Orono, Ontario
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Orono is a community (population approximately 1800) in the Municipality of Clarington, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Highway 35/115, approximately a 45 minute drive east of Toronto.
[edit] History
The town was founded in 1832 and was named after Orono, Maine since the landscape seemed similar. Declared a police village in 1854, the village remained small but vibrant. Farming was, and remains, an important economic activity in the area. Many motorists stopped in the town on their way from Lindsay to Newcastle before the 35/115 was built. The population is approximately 1800.
The Municipality of Clarington, in which Orono is located, was formed through the union of the Townships of Clarke and Darlington. Historically, Orono was the seat of government for Clarke Township. Now Clarington's fourth largest urban community, Orono is attractive to those who prefer a quiet, more rural lifestyle. The downtown consists of several small shops and a central town hall that are typical of villages throughout Ontario and the northern United States.
Most of Orono's youth residents who attend public school move onto The Pines & Clarke High School, located just off the Highway 115 on the border of Newcastle, both are two of the oldest active Middle & Secondary schools in the area.
[edit] Tourism
Orono is the locale for some of the most enjoyable and popular yearly events in Clarington: the Durham Central Fair and the Ontario Rodeo Finals. The fair draws nearly 25,000 annually to celebrate the area's agricultural roots and features equestrian events, among others.
This picturesque setting has attracted several filmakers, and Orono's film credits include David Cronenberg's The Dead Zone (1983), Patrick Lussier's Dracula 2000 and Jim Abraham's ...First Do No Harm (1997 - TV), starring Glenn Close. Furthermore, many of the town scenes from the CBC drama Wind At My Back (1996-2001) were filmed in downtown Orono.
Notable landmarks include:
- The Village Bakeshop
- Orono Country Cafe
- Jungle Cat World
- The Dutch Oven Restaurant
- Orono Fairgrounds
- The Apple Blossom Shop
- The Trillium Morgan Horse Farm
- Orono Forestry Station
- Ray's Barber Shop
- Orono Community Centre (Hockey Rink)
Producing millions of evergreen seedlings annually for restoring Ontario's forests, the Orono Forestry Station (founded in 1922) was a prominent feature in the town until it closed down in the mid-1990s.
At the centre of the village, residents and tourists enjoy the Sydney B. Rutherford Woods Walk Park, one of the many wooded areas in the village. Orono is surrounded by several pastoral hamlets, such as Kirby, Kendal, Newtonville, Leskard, Starkville; and larger towns like Newcastle and Bowmanville.
Despite its size, Orono boasts a popular zoo called Jungle Cat World, located on the north side of Orono, as well as the Durham Central Fair which draw people from miles around.
The nearby Oshawa Ski Club, locally known as the Kirby ski hill, is a popular winter attraction, and has a dramatic landscape view of rolling hills and farmlands at the top of the hill in the Summer season.
