Midhurst, Ontario
| Midhurst | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
  Midhurst | |
| Coordinates: 44°26′36″N 79°43′18″W / 44.44333°N 79.72167°WCoordinates: 44°26′36″N 79°43′18″W / 44.44333°N 79.72167°W | |
| Country |
 Canada |
| Province |
 Ontario |
| County | Simcoe County |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 3,000 |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Area code(s) | 705 |
| Website | http://www.midhurstontario.com/ |
Midhurst, Ontario is a small community in Springwater, Ontario, Canada, near Barrie, Ontario. With nearly 3,000 people,[1] it is the largest population centre in the township.
It is home to the Barrie Baycats of the Intercounty Baseball League. Midhurst has a public elementary school, Forest Hill Public School, which is a part of the Simcoe County District School Board.
History
Midhurst was named after the town of Midhurst, in the United Kingdom.[1] Cowdray Park is also named after the main park in that city.[2] A tree nursery and a saw mill on Willow Creek existed in Midhurst that supplied trees for the province. 'Finlay Mill road' is so named, as Alex Finlay was its owner.[2] The Midhurst Pioneer Cemetery, no longer in operation, exists near the United Church.
The Midhurst AutumnFest, ran from 1969 to 1999.[3]
Notable residents
- Robert Dick Orok (1958) served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1912 to 1915, as a member of the Conservative Party.
- Matthew Beleskey (1988) is a current NHL left winger with the Boston Bruins.
- Alexandra Paul (1991) is an Olympic ice dancer. She won silver at the 2010 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, and bronze at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships, with partner Mitchell Islam.
Attractions
- Green Pine Park and Doran Park are the two local public parks in Midhurst, connected by Willow Creek.
- Barrie Community Sports Complex opened in 2000.[3]
- Willow Creek runs through Midhurst and much of the surrounding marshland, alongside Hunter-Russel Trail.
- Midhurst has three churches, Willow Creek Baptist Church, St. Paul's Anglican Church, and Midhurst United Church.
- To the east, the parkland is locally called Hydro Hills, due to the Ontario Hydro power lines, connecting Barrie to Orillia, Ontario.
- The Springwater Public Library is located on Bayfield Street and Finlay Mill Road.