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Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, approximately 109 km (68 mi) east of Toronto and about 159 km (99 mi) west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County. The private Trinity College School opened here in 1868.

Quick Facts Country, Province ...
Port Hope
Municipality of Port Hope
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Town hall
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Port Hope
Port Hope
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Port Hope
Port Hope
Coordinates: 43°57′N 78°18′W
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
CountyNorthumberland
Formed1789
Named forHenry Hope
Government
  TypeMunicipality
  MayorOlena Hankivsky
  Federal ridingNorthumberland—Peterborough South
  Prov. ridingNorthumberland—Peterborough South
Area
  Land278.80 km2 (107.65 sq mi)
  Urban12.72 km2 (4.91 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[1]
  Total
17,294
  Density62.0/km2 (161/sq mi)
  Urban13,012
  Urban density1,023.1/km2 (2,650/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (EST)
  Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Forward Sortation Area
Area codes905, 289 and 365
Websitewww.porthope.ca Edit this at Wikidata
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History

The Cayuga people inhabited the area in the early 17th century and there was a Mississauga village named Cochingomink also in the 17th century.[clarification needed][3][4]

In 1778 a fur trade post was established and the settlement was known as Smith's Creek.[5]

In 1793, Loyalists from the northern colonies became the first permanent settlers of European heritage in the area, as the Crown granted them land as compensation for being forced to leave the colonies (much of their property was confiscated by rebel governments) and as payment for military service.[citation needed] John Graves Simcoe, then lieutenant governor of Upper Canada, established the Township of Hope in the early 1790s, being named after Colonel Henry Hope, lieutenant governor of the Province of Quebec.[6]

From 1817 to 1819 the area was known as Toronto or "Toronto at Smith's Creek".[7][8]

In June of 1819 the village and township were united and named Port Hope.[9][10] In 1834 Port Hope was incorporated as a town.

Relatively slow growth from 1881 to 1951 resulted in much of the town's 19th century architecture surviving. In the early 21st century, Port Hope's downtown is celebrated as the best-preserved 19th-century streetscape in the province of Ontario. The town's local chapter of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario and the Heritage Port Hope Advisory Committee are very active and advise on the restoration and preservation of architecturally or historically significant buildings.

With over 270 heritage-designated buildings throughout the municipality, Port Hope has a higher per capita rate of preservation than any other town or city in Canada. Downtown businesses are regulated by the municipality to maintain the town's unique character. This special character makes Port Hope a destination for heritage tourism and people interested in architecture.

In 1978, eight members of the Satan's Choice Motorcycle Club were charged with a murder that occurred at Port Hope's Queen's Hotel. The trial and conviction of some membersthe Port Hope 8 casehas been described as a miscarriage of justice.[verification needed][11]

On January 1, 2001, the original town amalgamated with Hope Township to form the Municipality of Port Hope and Hope, which was renamed to its current name in November of that same year. At the time of amalgamation, the town's census population was listed as 11,718,[12] while the township's was 3,887.[13]

The 2017 horror movie It, its 2019 sequel It Chapter Two[14] , and It: Welcome to Derry were all filmed in Port Hope, which portrayed the fictional town of Derry, Maine.

Radiation and cleanup

Port Hope is known for having the largest volume of historic low-level radioactive wastes in Canada.[15] These wastes were initially created by Eldorado Mining and Refining Limited and its private sector predecessors, resulting from the refining of radium from pitchblende. Radium was used in radioluminescent paint (such as aircraft dials), and in early treatments for cancer.[16]

During the Second World War, the Eldorado plant produced exponentially more uranium oxides, which the United States used in the Manhattan Project that created the first nuclear weapons.[17] This plant, now under the ownership of Cameco, continues to produce uranium fuel for nuclear power plants.

In 2002, a large amount of contaminated soil was removed from beachfront areas.[18] More recently, a testing program began of over 5,000 properties, with a plan to remove and store contaminated soil that had been used as landfill. Over one billion dollars is expected to be spent on the soil remediation project, the largest such cleanup in Canadian history.[15]

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Geography

Communities

Besides the town proper of Port Hope, the municipality of Port Hope comprises a number of villages and hamlets, including Campbellcroft, Canton, Dale, Davidson's Corners (partially), Decker Hollow (ghost town), Elizabethville, Garden Hill, Knoxville, Morrish, Osaca, Perrytown, Port Britain, Rossmount (partially), Tinkerville, Thomstown, Welcome, Wesleyville, and Zion.

Climate

Port Hope has a humid continental climate (Dfb) with warm summers and cold winters.

More information Climate data for Port Hope, Ontario (1971–2000), Month ...
Climate data for Port Hope, Ontario (1971–2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.2
(63.0)
11.7
(53.1)
19.0
(66.2)
25.6
(78.1)
30.5
(86.9)
34.4
(93.9)
37.2
(99.0)
37.8
(100.0)
37.8
(100.0)
26.7
(80.1)
20.6
(69.1)
18.3
(64.9)
37.8
(100.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −1.8
(28.8)
−1.0
(30.2)
3.4
(38.1)
9.8
(49.6)
15.9
(60.6)
20.9
(69.6)
24.6
(76.3)
24.1
(75.4)
19.7
(67.5)
12.9
(55.2)
6.7
(44.1)
1.1
(34.0)
11.4
(52.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) −5.8
(21.6)
−4.8
(23.4)
−0.4
(31.3)
5.9
(42.6)
11.7
(53.1)
16.3
(61.3)
20.0
(68.0)
19.9
(67.8)
15.5
(59.9)
9.2
(48.6)
3.6
(38.5)
−2.6
(27.3)
7.4
(45.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −9.7
(14.5)
−8.6
(16.5)
−4.2
(24.4)
1.9
(35.4)
7.4
(45.3)
11.8
(53.2)
15.3
(59.5)
15.5
(59.9)
11.3
(52.3)
5.4
(41.7)
0.4
(32.7)
−6.2
(20.8)
3.4
(38.1)
Record low °C (°F) −32.2
(−26.0)
−30.0
(−22.0)
−22.8
(−9.0)
−13.9
(7.0)
−5.0
(23.0)
2.2
(36.0)
3.3
(37.9)
−0.6
(30.9)
−2.8
(27.0)
−16.7
(1.9)
−27.2
(−17.0)
−29.0
(−20.2)
−32.2
(−26.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 59.0
(2.32)
55.8
(2.20)
76.6
(3.02)
69.5
(2.74)
65.0
(2.56)
72.1
(2.84)
53.3
(2.10)
75.9
(2.99)
80.7
(3.18)
68.7
(2.70)
75.0
(2.95)
80.5
(3.17)
832.0
(32.76)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 21.0
(0.83)
28.6
(1.13)
58.6
(2.31)
67.6
(2.66)
65.0
(2.56)
72.1
(2.84)
53.3
(2.10)
75.9
(2.99)
80.7
(3.18)
68.7
(2.70)
70.3
(2.77)
48.0
(1.89)
709.8
(27.94)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 38.0
(15.0)
27.2
(10.7)
17.9
(7.0)
1.9
(0.7)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
4.7
(1.9)
32.5
(12.8)
122.3
(48.1)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 11.8 9.6 10.1 10.6 10.6 10.3 7.7 10.1 11.0 12.1 11.7 12.5 128.1
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 3.4 3.4 7.0 10.2 10.6 10.3 7.7 10.1 11.0 12.1 10.8 6.0 102.6
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 8.7 6.6 3.6 0.59 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.1 7.0 27.6
Source: Environment Canada[19]
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Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Port Hope had a population of 17,294 living in 7,318 of its 7,607 total private dwellings, a change of 3.2% from its 2016 population of 16,753. With a land area of 278.8 km2 (107.6 sq mi), it had a population density of 62.0/km2 (160.7/sq mi) in 2021.[1]

More information Population, Land area ...
202120162011
Population17,294 (+3.2% from 2016)16,753 (+3.3% from 2011)16,214 (−1.1% from 2006)
Land area278.80 km2 (107.65 sq mi)278.87 km2 (107.67 sq mi)279.03 km2 (107.73 sq mi)
Population density62.0/km2 (161/sq mi)60.1/km2 (156/sq mi)58.1/km2 (150/sq mi)
Median age50.8 (M: 48.8, F: 52.8)50.6 (M: 48.8, F: 51.9)
Private dwellings7,607 (total)  7,318 (occupied)7,305 (total)  6,870 (total) 
Median household income$88,000$72,435
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Canada census – Port Hope community profile
References: 2021[20] 2016[21] 2011[22] earlier[23][24]
More information Year, Pop. ...
Port Hope Historical census populations
YearPop.±%
18411,200    
18512,476+106.3%
18715,114+106.5%
18815,581+9.1%
18915,042−9.7%
19014,188−16.9%
19115,092+21.6%
YearPop.±%
19214,456−12.5%
19314,723+6.0%
19415,006+6.0%
19516,548+30.8%
19618,091+23.6%
19718,872+9.7%
19819,992+12.6%
YearPop.±%
199111,505+15.1%
200115,605+35.6%
200616,390+5.0%
201116,214−1.1%
201616,753+3.3%
202117,294+3.2%
Population counts are not adjusted for boundary changes.
Source: [1][25][26]
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Mother tongue (2021):[1]

  • English as first language: 93.5%
  • French as first language: 1.1%
  • English and French as first language: 0.4%
  • Other as first language: 4.3%
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Economy

More information Company, Employees ...
Top ten Port Hope industries by employment (2015)[27]
CompanyEmployees
CPK Interior Products403
Cameco Corporation390
ESCO157
Cameco Fuel Services140
Akzo Nobel78
Standard Auto Wreckers60
Disk Tooling40
Curtis Chicks32
Unitrak21
Port Hope Patterns12
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Downtown Port Hope offers shopping and a historic main street. Port Hope is served by a Via Rail station. It has a medical center, and a community health centre. It has had a daily newspaper since 1878, the Port Hope Evening Guide. Until 2007, this was part of the Osprey Media chain and subsequently a part of the Sun Media organization. In 2009 the newspaper was amalgamated with the Cobourg Daily Star and renamed as Northumberland Today.com. In November 2017 the newspaper was included in the large-scale closing of many local community newspapers throughout the province of Ontario.[28]

Port Hope's Economic Development Strategic Plan aims to increase job growth at least as fast as population growth. The town has a variety of industries.

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Arts and culture

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Ganaraska River at Port Hope

The Ganaraska River (affectionately known as "The Ganny"), is well known to area anglers for annual salmon and trout runs. It has caused many historic floods, the most recent having occurred on March 21–22, 1980. Every April since until 2020, Port Hope has commemorated the flood with "Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny" ten kilometre boat race.[29][30][31] "Participants range from serious paddlers navigating the cold, fast-moving water in kayaks and canoes, to the very entertaining 'crazy craft' paddlers, floating any combination of materials down the river in an attempt to reach the finish line."[32] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021, the first time in its history for such action.[33]

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Attractions

The Capitol Theatre is Canada's last functioning atmospheric theatre.[34] The theatre's main auditorium is styled after an outdoor medieval courtyard and rolling clouds are projected onto the ceiling. The town spent in excess of three million dollars renovating and upgrading the theatre in 2004–2005. It is also used for live events by Port Hope Festival Theatre.

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John David Smith House, c. 1834
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Waddell Block-Lantern Inn, 1845

The Municipality of Port Hope is home to many heritage and cultural attractions, and events, including:

  • Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny—a water race commemorating the 1980 flood of the Ganaraska River[35]
  • Ganaraska Forest Centre
  • Canadian Firefighters Museum (now demolished)[36]
  • Port Hope Yacht Club
  • Port Hope Festival Theatre at the Capitol Theatre
  • La Jeunesse Youth Orchestra [37] (3 concerts per year)
  • Port Hope and District Agricultural Fall Fair
  • The All Canadian Jazz Festival
  • Port Hope Farmers' Market (May to October)[38]
  • Port Hope Christmas and Santa Claus Parade (includes Festival of Trees, Candlelight Walk to Memorial Park, and Carol Singing)
  • Port Hope Drive-In (Built in 1952, it is among the oldest Canadian drive-ins still operating)
  • Architectural Conservancy of Ontario Annual House Tour, Garden Tour, and Antiques and Artifacts Auction
  • Port Hope and District Historical Society Dorothy's House Museum
  • Port Hope Archives[39]
  • Friends of Wesleyville Village
  • Beaches:
    • West Beach (parking at the end of Marsh Street)
    • East Beach (parking at the bottom of King Street at Madison Street)
  • Port Hope Waterfront Trail[40]
  • Port Hope Golf and Country Club[41]
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Infrastructure

Transportation

Highway 401 runs through the north end of Port Hope, with exits at County Road 2/Toronto Road (461) and Highway 28/Ontario Street (464).

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An inside look of the Port Hope VIA Rail station

Port Hope Transit provides local bus service, and VIA Rail provides passenger service from the Port Hope railway station along the Toronto-Montreal corridor. The station was built in 1856 for the Grand Trunk Railway and later CN Rail. It was restored in 1985.[citation needed]

Pleasure boats dock at the foot of John Street at Hayward Street and share the facilities with Cameco, which has berths for freighters servicing their manufacturing facilities at the mouth of the Ganaraska River.

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Education

Public education in Port Hope is under the management of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, and Catholic education is by the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board.

Elementary schools

  • St. Anthony's Elementary School, Catholic JK–8
  • Ganaraska Trail Public School, Public JK–6
  • North Hope Central School, Public JK–6
  • Beatrice Strong Public School, Public JK–6

High schools

  • Port Hope High School c. 1871, Public Gr 9-12 - opened in 1853 as Port Hope Grammar School[42]
  • Dr M. S. Hawkins Senior Public School, Public Gr 7–8 (same building as Port Hope High School)
  • Port Hope High School Student to Work Transition Program (SWOT Campus), Public Grade 9–12
  • Trinity College School, Private Gr 5–12
  • Discovery Academy, International campus (not active)

Notable people

See also

References

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