Grimsby
Town (lower-tier)
Town of Grimsby
Coat of arms of Grimsby
Coat of arms
Grimsby is located in Regional Municipality of Niagara
Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is located in Southern Ontario
Grimsby
Grimsby
Coordinates: 43°12′N 79°33′W / 43.200°N 79.550°W / 43.200; -79.550
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
Regional Municipality Niagara
Settled1790
Government
 • TypeTown
 • MayorJeff A. Jordan
 • Governing BodyTown of Grimsby Council
 • MPDean Allison (CPC)
 • MPPSam Oosterhoff (PC)
Area
[1]
 • Land68.71 km2 (26.53 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[1]
 • Total28,883
 • Density420.4/km2 (1,089/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Forward Sortation Area
L3M
Area code(s)905/289/365
Highways Queen Elizabeth Way
Websitewww.grimsby.ca

Grimsby is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. Grimsby is at the eastern end of the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area.[2] It is named after the English fishing town of Grimsby in north-east Lincolnshire. The majority of residents reside in the area bounded by Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment, home to a section of the Bruce Trail.[3]

Grimsby has experienced significant growth over the past two decades due to its position between Hamilton and St. Catharines. Growth is limited by the natural boundaries of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment. Some residents feel development is detrimental to the town as orchards close to the town centre are used for residential development; however, most of the orchards in Grimsby were replaced by houses between the 1950s and 1980s, and very few orchards remain.[4]

According to a late 2019 report, the town has 33 small parks, 17 larger and "many more green spaces, sport fields, parkettes, trails, and facilities".[5][6] Some notable attractions in Grimsby are the Grimsby Museum,[7] the Grimsby Public Library,[8] the Grimsby Public Art Gallery,[9] the West Niagara YMCA, the Danish Church, and the hockey arena (Peach King Centre), home of the Grimsby Peach Kings.

History

Sunset over Lake Ontario
Sunset over Lake Ontario
Nelles Manor, completed in 1798

A group of United Empire Loyalists from Great Britain settled on the land (originally named Township Number 6 and then 'The Forty'), and founded Grimsby in 1790. Robert Nelles, a politician and later lieutenant-colonel in the War of 1812, was one of the town's founders. His home on Main Street West was used for many planning sessions during the war. In 1816, the settlement became known as Grimsby, the name of the surrounding township, in memory of the seaport town of Grimsby in North East Lincolnshire, England.[5]

The Village of Grimsby was officially incorporated in 1876 and became a town in 1922. The community has gone through many changes, from being a small rural village to a centre for the manufacture of farm machinery, hospital furniture, furnaces and other metal products; and later the hub of the Niagara Peninsula's fruit-growing industry. Grimsby also had a successful fishing industry which lasted until the 1960s. The Town of Grimsby and the Township of North Grimsby were amalgamated in 1970 with the formation of the Regional Municipality of Niagara. With a number of wineries and distilleries, Grimsby now serves as the starting point for touring the Niagara wine region.

Two of the remaining cottages in the Grimsby Park area

Canada's first Chautauqua-like organization (a Methodist camp) was established in 1859 in Grimsby Park on land donated by J.B. Bowslaugh; colourful cottages were later built, and some visitors spent entire summers in the area. Two hotels and a temple were also built. Over 50,000 visited in 1884, but by 1900, interest had declined. By 1909, the Grimsby Park Company was bankrupt, and the property was sold for use as an amusement park. The temple and hotels were destroyed in the 1920s. In 1910, the amusement park's first owner, Harry Wylie, added carousels, a motion picture theater, and a roller coaster. Canada Steamship Lines bought out the business in 1916, but the park declined through the 1920s, mainly due to multiple fires that consumed many of the wooden buildings. The operation had ceased by 1950, and the land was sold to developers who built cottages.[10] Many of the colourful cottages were destroyed by fire or demolished over the years.[11][12] As of 2019, Grimsby Pier, where ferries and steamships had once docked, was in a state of disrepair; the mayor said he hoped that it could be restored.[13]

In 2011, Grimsby was struck by an F0 Tornado.[14]

Grimsby is also the birthplace of a Hollywood director, Del Lord. He rose to acclaim as the director of most of the Three Stooges short vaudeville comedies. Later, under Columbia Pictures, he also directed nearly 200 feature films.[15]

Local government

Grimsby Welcome Sign
Nelles-Fitch House, c. 1791
Nelles merchant shop, c. 1800
Grimsby old stone shop, c. 1800
Aerial view of Grimsby
The former Grimsby Public Library

Grimsby Town Council is composed of a mayor and eight councillors who serve for a term of four years. The mayor is elected at large, and the councillors are elected by ward. The town is divided into four wards, with two councillors elected in each ward. It is the role of the council to represent the public and to consider the well-being and interests of the municipality; to develop and evaluate policies and programs; to determine which services the municipality provides; to ensure administrative practices and procedures are in place to implement the decisions of council; and to maintain the financial integrity of the municipality. The council generally meets on the first and third Mondays of each month. All meetings are open to the public and are also televised live on the local Government-access television (GATV) cable TV channel.[16]

The current council (2018-2022 term) was sworn in on December 3, 2018, with the following members:

Mayor
Town council members Ward 1
  • Councillor Reg Freake
  • Councillor Delight Davoli
Town council members Ward 2
  • Councillor Brian Howe
  • Councillor Lianne Vardy
Town council members Ward 3
  • Councillor Veronica Charrois
  • Councillor Jennifer Korstanje
Town council members Ward 4
  • Councillor Nick DiFlavio
  • Councillor Jacob Baradziej

Source:[18]

The Regional Municipality of Niagara is an upper-tier municipality that encompasses all municipalities in Niagara Region. On Niagara Regional Council, Grimsby is represented by the mayor and by an elected regional councillor, currently Michelle Seaborn.[19]

Standing committees

Council has appointed four standing committees as follows:[20]

  • Administration and Finance Committee (four councillors and mayor) - Main functions are current and capital budget preparation and administration; personnel policies and compensation plans; financial matters; general administrative matters; public relations; fire matters; cemetery administration; school crossing guards; canine control. The administration, treasury and fire departments report to the council through this committee, as well as the library, art gallery and museum for budget purposes.
  • Planning and Development Committee (four councillors, three citizen appointees and mayor) - Main functions are land use planning, economic development and promotion and building inspection. The planning and building departments report to the council through this committee.
  • Public Works Committee (four councillors and mayor) - Main functions are storm drainage, sidewalks, roads, street lighting, water distribution, sanitary sewers, solid waste management, cemetery maintenance, parking and traffic control. The public works department reports to the council through this committee.
  • Recreation Services Committee (four councillors, three citizen appointees and mayor) - Main functions are parks, community and recreation services and programming. The recreation, facilities and culture department reports to the council through this committee, as well as the art gallery, library and museum.

Transportation

Bisecting the town is the Queen Elizabeth Way, one of the 400-series highways. It has three interchanges in the town, with Casablanca Boulevard in the west, a central interchange for three roads (Christie Street, Ontario Street, and Maple Avenue), and Bartlett Avenue in the east.

The Grimsby railway station, on the south side of the railway tracks west of Ontario Street and south of Queen Elizabeth Way, is served by the Maple Leaf train jointly operated by Via Rail and Amtrak. A GO Transit train station is planned for operation on the Lakeshore West line, was expected to open in 2021 as part of the Lakeshore West Line, and was halted as of late 2018.[21] Of three sites for the Grimsby GO Station evaluated by Metrolinx, the Crown agency that operates GO Transit, the preferred site for the proposed station is west of and adjacent to Casablanca Boulevard.[13]

In August 2020, Niagara Region Transit launched a two-year pilot to provide on-demand local and regional transit service for Grimsby and other nearby communities.[22][23]

Grimsby Regional Airport, a private aerodrome for small aircraft, is located about 6 kms south-west of the town centre.[24]

Schools

Secondary schools

Primary schools

  • Central French Immersion Public School
  • Grand Ave. Public School[25]
  • Lakeview Public School[26]
  • Nelles Public School
  • Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School
  • Park Public School
  • Smith Public School
  • St. Joseph Catholic School

Churches

St. Andrew's Anglican Church, completed in 1825, founded in 1794

Grimsby Public Library

Grimsby Public Library and Art Gallery

The first library in Grimsby was opened in 1871 in the home of Grimsby councillor Sam Mabey, housing a collection of 1,000 books.[36] Following a recommendation of the town council, the village struck a committee to approach the Andrew Carnegie Foundation to request new funds to build a new library. The foundation allocated $8,000 to build the new library building.[36] In 1975, the library was expanded to include a new building, which inaugurated a Grimsby Public Art Gallery in the basement of the library. A few years later, the Klosso Eloul sculpture 'Double is One' was installed on the grounds.[36] In 2004, a new building was constructed adjacent to the original structure to house both the library and art gallery. The original structure itself contains the Grimsby Archives.[36]

Grimsby Beach

Grimsby beach is home to "Gingerbread Houses" [37] that are painted by owners in bright colours and flourishes for an eye-catching addition to the area.

Demographics

Grimsby Historical populations
YearPop.±%
1871800—    
19011,001+25.1%
19111,669+66.7%
19212,004+20.1%
19312,198+9.7%
19412,331+6.1%
19512,773+19.0%
19615,148+85.6%
197115,770+206.3%
198115,797+0.2%
199118,520+17.2%
200121,297+15.0%
200623,937+12.4%
201125,325+5.8%
201627,314+7.9%
202128,883+5.7%

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Grimsby had a population of 28,883 living in 11,395 of its 11,626 total private dwellings, a change of 5.7% from its 2016 population of 27,314. With a land area of 68.71 km2 (26.53 sq mi), it had a population density of 420.4/km2 (1,088.7/sq mi) in 2021.[38]

Age characteristics of Grimsby (2016)[39] Total Male Female
Total - All persons 27,315 13,315 14,000
Age 0-14 4,750 2,485 2,270
Age 15-64 17,300 8,440 8,860
Age 65-84 5,265 2,390 2,870

Notable people

Climate

Grimsby's climate varies throughout the year; 12 °C – 15 °C in the spring, 21 °C – 33 °C in the summer, and 10 °C – 17 °C in the fall. Temperatures in the winter months are around 4 °C to −16 °C, with about 190 cm of snow per year.

Climate data for Grimsby
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 19.4
(66.9)		 17.2
(63.0)		 26.1
(79.0)		 30.6
(87.1)		 36.1
(97.0)		 36.1
(97.0)		 40.6
(105.1)		 39.4
(102.9)		 37.8
(100.0)		 31.7
(89.1)		 26.1
(79.0)		 21.0
(69.8)		 40.6
(105.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −1.6
(29.1)		 −0.4
(31.3)		 4.6
(40.3)		 11.6
(52.9)		 18.3
(64.9)		 24.0
(75.2)		 26.8
(80.2)		 25.9
(78.6)		 21.2
(70.2)		 14.7
(58.5)		 8.1
(46.6)		 2.0
(35.6)		 12.9
(55.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) −4.8
(23.4)		 −3.9
(25.0)		 0.9
(33.6)		 7.1
(44.8)		 13.1
(55.6)		 18.8
(65.8)		 21.9
(71.4)		 21.2
(70.2)		 17.0
(62.6)		 10.9
(51.6)		 5.1
(41.2)		 −1.0
(30.2)		 8.9
(48.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −8.2
(17.2)		 −7.5
(18.5)		 −2.8
(27.0)		 2.5
(36.5)		 7.7
(45.9)		 13.6
(56.5)		 17.0
(62.6)		 16.5
(61.7)		 12.8
(55.0)		 7.0
(44.6)		 2.0
(35.6)		 −4
(25)		 4.7
(40.5)
Record low °C (°F) −25
(−13)		 −26.1
(−15.0)		 −21.7
(−7.1)		 −16.1
(3.0)		 −2.8
(27.0)		 2.2
(36.0)		 6.7
(44.1)		 4.4
(39.9)		 0.0
(32.0)		 −7.2
(19.0)		 −13.9
(7.0)		 −27.2
(−17.0)		 −27.2
(−17.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 68.5
(2.70)		 60.3
(2.37)		 71.5
(2.81)		 77.0
(3.03)		 69.2
(2.72)		 83.0
(3.27)		 56.8
(2.24)		 86.1
(3.39)		 92.2
(3.63)		 64.6
(2.54)		 68.9
(2.71)		 82.1
(3.23)		 880.3
(34.66)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 22.3
(0.88)		 28.8
(1.13)		 53.3
(2.10)		 70.7
(2.78)		 69.2
(2.72)		 83.0
(3.27)		 56.8
(2.24)		 86.1
(3.39)		 92.2
(3.63)		 64.0
(2.52)		 64.5
(2.54)		 48.3
(1.90)		 739.2
(29.10)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 46.2
(18.2)		 32.1
(12.6)		 18.2
(7.2)		 6.3
(2.5)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.6
(0.2)		 4.4
(1.7)		 33.8
(13.3)		 141.6
(55.7)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 13 11 12 12 11 9 8 10 10 11 12 13 132
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 4 4 8 11 11 9 8 10 10 11 10 6 102
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 9 7 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 31
Source: Environment Canada[40]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2022-02-09). "Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Grimsby, Town (T) [Census subdivision], Ontario". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  2. ↑ Canada, Government of Canada, Statistics. "2011 Census Profile". www12.statcan.ca. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ "Welcome! - Bruce Trail". The Bruce Trail Conservancy. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Grimsby Historical Society". Archived from the original on July 27, 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Grimsby Thinking Ahead". 7 November 2019. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Parks Recreation and Culture Master Plan" (PDF). Town of Grimsby. March 2019. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  7. ↑ "Museum". Town of Grimsby. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Grimsby Public Library". Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Art Gallery". Town of Grimsby. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020.
  10. ↑ Brown, Ron (31 May 2010). From Queenston to Kingston: The Hidden Heritage of Lake Ontario's Shoreline. Dundurn. p. 43. ISBN 9781459704787. Archived from the original on 2020-06-06. Retrieved 2020-06-06.
  11. ↑ "Grimsby Park and the ghost ship of Jordan Harbour". 4 June 2020.
  12. ↑ "Grimsby's Chautauqua History". 21 September 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-06-23. Retrieved 2020-06-06.
  13. 1 2 "Grimsby Thinking Ahead". 7 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-06-06. Retrieved 2020-06-06.
  14. ↑ "Grimsby, ON F0 Tornado of September 3, 2011". Highways & Hailstones. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
  15. ↑ Foster, Charles (5 September 2016). Canadians in Golden Age Hollywood. Dundurn. ISBN 9781459738904. Archived from the original on 2020-06-06. Retrieved 2020-06-06.
  16. ↑ "Mayor and Council". Town of Grimsby. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  17. ↑ "About the Mayor". Town of Grimsby. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Town Councillors". Town of Grimsby. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Regional Councillors". Town of Grimsby. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Standing Committees". Town of Grimsby. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  21. ↑ LaFleche, Grant (November 30, 2018). "Grimsby GO station plan 'will be stopped'". The Spec. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019.
  22. ↑ "NRT OnDemand celebrates one year anniversary of service launch". Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  23. ↑ "NRT OnDemand". Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Grimsby Regional Airport". Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Grand Ave Public School". District School Board of Niagara. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Lakeview Public School". District School Board of Niagara. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Centennial Park Baptist Church". Archived from the original on 2009-06-03. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
  28. ↑ "Canada: Grimsby" (in Danish). Danske Sømands- og Udlandskirker. Archived from the original on 2017-02-18. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  29. ↑ "Lakemount Worship Centre". Archived from the original on 2009-08-31. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
  30. ↑ "Life at Mountainview". Mountainview Christian Reformed Church. Archived from the original on 2018-11-17. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  31. ↑ "New Life Community Church". Archived from the original on 2019-02-28. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  32. ↑ "St. Andrew's Church". Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  33. ↑ "St. Andrew's Anglican Church". Ontario Heritage Trust. 8 December 2016. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  34. ↑ "Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. George". 15 April 2014. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Trinity United Church". Archived from the original on January 18, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  36. 1 2 3 4 "How it all got started" Archived 2018-11-20 at the Wayback Machine Grimsby Public Library, retrieved on 22 August 2017.
  37. ↑ "History and Heritage". 25 October 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  38. ↑ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  39. ↑ "2016 Census Profile: Grimsby, Ontario". Statistics Canada. Archived from the original on September 10, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  40. ↑ Environment Canada—Climate Normals for Grimsby 1961-1990 Archived 2012-12-16 at archive.today. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
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