Belleville, Ontario
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| City of Belleville | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| County | Hastings |
| Settled | 1789 |
| Named | 1816 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Neil Ellis |
| Area | |
| - City | 246.76 km² (95.3 sq mi) |
| - Metro | 1,918.2 km² (740.61 sq mi) |
| Population (2006)Taken from 2006 Belleville Profile | |
| - City | 48,821 |
| - Density | 197.8/km² (512.3/sq mi) |
| - Metro | 91,518 |
| - Metro Density | 123.6/km² (320.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Website: City of Belleville official site | |
Belleville (2006 population 48,821, metropolitan population 91,518)[1] is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in southeastern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County. The current mayor of Belleville is Neil Ellis (elected on November 13th 2006).
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[edit] History
Originally the site of a Native settlement known as Asukhknosk, the future location of the city was settled by United Empire Loyalists in 1789, after which it became known as Meyer's Creek after prominent settler and industrialist John Walden Meyers. It was renamed Belleville in honour of Lady Arabella Gore in 1816, after a visit to the settlement by Sir Francis Gore and his wife. Belleville became an important railway junction with the completion of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1855.
[edit] Geography and Climate
Belleville is located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in southeastern Ontario between the cities of Trenton(Quinte West) to the west and Napanee to the East. These cities are connected by both Ontario's Highway 2 and the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway (HWY 401).
[edit] Distance Statistics
- 192km (119 miles) from Toronto, ON.
- 221km (137 miles) from Ottawa, ON.
- 356km (221 miles) from Montreal, QC.
[edit] Climate
Belleville's climate has four distinctive seasons. The summer season has comfortable temperatures and modest rainfall. The winter season is not exceedingly cold and the average snowfall is lower than in many other parts of Canada and north-east United States. The City's traditional continental climate (hot summers, cold winters) is moderated somewhat by its location near the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario. The lakes moderates temperature extremes, cooling hot summer days and warming cold days during the fall and winter.[citation needed]
- Mean Daily Temperature - Annually = 7.5° C
- Mean Maximum Highest Temp. - Summer = 26.5° C
- Mean Minimum Lowest Temp. - Winter = -11.9° C
- Growing Degree-Days = 2239
- Growing Season = 190-200 days
- Mean Annual Precipitation = 85 cm
- Mean Annual Snow Fall = 151 cm
- Average Number of Days with Precipitation = 141 days
- Average Number of Days with Snowfall = 42 days
- Average Number of Days with max. temperature > 0° C = 304 days
[edit] Economy
Procter & Gamble, Lipton, Wilson Sports, Sears and Nortel are among the internationally known companies with industrial operations in Belleville. The central Canadian Forces Post Office (CFPO) is located here. As this post office is the gateway between the civilian and military postal systems of Canada, Belleville serves as the mailing address for Canadian Armed Forces Bases and Ships abroad.
[edit] Demographics
The City of Belleville, with the amalgamation of the Township of Thurlow, and the annexation of a portion of the City of Quinte West, has a population of approximately 46,000 people. Belleville is the largest urban centre in a much larger market area generally known as the Quinte Region. The Quinte Region extends approximately 25 miles in all directions from Belleville's City centre, and has an estimated population of approximately 173,000 people.
Belleville's population is projected to increase by 7,500 people by 2021 to approximately 54,000 inhabitants, a growth rate of roughly .7% per year. However, two trends may result in a growth rate up to twice the above rate. The two trends include:
- expansion of smaller urban communities within easy traveling distance to large metropolitan urban centres.
- expansion of Belleville as the regional employment and service centre for the Quinte Region and areas.
[edit] Population Stats
- Population: 46,000
- Population Within 25 miles Of City Centre: 172,625
- Population Per Square Kilometre Within 25 Mile Radius Of City Centre: 34.26
- Average Population Per Dwelling Within 25 Mile Radius Of City Centre: 2.61
[edit] Education
[edit] Colleges
Loyalist College is the local community college.
[edit] High Schools
[edit] Public
- Centennial Secondary School (Belleville)
- Moira Secondary School
- Quinte Secondary School
[edit] Catholic
- St. Theresa Catholic Secondary School
- Nicholson Catholic College
[edit] Elementary Schools
[edit] Public
- Parkdale Public Elementary School
- Queen Elizabeth Elementary School
- Prince of Wales Elementary School
- Harry J. Clarke Elementary School
- Queen Victoria Elementary School
- Chase Maracle Elementary School
- Sir John A Macdonald School
[edit] Catholic
- Our Lady of Fatima Elementary School
- St Michael's Elementary School
- St Joseph's Elementary School
- George Vanier Elementary School
- Holy Rosary Elementary School
[edit] Special Schools
- Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf.
[edit] Private Schools
- Albert College, a private boarding school
- Quinte Christian High School which opened in 1977 and moved into new facilities in September 2006.
[edit] Sports Teams
Belleville is home to the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League. The Belleville Bulls play at the Yardmen Arena located on Cannifton Road.
A major summer event which attracts thousands of people to Belleville each year is the Waterfront & Ethnic Festival.
Belleville was the birthplace of NHL stars: Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Andrew Raycroft. Former Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers, and New York Rangers player Bobby Hull, former United States national team player Brett Hull, Vancouver Canucks veteran Matt Cooke, and Los Angeles Kings head coach Marc Crawford. The Crawford family also has come together to produce Bob Crawford (Hartford Whalers), Lou Crawford, former OHL and AHL head coach, and Todd Crawford, an upcoming Canadian Bobsled superstar.
Susanna Moodie moved to Belleville with her husband in 1840, after several years spent "roughing it in the bush," and it was also home to Sir MacKenzie Bowell, Canada's fifth Prime Minister as well as author Farley Mowat.
[edit] Media
[edit] Print
- Belleville Intelligencer - daily newspaper
[edit] Radio
- AM 800 - CJBQ, country music
- FM 91.3 - CJLX ("91X"), Loyalist College campus radio
- FM 95.5 - CJOJ ("Classic Hits 95.5"), classic hits
- FM 97.1 - CIGL ("Mix 97"), hot adult contemporary
- FM 100.1 - CHCQ ("Cool 100"), country music
- FM 102.3 - CKJJ, ("UCB") Christian music
- See also List of radio stations in Ontario.
[edit] Sister cities
Lahr, Germany - Established in 1971
Kunpo City, South Korea - Established in 1996
Zhucheng City, People's Republic of China - Established in 1996
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- City of Belleville website
- bellevilleontario.ca
- Belleville Waterfront Festival
- Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board
- Belleville Public Library and John M. Parrott Art Gallery
