St. Thomas, Ontario
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Template:Canadian City St. Thomas is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada.
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History
The city, located at the intersection of two historical roads, was first settled in 1810. It was named the seat of the new Elgin County in 1844 and was incorporated as a village in 1852, as a town in 1861, and as a city in 1881.
Jumbo1St.jpg
In the late 19th century and early 20th century several railways were constructed through the city, and St. Thomas became an important railway junction. A total of 26 railways have passed through the city since the first railway was completed in 1856. It has earned the title of the Railway Capital of Canada. In the 1950s and 1960s, with the decline of the railway as a mode of transportation, other industry began to locate in the city, principally primary and secondary automotive manufacturing. Jumbo (the elephant) died here on September 15, 1885 when a train crashed into him. There is a commemorative statue remaining that was erected in 1985, for the centennial of Jumbo's demise.
The city was named after Thomas Talbot who helped promote the development of this region during the early 19th century.
Mayors
Jeff Kohler is the current mayor of St. Thomas. He was elected in the 2003 municipal elections.
Demographics
- Caucasian: 95.5%
- Aboriginal: 1.2%
Education
Jumbo2St.jpg
Fanshawe College has a campus in St. Thomas. Catholic schools are controlled by the London District Catholic School Board and public schools are controlled by the Thames Valley District School Board.
| School name | Type | Grades | № students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Voaden S.S. | public | 9–12 | 670 |
| Balaclava St. P.S. | public | JK–8 | 200 |
| Central Elgin Collegiate Institute | public | 9–12 | 765 |
| Edward St. P.S. | public | JK–6 | 152 |
| Elgin Court P.S. | public | JK–6 | 413 |
| Elmdale P.S. | public | JK–6 | 135 |
| Fanshawe College | |||
| Forest Park P.S. | public | JK–6 | 472 |
| Homedale P.S. | public | 7–8 | 446 |
| Locke's P.S. | public | JK–8 | 453 |
| Monsignor Morrison | Catholic | JK–8 | 480 |
| Myrtle St. P.S. | public | JK–6 | 211 |
| New Sarum P.S. | public | JK–8 | 453 |
| Parkside Collegiate Institute | public | 9–12 | 940 |
| St. Gabriel's Catholic School | Catholic | K–3 | |
| St. Joseph's High School | Catholic | 9–12 | |
| St. Raphael's Catholic School | Catholic | 4–8 | 305 |
| Scott St. P.S. | public | JK–8 | 236 |
| Southwold P.S. | public | JK–8 | 626 |
| Wellington St. P.S. | public | K–6 | 300 |
Media
St. Thomas has several media outlets based in the city. The St. Thomas Times-Journal is the city's newspaper and part of Bowes Publishers Limited. Rogers Cable Inc. has a local cable television channel, Cable 13 (http://www.rogerstelevision.com/option.asp?lid=14&rid=26), located near city hall. A low-power FM radio station — VF8016, 90.1 MHz — broadcasts religious activities from Faith Baptist Church of St. Thomas.
Notable residents
- Suzy Burge — meteorologist for News Now on The New PL
- Rachel McAdams — actress (The Hot Chick, Mean Girls, The Notebook)
- Stephen J. Peters — politician, MPP for Elgin—Middlesex—London, Minister of Agriculture and Food
- Joe Thornton — professional ice hockey player (Boston Bruins, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
- Aaron Walpole — Singer to be featured on Canadian Idol.
External links
- City of St. Thomas official website (http://www.city.st-thomas.on.ca/)
- St. Thomas Times-Journal (http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/)
| Northwest: Talbotville, Highway 401, Delaware, Mount Brydges | North: Belmont, Lambeth, London | Northeast: Mapleton, Lyons, Springfield, Tillsonburg |
| West: Lynhurst, Shedden, Iona Station, Thames River, Munsee-Delaware Nation 1 | St. Thomas | East: St. Thomas Airport, New Sarum, Orwell, Aylmer, Summers Corners |
| Southwest: Fingal, Iona, John E. Pearce Provincial Park, Dutton, West Lorne, Rodney | South: Union, Port Stanley, Lake Erie | Southeast: Sparta, Port Bruce, Copenhagen, Port Burwell |