Hastings, Ontario

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Hastings, Ontario
Motto: "The Hub of the Trent"
Country Canada
Province Ontario
Municipality Trent Hills
County Northumberland County
Established 1810
Incorporated 1874
Amalgamated 2001
Government
 - Mayor Hector MacMillan
 - Governing Body Trent Hills Municipal Council
Area
 - Village 2.36 km² (0.91 sq mi)
Population (2001 Census)
 - Village 1,208
 - Density 511.9/km² (1,325.8/sq mi)
 - Metro 12,569 (Trent Hills)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
Postal Code K0L
Area code(s) 705
Website: Hastings Village website

"Hastings, ON" and "Hastings, Canada" redirect here. For other articles with similar names, see Hastings (disambiguation).

Hastings, Ontario is an amalgamated village, and therefore an unincorporated community, on the Trent River in the municipality of Trent Hills in Northumberland County in Canada. A few properties on the southwest edge of the community are actually included as part of Peterborough County. Hastings gained its present name in 1852 and was officially incorporated as a village in 1874. Hastings has a population of 1,208 as of the 2001 Census.[1] It is known as "The Hub of the Trent", as Hastings is directly on the Trent River. One of Hastings' major symbols is a tall blue water tower which can be seen from kilometres outside of the community.

Hastings is now part of the municipality of Trent Hills, and makes up the second biggest population centre in the municipality. The current mayor of Trent Hills is Hector MacMillan. Mayor MacMillan was elected during the 2003 municipal election, and, as of November 13, 2006, was re-elected for a second term.[2]

A marina was built in Hastings which added to the already busy waterfront. There is a chapter of the Lions Club in the village which is associated with the largest annual event in Hastings, the Canada Day celebrations. The celebrations include a parade that runs through downtown during the day, and a fireworks display at the waterfront at sundown.

The Hastings Memorial Arena is a multipurpose arena located in downtown Hastings. The arena is home to a hockey team in the OMHA and houses numerous other local events.

Contents

[edit] History

The history of Hastings first began in 1615 when Samuel de Champlain navigated the area. The first settlement, known as Crooks' Rapids, began in 1810 and was named in 1820. In Hastings' early history, lumber from the northern part of Peterborough passed through Hastings locks on its way to Lake Ontario. It originally had a foundry, a cotton factory, flouring and grist mills, a stone Roman Catholic Church, the Church of England and Presbyterian and Methodist Churches.[3]

The locks were completed in 1844 and the waterways became part of the Trent-Severn passage. There are 60.5 kilometres (37.6 mi) from Lock 18 in Hastings to Lock 19 in Peterborough. Henry Fowlds bought Crooks' Rapids in its entirety in 1851 and renamed the settlement to Hastings in 1852, when the first post office was opened.[4]

[edit] Amalgamation

Trent Hills has a population of 12,569, and was formed in 2001 through an amalgamation of the Village of Hastings, the Town of Campbellford, Township of Seymour and the Township of Percy. The amalgamation also included the community of Warkworth, which was part of the Township of Percy.[5] Hastings was officially incorporated as a village in 1874 and retained that status until the formation of Trent Hills in 2001. Hastings is legally an unincorporated community, however it is most often incorrectly referred to as a village.[6]

[edit] The Fowlds family

The Fowlds family had a large influence on the village of Hastings in its early history. Henry Fowlds bought and renamed the settlement of Crooks' Rapids to Hastings. He named the village after Lady Flora Hastings, a boyhood acquaintance. His family played significant roles within the community, such as reeve (now the term "mayor" is used in most communities), and also started small businesses. There is a park in Hastings named after Henry Fowlds.[7]

Henry Fowlds was born in 1788 in Scotland. In 1813, he married Jane Marshall Steele. Together they had ten children, (Eliza, John, James S., Robert H., Elizabeth, Henry M., Mary C., William J., Mary Anne, and Theresa) of which only five survived (James S., Elizabeth, Henry M., William J., and Theresa). Some of his children would go on to occupy important and influential positions in Hastings. The family came to North America in 1821, settling first in New York City, and then in Hartford in 1833. In 1834, they crossed the border and settled in Prince Edward County, Upper Canada. The Fowlds family settled in Asphodel Township in 1836, and then moved on to Westwood, where they set up a saw mill in conjunction with Dr. John Gilchrist in what was to become the village of Keene.[7]

Henry Martin Fowlds (born in New York City, ca1826) purchased the water rights, land and buildings of Crooks' Rapids, later known as Hastings, from the Honourable James Crooks, on September 27, 1851. Henry Fowlds and sons built upon this base, expanding their original saw mill to a corporate business of a saw mill, grist mill, general store and post office. Postmaster was a position that the family kept for over 90 years in the village. These public-minded men served on local councils, notably as reeve.[7] Their industry resulted in a rise of population from 20 in 1852 to 1500 in 1883.[8] Henry Martin Fowlds died instantly of heart failure on July 3, 1907 in Hastings, Ontario, Canada.

[edit] Transportation

A map of Ontario, showing where Hastings is located relative to other cities, towns and villages.
A map of Ontario, showing where Hastings is located relative to other cities, towns and villages.

Hastings is served directly by County Road 45, County Road 25 and County Road 2. The centre of uptown Hastings is located at the intersection of County Road 2 and County Road 45 (known as Albert Street and Bridge Street within the Hastings boundaries). County Road 25 starts at the south edge of town and leads south. Before it exits the community, it is known as Cardinal Drive.

County Road 45 is a longer route that helps connect Hastings to other communities in the region. County Road 45 runs from Cobourg, the county seat, which is 45 kilometres to the south of Hastings. It ends at Highway 7, part of the Trans-Canada Highway, in the village of Norwood to the north. It helps connect Hastings to Highway 401, the busiest expressway in Canada. The 401 expressway runs west to east, directly north of Cobourg and connects directly to County Road 45. Hastings can be reached via interchange #474, County Road 45 Cobourg-Norwood.

The Trent River is also crucial for local transportation, as well as recreation. The Trent River connects directly to Lake Ontario, which is south of Hastings, making Hastings easy to access by boat. Hastings is a hub for fishermen and boaters because of the marina; many people travel through and around Hastings each year.

[edit] Demographics

In 2001, Hastings' population totaled 1,208, increasing by 6% from 1996-2001, when Hastings had a population of 1,140 people. There are 537 private dwellings located within Hastings, and the population density is 511.9 people per square kilometre (1,326/sq mi). The total area of the village is 2.36 square kilometres (0.91 sq mi).

The White population accounts for the vast majority of Hastings' human population, at 99%. The remaining 1% is made up of First Nations, Chinese and South Asian people. During the summer months, fishing on the Trent River in Hastings is locally popular, causing a short-term population increase due to the influx of tourist anglers. These tourists tend to be more diverse than the residents of Hastings. (For example, there are many ethnic Chinese fishermen). Most of Hastings' year-round residents speak English only, at about 90%. Similarly, the majority of Hastings' full-time residents are Christian, although about 25% reported that they have no religious affiliation.[1]

Population History
1991 1996 2001
1,148 1,140 1,208

[edit] Government

The Trent Hills Municipal Council.
The Trent Hills Municipal Council.

The chart below shows the structure of the municipal government of Trent Hills. These politicians were elected as of the 2003 municipal election, and were all re-elected as of the municipal election on November 13, 2006. (Note that the Deputy Mayor also serves as a councillor for ward 2)[9]

Government of Trent Hills
Mayor Deputy Mayor Ward 1 - Campbellford/Seymour Ward 2 - Percy Ward 3 - Hastings
Hector MacMillan Dean Peters Eugene Brahaney William White Camille Edwards
Rosemary Kelleher-MacLennan
William J. Thompson

The Member of Parliament for the riding of Northumberland-Quinte West is Rick Norlock of the Conservative Party of Canada. The Member of Provincial Parliament for Northumberland is Lou Rinaldi of the Liberal Party of Ontario.[10][11]

[edit] Education

Hastings Public School provides elementary education to Hastings' children. For secondary education, Hastings residents attend the Campbellford District High School. The nearby Norwood District High School serves the minority of residents who live in Peterborough County. These schools are all part of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. Peterborough, the most populous city in the area, has two institutions of post-secondary education: Fleming College and Trent University. Trent University's academic focus is on environmental, cultural, and science studies. Vocational education is provided by Fleming College, which is a multidisciplinary institution with four campuses. The college is also a well respected business skills training centre.

Belleville, another nearby city, also provides post-secondary education with Loyalist College, well known in the region for its journalism, photojournalism, radio and television broadcasting programs as well as its health services programs.

The municipality of Trent Hills is currently working to improve the local educational system, and to make it more convenient for residents to attend university or college without having to leave Trent Hills. After elementary and secondary education, residents tend to leave the area for university and college education, not to return. This also has a large influence on the local economy because of the aging population and younger residents moving away.[12]

[edit] Economy

One of the Hastings welcome signs.
One of the Hastings welcome signs.

The municipality of Trent Hills is currently attempting to revitalize the economy. The Hastings downtown core has two- and three-storey buildings surrounding the intersection of Bridge and Front Streets. Main downtown runs along central Bridge Street and central Front Street, where the community's only set of street lights is located. In the 1990s, one of the downtown buildings, which consisted of a restaurant, burned down, but Hastings still has many restaurants and stores. There are plans under consideration for a new shopping plaza to be built downtown, along with other finalized plans, in accordance with the Trent Hills Economic Stategic Plan.[12] The plan is important for the well-being of the local economy because of the aging population; residents are retiring and leaving the workforce, leaving vacancies in local businesses; people are also leaving the area to receive post-secondary education. The municipality intends to fill these positions by getting younger residents into the workforce at an earlier age.

Elmhirst's Resort is a local tourist attraction. Aside from the resort, there are trailer parks, beaches and camping grounds in the Hastings area. Most of the local beaches and camping grounds are located outside of Hastings on Rice Lake.

[edit] Climate

Because of the influence of the Great Lakes, Ontario experiences smaller variations in temperature and higher precipitation than would otherwise be expected for a region in the heart of a continent.

The last snowfall of the winter season is often experienced in spring. In the early portion of spring, climate can remain much like winter in Hastings, with possible snowstorms, lake effect snow, and cold temperatures. The temperature can plummet to less than -10°C (14°F), feeling much colder with the wind chill. To counter the winter temperatures, daytime highs can reach about 20°C (68°F). By mid to late spring, life returns to the area. April is the month in which the last snowfall usually occurs. By May, temperatures rise and rain often falls.

In the summer months, the Great Lakes have a cooling effect. However, heat waves lasting up to a week, with temperatures higher than 30°C (86°F), are not uncommon. The temperature can feel closer to 40°C (104°F) or even 50°C (122°F) when temperature and humidity (humidex) is taken into account. Thunderstorms are also very frequent during the summer months, especially on very hot days. Smog is an issue for Hastings and the rest of southern Ontario, primarily during hot and sunny weather.

In the fall, the release of heat stored in the lakes has a moderating effect. This provides relief from the overly-hot summer temperatures. The first snowfall of the season is often in October or November, and prior to that, Hastings and the region experience frost. Lake effect snow and snowsqualls often occur during the fall months. Even in early fall, late September, temperatures can dip down to near zero. Under the right conditions, frost may be produced. Daytime highs can vary from above 20°C (68°F) in early fall to well below freezing in late fall.

Winter in Hastings is characterized by alternating currents of cold arctic air and relatively warm air masses from the Gulf of Mexico. The normal winter temperature range is -5°C to 0°C (23–32°F), and it can get quite a bit warmer, temperatures, however, can dip below -20°C (-4°F) before taking wind chill into account.

Below is some additional information on climate, including average temperatures and precipitation. This information was retrieved from The Weather Network's website. The data was collected from observations at Peterborough Airport over a 30 year period, 1961–1990.[13]

Weather averages for Peterborough Airport
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C -3 -1 3 12 19 23 27 25 20 13 6 0
Average low °C -14 -13 -6 0 6 10 13 12 7 2 -1 -9
Precipitation mm 50.8 55.9 66.0 66.0 71.1 71.1 68.6 81.3 73.7 71.1 76.2 76.2 828
Average high °F 25 27 37 52 65 73 79 77 68 55 43 30
Average low °F 5 7 18 32 42 50 55 53 45 34 27 13
Precipitation inches 2.0 2.2 2.6 2.6 2.8 2.8 2.7 3.2 2.9 2.8 3.0 3.0 32.6
Source: theweathernetwork.com[13] {{{accessdate}}}
Source #2: weather.com[14] January 2007

[edit] Media

See also List of radio stations in Ontario and List of television stations in Ontario

The three newspapers that serve the Hastings area are The Community Press, The Shield and The Independent. All three serve other local villages and towns as well as Hastings; Hastings does not have a newspaper serving the village alone.

CKOL FM is a community radio station which broadcasts from Campbellford to serve Trent Hills and the surrounding area. It broadcasts at 93.7 on the FM dial, and typically plays oldies music. CHEX-TV (CBC affiliate) is the nearest television station to Hastings, and provides regular programming, local news and current events. It broadcasts from Peterborough at Television Hill.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Hastings, Ontario. Statistics Canada. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
  2. ^ 2006 Municipal Election Results (PDF). trent01.sitemajic.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-12.
  3. ^ Hastings. Hastings Village Website. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
  4. ^ Hastings, Ontario. Heydon.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
  5. ^ Trent Hills, Ontario. Statistics Canada. Retrieved on 2006-12-12.
  6. ^ Amalgamation. Ministry of Municipal Affairs. Retrieved on 2006-12-12.
  7. ^ a b c Fowlds Family and Business Records. Trent University Archives. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
  8. ^ Birth of a Village Wilfrid Lynch, Homestead Studios, Woodview, Ontario, April, 1984
  9. ^ Trent Hills Government. trent01.sitemajic.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-12.
  10. ^ Members of the House of Commons. National Parliament Website. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
  11. ^ Current MPPs. Ontario Parliament Website. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
  12. ^ a b Trent Hills Economic Strategic Plan, 2005-2008 (PDF). Retrieved on 2006-12-12.
  13. ^ a b Statistics Peterborough Airport, ON, Canada. Retrieved on January 22, 2007.
  14. ^ Monthly Averages for Peterborough, Canada (English). Retrieved on January 22, 2007.

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 44°18′N, 77°57′W