Dorchester, Ontario

Dorchester applied first to the township, the name honours Sir Guy Carleton, Lord Dorchester (1724-1808). It was changed from Dorchester Station on May 3, 1961.[1] Dorchester is the residential and commercial core of the municipality of Thames Centre, in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, a few kilometres directly east of the city of London. According to the Canada 2016 Census, the town has a population of 3,911.[2]

Dorchester
Nickname(s): 
Dodge, Divorcechester
Dorchester
Coordinates: 42°59′N 81°04′W
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
CountyMiddlesex
Websitewww.thamescentre.on.ca

The local arena underwent a $10 million expansion and opened on November 2, 2010. This expansion added a second NHL-sized ice pad, a gymnasium, and many other facilities to go along with upgrades to the existing part. It is now home to the Dorchester Dolphins Junior C hockey team. Much of the funding raised was done by local events such as Raise the Roof and TC Rocks, an outdoor concert.

Inspired by the 1989 movie "Field of Dreams", Thames Centre is currently constructing a new outdoor recreation centre complex at 3245 Hamilton Rd. The new recreation centre will have a baseball diamond, three full size soccer pitches, two mini-pitches, a pond, and a proposed clubhouse. The total cost is an estimated $200,000. In the master plan, the municipality wishes to make the recreation centre recognizing the need for children, youths, adults, masters, and the disabled.[3]

Geography
  • Population: 12,000 (Thames Centre) [4]
  • Population: 9,325 (Village of Dorchester)
  • Crossroads: Dorchester Rd & Hamilton Rd
  • Access: Highway 401 Via Exit 203 or Exit 199.
  • Dialing Area Code: (519)
  • Local Exchanges: 268, 202, 499
  • Postal Code: N0L
  • Water Bodies: The Thames River flows through the village from the east to the west.

Schools

There are four schools in Dorchester. As with most of the schools in the areas surrounding London, they are part of either the Thames Valley District School Board or the London District Catholic School Board.

  • River Heights Public School: Located on Hamilton Road. This is a school for children in junior kindergarten to Grade 3.
  • Northdale Central Public School: Located on Catherine Street. Most children come here after River Heights, for Grades 4 to 8.
  • St. David's Catholic School: Also on Catherine Street, next to Northdale. This school is for Catholic children from Kindergarten to Grade 8.
  • Lord Dorchester Secondary School: Located on Queen Street. Open since 1961, LDSS is the alma mater of many distinguished graduates.

Media

Dorchester has a community newspaper, The Signpost.[5]

Slo-Pitch City Softball Complex.

Notable People
  • Logan Mehta, D1 Baseball player
  • Boone Jenner, NHL player (Columbus Blue Jackets)

References
  1. Hamilton, William (1978). The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names. Toronto: Macmillan. p. 144. ISBN 0-7715-9754-1.
  2. Canada, Government of Canada, Statistics. "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Dorchester [Population centre], Ontario and Ontario [Province]". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  3. "Field of Dreams". Municipality of Thames Centre. Municipality of Thames Centre. Retrieved 2013-09-23.
  4. Community Profiles from the 2006 Census, Statistics Canada - Census Subdivision. 2.statcan.ca (2010-12-06). Retrieved on 2013-10-05.
  5. The Signpost - Home. Dorchestersignpost.com. Retrieved on 2013-10-05.
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