Strathroy, Ontario
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Strathroy (2001 population 12,978) is a community in southwestern Ontario, Canada. In 1998 the town government merged with the outlying township of Caradoc to form the Township of Strathroy-Caradoc.
The town's economy is diverse, but major industries are manufacturing and food processing.
Contents |
[edit] Education and Culture
Strathroy has two secondary schools; Strathroy District Collegiate Institute and Holy Cross High School which serve the town's students after they gradutate from the primary schools.
Strathroy is known for turkeys and its largest yearly event is the Strathroy Turkey Festival run by the Strathroy Lions Club. Cuddy Farms, the world's top turkey hatching company, has its Canadian headquarters here. Because of this, Strathroy is known locally as the turkey capital of the world (perhaps incorrectly).
Strathroy-Caradoc's current mayor is Mel Veale.
[edit] History
Strathroy was first settled in 1832 by John Stewart Buchanan at a location on the Sydenham River with flow and fall sufficient enough to power a grist mill. A general store opened in Strathroy in 1840. It was incorporated in 1860 as a village and became a town in 1872 with the motto "We Advance". Buchanan named Strathroy after his hometown of Strathroy, Ireland.
In 1866, The Age newspaper was established. Prior to this The Western Dispatch newspaper was produced for the area. It was sold to The Age in 1921, which later became The Age-Dispatch. The Age-Dispatch is still published weekly today.
In the fall of 1876, Bixel Brewery opened in Strathroy producing lager beer and supplied the town for the next century. There were also other breweries in Strathroy including the "Western Steam Brewery", "Strathroy Brewing and Malting" and "West End Brewery"
George Orton, Canada's first Olympic champion, was born in Strathroy in 1873. He won a gold medal for the United States in the steeplechase event at the 1900 Olympics. Canada did not enter an Olympic team of its own that year, as it was still a part of the British Empire.
General Sir Arthur William Currie attended Strathroy District Collegiate Institute in the early 1890s.
In 1896, the Strathroy Furniture Company opened its doors, and for nearly 100 years, was well known for making residential furniture. On July 15, 1992, the company declared bankruptcy. A liquidation sale was held in October of 1992.
On February 14th, 1914 the first patients were admitted to what eventually became Stathroy Middlesex General Hospital. At the time, the hospital was municipally-owned. The current building opened on June 23, 1962 as a two-story structure with 82 beds. In recent years, the hospital was the location at which Native Canadian "Dudley" George succumbed to the gunshot wound he suffered at the Ipperwash Standoff at nearby Ipperwash Provincial Park on September 7, 1995[citation needed]
In 1950, Mac Cuddy purchased a 100 acre farm near Strathroy with a bankroll of $3,000. This farm would eventually turn into the largest producer of fertile turkey eggs and day old turkey poults in the world.
On January 13, 1954, West Middlesex Memorial Arena opened in Strathroy. On that day the NHL's Montreal Canadiens played an exhibition game defeating the Strathroy Rockets 14-3 in front of 3100 spectators.
On March 22, 2004, the town's 117-year-old train station [1] was destroyed by a fire that took more than 35 firefighters to get under control. Several young boys were charged with starting the fire.
In 2005, Strathroy was connected to the Lake Huron Water Pipeline. This ended the town's reliance on groundwater and wells.
Today, Strathroy is the largest community in Middlesex County in Ontario, Canada.
[edit] Media
Strathroy has a weekly newspaper, the Strathroy Age-Dispatch, and a radio station, CJMI 105.7 "My FM"
[edit] Notable people
- Brian Campbell, Buffalo Sabres' NHL All-Star defenceman.
- Andy McDonald, All-Star NHL forward of the Anaheim Ducks.
- George Orton, Canada's first Olympic champion, was born in Strathroy in 1873. He won a gold medal for the United States in the steeplechase event at the 1898 Olympics.
- General Sir Arthur William Currie
