Aylmer, Ontario
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Aylmer, Ontario is a town in Elgin County in southern Ontario, Canada, just north of Lake Erie, on Catfish Creek. It is 20 km south of Highway 401. The population of Aylmer is 7,018 (2001 census).
It was named after Matthew Whitworth-Aylmer, 5th Baron Aylmer, who was Governor General of British North America from 1830 to 1835. It is sometimes referred to as Aylmer West, to distinguish it from Aylmer East, Aylmer, Quebec.
In the mid-1970s, many German-speaking mennonites began immigrating to the Aylmer area from northern Mexico due to hardships there. The mennonites had moved to Mexico from Manitoba and Saskatchewan in the 1920s and therefore most retained their Canadian citizenship. By the early 21st century, over 50% of the Aylmer and area population had a German-mennonite background.
Aylmer is home to the Ontario Police College.
In 2001, Aylmer gained national attention after child welfare seized 7 children from their home against their will after their parents, members of the Church of God in Aylmer, were accused of spanking them excessively.
External links
- Official Town of Aylmer Website (http://www.town.aylmer.on.ca/enter.html)
- Official Church of God Website (http://www.churchofgodonline.com/aylmer.htm)