Bonfield, Ontario (community)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The community of Bonfield was first settled in 1882, as a station on the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR).

Located on the north shore of Lake Nosbonsing, where the railway crosses the Kaibuskong River, this place was originally named by the CPR, as Callander Station. The community of Callander, Ontario, on the South-East Bay of Lake Nipissing, had been named Callander in 1880, to honour the birthplace in Scotland of Duncan McIntyre, then president of the Canada Central Railway (CCR). It was at this place on the shore of Lake Nipissing, that the CCR intended to connect with the proposed eastern terminus of the CPR. In 1881 the Canada Central Railway was merged into the Canadian Pacific, as McIntyre became its vice president. As construction of the railway approached Lake Nipissing from the east, it turned away from the South-East Bay, towrds the North Bay of Lake Nipissing instead. This was the closest point the CPR would come to the village of Callander, therefore this place was named Callander Station.

After the Northern and Pacific Junction Railway established a station in the original village of Callander in 1886 (taken over by the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) in 1888), there was much confusion between the station in Callander, and Callander Station. The CPR location, Callander Station was renamed Bonfield, adopting the name of the township in which it is located.