Peterborough, Ontario
| Peterborough Ontario | |
| The flag of Peterborough |  ](in detail) |
| City nickname: "The Electric City" | |
| Area¹ - Total - Water | 58.61 km² ? km² ?% |
| Population (2004)¹ | 81,036 |
| *% Change (1996 – 2001): | 2.4 |
| Population density¹ | 1218.9/km² |
| Latitude and longitude | 44°N 79°W / 44°N 79°W1. |
| Dwellings: | 30,804¹ |
| Postal code: | K9H, K9J, K9K, K9L |
| Area code: | 705 |
| Mayor | Sylvia Sutherland |
| MPs | Peter Adams (Liberal) |
| MPPs | Jeff Leal (Liberal) |
| Altitude: | ? m |
| External link: http://www.city.peterborough.on.ca/ | |
| ¹ According to the 2001 Statistics Canada census | |
Peterborough (2004 population 74,600 and the metropolitan population numbers 102,423) is a city on the Otonabee River in central-eastern Ontario, Canada, 125km northeast of Toronto. Peterborough is located in the "cottage country" of the Kawarthas, a large recreational region of the province. It is the seat of Peterborough County.
The Trent-Severn Waterway passes through Peterborough and includes the Peterborough Lift Lock, the world's largest hydraulic lift lock, which opened in 1904. It is also the world's highest lift lock with a rise of 65ft (19.8m).
History
Paleo-Indian groups follow retreating glaciers into the area 11,000 years ago. Woodland Indians inhabit the area (ca. 1000 BC-1000 AD), followed by Iroquoians and Mississaugas (ca. 1740).
In 1615, Samuel de Champlain traveled through the area and stayed for a brief period of time near the present-day site of Bridgenorth, just north of Peterborough.
In 1818, Adam Scott settled on the west shore of the Otonobee River. The following year he begins construction of a sawmill and gristmill, establishing the area as Scott's Plains.
1825 marked the arrival of 2,000 Irish immigrants from the city of Cork. In 1822, the British Parliament had approved an experimental emigration plan to transport poor Irish families to Upper Canada. The scheme was managed by Peter Robinson, at the time a politician in York (present-day Toronto). Scott's Plains was re-named Peterborough in his honor.
In 1845, Sandford Fleming, inventor of Standard Time and designer of Canada's first postage stamp, moved to the city to live with Dr. John Hutchison and his family, staying until 1847. Dr. John Hutchison was one of Peterborough's first resident doctors.
Peterborough is incorporated as a town in 1850 (population 2,191).
Beginning in the late 1850's, a substantial canoe building industry grew up in and around Peterborough. The Peterborough Canoe Company was founded in 1893, with the factory being built on the site of the original Adam Scott mill. By 1930, 25% of all employees in the boat building industry in Canada worked in the Peterborough area. The period from 1928-36 saw the establishment of the Johnson Motor Company/Outboard Marine as an outgrowth of the original industry. Canoe building remained significant here until the early 1960's. Reflecting this heritage the city is now home to the Canadian Canoe Museum.
Peterborough would also see extensive industrial growth as the city was one of the first places in the country to begin generating hydro electrical power (even before Niagara). Companies like Edison General Electric Company (later Canadian General Electric) and America Cereal Company (later to become Quaker Oats), opened to take advantage of this new cheap resource.
Peterborough is incorporated as a city in 1905 (population 14,300).
Demographics
According to the mid-2001 census, the population estimates there were 102,423 people residing in Peterborough, located in the province of Ontario, of whom 47.6 per cent were male and 52.4 per cent were female. Children under five accounted for approximately 4.8 per cent of the resident population of Peterborough. This compares with 5.8 per cent in Ontario, and almost 5.6 per cent for Canada overall.
In mid-2001, 18.1 per cent of the resident population in Peterborough were of retirement age (65 and over for males and females) compared with 13.2 per cent in Canada, therefore, the average age is 40.6 years of age comparing to 37.6 years of age for all of Canada.
In the five years between 1996 and 2001, the population of Peterborough grew by 2.4 per cent, compared with an increase of 6.1 per cent for Ontario as a whole. Population density of Peterborough averaged 85.4 people per square kilometre, compared with an average of 12.6, for Ontario altogether.
At the time of the census in May 2001, the resident population of the Peterborough city authority had 71,446 people, but had 102,423 when encompassing the Greater Peterborough Area compared with a resident population in the province of Ontario of 11,410,050 people.
According to a recent census, 94.7% of the population has White origins, mostly those who are English, Irish, French, and a sizable number of Italians. Aboriginals constitute 2.6%, Asians 0.9% (with Chinese 0.4%), and Black 0.4%, .
Economy
Manufacturing is the biggest local industry with General Electric and Quaker Oats maintaining large operations in Peterborough. The city is also a 'bedroom' community for workers of General Motors and other major factories in Oshawa. The Oshawa automotive factory is actually the largest employer of Peterborough citizens.
Companies like General Electric and Outboard Marine, with their high paying manufacturing jobs, had a major impact on the growth of the city. Aging facilities and more expensive labour compared with the developing world worked against the city. The NAFTA agreement of the early 1990's saw a major shift in trading patterns for many Canadian companies. Other innovations like just in time delivery and pressure to produce ever cheaper goods all reduced the competitive advantage of cities like Peterborough. In comparision cities like Oshawa and Markham with their excellent connections to trade routes to the U.S. have flourished.
Media and Journalism
Television station
The transmitter tower for Peterborough is on Television Hill on the east side of the city.
Radio Stations
AM Stations
FM Stations
- 89.3 CJLF - Christian talk
- 92.7 CFFF - Trent University campus radio
- 98.7 CBCP - CBC Radio One
- 99.5 CKKK - "KAOS" Christian music
- 101.5 CKWF - "The Wolf", active rock
- 103.9 CBBP - CBC Radio Two
- 105.1 CKQM - "Country 105" country music
- 106.3 CJBC-5 - La Première Chaîne
Internet Stations
- Radio Free Peterborough - online station featuring all Peterborough music, all the time
Newspapers
Education
Colleges and Universities
- Trent University (1964)
- Sir Sandford Fleming College (1967)
Social Services
Sports Teams
- Peterborough Petes - OHL
- Peterborough Junior Lakers – Lacrosse
- Peterborough Lakers – Major Lacrosse
Events
Communities
- Cold Springs
- Peterborough
| North: Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield | ||
| West: Cavan-Millbrook-North Monaghan | Peterborough | East: Douro-Dummer |
| South: Otonabee-South Monaghan |