Collingwood, Canada
Collingwood is a small town situated in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. The town is located on the Nottawasaga Bay at the southern tip of Georgian Bay. Collingwood is a popular tourist destination offering skiing activities in the winter and a view of the limestone caves located along the Niagara Escarpment during the summers.
The Population of Collingwood
Collingwood is home to a population of 24,811 people with a median age of 49 and a population density of 748 inhabitants per square kilometer. The majority of the people are White, and the largest visible minority population in the town are Chinese, followed by Filipino and then South Asians. The largest aboriginal population in Collingwood is the Metis making up 50% of the total aboriginal population. Around 92% of Collingwood's population speak English as their primary language, while the rest speak both English and French.
Climate of Collingwood
According to the Köppen Climate Classification, Collingwood experiences a warm-summer humid continental climate. The warmest month is July, with an average temperature of 20.7 °C, and February is the coolest month, having an average low temperature of -6.4 °C. Collingwood receives modest amounts of both snow and rain through the year due to its location in the snow belt region.
The Economy of Collingwood
The median household income in Collingwood is $64,369 per year, and the unemployment rate is as low as 5.6%. The economy of Collingwood employs around 55% of the town's labor force in different industries, including Health Care & Social Assistance, Accommodation, Retail, Manufacturing, and Construction. Collingwood is a major recreation area in the southern part of the province due to its location on the southern shores of Georgian Bay and close to Blue Mountain.
Brief History of Collingwood
The land Collingwood was built on was once inhabited by the Iroquoian-speaking Petun nation, which made a string of villages in the area close to the Niagara Escarpment. In the 1840s, European settlers and the formerly enslaved Black people arrived in the area, introducing new religion and culture. In 1858, Collingwood was incorporated as a town almost a decade before Confederation. Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood was Lord Nelson's second in command at the Battle of Trafalgar. Cuthbert assumed command of the British fleet after Nelson's death.
In 1855, the Ontario, Simcoe & Huron Railway arrived at Collingwood, and the harbor became the principal shipping point for products destined for the upper Great Lakes ports of Chicago and Port Arthur-Fort William. The shipping business created a demand for ship repairs and established a well-organized shipbuilding business. In September 1901, the Huronic, the first steel-hulled ship in Canada, was launched in Collingwood. During World War II, the shipyards contributed to the production of corvettes for the Royal Canadian Navy. During that time, shipbuilding was one of the principal industries in Collingwood, employing as much as 10% of the total labor force. However, the industry only lasted till September 1986 as it couldn't survive the overseas competitions and overcapacity in shipbuilding in Canada. With government incentive programs, Collingwood managed to attract eleven manufacturing firms by 1971 and another eight by 1983, becoming the most significant industrial employer in the region.
Tourist Attractions in Collingwood
Collingwood offers many recreational activities in the summer or winter. The town has 12 parks offering a total of eight baseball diamonds, eight tennis courts, five soccer pitches, three beaches, and one ice rink. Due to the town's location at the base of Ontario's highest ski hill, Blue Mountain, the visitors can go swimming, hiking, biking, snowboarding, and downhill skiing. Visitors can also enjoy several festivals in the area, such as The Collingwood Elvis Festival, Dragon-boat Festival, and the Triathlon. Collingwood is also a short distance from Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, a destination that received the title of Biosphere Reserve in 2004.
