Southampton, Ontario
| Southampton | |
|---|---|
|
View of 201 High Street, the traditional Town Hall. | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| County | Bruce |
| Town | Saugeen Shores |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-) |
| Area code(s) | 519 |
Southampton is a community of 3083 people on the shores of Lake Huron in Bruce County, and close to Port Elgin Ontario, Canada, located at the mouth of the Saugeen River.
Although the community still has its own post office, it became part of the municipality of Saugeen Shores in the 1990s. Saugeen Shores is made up of Southampton, Port Elgin, and the former Township of Saugeen. The community of Southampton continues to expand. It has become a bedroom community and a retirement destination, as well as a tourist destination. It is within 40 kilometers of Bruce Power nuclear power station.
History
The community was originally known as Saugeen by the early inhabitants, the Canadian Post Office and Custom House Departments. However, the Crown Land Departments labelled the village as Southampton and the name stuck as the town was incorporated, named after Southampton, the English sea port. The first European settlers of the area were Captain John Spence and William Kennedy, who wanted to establish a fishing company.[1] While it proved unfruitful, Spence became a sailor and Kennedy joined a search for the Arctic explorer, Sir John Franklin. Nevertheless, in 1851 there were at least a dozen families living in the community.[1] In the same year, the Post Office was established, the first and only in Bruce County for several years.[2] Three years later, a Bank of Upper Canada was built.
The pioneers of Southampton wanted the village to become the county town or county seat, as the village held the only Crown Land Department and Post Office in the county. However, the town of Kincardine had a larger population and seemed the strongest rival. Furthermore, Southampton did not have enough population to meet the requirements for incorporation. The town petitioned the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and the elective officials passed an exceptional Act of Incorporation on July 24, 1858 to allow the community to be considered for the county seat. Despite their efforts, Walkerton eventually won the battle.[3]
The townspeople commissioned different levels of government to build a bridge across the Saugeen River in the early 1860s. This bridge, now demolished, was known as Dennys Bridge. The community was still unhappy with the location of the bridge, as it is far from the centre. At one point in time, a toll boat would take passengers across the river by rope. several other bridges existed including one which was washed away. In 1889, a bridge was constructed closer to the mouth of the river and to the downtown and it still stands as part of Highway 21.[4]
In the early 2000s, a historically significant shipwreck was discovered on the beach. Relics of the ship, "General Hunter," can be found in the Bruce County Museum.
Southampton was also home to one of the last Gaelic speaking communities in Ontario. As late as the 1930s, the language was still used in everyday speech by local fishermen.
Climate
| Climate data for Southampton | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 18.9 (66) |
15.0 (59) |
25.6 (78.1) |
27.8 (82) |
32.2 (90) |
34.4 (93.9) |
35.6 (96.1) |
35.6 (96.1) |
35.0 (95) |
30.0 (86) |
25.0 (77) |
18.3 (64.9) |
35.6 (96.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −2.7 (27.1) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
2.5 (36.5) |
9.2 (48.6) |
15.6 (60.1) |
20.7 (69.3) |
22.8 (73) |
22.3 (72.1) |
18.8 (65.8) |
13.3 (55.9) |
6.7 (44.1) |
0.3 (32.5) |
10.6 (51.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −6.3 (20.7) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
5.0 (41) |
10.8 (51.4) |
15.8 (60.4) |
18.7 (65.7) |
18.4 (65.1) |
15.1 (59.2) |
9.7 (49.5) |
3.8 (38.8) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
6.7 (44.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −10 (14) |
−10.8 (12.6) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
0.7 (33.3) |
5.9 (42.6) |
10.9 (51.6) |
14.5 (58.1) |
14.6 (58.3) |
11.2 (52.2) |
6.0 (42.8) |
0.8 (33.4) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
2.7 (36.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −32.8 (−27) |
−37.2 (−35) |
−29.4 (−20.9) |
−20 (−4) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−1.1 (30) |
2.8 (37) |
1.1 (34) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−11.1 (12) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
−27.2 (−17) |
−37.2 (−35) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 87.9 (3.461) |
50.1 (1.972) |
46.4 (1.827) |
53.2 (2.094) |
59.1 (2.327) |
70.6 (2.78) |
66.5 (2.618) |
82.8 (3.26) |
85.9 (3.382) |
71.2 (2.803) |
71.8 (2.827) |
83.1 (3.272) |
828.4 (32.614) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 12.5 (0.492) |
13.7 (0.539) |
28.2 (1.11) |
50.0 (1.969) |
58.9 (2.319) |
70.6 (2.78) |
66.5 (2.618) |
82.8 (3.26) |
85.9 (3.382) |
70.6 (2.78) |
57.1 (2.248) |
31.5 (1.24) |
628.2 (24.732) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 75.3 (29.65) |
36.4 (14.33) |
17.6 (6.93) |
3.3 (1.3) |
0.2 (0.08) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
4.2 (1.65) |
14.7 (5.79) |
51.5 (20.28) |
203.2 (80) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 16 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 140 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 5 | 99 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 14 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 44 |
| Source: Environment Canada[5] | |||||||||||||
Attractions
This area is famous for its fabulous sunsets. Every Friday night in July and August you can hear the skirl of a bagpiper under the giant flag at the foot of High Street, a tradition which started in the late 1990s. During the months of July and August there are "Ghost Walks" available every Tuesday night with Katherine Leonard & Raymond Harrison. These commence at sunset at the foot of High St at the "Flag". During the summer and early fall, the beaches are full of people who have come to see the colourful sunsets lighting up the sky over the lake. Southampton, a popular summer getaway, is close to Chantry Island, Port Elgin, Saugeen First Nation and Sauble Beach. There are many summer activities to participate in while in Southampton. These include: canoe and kayaking on the river, biking the railway trail, swimming, sailing, or just spending time on the wide sandy beach. There is an active Tennis Club with three separate court locations in town, and three golf courses are in the vicinity.
Notes
- 1 2 Robertson, 509.
- ↑ Robertson, 510.
- ↑ Robertson, 511.
- ↑ Robertson, 521.
- ↑ Environment Canada—Canadian Climate Normals for Southampton . Retrieved 18 March 2012.
References
Robertson, Norman. The History of the County of Bruce. Owen Sound: Richardson, Bond, and Wright, 1971.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Southampton, Ontario. |
Coordinates: 44°30′00″N 81°22′01″W / 44.500°N 81.367°W
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