The Founding of Point Edward
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Hard Oiler
N 42° 59.897 W 082° 24.799
17T E 384798 N 4761593
A small community located where the St Clair River enters Lake Huron. Laid out in 1864 and, reputedly, named after Queen Victoria’s father, Edward, Duke of Kent
Waymark Code: WMA6W
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 04/10/2006
Views: 22
The site where Point Edward is now located was the result of a 1796 treaty arranged between John Jay, the Chief Justice of the United States and the British Government which made the St. Clair River the International Boundary. A military reserve of 1,000 acres was set aside for defensive works at the commanding point of land and named in honour of Prince Edward Augustus, the father of Queen Victoria.
In 1853, Point Edward was chosen as the Canadian Terminus of the Grand Trunk Railway. Point Edward became a company town with virtually all the residents employees of the GTR. In 1878, Point Edward was incorporated as a Village.
The merging of the Grand Trunk and Great Western Railways in 1882 contributed immensely to the railroad ferry service to Port Huron, Michigan. The Village population climbed to 2,000. In 1891, a rail tunnel under the St. Clair River in Sarnia shifted rail emphasis to Sarnia and by 1901, the Village population had declined to 780.
In 1938, the Village received a new boost with the opening of the Blue Water Bridge. With the addition of a second span in 1997 and a Charity Casino in 2000 along with hotels the local economy is now very much tourism dependent.
Surrounded by Sarnia, Point Edward has managed to resist amalgamation and still retains its independent Village status with a population (2001) of 2100. The plaque is located at the municipal offices and library
