger market area generally known as the Quinte Region. The city's census agglomeration had a population of 91,518 in the 2006 census.

Population trend:[10]

Mother tongue:[13]

Education

Belleville offers a number of options at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels.

Post-secondary

Academy of Learning College is a local college.

Loyalist College is a local public college.

Public schools

The Public school system is served by the Hastings & Prince Edward District School Board. The Catholic School system is served by the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board.

Public Secondary schools
Centennial Secondary School
Moira Secondary School
Quinte Secondary School
Bayside Secondary School (Quinte West)
Public Elementary schools
Susanna Moodie Elementary School
Parkdale Public Elementary School
Queen Elizabeth Elementary School
Prince of Wales Elementary School
Harry J. Clarke Elementary School (French immersion)
Queen Victoria Elementary School
Chase Maracle Elementary School
Sir John A Macdonald School
Hillcrest Elementary School
Prince Charles Elementary School
Foxboro Public School
Bayside Elementary School (French immersion)
Harmony Public School

Separate schools

Following are Belleville area schools managed by the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board.

Separate board Secondary schools
Nicholson Catholic College
St. Theresa Catholic Secondary School
Separate board Elementary schools
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School
St Michael's Catholic School (French immersion)
St Joseph's Catholic School
Georges Vanier Catholic School
Holy Rosary Catholic School

Provincial schools

Provincial Demonstration schools
Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf
Sagonaska School

Private schools

Private schools
Academy of Learning College
Quinte Ballet School of Canada
Quinte Christian High School
Belleville Christian School
Belleville Montessori School
Albert College

Sports teams

Belleville was home to the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League, who were sold and the franchise moved to Hamilton. They played at the Yardmen Arena, located on Cannifton Road. Belleville was also previously home to two senior hockey teams, the Belleville Macs and the Belleville McFarlands. The McFarlands won the Allan Cup in 1958, and the World Championship in 1959. Belleville is also home the Bay of Quinte Yacht Club, which challenged for the America's Cup in 1881. Belleville also has some other teams, such as the Belleville Bearcats and the Belleville Jr. Bulls.

Media

Print

Radio

Frequency Call sign Branding Format Owner Notes
AM 800 CJBQ CJBQ 800 Full service Quinte Broadcasting
FM 91.3 CJLX-FM 91X Campus radio Loyalist College
FM 94.3 CJBC-1-FM Ici Radio-Canada Première Talk radio, public radio Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Rebroadcaster of CJBC (Toronto)
FM 95.5 CJOJ-FM 95.5 Hits FM Adult hits Starboard Communications
FM 97.1 CIGL-FM Mix 97 Hot adult contemporary Quinte Broadcasting
FM 100.1 CHCQ-FM Cool 100.1 Country music Starboard Communications
FM 102.3 CKJJ-FM UCB Radio Christian radio United Christian Broadcasters Canada
FM 107.1 CJTN-FM Rock 107 Classic rock Quinte Broadcasting

Television

OTA virtual channel (PSIP) OTA actual channel Call sign Network Notes
26.1 26 (UHF) CICO-DT-53 TVOntario Rebroadcaster of CICA-DT (Toronto)

Internet

Theatre

Annual Events

January

February

June

July

August

September

November

December

Sister cities

The City of Belleville has three Sister City arrangements with communities outside of Canada which include:[17]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. "Meet Mayor Taso A. Christopher". City of Belleville. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "Belleville census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
  3. 1 2 3 "Belleville (Census agglomeration) census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
  4. "Armoury - Recognized Federal Heritage Building - Belleville, Ontario". Parks Canada. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  5. Boyce, Gerry (2008) Belleville - A Popular History
  6. Archived March 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  7. "Ontario Highway 2 Photographs - Page 9 - History of Ontario's Kings Highways". Thekingshighway.ca. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
  8. "Belleville, Ontario". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  9. deseronto.ca: "Transit"
  10. 1 2 Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
  11. "National Household Survey (NHS) Profile, 2011". 2.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
  12. "2011 Community Profiles". Canada 2011 Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
  13. 1 2 "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
  14. "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
  15. "2001 Community Profiles". 2.statcan.gc.ca. 2013-08-26. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
  16. "2001 Community Profiles". 2.statcan.gc.ca. 2013-08-26. Retrieved 2014-06-13.
  17. "Cultural Exchange Committee". City of Belleville. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  18. Ciarula Taylor, Lesley (2012-05-03). "Cheezies inventor dies in Belleville, Ont., at 90". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
  19. "New Miss Universe studied in Ont". Cnews.canoe.ca. 2007-05-29. Retrieved 2014-06-13.

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