Port Perry, Ontario

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Port Perry, Ontario, (Pop. 5,000: estimate, 2001) is a community located in Scugog Township, Durham Region, Ontario, Canada.

1 History
2 Current status
3 Culture & recreation
4 Trivia
5 External links

[edit] History

Settler Peter Perry laid out village lots on the shore of Lake Scugog in 1848 on the site of a former native village known as Scugog Village. The townsite was named Port Perry in 1852 and incorporated as a Village in 1871. The village was amalgamated with Cartwright, Reach and Scugog Townships to form the Township of Scugog in 1974 upon the creation of the Regional Municipality of Durham.

[edit] Current status

Port Perry serves as the administrative and commercial centre for Scugog. Major employers include Schneider Meats, Great Blue Heron Charity Casino, and International Candle Enterprises. The town is home to a 24-bed hospital, the Scugog Township municipal offices and several retail establishments. Many Port Perry residents commute to other centres in Durham Region and beyond.

[edit] Culture & recreation

As noted, the community is located on Lake Scugog, and features 2 popular lakeside parks (Palmer and Birdseye). It is known in the area for its picturesque Victorian-era downtown, featuring many clothing stores, eateries, cafés, bookstores, and antique shops. In the summer, there are a number of festivals, including the Mississauga First Nation PowWow, the Highland Games, and StreetFest. There are also numerous golf courses. Other attractions in Port Perry and surrounding area include the Great Blue Heron Charity Casino, the Scugog Arena, Scugog Memorial Library (featuring the Kent Farndale Art Gallery), Ocala Winery, Scugog Shores Historical Museum, and the Northwood Buffalo and Exotic Animal Ranch. Cruises on Lake Scugog aboard "The Woodman" are also possible. Its only high school is Port Perry High School.

[edit] Trivia

Daniel David Palmer, the founder of chiropractic medicine, spent his childhood in this town. Port Perry has attracted many film crews over the years, both feature film and television. It was used extensively in the movie Fly Away Home where it played itself. Port Perry also doubled as the Maine town of Mooseport in the film Welcome to Mooseport. Port Perry was also used briefly as a small town in New Hampshire during the 6th season of The West Wing.