Bonfield, Ontario

Bonfield is a township in northeastern Ontario, Canada, on the Mattawa River in Nipissing District.

Bonfield
Township (single-tier)
Township of Bonfield
Canton de Bonfield
Motto(s): 
"Small Community, Big Heart"
Bonfield
Coordinates: 46°13′N 79°8′W
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
DistrictNipissing
Established1882 as Callander Station
Incorporated1886 as Township of Bonfield
Government
 • MayorRandall McLaren
 • Council
  • Sylvie Beaudoin
  • Eric Foisy
  • Jane Lagassie
  • Marc Vaillancourt
 • MPAnthony Rota
 • MPPVic Fedeli
Area
 • Total208.38 km2 (80.46 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[1]
 • Total1,975
 • Density9.5/km2 (25/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code span
P0H 1E0, 2E0
Area code(s)705
Websitewww.ebonfield.org

The township comprises the communities of Blanchard's Landing, Bonfield, Grand Desert, and Rutherglen. The community of Bonfield is connected to Ontario Highway 17 by Ontario Highway 531, while Rutherglen is located directly on the route of Highway 17 and the other communities are located on local roads within the township.

Named after James Bonfield (1825-1900), one-time M.P.P for South Renfrew in the Ontario legislature. Town and neighbouring township were amalgamated on January 1, 1975.[2]

In 2007, Bonfield, along with the town of Mattawa and the townships of Papineau-Cameron, Mattawan and Calvin cooperated to create a newly branded Mattawa Voyageur Country tourist region in order to promote the area.[3]

History

The community of Bonfield was first settled in 1882 as a station on the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Located on the north shore of Lake Nosbonsing, where the railway crosses the Kaibuskong River, this place was originally named by the CPR as Callander Station. The community of Callander, on the South-East Bay of Lake Nipissing, had been named Callander in 1880, to honour the birthplace in Scotland of Duncan McIntyre, then president of the Canada Central Railway (CCR). It was at this place on the shore of Lake Nipissing, that the CCR intended to connect with the proposed eastern terminus of the CPR. In 1881 the Canada Central Railway was merged into the Canadian Pacific, as McIntyre became its vice president. As construction of the railway approached Lake Nipissing from the east, it turned away from the South-East Bay, towards the North Bay of Lake Nipissing instead. This was the closest point the CPR would come to the village of Callander, therefore this place was named Callander Station.

After the Northern and Pacific Junction Railway established a station in the original village of Callander in 1886 and was taken over by the Grand Trunk Railway in 1888, there was much confusion between the station in Callander and Callander Station. The CPR location, Callander Station was renamed Bonfield, adopting the name of the township in which it is located.

Communities
Roadside restaurant in Rutherglen
  • Bonfield
  • Rutherglen
  • Blanchard's Landing
  • Grand Desert

Demographics
Canada census – Bonfield, Ontario community profile
2016 2011
Population: 1,975 (-2.0% from 2011) 2,016 (+1.8% from 2006)
Land area: 208.38 km2 (80.46 sq mi) 208.43 km2 (80.48 sq mi)
Population density: 9.5/km2 (25/sq mi) 9.7/km2 (25/sq mi)
Median age: 48.9 (M: 49.0, F: 48.7)
Total private dwellings: 1,052 947
Median household income: $67,285
References: 2016[4] 2011[5] earlier[6]

World Records

Bonfield is home to 'Jake' the cat with the most number of toes. Jake was born in 2002 and has 7 toes on each paw; with a total of 28.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Census Profile, 2016 Census: Bonfield, Township". Statistics Canada. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  2. Hamilton, William (1978). The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names. Toronto: Macmillan. p. 137. ISBN 0-7715-9754-1.
  3. Adams, K. "Mattawa sports a new look", Baytoday.ca, July 17, 2007. Accessed March 28, 2008.
  4. "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 21, 2017. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
  5. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013.
  6. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012.
  7. "Guinness Book Of Records". 24 September 2002. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
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