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Pembroke, Ontario
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pembroke, Ontario | |
| Nickname: The Heart of the Ottawa Valley | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Ontario |
| County | Renfrew |
| Established | 1828 |
| Government | |
| - City Mayor | Ed Jacyno |
| - Governing Body | Pembroke City Council |
| - MPs | Cheryl Gallant |
| - MPP | John Yakabuski |
| Area | |
| - Total | 14.35 km² (5.54 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 460 m (1,509 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| - Total | 13,930 |
| - Density | 970.7/km² (2,514.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal Code | K8A |
| Area code(s) | 613 |
| Dwellings:6,351 | |
| Website: City of Pembroke | |
Pembroke (2006 population 13,930; CA population 23,195) is a city at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley in eastern Ontario, Canada. Pembroke is the seat of Renfrew County.
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The first European settler to the area now known as Pembroke was Daniel Fraser in 1823, who squatted on land that was discovered to have been granted to a man named Abel Ward. Ward later sold the land (where Moncion's Grocers is located) to Fraser, and nearby Fraser Street is named after the family. Peter White, a veteran of the Royal Navy arrived in 1828, squatting beside Fraser on the land where Dairy Queen is now located. Other settlers followed, attracted by the growing lumbering operations of the area.
Pembroke became a police village in 1858. Pembroke is named after Sidney Herbert, First Admiralty Secretary from 1841 to 1845 and son of the Earl of Pembroke.
Pembroke was incorporated as a town in 1878 and as a city in 1971. It was named seat for Renfrew County in 1861. This set the stage for construction shortly thereafter on the Renfrew County Courthouse, which finished in 1867, and the arrival of many civil servants, much wealth and much construction. In the 20-year period following 1861, Pembroke basically became the city it is today in terms of layout and buildings, although many homes and other structures have been lost to time. From 2005 to 2007, the Courthouse and Jail (now non-functional) were re-constructed into one building and historic renovations were also completed. Visitors on weekdays can view original 1867 jail cells in the basement, and the original courtroom, complete with a huge replica of the original brass light fixture. County meetings were held here for many years. Three hangings occurred at the indoor gallows inside the Courthouse, two in the 1870's and one in 1952. Other historic buildings that survive in Pembroke include a historic synagogue, two original hospitals, the Dunlop mansion (Grey Gables Manor Bed & Breakfast), the 'Munroe Block' downtown, and two houses belonging to the White family. A fire in 1918 downtown destroyed many buildings, including the Pembroke Opera House.
In 1898 it became the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pembroke.
Pembroke is the largest commercial centre between North Bay and Ottawa. Historically, forestry and farming formed the backbone of the local economy and remain important today. Local timber products include lumber, plywood, veneer, hydro poles and fibreboard. Other local manufacturing operations produce office furniture. CFB Petawawa in nearby Petawawa, Chalk River Laboratories of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited in Chalk River and OLS call centres are also regional employers. The economy also benefits from tourism, aided partly by Pembroke's location on the Trans-Canada Highway. Pembroke is a gateway to natural adventures on the Petawawa and Ottawa Rivers, Algonquin Park and to world-class white water rafting a short distance to the southwest.
Local attractions include an outstanding number (30) of striking historic murals in the downtown area depicting the history of the city, from steam engines to logging. The Champlain Trail Pioneer Village and Museum [1], features costumed guides who provide interpretation for guests. The history of Ottawa Valley settlers comes alive inside the fully furnished schoolhouse, pioneer log home and church - all built in the 1800’s. Other outdoor exhibits include train station, sawmill, blacksmith shop, stonelifter, carriage shed, woodworking shop, bake oven, smokehouse and a 1923 Bickle fire engine. The large museum features artifacts which range from fossils and Native Canadian arrowheads to furniture, clothing and manufactured products of Pembroke from various eras. There is also a replica of Samuel de Champlain's Astrolabe (he brought the original to the Valley in 1613), an original Cockburn pointer boat, Corliss steam engine, doctor's examination room, fancy parlour rooms, general store, hair salon and more.
The Pembroke Hydro Museum commemorates national hydro-electric development in Pembroke, including the first electric streetlights in Pembroke, and the first municipal building with electric lights (Victoria Hall).
According to the Canada 2006 Census:
| • Population: | 13,930 (3.3 % from 2001) |
| • Land area: | 14.35 km² (5.54 sq mi) |
| • Population density: | 970.7 people/km² (2,514.1/sq mi) |
| • Median age: | 42.3 (males: 40.0, females: 44.2) |
| • Total private dwellings: | 6,351 |
| • Dwellings occupied by permanent residents: | 6,012 |
| • Mean household income:↑ | $34,296 per person aged 15+ |
References:
Footnotes: ↑ The data has not yet been released and is based on 2001 Census.
Most broadcast media transmitting in the Pembroke area are rebroadcasters of stations from Ottawa, Arnprior or Toronto. CHVR-FM is the only broadcast station directly based in the Pembroke area itself. Pembroke also remains A-ChannelCHRO-TV's official city of license, although the station currently operates out of studios in Ottawa.
- FM 92.5 - CBCD, CBC Radio One
- FM 96.7 - CHVR ("Star 96"), country music
- FM 99.7 - CKQB-1 ("The Bear"), active rock
- FM 100.7 - CHRI-2, Christian
- FM 104.9 - CIMY ("My FM"), adult contemporary
- Channel 3: CBOT-6, CBC
- Channel 5: CHRO, A-Channel
- Channel 17: CHLF-13, TFO
- Channel 29: CICE-16, TVOntario
- Channel 47: CJOH-47, CTV
- Channel 12: Cogeco, TV Cogeco
The city's main daily newspaper is the The Daily Observer. The Observer also publishes the twice-weekly free The News, a carrier for flyers.
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- Pembroke is the birthplace of comedian Tom Green, although Green's family subsequently moved to Ottawa.
- Paul Joseph James Martin also known as Paul Martin, Sr., noted lawyer, politician and father of former Prime Minister Paul Martin was raised in Pembroke.
- Pembroke hosts one of the campuses of Ottawa-based Algonquin College. Among the new programs are 'Outdoor Adventure' and 'Outdoor Adventure Naturalist'.
- Pembroke boasts three NHL Hall of Fame hockey players: Frank Nighbor, Harry Cameron and Hugh Lehman (see mural below).
- A fire in 1918 destroyed much of Pembroke's downtown.
- Pembroke has more murals than almost any city in Canada. See Mural Routes of Canada for more.
- The city is home to the annual "Old Time Fiddling and Step Dancing Festival" that happens Labour Day weekend at Riverside Park. There are often up to 1400 RVs parked there for the week preceding the event. Award-winning fiddler/step dancer April Verch is a Pembroke native.
- Pembroke is host to the annual "Silver Stick Minor League Hockey Tournament". Silver Stick brings in several hundred children and youth on weekends in November and early December for regional qualifying games.
- Pembroke's Public Library was designed by architect Francis Sullivan, a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright.
