Beamsville, Ontario

The community of Beamsville (2006 Urban area estimated population 9,703) is located in the province of Ontario, in Canada, along the southern shore of Lake Ontario. Containing century-old brick buildings, an old-fashioned downtown area with barbershops, women's dress shops, a bakery, a print shop, restaurants, banks, etc., and plenty of orchards and vineyards, Beamsville lies within the fruit belt of the Niagara Peninsula.

Beamsville is located within the larger Town of Lincoln.

People

The town is home to numerous Dutch and United Empire Loyalist families, as evidenced by the large number of Dutch Reformed and Anglican churches in the area. Other ethnic groups include Italians - one family of whom founded the Commisso's Supermarket Chain - Germans, East Asians, and Indians.

Beamsville currently has two secondary schools, Beamsville District Secondary School and Great Lakes Christian College, and three elementary schools, Senator Gibson, Maple Grove, and Jacob Beam. Beamsville also has a separate school, St. Mark's Elementary School.

Bill Berg, formerly a hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and now an NHL broadcaster, was born, and continues to make his home in Beamsville. Paul Laus, a former Florida Panthers defenceman is also a Beamsville native.

Another Beamsville native of note, Tonya Verbeek, earned an Olympic silver medal in women's wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Tonya Verbeek excelled once again by winning the bronze medal in women's freestyle wrestling, 55 kg class.

The band RUSH practised in Beamsville in their earlier days with drummer Neil Peart who lived here for a while.

History

Beamsville was named after Jacob Beam, a United Empire Loyalist who founded the town in 1788. Both of his homes - the original one located on the Thirty, as well as the one near downtown Beamsville - are still intact today. Senator Gibson was also a major founder of Beamsville. His mansion is now the Girls' Dorm at Great Lakes Christian College.

The Fleming branch of the [http://www.lincoln.library.on.ca/index.htm/ Lincoln Public Library] , founded in 1852, can be found in the old Clinton-Louth town hall built in the mid-19th century. The upper floor of the building has been used by Freemasons for more than a century.

Beamsville is also home to the annual [http://www.lincolncountyfair.com/ Lincoln County Agricultural Fair] , usually held on or around the first weekend of September. This fair is a very well-known fair throughout the area, and attracts thousands of people every year since its inception in 1857.

In 1970, the Town of Beamsville was almalgamated with Clinton and (half of) Louth to form the larger Town of Lincoln.

Industry

Beamsville is in the heart of Ontario's wine country and contributes greatly to the wine industry in the Niagara Peninsula. Many wineries from the area have taken home top awards, including Grape King at the [http://www.grapeandwine.com/ Niagara Grape & Wine Festival] , as well as international awards. A short list of Beamsville wineries include; Malivoire, East Dell Wineries, Thomas and Vaughan, Thirty Bench, Angel's Gate, Peninsula Ridge, Cave Spring Cellars, Daniel Lenko Winery, Magnotta, Mountain Road Winery, Legends Estates, and Crown Bench.

The town is located along the Queen Elizabeth Way - the main road that connects Toronto and Buffalo, New York. Many tourists stop off at the highway exit for something to eat at the many fast food restaurants located nearby.

In 1898, hockey players in the town of Beamsville were the first to make use of a hockey net. The town was also home to the first Japanese-Canadian home for the aged in 1967. The Nipponia Home closed in 2000 due to new provincial regulations.

References and external links

* [http://www.lincoln.ca/siteengine/activepage.asp?bhcp=1 Town of Lincoln website]
* [http://www.lincoln.library.on.ca/local_history/townhistory.htm History of Lincoln]
* [http://www.lincoln.library.on.ca/local_history/Index_Local_History.htm Local History]
* [http://www.beamsvillewx.ca Beamsville Weather Station]

Canadian City Geographic Location
North="Lake Ontario"
West=Grimsby
Center=Beamsville
East=Vineland
South=West Lincoln