| Bancroft | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| Iron foot-bridge over the York river, connecting to Millenium Park and The Rex | |
| Motto: A Place for All Seasons | |
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Bancroft
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| County | Hastings |
| Settled | 1852 |
| Incorporated | December 1904 (village) |
| Incorporated | 1999 (town) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Bernice Jenkins |
| • Council | Bancroft Town Council: Bancroft Ward, Dungannon Ward |
| • Federal riding | Prince Edward—Hastings |
| • Prov. riding | Prince Edward—Hastings |
| Area[1] | |
| • Land | 227.84 km2 (88 sq mi) |
| Population (2006)[1] | |
| • Total | 3,980 |
| • Density | 16.8/km2 (43.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC−5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC−4) |
| Postal Code | K0L |
| Area code(s) | 613 |
| Website | www.town.bancroft.on.ca |
Bancroft (2006 Population 3,838) is a town located on the York River in Hastings County in the Canadian province of Ontario.
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In 1853 the first pioneer family settled in the area, and over the next 15 years the settlement grew quickly, as another 88 families followed. The first families were United Empire Loyalists, and followed later by Irish settlers, who were attracted to the area by the offer of free 100-acre (0.40 km2) parcels. Originally called York Mills, it was later renamed to York Branch, The Branch, York River in 1861, and finally to Bancroft on 15 October 1879 by Senator Billa Flint, after the maiden name of his wife.[2][3]
The place was first incorporated as a village in December 1904.[3] In 1999, the Village of Bancroft merged with Dungannon Township to form the Town of Bancroft.
The town was once a centre for logging, trapping, and mining. Uranium mining created a boom in the 1950s and 60s, but the closing of the Madawaska Mine in 1982 caused some economic hardship.
Population trend:[4]
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 1656 (total dwellings: 1849)
Mother tongue:[1]
Located in Central Ontario, part of the Canadian Shield, Bancroft is well known in Canada as an excellent location for rockhounding. Bancroft styles itself as the "mineral capital of Canada" and holds an annual event in August called the Rockhound Gemboree.
There is also a Mineral Museum in Bancroft dedicated to the area's storied mining history. There is little active mining going on today, although the talk of the Brock Project in early 2014 has spurred recent industrial activity in the area.
A popular location is a craggy lookout called Eagle's Nest, a short distance north of the town. This scenic cliff, with a height of over 60 m (200 ft), overlooks the York River valley, the town of Bancroft, and other densely forest-covered ridges that surround it. It was the location of one of Ontario's first ever heavy steel fire towers in the 1930s built by the former Dept. of Lands and Forests. 12 m (39 ft) icicles dangle from its largest and most massive cliff in the winter and conceals parts of it entirely. It is a popular spot for mountain climbers to practice ice climbing in the winter. However, the road to the top is steep and generally impassable in the winter. Another popular location is a series of abandoned Mineral caves/mines at Egan's Chute on Highway 28 north-east of Bancroft.
Egan's Chute lies east of the town on Highway 28. The chute is a small gorge which the York River churns through, creating white water falls.
The lakes surrounding Bancroft are dotted with cottages, mostly seasonally occupied. One of the largest and most beautiful in the area, with a very fine public beach, is Paudash Lake, about 15 minutes south down Highway 28.
Bancroft lies in a region criss-crossed with snowmobile trails, making it a hub for snowmobilers in the winter months. In the summer these trails are used by hikers and ATV enthusiasts.
The local curling club has existed for 50 years (est. 1957), and has hosted increasingly notable bonspiels - including a recent (winter 2005) Ontario Regional Men's Championship and (March 2008) Tim Hortons Colts Provincial Championship. The town now sports one 9 hole golf course, and one 18 hole golf course.
Bancroft is now the proud owner of a state of the art skate park (est. 2008). Located on the Hastings Heritage Trail. The skate park was designed by Spectrum Skate Park Creations and was fund raised for by the North Hastings Freedom Skate Park Committee. Through the many oppositions that the committee had, they succeeded. The Skate parks grand opening was on May 30 2009.
Silent Lake Provincial Park nearby south on Highway 28 provides local camping opportunities. American sportsmen fished and hunted on this private lake for 40 years before it became a park. Silent Lake has a rocky and undeveloped shoreline, a mixed forest and marshes full of birds and wildlife best seen by canoe. A rugged trail circles the lake, and sections of groomed ski trails have been graded for mountain biking.
Algonquin Provincial Park about an hour away on Highway 62 N - Highway 127 N - Highway 60 W provides camping and hiking opportunities through kilometer after kilometer of beautiful forest and outdoor scenery. Portaging is quite common in this park and Algonquin offers many visitor attractions. Like Silent Lake, Algonquin has a rocky, treed and extensive undeveloped shoreline, a mixed forest and marshes full of birds and wildlife best seen by canoe. The OFSC trails also travel right through the park making easy access by snowmobile in the winter as well. One of the most common sights is the Canadian Moose.
In 2004, Bancroft won TVOntario's "Most Talented Town in Ontario" contest. A large number of artists and artisans live in the surrounding area, and exhibit together in events like the "Fall Studio Tour".
The Art Gallery of Bancroft (AGB) is located in the town of Bancroft, Ontario, Canada and is the area's only public not-for profit art gallery. Completely run by dedicated volunteers, the AGB mounts 11-12 exhibitions per year celebrating the work of local and regional artists and artisans. These exhibitions include the popular annual "Juried Show" and the annual student show displaying the work of four regional high schools. The gallery gift shop displays the paintings and fine crafts of area artists and the AGB boasts a permanent collection including some of Ontario's finest artists.
The town has the "Village Playhouse" a theatre which has been hosting sold out plays, musicals and concerts since the early 1990s. Formerly the Bancroft Community Hall, this historical building was once the local jail, court house and library.
Bancroft lies at the intersection of two provincial highways, Highway 28 and Highway 62, with several other inroads allowing access to the city.
Bancroft is served by a small airport, Bancroft Airport, with a 2,200 foot (670 m) crushed gravel runway, located immediately adjoining the town. The airport is operated by the Bancroft Flying Club and is freely available to the general public. Due to high terrain near both ends of the runway, pilots typically use a non-standard circuit, following the York River valley through the town for departing from runway 12 or landing on runway 30.
The Central Ontario Railway arrived in November 1900 connecting Bancroft with Trenton. The railway went through the Musclow-Greenview road and extended behind Birds Creek through a back trail (which is now used for cyclists and fourwheeling) and continued through the town eventually going further away from the town at the 'Y' road division. The line was closed in 1975 and subsequently removed. The Bancroft, Irondale and Ottawa Railway connected Bancroft with Kinmount, Ontario. The line was assumed by Canadian National Railways and was abandoned in 1960. [2]
| Climate data for Bancroft | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 9.2 (48.6) |
10.8 (51.4) |
22.3 (72.1) |
25.8 (78.4) |
31 (88) |
31.6 (88.9) |
33.4 (92.1) |
34.2 (93.5) |
32.5 (90.5) |
24.6 (76.3) |
19 (66) |
14.2 (57.6) |
34.2 (93.5) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −3.8 (25.1) |
1.4 (34.5) |
5.1 (41.1) |
11.8 (53.3) |
20.7 (69.3) |
23 (73) |
25.2 (77.4) |
24.1 (75.4) |
19.8 (67.6) |
13.1 (55.5) |
5.1 (41.2) |
−1.3 (29.6) |
11.99 (53.58) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −10.1 (13.9) |
−6.6 (20.2) |
−1.8 (28.7) |
4.2 (39.5) |
12.4 (54.4) |
15.7 (60.3) |
18.1 (64.5) |
16.5 (61.7) |
12.6 (54.7) |
6.2 (43.2) |
0.8 (33.5) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
5.06 (41.11) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −34.7 (−30.5) |
−32.1 (−25.8) |
−28.2 (−18.8) |
−12.9 (8.8) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
1.3 (34.3) |
0.2 (32.4) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−10.9 (12.4) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
−32.3 (−26.1) |
−34.7 (−30.5) |
| Precipitation cm (inches) | 10 (4) |
8 (3.5) |
7 (2.8) |
7 (2.9) |
7 (2.8) |
7 (3.1) |
8 (3.2) |
7 (2.8) |
7 (3.0) |
7 (2.9) |
9 (3.7) |
8 (3.5) |
92 (38.2) |
| Avg. rainy days | 10 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 95 |
| Source: The Weather Network[5] | |||||||||||||
| Hastings Highlands | ||||
| Faraday | Carlow/Mayo | |||
| Bancroft | ||||
| Wollaston | Limerick | Tudor and Cashel (Cashel section) |