Fonthill, Ontario
| Fonthill | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated community | |
| Coordinates: 43°2′38″N 79°17′15″W / 43.04389°N 79.28750°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Regional municipality | Niagara |
| Town | Pelham |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Forward sortation area | L0S |
| Area code(s) | 905 and 289 |
| NTS Map | 030M03 |
| GNBC Code | FBERB |
| Website | http://www.pelham.ca |
Fonthill is a community in the town of Pelham, Ontario, Canada. It has a few small industries, but is primarily a residential suburb known for its fruit orchards, nature trails, and neighbourly attitude. As a bedroom community, most residents commute to Welland, St. Catharines and some as far as Buffalo, Hamilton and Toronto daily for work.
Geography and geology
Fonthill shares its name with the Fonthill Kame, on which it is located, formed by glacial deposits. Effingham Creek, a cold-water stream, originates in the glacial silts and sands of Short Hills area of the moraine, northwest of Fonthill. Effingham Creek is a tributary to Twelve-Mile Creek, which empties into Lake Ontario.[1]
For more about the geology of the town, see Fonthill Kame.
History
Letters written by Henry Giles, a settler who came to the area in 1840, suggest that he chose the name Fonthill because the area looked similar to the area around Fonthill Abbey in England. The village's first post office (and thus the Village of Fonthill) was established in 1856. On June 10, 2006, Fonthill celebrated its 150th anniversary. The celebration was marked by the opening of the band stand (a replica of the original band stand the existed in the early 1900s), historical displays and a variety of musical and artistic presentations. Following the War of 1812 it was proposed to build a fortification on the site, to be named Fort Wellington. As tension between Canada and the U.S. lessened, the idea was abandoned.
On a clear day, the tall buildings of Niagara Falls to the East and Toronto to the North are clearly visible from a particular vantage point that also allows views of Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and the skylines of both Toronto and Buffalo. At one time a ski tow operated on the slope.
Fonthill is also the birthplace of 'Tennis Ball Golf', invented by Eric Sinclair and Jason Giallonardo of Townsend Circle in southern Fonthill.[2]
Location
Fonthill is a fifteen-minute drive south of St. Catharines, five minutes northwest of Welland, twenty minutes west from Niagara Falls and twenty minutes north of Port Colborne. Its main access route is Highway 20, a portion of which is also known as Canboro Road, running west to east from Hamilton to Niagara Falls. Access to the United States is through either the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie, the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, or the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge in Queenston.
Economy
In the Town of Pelham, Fonthill is the commercial centre where residents have access to basic shopping necessities. It also has the Town of Pelham Municipal offices. Several retirement homes are located in Fonthill.
Plenty of greenspace areas are located within the community. A series of public access trails, the primary system being the Steve Bauer trails which are named after a Pelham Olympian, are built into the residential planning of Fonthill. Harold Black Park, named for a former Mayor, plays host to the town's Canada Day festivities, which includes a parade down Haist Street. There is also a park named in honour of local golf legend Marlene Stewart Streit, which consists of a baseball diamond, a large outdoor pool, and nature trails.
Fonthill has tried to balance its natural resources with a suitable development scheme, keeping an eye on a policy of smart growth.
Economic activities in the area are diverse. Orchards of cherry, apple, and peach trees surround the town. There are thousands of hectares of vineyards[3] (see also Viticulture) and a viable greenhouse industry.
Additionally, thousands of tonnes of aggregate material are removed each year from a large quarry at the top of the Fonthill Kame. Quarry sites in the area are usually rehabilitated. Fruit orchards have been developed in many of these sites, and the Peninsula Lakes Golf Club, designed by Rene Muylaert,[4] occupies one.
Some prominent businesses are Mossimmos, Giant Tiger, Shoppers Drugmart, 2020 Bar and Grill, Sobeys, Studio 20, and The Beer Store. The Pelham economy is growing with a new community Plaza development underway , which should be completed in 2019.
Education
Fonthill has three elementary schools:
- Glynn A. Green Elementary School (operated by the DSBN)[5]
- A. K. Wigg Elementary School (operated by the DSBN)[6]
- St. Alexander Catholic Elementary School (operated by the NCDSB) opened in 1958. In 2011, it had an enrollment of about 450 pupils.[7]
It has one high school:
- E.L. Crossley Secondary School (operated by the DSBN)[8]
Other educational resources:
- No. 613 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps is based at the local Royal Canadian Legion hall. It is affiliated with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment.
- Fonthill Montessori Preschool takes children from 18 months to six years old.[9] This is a private school.
References
- ↑ Short Hills Nature Sanctuary. Accessed 2012-11-28.
- ↑ . Accessed 2014-07-30.
- ↑ Ontario grapes Accessed 2012-11-29.
- ↑ Peninsula Lakes Golf Club. Accessed 2012-11-29.
- ↑ Glynn A Green Public School. Accessed 2012-11-28.
- ↑ A K Wigg Public School. Accessed 2012-11-28.
- ↑ St. Alexander Catholic Elementary School. Accessed 2012-11-28.
- ↑ E.L. Crossley Secondary School. Accessed 2012-11-28.
- ↑ Fonthill Montessori School Accessed 2012-11-28.
External links
- Town of Pelham
- Fonthill at Geographical Names of Canada
- The Voice of Pelham - Pelham & Fonthill Community Newspaper
- Pelham News - Pelham Newspaper owned by Osprey
Coordinates: 43°2′38″N 79°17′15″W / 43.04389°N 79.28750°W