Cobourg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cobourg
Town (lower-tier)
Town of Cobourg
Victoria Hall by Kivas Tully
Nicknames:  Ontario's Feel Good Town
Motto(s):  Our Strength Is In Our Unanimity
Cobourg Location in Northumberland County Show map of Northumberland County Cobourg Location in Southern Ontario Show map of Southern Ontario
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Northumberland
Settled	1798
Incorporated	1837 (town)
Area
• Land	22.41 km2 (8.65 sq mi)
Population  (2021)
• Total	20,519
• Density	915.7/km2 (2,372/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal Code FSA	K9A
Area code(s)	905, 289
Highways	Highway 2  Highway 401

Cobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 km (59 mi) east of Toronto and 62 km (39 mi) east of Oshawa. It is the largest town in and seat of Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, 7 km (4 mi) to the west. It is located along Highway 401 (exits 472 and 474) and the former Highway 2 (now Northumberland County Road 2). To the south, Cobourg borders Lake Ontario. To the north, east and west, it is surrounded by Hamilton Township.

History

The settlements that make up today's Cobourg were founded by United Empire Loyalists in 1798. Some of the founding fathers and early settlers were Eluid Nickerson, Joseph Ash, Zacheus Burnham and Asa Burnham. The Town was originally a group of smaller villages such as Amherst and Hardscrabble, which were later named Hamilton. In 1808 it became the district town for the Newcastle District. It was renamed Cobourg in 1818, in recognition of the marriage of Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (later Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who would later become King of Belgium).

By the 1830s Cobourg had become a regional centre, much due to its fine harbour on Lake Ontario. In 1835 the Upper Canada Academy was established in Cobourg by Egerton Ryerson and the Wesleyan Conference of Bishops. On July 1, 1837, Cobourg was officially incorporated as a town. In 1841 the Upper Canada Academy's name was changed to Victoria College. In 1842 Victoria College was granted powers to confer degrees. Victoria College remained in Cobourg until 1892, when it was moved to Toronto and federated with the University of Toronto. In 1842, John Strachan founded the Diocesan Theological Institute in Cobourg, an Anglican seminary that became integrated into the University of Trinity College in Toronto in 1852.

Standing at the heart of the downtown is Victoria Hall, a building that now serves as the town hall, as well as home of the Art Gallery of Northumberland, the Cobourg Concert Hall, and an Old Bailey-style courtroom that is now used as the Council chamber. Victoria Hall was designed by architect Kivas Tully. The landmark is known for its impressive stone work. Charles Thomas Thomas (1820-1867), an English-born master stonecarver and building contractor, executed the fine stone carvings, including the bearded faced keystone over the main entrance into the building. Victoria Hall was officially opened in 1860 by the Prince of Wales, later to become Edward VII of the United Kingdom, King Edward VII. At that time, Cobourg was a significant town in the Province of Canada, and some townspeople felt that Cobourg would be a suitable capital for the newly united provinces; this privilege went to Ottawa, Ontario, however.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, wealthy Americans built enormous summer homes there, a few of which still stand today. One notable home, on King Street East, became the Brookside School - now a youth detention centre. A major ferry service connected Cobourg and Rochester, New York from 1907 to 1952, transporting passengers and cargo across Lake Ontario, allowing Americans to reach the town more readily. The Cobourg and Peterborough Railway ran northward over Rice Lake to Peterborough, but the lines collapsed into Rice Lake in the late 1800s. After World War II and the advent of improved transportation technology, this economic link decreased in importance.

On December 20, 1951, Cobourg experienced media attention as a Curtiss C-46 Commando crash landed in local farmer Charles Wilson's field.

Cobourg was the site of No. 26 Ordnance Depot, later Canadian Forces Station Cobourg, from 1953 to 1971.

Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, the town invested heavily in purchasing property along the waterfront and beautifying the area. A boardwalk was developed to connect the harbour and large sandy beach while further pathways were created to encompass Victoria Park and the historic downtown. Because of this renewal and revitalization, many community activities now revolve in and around these spaces.

Transportation

Highway 401 and Northumberland County Road 2 (formerly Highway 2) pass through town. County Road 45 (formerly Highway 45) begins in Cobourg and heads north-east to Norwood.

The Canadian Pacific and Canadian National main railway lines (Toronto – Ottawa/Montreal) traverse the town. Via Rail offers passenger service to Cobourg railway station with multiple daily departures on the Toronto – Ottawa/Montreal route.

Cobourg Transit is a fully accessible community transit system that provides daily bus service to the town. The community transit system ends its runs by 7pm, which can hamper travel for those without other means of transportation. It formerly ran until 9:30pm however the hours were reduced.

The Ontario Waterfront Trail passes through Cobourg and cyclists can be found moving through daily during the warmer months.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Cobourg had a population of 20,519 living in 9,134 of its 9,520 total private dwellings, a change of 5.6% from its 2016 population of 19,440. With a land area of 22.41 km² (8.65 sq mi), it had a population density of 915.6/km² (2,371/sq mi) in 2021.

Age distribution in Cobourg according to the 2006 census.

Age Profile

• Age 0-14: 18.1%
• Age 15-24: 11.9%
• Age 25-44: 24.7%
• Age 45-64: 24.2%
• Age 65-74: 10.8%
• Age 75+: 10.3%

Religious Make Up

• 56.1% Protestant
• 23.9% Catholic
• 2.2% other Christian
• 0.7% other religions
• 17.1% non-professing

Racial Profile

• 91.4% White
• 4.4% Aboriginal
• 3.8% Korean
• 0.7% Black

Attractions

Cobourg retains its small-town atmosphere, in part due to the downtown and surrounding residential area's status as a Heritage Conservation District. The downtown is a well-preserved example of a traditional small-town main street. Victoria Hall, the town hall completed in 1860, is a National Historic Site of Canada. The oldest building in the town is now open as the Sifton Cook Heritage Centre and operated by the Cobourg Museum Foundation.

Downtown Cobourg, Ontario, Canada. Aerial View taken from a DJI Phantom Vision

Cobourg has a multitude of beautiful, well-maintained parks. The Cobourg Waterfront Festival, held in Victoria Park and the nearby beach and harbour, is an annual arts and crafts event occurring on Canada Day. It began in 1987 as a part of the town's sesquicentennial celebrations, and was conceived by the Art Gallery of Northumberland's former Director/Curator Peter Tulumello and former Concert Hall Manager Mark Finnan. Cobourg's oldest annual event the Cobourg Highland Games was started in 1963 in Donegan Park by Dave Carr to celebrate the Scottish culture in this area. In 2013 for its 50th Anniversary it will be moved to Victoria Park and will be held on the 3rd Saturday in June.

In addition to two high schools (Cobourg Collegiate Institute (CCI) and St. Mary's Secondary School (SMSS) ), Cobourg is home to a satellite campus of Fleming College. Food processing is the largest industry in Cobourg, and it is home to operations of companies like SABIC Innovative Plastics and Weetabix. There are also elementary schools in Cobourg such as C.R. Gummow Public School, Terry Fox Public School, Merwin Greer Public School, St. Michaels Catholic School, St. Josephs Catholic School, Burnham Public School, Notre Dam Catholic School, Dale Road Public School, and Grant Sine which recently closed down.

Cobourg's beach, Victoria Park Beach, is very popular among residents and tourists of Cobourg. Host to volleyball tournaments, events, beach days, family picnics and more. The beach is equipped with a splash park, playground set, park area for eating, local restaurants and a pier. There are lifeguards on duty some days and it is safe to swim and play in. Close to the downtown, tourists can shop in local shops and eat out at many of Cobourg's fine dining restaurants.

Education

Public education in Cobourg is under the management of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, and Catholic education is by the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board.

Cobourg also has a satellite campus of Fleming College.

In 1871 Cobourg’s first Collegiate Institute was erected on King Street East. In 1899 the student population at the original Cobourg Collegiate Institute had outgrown the school. New plans for another school on the west end of king street were put in place and the new school building on 135 king street was erected. This new building was called the West high school and the older school building was then named the East high school. The West high school had many additions in the 1920’s as the school continued to grow. The two schools co-existed for 116 years until the closing of both schools in 2015. The purpose of closing the two schools was to bring them back together with the fabrication of a brand new Cobourg Collegiate Institute in 2015. The new school was built on the property of the old east high school. The old west high school was not demolished, but renamed William Academy Cobourg West and is a functioning co-ed private school for grades 7-12.

Schools

Notable people

• John Douglas Armour, Puisne judge of the Supreme Court of Canada
• Charles Arkoll Boulton, militia leader in the Red River Rebellion
• Fern Blodgett Sunde, first Canadian woman to serve with the merchant marines during the Second World War
• Alan Bradley, author
• Jeremiah Brown, Canadian Men's Eight Rowing Team, won silver at the 2012 London Olympic Games
• Mandy Bujold, Canadian boxer
• James Cockburn, lawyer and Father of Confederation
• cleopatrick, rock band
• Martin Dobkin, first mayor of the City of Mississauga, Ontario and served as Mayor from 1973 to 1976.
• Marie Dressler, silent film actress, Academy Award winner best actress 1931
• Francis P. Duffy, Canadian-born military chaplain of the Fighting 69th New York Regiment during WWI
• Sandford Fleming who helped create and define the idea of time zones
• Rev. John Weir Foote, politician, chaplain, and Victoria Cross recipient
• Ed Greenwood, author of the Forgotten Realms setting for Dungeons & Dragons
• W. A. Hewitt, sports executive and journalist, Hockey Hall of Fame inductee
• Paul Kane, Irish-born Canadian painter
• Henry Bowyer Lane, English born Toronto architect
• John Murray, pioneering oceanographer, marine biologist and limnologist. Considered the father of modern oceanography.
• Ebenezer Perry (1788–1876), politician and Cobourg's first police commissioner
• Josh Richards, internet personality, musician and actor
• William Renwick Riddell, judge and historian
• Dave "Goldie Rogers" Sherwin, professional wrestler
• Virna Sheard, poet and novelist
• Steve Smith, NHL hockey player
• Orlando B. Willcox, United States Army general and Medal of Honor winner lived here from 1905-1907 until his death
• Justin Williams, NHL hockey player, 3-time Stanley Cup champion, winner of 2014 Conn Smythe Trophy