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Chesley (originally Sconeville) is a community in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada, located within the municipality of Arran–Elderslie.[1][2] The name Sconeville was replaced in 1868 to mark the career of Solomon Chesley, an official in the pre-Confederation Indian Department.[3] Its town slogan is "The Nicest Town Around."[4] Chesley is located north of both Walkerton on Bruce Road 19 and Hanover on County Road 10. It is now an example of a typical rural Ontario community.
Chesley | |
|---|---|
Community | |
 | |
| Motto: Nicest Town Around | |
  Chesley Location in southern Ontario | |
| Coordinates: 44°18′N 81°06′W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| County | Bruce County |
| Township | Arran-Elderslie |
| Founded | 1858 |
| Established | 1865 |
| Incorporated | 1879 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor of Arran-Elderslie | Steve Hammell |
| • MP | Alex Ruff |
| • MPP | Bill Walker |
| Elevation | 300 m (1,000 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 1,800 |
| • Demonym | Chesleyite |
| Time zone | UTC– 05:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC– 04:00 (EDT) |
| Area code(s) | 226, 519 |
| Website | arran-elderslie.com |
Chesley originally developed around mills built on the Saugeen River around 1858.[5] It expanded further when it was connected to the Grand Trunk Railway in 1881. A great fire destroyed most of the original downtown core in 1888, and the destroyed wood buildings were replaced by brick and stone.
From 1877 to 2004, the town had a weekly newspaper called The Chesley Enterprise.[5][6]
The town's major source of employment is commercial manufacturing. From 1886 to 1987, the Krug family operated the Krug Bros. furniture manufacturing business. Currently Crate Designs,[7] a locally owned furniture manufacturing factory, is the only surviving furniture factory, following the recent downsizing of Durham Furniture (2007).
Chesley is part of the Bluewater District School Board and has a junior kindergarten to grade 8 school called the Chesley District Community School.[8] In 2014, the original Chesley District High School joined with the Kinghurst Community School to form a junior kindergarten to grade 12 facility. In 2017, the high school section closed and it is now a junior kindergarten to grade 8 facility.[9]
The town is known for the statue of a giant bull on the north end of town, which is affectionately known as "Big Bruce."
Recently the town has begun to create a network of walking trails that encompasses much of the town's existing infrastructure of walking paths. Known as the heritage trail, it spans a large part of the town, and its waterside parks.
In 2005, Chesley was able to open a Heritage and Woodworking Museum due to an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant.[10] The museum was housed in the Dawson House on 1st Avenue, formerly the home of town doctors Stewart and Dawson.[11][12] The building had been left to the town for public use in the 1970s; in 2013, Chesley put Dawson House up for sale.[11]
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Actors
- Victoria Pratt (1970 – ), known for her roles of Sarge in Cleopatra 2525 and Shalimar in Mutant X
Athletes
- Paul MacDermid (1963 – ), professional ice hockey player with the Hartford Whalers, Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals and Quebec Nordiques
- Mickey MacKay (1894 – 1940), professional ice hockey player with the Chicago Black Hawks, Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Bruins who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1952
- Charles Pletsch (1893 – 1950), professional ice hockey player with the Hamilton Tigers
- Percy Traub (1896 – 1948), professional ice hockey player with the Chicago Black Hawks and Detroit Cougars
Philanthropists
- Frank Gross (1919 – 2006), awarded the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship in 2006
Politicians
- Reuben Baetz (1923 – 1996), member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1977 – 1987
- Solomon Yeomans Chesley (1796 – 1880), member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from 1841 – 1844; town of Chesley is named after him
- Walt Elliot (1933 – 2020), member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 – 1990
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