Mitchell, Ontario facts for kids
Mitchell is a community in West Perth, located in Perth County, Ontario, Canada. It sits where two major roads, Highway 8 and Highway 23, meet. Mitchell is about 20 kilometers northwest of Stratford and 60 kilometers north of London.
Mitchell is no longer a separate town. On January 1, 1998, it joined with nearby areas like Logan, Fullarton, and Hibbert. Together, they formed the new Municipality of West Perth. In 2016, the former town of Mitchell had about 4,573 people living there.
Contents
The Story of Mitchell
How Mitchell Got Its Name
Mitchell was named after an early settler. He built a small cabin near the Thames River. A post office opened in Mitchell in 1842, helping the community grow.
Early Days and Growth
In 1836, the Canada Company planned out the town of Mitchell along the Huron Road. The first building, a log cabin, was built in 1837 by William Hicks. This was the very first settlement in the area.
A sawmill was built in 1842, which helped the community develop. By 1845, stores and other mills opened, showing that more people were moving in. By 1851, about 150 people lived in Mitchell.
Becoming a Village and Town
Mitchell became an official Village in 1857. This happened after the railway arrived, making it easier for people and goods to travel. In 1874, Mitchell grew even more and became a Town. At that time, about 2,000 people lived there. Thomas Matheson was the first mayor.
Modern services started to arrive in Mitchell. A water system was built in 1889, and roads and sidewalks were paved. Electricity also came to the town in 1889. By 1901, the population had grown to 2,200 people. As the town grew, new schools were needed. A large elementary school was built in 1918, and a high school followed soon after.
Local Economy
Mitchell is an important center for farming. It is surrounded by excellent farmland. The town has several major employers that provide jobs for many people.
Key Businesses in Mitchell
One big employer is Parmalat Canada. This company makes dairy products. Another important business is Cooper Standard Automotive. This is the Canadian center for research and development of car parts for an American company.
Great Lakes Specialty Meats, which produces pork, has also grown a lot. This growth was helped by support from Agriculture and Agrifood Canada. In 2011, the average income per person in Mitchell was about $40,688.
Sports and Recreation
Mitchell is a community that loves sports! It has many teams for hockey, baseball, and ringette.
Mitchell Hawks Hockey Team
The town is home to the Mitchell Hawks. This is a junior hockey team that plays in the PJHL. They are a popular local team.
Famous Hockey Player: Howie Morenz
Mitchell is also the birthplace of a very famous professional ice hockey player named Howie Morenz. He started his hockey career with the Mitchell Juveniles team in 1917–18. Later, he moved to Stratford and played for several teams there.
In 1923, Howie Morenz joined the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League. He played in the League for 14 years, with 12 of those years spent with Montreal. In 1950, Canadian Press voted Morenz the best hockey player of the first half of the century. He was also one of the first nine players to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Education in Mitchell
Mitchell has two main schools that serve students from elementary to high school.
Upper Thames Elementary School
Upper Thames Elementary School teaches students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6. This school was built in 1970. It was created to serve children from the rural areas around Mitchell. It replaced many smaller, one- or two-room schoolhouses. The school offers many activities and holds fundraisers.
In recent years, students in Grades 7 and 8 from the former Town of Mitchell started attending Mitchell District High School. Now, all town children attend MDHS since Mitchell Public School closed in 2010.
Mitchell District High School (MDHS)
Mitchell District High School, also known as MDHS, is a secondary school for students in Grades 7 to 12. The school building was constructed in the late 1950s. It is shaped like a square with an open courtyard in the middle. The building is only one level, which means it has no stairs and is easy for everyone to access.
The current MDHS building replaced an older school on St. David Street. That old building now serves as the main office for the Municipality of West Perth. Even though MDHS is a smaller high school, it offers a good variety of programs. These include music, sports, and mechanics. The school also has many extra-curricular activities for students to join.
Wildlife and Nature
Mitchell is located in southwestern Ontario, an area with many small rivers and forests. The Thames River flows right through the middle of Mitchell. Along the northern and southern edges of the town, you can find thick bushes and forests.
Animals in the Area
These natural areas are home to many common animals. You might see Bufo fowleri (a type of toad), red fox, striped skunk, eastern gray squirrel, eastern cottontail rabbits, and white-tailed deer.
The Thames River itself is full of different kinds of fish. These include common carp, mirror carp, chub, rock bass, redeye bass, perch, suckers, crayfish, clams, and minnows. The dam in the Thames River is known as the best fishing spot in Mitchell. It has a deep pool where many carp are often seen and caught. Some fishers release the carp back into the river, helping them spread further along the Thames.
West Perth Wetlands
Mitchell is also home to the West Perth Wetlands. This is a special place that many migratory birds visit. It has become a popular spot for people who enjoy watching birds, even attracting birders from all over Ontario and parts of the U.S.
The wetlands were created from an old sewage lagoon that was no longer in use. It now has two ponds that offer different homes for birds. The shallow front pond is great for shorebirds and ducks that dabble for food. The deeper back pond is perfect for ducks, swans, and geese to swim.
Places of Worship
Mitchell has several churches that serve the community:
- Bethel Free Reformed Church
- St. Vincent De Paul Roman Catholic Church
- Trinity Anglican Church
- Upper Thames Missionary Church
- Knox Presbyterian Church
- Main Street United Church
- Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
