Aylmer, Ontario

Aylmer
—  Town  —
Motto: Proud heritage, bright future.
Aylmer
Coordinates: 42°46′22.81″N 80°58′58.6″W / 42.7730028°N 80.982944°W / 42.7730028; -80.982944Coordinates: 42°46′22.81″N 80°58′58.6″W / 42.7730028°N 80.982944°W / 42.7730028; -80.982944
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Elgin
Government
- Mayor	Robert Habkirk
Area
- Town	6.22 km2 (2.4 sq mi)
- Urban	6.23 km2 (2.4 sq mi)
Population (2009) From Statistics Canada
- Town	8,000
- Density	1,135.7/km2 (2,941.4/sq mi)
- Urban	7,163
	Population decreased 1.2% from 2001 to 2006
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code	N5H 3B4
Area code(s)	519, 226
Website	Aylmer Official Site

Aylmer (2006 population 7,069; UA population 7,163) is a town in Elgin County in southern Ontario, Canada, just north of Lake Erie, on Catfish Creek. It is 20 km south of Highway 401. The mayor is Robert Habkirk.

History

The town was named after Matthew Whitworth-Aylmer, 5th Baron Aylmer, who was Governor General of British North America from 1830 to 1835. It is sometimes referred to as Aylmer West, to distinguish it from Aylmer East, Aylmer, Gatineau, Quebec. Aylmer was incorporated as a town in 1887.

A Royal Canadian Air Force Training Facility, RCAF Station Aylmer was located just north of Aylmer in Malahide Township from 1941 to 1961. This station is now home to the Ontario Police College and The Aylmer Wildlife Management Area.

On October 9th, 1891, a rabies epidemic swept across the nation, hitting Aylmer in particular.

One hundred years later, a hero was born.

In 2007, the Fab4 was created and has become the face of Aylmer.

Aylmer today

Former mayor (1994-2003) Robert Habkirk was again elected the mayor of Aylmer on November 13, 2006 to a four-year term.

In 2004, a brand new arena, the East Elgin Community Complex, was completed to house the many enthusiastic hockey leagues in town. The Old Town Hall which houses the library, also has a beautifully restored theatre which houses occasional plays. For history buffs, the Aylmer Museum houses an interesting collection of 19th century Victorian art pieces created from hair.

In 2007, Communities in Bloom, a nationwide beautification program, awarded Aylmer first place in Canada in the 5001-10,000 population category.

Media

Aylmer has two local radio stations: CHPD-FM on 105.9 FM (a Low German radio station), and low-power religious station VF8016 at 90.1 FM.

Mennonite and Amish communities

Amish family shopping in Aylmer

In the mid-1970s, many German-speaking Mennonites began migrating to the Aylmer area from Mexico. The Mennonites were Canadian citizens who had moved to Mexico from Manitoba and Saskatchewan during the first half of the 20th century. By the early 21st century, there was a large Mennonite population in Aylmer and the surrounding area. In addition to the Mennonite population there are sizable Dutch, German, and British descended populations in the area. Aylmer continues to become more culturally diverse over time as more immigrants culturally enrich Canada each year.

Just east of Aylmer is a sizable Old Order Amish community. This community was founded by families moving from Ohio in 1953. They were uncomfortable with a nuclear facility being constructed in close proximity to their community in Ohio. Since that time, the community has grown to encompass three "districts" the surrounding area. A number of members from this community participate in the weekly Aylmer Sales Barn and sell fruit, vegetables, eggs, and animals, such as rabbits and chickens. This particular Amish community eschews the use of automobiles, electricity, and most modern conveniences. A well-known Amish publishing house, Pathway Publishing Company, is based in this community.

In 2001, Aylmer gained national attention after child welfare seized 7 children from their home against their will after their parents, members of the Church of God Restoration in Aylmer, were accused of child abuse. These allegations arose when at least one child was discovered to be suffering from untreated burns apparently received during an act of corporal punishment. The children were returned to their home in the same month with an agreement to not use physical punishment.

Tobacco industry

The tobacco growing industry played a large part in the economic development of Aylmer. Imperial Tobacco Canada built a plant in Aylmer in the mid 1940s. At its peak, Imperial employed more than 800 full-time and seasonal workers. After declining tobacco sales in Canada, Imperial began downsizing in the 1990s. In October 2005, Imperial Tobacco announced that the Aylmer and Guelph, Ontario plants would close. The plant closed permanently in July 2007, putting the remaining 75 employees out of work. The current average wage at Imperial Tobacco in Aylmer was $45 per hour. The town council is putting a plan in place to attract automotive-related industries to its new business park or Imperial's facilities after it closes, but is widely viewed in the business community as acting too slowly and has been unwilling to finance a permanent economic development officer to promote Aylmer as an attractive municipality for manufacturing.

Notable residents

• William Mahlon Davis
• Sandie Gigante
• Shawn McEachren
• Katie Knight
• Craig Van Ymeren
• Kandice Cross
• Michael Segui

External links

• Town of Aylmer Website
• Aylmer Sales Arena - Farmers' & Flea Market
• Aylmer Old Town Hall Library
• East Elgin Community Complex (EECC)
• Performing Arts Council (APAC)
• Aylmer & District Museum Assoc.
• Catfish Creek Conservation Authority (CCCA)
• Aylmer and Area Chamber of Commerce
• Local Weather (Dorchester)

Destinations from Aylmer

	London via Elgin County Road 73 and Highway 401	Thamesford via Elgin County Road 73	Tillsonburg via Highway 3
	St. Thomas via Highway 3		Straffordville via Highway 3 and Elgin County Road 38
		Aylmer
	Port Stanley via Elgin County Road 73 and 24	Port Bruce via Elgin County Road 73	Port Burwell via Elgin County Road 73 and 42

References