Georgetown, Ontario

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Georgetown is a community in the Town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada. It is located approx. 60km west of Toronto, situated on the Credit River, and is part of the municipality of Halton Region. Georgetown is one of the fastest growing communities in the Greater Toronto Area, and indeed within Canada itself. The population is 46,690 in the 2006 census, growing 26% over the previous five years. According to the 2006 census, the average income in Georgetown was $26,763. Georgetown is nicknamed "The Home Of The Little NHL" because of the great amount of citizens of all ages who play in the GMHA. The Gordan Alcott Arena in Georgetown is home of The Georgetown Raiders hockey team in the winter and the Halton Hills Bulldogs Lacrosse team in the summer. Georgetown is sometimes referred to as "G-Town" and "G-Hood".^{[citation needed]}

Georgetown takes its name from George Kennedy, who settled in the area in 1821. He built a sawmill, grist mill, foundry and a woollen mill, which fostered the early economic development of the area.

1837 was the year that two men, probably in the employ of George Kennedy, purchased his mill operation. William and James Barber, both trained as carders and clothiers, purchased the mill and the surrounding 13 acres (53,000 m²) for 750 pounds sterling. To finance this large purchase price, Joseph and Robert Barber joined their brothers in the operation. James Barber built his home where the mill road joined the 8th line (Main Street and Park Avenue).

Cedarvale Park is one of several municipal parks located a short walk from downtown Georgetown, Ontario. In the summer it plays host to many soccer games run by the GSC (Georgetown Soccer Club.) The park also includes and sheltered area with picnic tables and the Credit Valley Artisans building.

1 Notable residents
2 Local events
3 Industry and business
4 Transportation
5 Nearby Communities
6 External links

[edit] Notable residents

Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, lived in Norval for a large part of her life.

Jim Mora, Ex-coach of the Atlanta Falcons once resided in Georgetown.

Mike Holmes, star of the home renovation show Holmes on Homes, is a resident.

Stompin' Tom Connors lives in Glen Williams

Felix Potvin, a famous goaltender of the Toronto Maple Leafs once resided in this town

Adam Bennett, Selected by Chicago Blackhawks round 1 #6 overall 1989 NHL Entry Draft still resides in Georgetown.

Brian Hayward, NHL goaltender was born June 25, 1960 in Georgetown

[edit] Local events

[edit] Crazy Outhouse Race

First Saturday of June every year the Main Street is closed down for the running of the Cancer Assistance Service Crazy Outhouse Race

[edit] Georgetown Highland Games

The second Saturday in June, Georgetown is host to a variety of Scottish traditional games and celebrations.

[edit] Farmers' Market

A farmers' market operates on Main St. in downtown Georgetown on Saturdays 8:00am - 12:30pm from June through October. The section of Main St. that hosts the market is closed off to vehicles during the event. The Farmers Market has been taking place in Georgetown for many years and is important to residents because it is relied on for fresh fruits and vegetables.

[edit] Industry and business

Georgetown hosts a variety of Italian and Portuguese restaurants and bakeries due to a recent influx of residents of European decent.

Major industries with head offices and facilities in Georgetown include Mold-Masters Limited, CPI Canada, and Neilson Dairy. Other major industrial concerns include Cooper Standard, (ABM Cocoa) Ambrosia Chocolate, BASF Canada, Cercor, Kingsbury Technologies (Canada) Inc. and Baltimore Aircoil. The community also serves as the Canadian headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses who maintain a sizeable printing facility along with residential units for their workers.

The Georgetown Marketplace is Georgetown's Mall. It has roughly 62 stores, including major companies such as Walmart and Zellers. In the past few years, there has been a transfer in the type of stores. Now the Georgetown Marketplace has teenage clothing stores, and more stores targeted for the younger population.

[edit] Transportation

GO Transit and VIA Rail serve Georgetown Station. The Georgetown Halton Hills Activan provides local transportation for individuals with physical disabilities. GO Transit offers both bus and rail services through the Georgetown GO Station. The GO Transit Georgetown rail line runs between Toronto, Georgetown and Guelph. The GO bus connects to many of the nearby towns including Acton, Brampton, Bramalea and Malton.