Tillsonburg, Ontario

Infobox City
official_name = Town of Tillsonburg
nickname =
motto = A Place to Build Your Future

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mapsize =
map_caption = Location of Tillsonburg in relation to the Province of Ontario
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = Canada
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = Ontario
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Oxford County
leader_title = Governing Body
leader_title1 = Town Mayor
leader_title2 = Deputy Mayor
leader_title3 = Councillors
leader_name = Tillsonburg Town Council
leader_name1 = Stephen Molnar
leader_name2 = Mark A Renaud
leader_name3 = Fred Lewis
Brian Stephenson
Chris Rosehart
Sam Lamb
Dave Beres
established_title = Settled
established_title2 = Incorporated
established_date = 1825 as a village
established_date2 = 1872 as a town
area_magnitude =
area_footnotes = [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3532004&Geo2=CD&Code2=3532&Data=Count&SearchText=tillson&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=Population Population and dwelling counts, 2006 Census] Statistics Canada (2006-03-13). Retrieved on 2008-08-27.]
area_total_km2 = 22.34
area_total_sq_mi = 13.87
area_land_km2 =
area_land_sq_mi =
area_water_km2 =
area_water_sq_mi =
area_water_percent =
area_urban_km2 =
area_urban_sq_mi =
area_metro_km2 =
area_metro_sq_mi =
population_as_of = 2006
population_footnotes =
population_note =
settlement_type = Town
population_total = 14,822
population_metro =
population_urban =
population_density_km2 = 663.6
population_density_sq_mi =
population_blank1_title= Demonym
population_blank1 = Tillsonburger
timezone = EST
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
postal_code_type = Postal code
postal_code = N4G
area_code = (519/226)
latd=42 |latm=52 |lats=00 |latNS=N
longd=80 |longm=44 |longs=00 |longEW=W
elevation_m = 270
elevation_ft = 885
website = http://www.tillsonburg.ca/
footnotes =

Tillsonburg, Ontario is a town in Oxford County, Ontario.

Tillsonburg is a town of 14,822 located about 50 kilometres southeast of London, on Highway 3 at the junction of Highway 19 the closest route to Highway 401 at Ingersoll, Ontario. Although the town population is listed as 14,822, the town is a regional hub for business, industry, health care, education, agriculture, government and emergency services which serves a catchment/trade area of nearly 225,000 people. [ [http://www.tillsonburg.ca/site/2344/business.aspx Town of Tillsonburg - Business] Retrieved on 2008-08-28.]

History

and a tremendous asset toward handling pressures of modern day traffic, by providing the benefits of angle parking. As a logging village, what is now called Broadway, as well as Highway 19, was originally called Plank Line.

The mid 1800s proved to be the first step in the industrialization of this municipality. A water system was devised to not only supply pure water for domestic use, but also to provide water power to such industries as a sawmill, planing mill, grist mill, spinning mill, pottery and a tannery. Many of these new establishments were either owned, started, or financed by George Tillson.

elected as its first Mayor. The Town of Tillsonburg reached a population of 2,000 in 1885, experienced its first church dedication, and had its first telephone installation established. Electric power was first utilized in 1912 and automobiles began to appear on the market.

In 1915, a Public Library was built with funds provided by the Carnegie Foundation, and the town's Memorial Hospital came into existence in 1925.

In the 20s, major enterprises included milk production, manufacture of shoes, tractors, textiles and an increased production of tobacco. The Tillsonburg Livingston's Basketball Team (representative of Tillsonburg's largest industry) won the Canadian Championships in 1952 and represented Canada in the Olympics at Helsinki, Finland. CKOT Radio began broadcasting operations in 1955 and the Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Marketing Board opened its new auction exchange 3 years later. The Town's Centennial Year (1972) saw the opening of the new $1,000,000 Community Recreation Complex by the Governor-General of Canada, as well as the opening of the Tillsonburg Museum in the old community centre on the shores of lovely Lake Lisgar. A new 8,000 square foot Library was completed in 1975, and a second indoor skating rink was built in 1977, funded completely by donations from industry, commerce, service clubs, citizens and Wintario. In 1979, the hospital built a $7,000,000 addition for offices, improved x-ray and emergency departments, and an expanded Intensive Care Unit. A fire hall was constructed in 1979, replacing the old building which was demolished to make way for a downtown mall.

The controversial Tillsonburg Town Centre Mall opened in 1980, where the former Town Hall once stood. The mall, a joint effort of the Town and Trottier Investments, was built primarily to meet competition from out-of-town malls and keep more of the shopping dollar in town.

In 1983, two important buildings - Annandale House (built by the founding Tillson family) and the Hale Street railway station became public buildings. The former would be restored as a house museum, while the latter would become The Station Arts Centre.

A major residential development geared for seniors - Hickory Hills - was announced in 1985. The development significantly added to the Town's population as well as increased the pool of volunteers for local non-profit agencies.

In 1991, a Food Bank had to be established for the community's needy and continues to be operated on a volunteer basis.

Throughout the early 1990s, volunteers were also busy on the Lake Lisgar Renaissance Project, which sought to revitalize the Lake, and make the park around the Lake more attractive with the construction of a gazebo, water fountain and walkways into the Lake.

That same period saw the closing of two major entertainment outlets: the Skylark Drive-In and the Strand movie theatre, victims of the video store arrival. To the relief of many, big screen movies came back in Tillsonburg in 1996 with the opening of Broadway Cinemas. The original angled marquee architecture of the Strand Theatre is still intact. The old theatre became a TD Bank location for a short period of time but the marquee currently displays the Pizza Pizza logo which now inhabits the building.

In 1994, the downtown area was significantly enhanced with the construction of the Rotary Club Clock Tower, which incorporated a clock from the town's former Post Office, and a bell from the demolished Town Hall. Soon, it became a community tradition (sponsored by the Rotary Club) for local residents to gather at the Clock Tower to ring in the New Year with fireworks, hot apple cider and the dropping of a ball.

Further development of residential senior's focused development began in 2001 with the Baldwin Place subdivision located on the western periphery of the town. This development which is currently in Phase 8 will have approximately 300 homes when completed.

The Tillsonburg Community Centre was refurbished in 2004 with renovations and enlargement of the main ice surface to NHL size. The project's scope of work included keeping the whale-back roof as a key architectural feature as well as to increase seating and provide for new recreation and health club facilities.

A major fundraising campaign was undertaken to fund the equipment for a dialysis unit at Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital. This became operational during 2006.

Recent residential development includes the re-urbanization of the former railway lands on Bridge Street East which is the site of Tillson Landing condominium, the first such highrise construction in more than a decade. Tillson Landing was completed in January 2006.

Another major subdivision containing nearly 400 homes, The Oaks, will begin construction shortly. This subdivision is located in the south-central area of town on the east side of Quarterline Road between Concession and Baldwin Streets.

Government

Tillsonburg is one of eight municipalities that make up the County of Oxford. The Mayor also represents the Town as a County Councillor. The County administers social programs, ambulance & paramedic services, planning, water & wastewater services, garbage & landfill operations and the County road system.

Tillsonburg is governed by an elected Mayor, Deputy Mayor and five Councillors. Council meets on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month in the Council Chambers in the Corporate Municipal Office. They oversee staff and set policy for the various operations and services provided by the Town.

The council of the Town of Tillsonburg was inaugurated and took the oath of office on December 4, 2006 following the municipal election held on November 13.

The town also owns and operates:
*Tillsonburg Municipal Airport
*Lake Lisgar Water Park
*Tillsonburg Public Library
*Tillsonburg Special Events Centre

Through town-sanctioned committees, the following organizations contribute to the vitality of the town:
*BIA (Business Improvement Association)
*Museum Advisory Committee
*Cemetery Advisory Committee
*Airport Advisory Committee
*Economic Development Committee

=Health care=
*The town has one hospital accredited through the Ontario Ministry of Health. Tillsonburg and District Memorial Hospital is located in the downtown area on Rolph Street. The TDMH serves the town and region. The hospital has an emergency room open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are currently 5 doctors registered with on healthyontario.com as accepting new patients, one of the few communities in Ontario where there is no wait list for a family doctor.

=Education=

Elementary and secondary schools

Tillsonburg elementary and secondary schools are under the control of two school boards, the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) and the London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB).

Annandale School

*Established: 1950
*Population: ~520
*Grades: 7 - 9
*One of the last remaining middle schools left in Ontario

=Glendale High School=

*Established: 1959
*Population: ~802
*Grades: 10 - 12

Maple Lane Public School

*Established: 1965
*Population: ~300
*Grades: JK - 6
*Used to be a high school

Monsignor J.H. O'Neill Catholic School

*Established: 1978
*Population: ~280
*Grades: 5 - 8

Rolph Street Public School

*Established: 1913
*Population: ~340
*Grades: JK - 6

outh Ridge Public School

*Established: 1981
*Population: ~440
*Grades: JK - 6

t. Joseph's Catholic School

*Population: ~320
*Grades: JK - 4

pecial service schools

Adult Basic Literacy Program

*Established: 1995
*Literacy instruction is provided to any adults free of charge. Students are encouraged to purchase their books.

Tillson Avenue Education Centre

*Established: 1995
*Adult Day School offering credit courses, independent learning courses, basic literacy, English as a second language (ESL) and driver education.

Industry and economy

Tillsonburg serves a regional tri-county area of 225,000 people at the confluence of Oxford, Elgin and Norfolk counties. The industrial base has become quite diverse during the decline of the once prominent tobacco industry. The area is home to several branch plants of major US-based automotive suppliers including Rieter Automotive, Guardian Industries, TRW - 2 plants, and Johnson Controls. There are many service-related industries and home-grown success stories including Verspeeten Transport, Marwood Metal Fabrication Ltd., Otter Valley Foods, E & E McLauglin Ltd., J/E Bearing Ltd., Fleetwood Metal Products, and Mil-Sim-FX.

The town has a very active and developing downtown core area which includes the Tillsonburg Town Centre mall, built in 1980 and the recently opened big box stores including Canadian Tire, Shopper's Drug Mart and Staples-Business Depot. Newly expanded The Source store and Mark's Work Wearhouse are under construction in the Tillsonburg Town Centre Mall.

All of the major Canadian chartered banks have branches in the town and there is also one Credit Union.

The town is well served with 3 grocery stores, Sobey's, Zehrs and A&P, of which, Sobey's and A&P are open 24 hours.

The town has been positively impacted by the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, 22 kilometres north of the town, which opened in 1986. The CAMI plant, jointly owned by Suzuki of Japan and General Motors of Detroit, Michigan, produces the Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent SUVs as well as Suzuki products.

The announcement of a new Toyota plant in Woodstock, 30 km northeast of Tillsonburg, will have a similarly positive impact on the development of Tillsonburg. In preparation for the increased traffic demands in the County of Oxford, Highway 19 has been upgraded and completely rebuilt north of the town to Highway #401.

The area also has a strong agricultural community with cash crops, hog farming, milk production, tobacco, ginseng and various tertiary crops.

The town has recently become a hub for regional operations of the Ontario Provincial Police including Oxford County Division Headquarters and also the Southwestern Ontario Forensics laboratory opened off Hwy #3 in April of 2008.

The town is the 3rd fastest growing community in Oxford County, and ranks as one of the top places to live in Canada.

Tourism

* In January 2006 the National Post listed Tillsonburg as number 75 on the top 100 places to visit in Canada. [Romanada, M. [http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=19ddd953-7576-4059-96cf-730b4f95c866&p=4 "Canada's top 100 trips (and you don't need a passport)"] , "National Post", January 7 2006.]
* Tillsonburg is home to one of the "Large Canadian Roadside Attractions," an electric guitar. The guitar was once accompanied by a piano that functioned as a roadside advertisement for the music store on the same property. Today, the piano portion of the sign and the music store itself are gone. The building is now a residence but the electric guitar remains. [cite web | url=http://www.roadsideattractions.ca/tilsonburg.htm | title=Large Canadian Roadside Attractions | accessdate=2007-01-09 ]
* Annandale House is a Canadian National Historic Site since 1997. [cite web | url=http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/lhn-nhs/det_E.asp?oqSID=1836&oqeName=Annandale+House+%2F+Tillsonburg+Museum&oqfName=Maison+Annandale+%2F+mus%E9e+Tillsonburg | title=Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada | accessdate=2007-01-09 ]
*The Station Arts Centre with an art gallery and several workshops, features the works of various local artists.
*The town owns the Tillsonburg Municipal Airport, located 7 kilometers north of the town. The airport is the only aviation facility with a paved runway in Oxford and Norfolk Counties. The airport has 3 runways with the primary asphalt runway being 4002 feet long.
*The town owns the Tillsonburg Special Event Centre located in the Forest Hill industrial park. This facility is the largest of its kind in Southwestern Ontario. The building is over 50,000 square feet and can host events from dinners to car shows to exhibitions.
*The first ever Purina National Canadian Dog Show was held in 2007 in Tillsonburg at the Tillsonburg Special Event Centre on March 10-11th, 2007. Drawing top canines from across the country, and the United States. The Second Annual show is scheduled to return November 21, 22 & 23, 2008.
*There are 2 hotels and several bed and breakfasts located within the town limits.
*Camping is available north of town at Casey's Park located on Highway #19 north of Mount Elgin.
*There are many restaurants in the town including Dairy Queen, Burger King, McDonald's, Tim Hortons, Swiss Chalet, Kelsey's, Harvey's, Subway, A&W, and various independents.
*There are several golf courses in the area including The Tillsonburg Golf and Country Club which is being expanded to 18-holes which will be open in July 2009.
*Lake Lisgar, a small lake located in the centre of town, has been rehabilitated and is home to fishing, Tillsonburg Rowing Club and the Lake Lisgar Water Park.
*Coyle's Country Store is a unique store which sells fresh roasted nuts, baking supplies, and spices from around the world. It is located 10-15 minutes north of Tillsonburg.

Demographics

All statistics are based on the 2006 census by Statistics Canada.

Age

Ethnicity

Transportation

Road and rail

Though not directly on the route, Highway 401 passes close to the town, and is served by Highway 19. Greyhound has weekly bus service to and from Tillsonburg. There is currently no transit system (Tillsonburg Transit ceased operations in 2001 after a 6 year lifespan), however there are 3 taxi cab companies to make up for this.

Passenger train services are provided by Via Rail stations in nearby Ingersoll or Woodstock.

Air

The town is served by the Tillsonburg Municipal Airport which is located 7 kilometers north of the town in Southwest Oxford Township. The airport is home to several aviation-related businesses. The airport has 3 runways, with the primary runway being 4002' long, constructed of asphalt. The airport is used by corporate aircraft including jets. Regular users of the airport also include the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association, Air Ambulance, Canadian Coast Guard, the Ontario Provincial Police and other government agencies.

Scheduled airline passenger service is available at 3 airports within a 1 hour drive from Tillsonburg.

The Region of Waterloo International Airport offers daily passenger service to Detroit on Northwest Airlines, daily non-stop service to Ottawa on Bearskin Airlines, and daily non-stop service to Calgary on WestJet. During the winter months, non-stop passenger service from Kitchener-Waterloo to Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica.

The John C. Munro International Airport in Hamilton, offers daily domestic service to Calgary, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal and seasonal service to the UK and Caribbean.

The London International Airport offers daily non-stop service to Winnipeg, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Detroit, Michigan. Seasonal service to Halifax and Vancouver as well as the Caribbean are also offered from London.

Recreation

*The town has many ravines throughout and a new community trail system is under construction which is scheduled to be completed and opened to the public in 2009.
*Curling is available at the Tillsonburg and District Curling Club.
*Golf is available in and near town with several courses, both 9 and 18 holes.
*Lake Lisgar is home to the Lake Lisgar Water Park which is open from mid-June to Labour Day.
*The Tillsonburg Senior's Centre, located at the Tillsonburg Community Centre Complex, offers more than 2 dozen activities including a woodworking shop, aerobics, handcrafts, a library, card playing including a bridge club and seasonal activities.
*Hockey and ringette programs are offered at the Tillsonburg Community Centre Complex.
*The Tillsonburg Storm, AA hockey club, play at the Memorial Arena located at the Tillsonburg Community Centre Complex.
*The Tillsonburg Soccer Park is one of the best such facilities anywhere in Ontario, with a land area of 14 acres. Opened in 2000, this facility draws regional tournaments and players from across the region. The park also includes a full clubhouse with meeting and catering facilities.
*Winter tobagganing is available at the Tillsonburg Golf and Country Club.
*Area 51 Sportsfield [http://www.area-51.on.ca] has a large 60 acre (243,000 m²) paintball field which offers private games for patrons aged 12 and up.
*The new Official Tillsonburg Skate park is located in front of the Community Centre.
* Pro Wrestling Xtreme [http://www.prowrestlingxtreme.com] has been running monthly professional wrestling events at the Lions Auditorium since September 2004.

Media

Radio

* 1510 AM/107.3 FM - CKOT/CJDL-FM, country music
* 101.3 FM - CKOT-FM, "Easy 101" adult contemporary

Television

* CTV - CKCO-TV Kitchener, Ontario
* CBC - CBLN-TV London, Ontario
* A-Channel - CFPL-TV London, Ontario
* Rogers Community Television - Cable 13 Tillsonburg, Ontario

Internet

*High speed DSL service is available in most areas from Bell and a number of resellers including Execulink and Primus. Cable internet is provided by Rogers with Execulink also providing wireless connectivity in outlying areas.

=Newspapers=
* "The Tillsonburg News", a tri-weekly newspaper, first published in 1863
* "Lake Shore Shopper"
* "Eh! Magazine", a pop culture magazine published from 2003-2004

Neighbourhoods

*Brookside: One of the newer areas located off Quarterline Road near the Tillsonburg Soccer Park. This area of larger single-family homes has recently been connected with Broadway Acres via the long-awaited extension of Glendale Drive. Monsignor O'Neill and Glendale High School are located nearby.
*Broadway Acres: A neighbourhood immediately adjacent to Broadway with homes built as far back as the 1960s until today.
*Westmount: Originally part of the former Township of Dereham, this neighbourhood boasts a large park and homes spread out over very large lots dating back to 1970.
*Hickory Hills: The first of the retirement subdivisions in the town. Planned in the late 1980s this neighbourhood has quaint small homes, all one-storey with attached garages. The residents have their own residents association and community centre.
*Baldwin Place: Modelled largely after the successful Hickory Hills subdivision, this neighbourhood also features one-storey homes.
*Rolling Meadows: also was annexed by the Town of Tillsonburg in the 1970s and features larger homes on sizeable lot frontages. This neighbourhood is in the north end of town with convenient access to Highway #19.
*Southridge
*Annandale
*Annandale Heights
*Cadman
*Trottier 1
*Trottier 2
*Riva Ridge
*VanNorman Drive
*Woodhaven
*The Oakes
*Park Place

Notable Tillsonburg Natives and Residents

*Lloyd Andrews, played for the Toronto St. Patrick's from 1921–1925 and won the Stanley Cup once
*Colin Campbell, former NHL player, is now Vice-President of hockey operations of the National Hockey League. An arena commemorating Mr. Campbell's contributions to the Town of Tillsonburg is located at the Tillsonburg Community Centre
*Kevin Matisyn (Clarkson), lead vocalist for the Juno nominated rock band Evans Blue
*Michael DeGroote, billionaire, member of the Order of Canada
*Debra DiGiovanni, Comedian, Canadian Comedy Award winner
*Gary Green, former head coach of the Washington Capitals, youngest head coach in NHL history
*Harley Hotchkiss, executive with the Calgary Flames, 2006 Hockey Hall of Fame
*Christopher Mabee, silver medallist figure skater
*Albert Parsons, one-time mayor of Tillsonburg, credited with inventing the plastic sign.Verify source|date=July 2007
*Joe Pitter, plays bass for the rock band Evans Blue
*Margaret Fishback Powers, claimed author of Footprints
*David Rokeby, artist, awarded the Governor General's Award
*Jay Triano, the first Canadian-born coach in the NBA
*Dan Vickery, Broadway producer of Xanadu
Jeff Bes, won gold medal at World Jr. Championship, drafted to the NHL by the Minnesota North Star in the 3rd round. Plays professional hockey in the Central Hockey League.

=Popular culture=
* Irish playwright Malachy McKenna has written an award-winning play entitled "Tillsonburg".
* Canadians Stompin' Tom Connors as well as The Cash Brothers have written songs entitled "Tillsonburg".
* Frank Mills has also written an instrumental piece from his album "Canada" entitled "Tillsonburg".
* Eh! Magazine a pop culture magazine published out of Tillsonburg, by three Tillsonburg natives, James Kennedy and Darryl Lierman. Issue's of the magazine were sold across Canada in various stores including Chapters.

Clubs and organizations

couting

Tillsonburg was once home to six Scouting groups in Ontario, however currently only two are left in existence.

2nd Tillsonburg

2nd Tillsonburg - the oldest scout group left in town - meets at St. Pauls United Church on Bidwell Street. As a member of Scouts Canada it offers scouting to ages five through twenty-six.

5th Tillsonburg Alliance

Founded by Gordon Collins in 1993, 5th Tillsonburg Alliance was a member of Scouts Canada until 2002 when it refused to renew its charter and joined the Baden-Powell Scouts instead. Now known as the 5th Tillsonburg Alliance BPSC, it offers a traditional scouting program to everyone with ages ranging from five to adult. Meetings are held at the Tillsonburg Alliance Church on Quarterline Road. It is the largest and newest scout group in town, and was the first all-age BPSC group in Ontario.

Other

* Tillsonburg and District Chamber of Commerce
* Tillsonburg Lion's Club
* Tillsonburg Optimist Club
* Tillsonburg Kiwanis Club
* Tillsonburg Shriner's Club
* Tillsonburg Rotary Club
* The Tillsonburg Linux Users Group [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tillug]
* The Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association

=See also=
* List of communities in Ontario

=References=

External links

* [http://www.tillsonburg.ca/ Town of Tillsonburg] Official website
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tillug/ Tillsonburg Linux Users Group] Official website
* [http://www.5thTillsonburg.ca/ 5th Tillsonburg Alliance BPSC] Official website
* [http://www.glendalehighschool.ca Glendale High School] Official website
* [http://www.tillsonburgnews.com/ The Tillsonburg News] Official website
* [http://www.lakeshore-shopper.ca/ Lakeshore Shopper] Official website
* [http://www.harvards.com/ Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association] Official website

Surrounding Municipalities

geocompass
hub = Tillsonburg
type= ex
NN = Woodstock
NNv = Highway 19 and Highway 401
NW = Ingersoll
NWv = Highway 19
NE = Norwich
NEv = Highway 3 and Highway 59
WW = Springfield
WWv = Highway 3 and Elgin County Road 40
EE = Delhi
EEv = Highway 3
SS = Port Burwell
SSv = Highway 19
SE = Long Point
SEv = Highway 59
SW = Aylmer
SWv = Highway 3

Further reading

*cite book | last=Scholtz | first=Matthew | year=1995 | title=Tillsonburg Diary: A Chronological History 1824-1994