Simcoe, Ontario
[3] Initially, the settlement consisted of two distinct areas, Birdtown, named by William Bird who arrived in the early 1800s and the Queensway which grew up around Aaron Culver's sawmill and grist mill in the 1820s.[4] A historical plaque adds that Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe gave land to Aaron Culver in 1795 on the agreement that he would build mills; after they were in operation, a hamlet formed by 1812, although it was burned down by American troops in 1814.[5] Records from 1846 indicate that the settlement was far from any major roads and had little communication with areas outside of Brantford, and that a stone court house and jail had already been built; the courthouse would be destroyed by fire in 1863 and rebuilt.[9] Most of these forests can be found within 10 miles or 16 kilometres of downtown Simcoe and are open for exploration except during periods of heavy snow.One of the town's notable landmarks is the Norfolk County Carillon Memorial Tower that commemorates the lives of local soldiers who died for Canada in conflicts overseas.[10] The Carillon Memorial Tower overlooks scenic Wellington Park, a public greenspace that includes walking paths and a waterway system with a small lake, close to the downtown core.Fifteen more people were hired during the expansion of the bank in the early 20th century; bringing white collar jobs to the town.[18] In recent years, the parade has held a lower profile; with people preferring "warm weather" events like the Friendship Festival and the Norfolk County Fair.It is also 25 times less likely to face smog-related problems between the months of June and September than metropolitan cities like London, Windsor, and Sarnia.Economic considerations in addition to rising energy and fuel prices are what basically killed the train operations in Norfolk County during the latter portion of the 20th century.A local transit program is centred around Simcoe and helps to serve the major communities of Norfolk County.[32][33] Rural Canadian towns similar to Simcoe are struggling due to economic and transportation issues that prevent people from holding meaningful employment and being prosperous.The plant continued to produce cans for the food industry, along with specialized packaging needed for the war effort.Notable MPP Charles Strange from the historical Brantford electoral district worked at this plant in his later life and lived in Simcoe.Small factories once were dominant in the southeastern end of Simcoe until the early 2000s, when high-wage manufacturing jobs started to be outsourced to low-wage regions like China, Bangladesh, and Singapore, which was a prevalent trend across Ontario.[40] In 2011, Statistics Canada estimated that 11.1% of Simcoe's labour force is employed in the manufacturing industry, slightly higher than the province average of 10.2%.[42] Their first manufacturing plant in the northwestern end of Simcoe, built in 2006, employs approximately 170 full-time personnel in metal parts stamping and fabrication for the automotive industry.