| Winterbourne | |
|---|---|
| — Unincorporated community — | |
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Winterbourne
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Regional municipality | Waterloo |
| Township | Woolwich |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Forward sortation area | N0B 2V0 |
| Area code(s) | 519 and 226 |
| NTS Map | 040P09 |
| GNBC Code | FDELK |
Winterbourne is a small community in the township of Woolwich, Ontario. It is located just northeast of the city of Waterloo.
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Cox Creek flows through the village. The village is close to the Grand River.
The community's main street is Waterloo Regional Road 23, known as Katherine Street. Winterbourne has never been served by rail.
This place was first known as Cox's creek. Around the year 1854, it was renamed to Winterbourne by Captain William H. Lamphier, who had bought the farms on which the village is built. The name comes from Winterbourne, where Lamphier had lived in England. The name "Winterbourne" means "One who lives by a winter-brook (a stream that flows only in the wet winter season)". Officially, the community was still known as Woolwich until 1859, when the post office was renamed to Winterbourne.[1]
In 1872, Winterbourne Public School was built in the community. The building was located on large grounds fringed by wooded nature trails. The public school was closed in 2003. In 2006, the Waterloo Region District School Board sold the school for $550,000 to Lori Laronde, a supporter of a new private school, Foundation Christian School.[2]
Foundation Christian school opened in September 2006. It serves around 60 students between junior kindergarten and grade 8. The school offers a nondenominational Christian education, and claims that it is the first Christian school to be formed independently of a church or denomination. The school's curriculum, which also meets Ontario standards, includes Biblical creationist theory (although the school will also teach evolution as a scientific theory), morning and end-of-day prayers, religious gatherings, and religious instruction. Extracurricular activities include guitar lessons, choirs, before-school and after-school programmes, and opportunities for volunteer work.[3]
Winterbourne has long been served by Chalmers Presbyterian Church located on the main Katherine Street. The townhall that once stood beside it, fell to ruin and has since been gone. The church in the last years has only seen few visitors and regulars, although all older. It's official last day of service was December 4, 2011.