- Bancroft, Ontario
Infobox City
official_name = Town of Bancroft
other_name =
native_name =
nickname = York Mills
motto = A four seasons playground.
imagesize = 358px
image_caption = Station St, Bancroft, ON
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mapsize = 458px
map_caption = Bancroft's location in relation to Ontario.
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pushpin_label_position = none
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pushpin_mapsize = 200
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = Canada
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = Ontario
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Hastings
subdivision_type3 =
subdivision_name3 =
subdivision_type4 =
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government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Lloyd Churchill (Ontario Politician)
leader_title1 = Council
leader_name1 = Bancroft Town Council
Bancroft Ward
Dungannon Ward
leader_title2 =
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established_title = Settled
established_date =1853
established_title2 = Renamed †
established_date2 =October 15 ,1879
established_title3 =
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area_magnitude =
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area_total_km2 =
area_land_km2 = 227.84
area_water_km2 =
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population_as_of =2006
population_footnotes =
From StatsCan
population_note =
The population decreased 6.1% from2001 to2006 .
settlement_type = Town
population_total = 3838
population_density_km2 = 16.8
population_density_sq_mi =
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timezone =EST
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST =EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd=45 |latm=03 |lats= |latNS=N
longd=77 |longm=51 |longs= |longEW=W
elevation_footnotes =
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postal_code_type =
postal_code = K0L1C0
area_code = 613-(332:334)
website = [http://www.town.bancroft.on.ca/portal/bncrft/ www.town.bancroft.on.ca]
footnotes = † Bancroft was originally named York Mills.Bancroft (2006 Population 3,838) is a
town located on the York River in Hastings County in theCanadian province ofOntario . In2001 , the population was 4,089 (-6.1% population change). Thearea of the town was 227.85square kilometre s. [cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3512061&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Bancroft&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=&GeoCode=3512061|title=Bancroft, Ontario|work=2001 Community Profile|publisher=Statistics Canada|accessdate=2006-07-12]History
In 1853 the first family settled in the area, and in the next 15 years the settlement grew quickly when another 88 families followed. The original settlement was called York Mills but on
15 October 1879 , it was renamed Bancroft by SenatorBilla Flint after the maiden name of his wife Phoebe. [Bancroft & District Chamber of Commerce, "Bancroft District 2006 Destination Guide"]The town was once a centre for
uranium mining , and the closing of theMadawaska mine caused some economic hardship.Attractions
Located in Central Ontario, part of the
Canadian Shield , Bancroft is well known in Canada as an excellent location forrockhounding . Bancroft styles itself as the "mineral capital of Canada" and holds an annual event in August called the "Rockhound Gemboree".There is also a Mineral Museum in Bancroft dedicated to the area's storied
mining history. There is little active mining going on today.A popular location is a craggy lookout called Eagle's Nest, a short distance north of the town. This scenic cliff, with a height of over m to ft|60|abbr=yes|precision=-1, overlooks the York River valley, the town of Bancroft, and other densely forest-covered ridges that surround it. m to ft|12|abbr=yes|precision=-1 icicles dangle from its largest and most massive cliff in the winter and conceals parts of it entirely. It is a popular spot for mountain climbers to practice ice climbing in the winter. However, the road to the top is steep and generally impassable in the winter. Another popular location is a series of abandoned Mineral caves/mines at on Highway 28 north-east of Bancroft.
which the York River churns through, creating white water falls.
The local post office on Station St. services locals with lock boxes and five rural routes.
The lakes surrounding Bancroft are dotted with cottages, mostly seasonally occupied. One of the largest and most beautiful in the area, with a very fine public beach, is
Paudash Lake , about 15 minutes south down Hy. 28.Bancroft lies in a region criss-crossed with
snowmobile trails, making it a hub for snowmobilers in the winter months. In the summer these trails are used by hikers and ATV enthusiasts.The local
curling club has existed for 50 years (est. 1957), and has hosted increasingly notablebonspiel s - including a recent (winter 2005) Ontario Regional Men's Championship and (March 2008) Tim Horton's Colts Provincial Championship.The town now sports one 9 holegolf course , and one 18 hole golf course.Arts
In 2004, Bancroft won
TVOntario 's "Most Talented Town in Ontario" contest. A large number of artists and artisans live in the surrounding area, and when exhibiting together in events like the "Fall Studio Tour" the local talent is quite remarkable.The town has the Bancroft Village Playhouse [http://www.bancroftvillageplayhouse.ca] - a theatre which has been hosting sold out plays and musicals since the early 1990s.
Notable People
* Former NHL defenseman Bryan Watson.
* Comedian Desiree Lavoy
* Olympic bronze medalist in LugeClay Ives
* Current OHL Player Andrew BrownTransportation
Bancroft lies at the intersection of two provincial highways, Highway 28 and Highway 62.
Bancroft is served by a small airport, Jack Brown Airport (CNW3), with a 2,200 foot (670 meter) crushed gravel runway, located immediately adjoining the town. The airport is operated by the
Bancroft Flying Club and is freely available to the general public. Due to high terrain near both ends of the runway, pilots typically use a non-standard circuit, following the York River valley through the town for departing from runway 12 or landing on runway 30.The railroad used to go through the town. The first train from the Central Ontario Railway arrived in November 1900. The railway went through the Musclow-Greenview road and extended behind Birds Creek through a back trail (which is now used for cyclists and fourwheeling) and continued through the town eventually going further away from the town at the 'Y' road division. The line was closed in 1975 and subsequently removed. [Bancroft & District Chamber of Commerce, "Bancroft District 2006 Destination Guide"]
Camping
Nearby
Silent Lake Provincial Park provides localcamping opportunities. American sportsmen fished and hunted on this private lake for 40 years before it became a park. Silent Lake has a rocky and undeveloped shoreline, a mixed forest and marshes full of birds and wildlife best seen by canoe. A rugged trail circles the lake, and sections of groomed ski trails have been graded for mountain biking.Media
Print
*Bancroft Times
*Bancroft This Week
*North Hastings AdvertiserRadio
* AM 600 - CBLV,
CBC Radio One
* FM 97.7 - CHMS ("Moose FM"), hot adult contemporaryTelevision
*Channel 2: CIII-TV-2 -
Global Television
*Channel 4: CHEX-TV-1 -CBC Television ee also
*
List of communities in Ontario References
External links
* [http://www.town.bancroft.on.ca/portal/bncrft/ Town of Bancroft official website]
* [http://www.bancroftvillageplayhouse.ca Bancroft Village Playhouse]
* [http://www.bancroftdistrict.com Bancroft & District Chamber of Commerce]
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