Burford, Ontario
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Burford is a rural community and is the seat of the County of Brant, in central southwestern Ontario. It has approximately 2,000 residents. It is located eight kilometers west of the City of Brantford along Highway 53, and seventy kilometers east of London, Ontario. It is approximately 100 km southwest of Toronto. The township of Burford includes the communities of Burford, Harley, Princeton, and Cathcart.
Burford is the largest of these towns and its ‘downtown’, the intersection of Maple Street and King Street (Highway 53), includes a stop light, several small businesses and a post office. The community was founded by Canadians of German, Dutch and British backgrounds. Shortly after the Rebellion of 1837, Burford was the centre of an abortive rebellion in the Western District of Upper Canada led by Charles Duncombe.
Historically, when tobacco was lucrative, the farms and families surrounding Burford were relatively prosperous. Material abundance, swollen by the cancer-causing crop, gave the region a sense of independence and self-sufficiency. However, when smoking habits began to change in the 1980s, the entire economy slipped into decline. Currently, farmers are more likely to be growing ginseng for oriental markets than tobacco. Dairy, poultry, hog and fish farming persist, but range from large scale commercial operations to subsistence type family farms. Accordingly, the community has lost population since the 1970s and is eager to attract new investment.
Burford District High School (http://www3.sympatico.ca/burford.dhs/frames.htm) was the only secondary institution for eighty years, opening in 1922 and closing in June 2002 due to low enrollment. Most students now attend Paris District High School, Brantford Collegiate or Assumption and St. John’s Catholic schools.
A rural community with strong ties to religious and community organizations, Burford Township prides itself on being a modern community with traditional small town ethics such as honesty, charity and industry. Nevertheless, there are few if any visible minorities, except for migrant workers from Jamaica who are not readily welcomed into the community. Moreover, there is often a competitiveness bordering on prejudice towards residents of other towns in the region. These attitudes are often exacerbated by funding decisions made by the County of Brant, and The Grand Erie District School Board.
External Links
- Burford Township Economic & Development Committee (http://www.burford.galganov.net/index.html) (not very current)