Dunnville is a picturesque community located in Haldimand County along the beautiful southern Ontario shores of the Grand River.
Population: 12,000
Geographic Location: Situated on Highway 3, Dunnville is approximately 45 minutes from the Hamilton and Niagara regions.
Historical facts:
- Named for John Henry Dunn, Receiver General of Upper Canada from 1820 – 1843; the village came into being on January 1, 1860.
- One of the earliest communities in Ontario to have electricity when the first electric arc light was installed near the Queen’s Hotel in 1886.
- Became a town in 1900 – first mayor of the new town was F. J. Ramsey, merchant and businessman
- Home to No. 6 Service Flying Training School, one of 28 Canadian training bases for Allied pilots during World War II.
- In 1974, the town amalgamated with the townships of Dunn, Canborough, Moulton and Sherbrooke when the Regional Municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk was formed.
- In 2001, Dunnville and all other municipalities within the region were dissolved; the region was divided into two single-tier municipalities with city status, but called counties – Haldimand and Norfolk.
Annual events:
- The Mudcat Festival is held each year in June to celebrate the Grand River’s most well-known inhabitants. www.mudcatfestival.ca
- Thunder on the Grand boat races and classic car show is held in August. www.dunnvillechamberofcommerce.ca
- Dunnville Agricultural Fair is held in mid-August. www.dunnvillefair.ca
Places of interest:
- The Grand River and nearby Lake Erie offer aquatic activities such as swimming, sailing, windsurfing, canoeing and are prime locations for fishing.
- “Muddy the Mudcat” statue located at Centennial Park at the western entrance to Dunnville.
- Byng Island Conservation Area and Rock Point Provincial Park are a nature lover’s paradise – perfect for bird watching and nature photography.
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RAHB Photo Contest – Send Us Your Community Photo!
Calling all budding photographers! We are looking for your great photos of the communities within RAHB’s jurisdictional area. Like the photo in this month’s article, one of your photos may be published in REALINFO. Capture the essence of your community and you will have a chance to win a free MCE course offered at RAHB and bragging rights among your fellow REALTORS®.
E-mail your photo (jpeg format) to kathyr@rahb.ca
Pssst – also take note of what photos are published in the monthly REALINFOs over the next months. They could be the answers to the contest at the 2014 REALTOR® Connections Member Services booth. Pay attention now, and you could win!
Sources: The Dunnville Chamber of Commerce;
The History of Dunnville by Angus Scott and Wikipedia
Photo courtesy of Liz Koster