Exeter, Ontario

Exeter is a community in the Canadian municipality of South Huron, Ontario, located approximately 50 kilometres north of London. It is located in the southern portion of Huron County, Ontario. The community bills itself as "Home of the White Squirrel", due to the presence of the unusually-coloured mammals.

History

Exeter was first founded in the winter of 1832 by the Irish settlers James and Jane Willis. By 1853, Exeter sprouted up into a community of over 300 with the help of Isaac Carling bringing immigrants from the Exeter and Devon areas of England. It was on July 1, 1873, when the villages north and south of the Ausable River (Francistown and Exeter respectively) merged to form the Village of Exeter. From its humble beginnings, Exeter became a bustling town of over 4,500 people.

Transport

Exeter is located on the north-south Highway 4. At the north end of the community, Highway 4 intersects with County Road 83.

Freight train service is provided by the Goderich-Exeter Railway, connecting to Canadian National Railway service at London and Toronto.

The closest local airfield is at Centralia/Huron Airpark, south of Exeter. Closest major airport is London International Airport.

Exeter is served by scheduled bus service to Owen Sound and Londoncite web|url=http://www.greybruceairbus.com/airbus/os-london.htm|title=Grey-Brue Bus Schedule|publisher=Grey Bruce Air Bus|accessdate=2007-04-18] .

Media

The local newspaper is the [http://www.southhuron.com "Exeter Times-Advocate"] , owned by Metroland Publishing. This paper publishes once-weekly, on Wednesdays.

Cable television is provided by Ex-Cen Cablevision and includes local community station ETM Television.

ports

Exeter is home to the Exeter Hawks, a junior hockey team that plays in the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Exeter Mohawks of the Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League.

Notable People

* Harriet Brooks (1876-1933) - Early pioneer in nuclear physics
* Christopher T. Brandon - Bass player, songwriter & back up vocalist for Quebec rock band Doppelganger Effekt.
* Jay Campbell - meteorologist, A-Channel
* Charles Trick Currelly - (1876-1957) Founder And First Curator of the Royal Ontario Museum cite web|title="Information on Charles Trick Currelly|url=http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/anthropology/history.htm|accessdate=2007-10-08]
* Paul De Lisle - musician
* Gerry Dewan - news reporter, A-Channel
* Donald Methuen Fleming (1905-1986) Canadian Federal Finance Minister, Governor of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund official
* Tim Long - executive producer, "The Simpsons"
* Allan Pickard (1895-1975) Influential Canadian amateur hockey administrator and organizer, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
* Dave Shaw - player, NHL
* Peter Snell [http://youtube.com/watch?v=c7DKsZmFjds] - London-based musician who wrote "White Wonder" tribute to Exeter's squirrels [http://www.victoria-park.com/snell.htm]
* Kathleen Mendelin - author, "Vamplitude"(2008)- fictional novel (inspired by the music and persona of Rick Springfield). The storyline takes place in the town of Exeter.

Landmarks

* McNaughton Park, including Scenic Gardens
* [http://www.shha.on.ca/ South Huron Hospital]
* 2 golf courses
* [http://www.abca.on.ca/ca-morrisondam.php Morrison Dam Conservation Area]
* Recently-restored Town Hall

Schools

* [http://www.shdhs.ca/ South Huron District High School] , Home of the Panthers and over 850 students
*Exeter Public School
*Precious Blood Catholic Public School

Events

* [http://www.whitesquirrels.ca/festival.htm The White Squirrel Festival]

* Exeter Fall Fair

* Exeter Rodeo

Further reading

*cite web | publisher=R. Southcott (via ouroots.ca) | title=Exeter...: a history of Exeter, Ontario | url=http://www.ourroots.ca/e/toc.aspx?id=4462 | accessdate=2006-12-04 | first=Joseph L. | last=Wooden | year=1973

References

External links

* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=c7DKsZmFjds Exeter's "WHITE WONDER" music video By Peter Snell]
* [http://www.town.southhuron.on.ca/ Municipality of South Huron]
* [http://www.amdsb.ca/SHDHS/current/ South Huron District High School, in Exeter]
* [http://www.cabletv.on.ca/ Ex-Cen/Bluewater Cable Television]
* [http://www.etmtelevision.com ETM Television (community cable TV station)]
* [http://www.shcc.on.ca/ South Huron Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.grandbendstrip.com/ Grand Bend Strip] - community newspaper free to homes in Exeter, Grand Bend, Zurich, Dashwood, Port Franks, Crediton and Parkhill