Pembroke, Ontario

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Pembroke, Ontario
Nickname: The Heart of the Ottawa Valley
Coordinates: 45°49′N, 77°06′W
Country Canada
Province Ontario
County Renfrew
Established 1828
Government
 - City Mayor Ed Jacyno
 - Governing Body Pembroke City Council
 - MPs Cheryl Gallant
 - MPP John Yakabuski
Area
 - City 14.35 km²  (5.54 sq mi)
Elevation 460 m (1,509 ft)
Population (2006)
 - City 13,930
 - Density 970.7/km² (2,514.1/sq mi)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code K8A
Area code(s) 613
Dwellings:6,351
Website: City of Pembroke

Pembroke (2006 population 13,930; CA population 23,195F) is a city at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley in eastern Ontario, Canada. Pembroke is the seat of Renfrew County.

Contents

[edit] History

The first European settler in the area was Peter White, a veteran of the Royal Navy. He homesteaded at what is now Pembroke in 1828, and other settlers followed, attracted by the lumbering operations that were growing in the area.

A number of smaller settlements in the area were grouped together as a police village and renamed Pembroke in 1856. The town was named after Sidney Herbert, First Admiralty Secretary from 1841 to 1845 and son of the Earl of Pembroke. Pembroke was incorporated as a town in 1878 and as a city in 1971. It was named seat for Renfrew County in 1866, the same year the County Courthouse was constructed.

[edit] Economy

Historically, forestry has formed the backbone of the local economy and remains important today. Local timber products include lumber, plywood, veneer, poles and fibreboard. Other local manufacturing operations produce electrical appliances and office furniture. CFB Petawawa in nearby Petawawa and the Chalk River Laboratories of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited in Chalk River are also regional employers.

Pembroke is a service centre for the area and is the largest commercial centre between North Bay and Ottawa. The economy benefits from tourism, aided partly by Pembroke's location on the Trans-Canada Highway. Local attractions include a series of murals in the downtown area depicting the history of the city, from steam and logging to nuclear energy. Local museums include the Champlain Trail Museum, a collection of historical buildings and artifacts, and the Pembroke Hydro Museum, commemorating local hydro-electric development.

[edit] Demographics

Pembroke City Hall and Muskrat River
Pembroke City Hall and Muskrat River

According to the Canada 2006 Census:

* Population: 13,930 (3.3 % from 2001)
* Land area: 5.54 sq mi or 14.35 km²
* Population density: 970.7 people/km²
* National population rank (Out of 5,008): Ranked {{{popRank}}}
* Median age: 42.3 (males: 40.0, females: 44.2)
* Total private dwellings: 6,351
* Dwellings occupied by permanent residents: 6,012
* Mean household income: $34,296 per person aged 15+

References:

Footnotes: The data has not yet been released and is based on 2001 Census.

[edit] Pembroke media

Most broadcast media transmitting in the Pembroke area are rebroadcasters of stations from Ottawa, Arnprior or Toronto. CHVR-FM is the only broadcast station directly based in the Pembroke area itself. Pembroke also remains CHRO-TV's official city of license, although the station effectively operates out of studios in Ottawa.

[edit] Radio

[edit] Television

[edit] Print

The city's main daily newspaper is the Pembroke Daily Observer.

[edit] Trivia

Pembroke's public library.
Pembroke's public library.
  • Pembroke is the birthplace of comedian Tom Green, although Green's family subsequently moved to Ottawa.
  • Pembroke is the site of Canada's first electric street light.
  • The city is home to the annual "Old Time Fiddling and Step Dancing Festival" that happens Labour Day weekend at Riverside Park. There are often up to 1400 RVs parked there for the week preceding the event. Award-winning fiddler/step dancer April Verch is a Pembroke native.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


Coordinates: 45°49′N, 77°07′W

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