Paris, Ontario

Paris (2006 Urban Area population, 11,177) is a community on the Grand River in Ontario, Canada. In 1999, its town government was amalgamated into that of the County of Brant, Ontario, thus ending about 149 years as a separate incorporated municipality.

The town was first settled in 1829 when Hiram Capron bought the land and built a mill on the present townsite. The town of Paris was officially established in 1850. Since the late 1990s, Paris has experienced substantial population growth, which may be in part attributed to the rising popularity of rural communities among GTA bound commuters (see bedroom community), and the completion of Highway 403 between Hamilton and Woodstock.

The first "long distance" telephone call was made on August 10, 1876, by the father of the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Melville Bell, from downtown Brantford. Alexander Graham Bell received the call at a telegraph office located at 91 Grand River Street North in Paris. Paris, Ontario, is also the transmitter site for a number of broadcast radio and TV stations serving the Brantford and Kitchener-Waterloo areas. The actual tower site is 475 Ayr Road, just south of Ayr, Ontario and it was erected and owned by Global Television Network in [http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/television/histories.php?id=7&historyID=30 1973] for CIII-TV. It leases space for broadcast clients including Conestoga College's campus radio station CJIQ as well as rebroadcasters of CBLA, CBL-FM, CJBC-FM and CBLN-1.

Paris was not only referred to as "the cobblestone capital of Canada" (in reference to a number of aged cobblestone houses) but also as "the prettiest town in Canada", even though Goderich, Ontario "officially" has this title. Paris, Ontario, is located at coord|43|12|N|80|23|W|.

Paris was named for the nearby deposits of gypsum, used to make plaster of Paris.

The town hosts an annual "Fall Fair", a carnival which takes place over the Labour Day weekend. The Fall Fair features several rural lifestyle exhibits, as well as a midway which is complete with carnival games, rides, demolition derbies, Armchair Quarterback, and the Gravitron.

Movies shot in Paris

* "Away from Her" (2006)
* "Blood & Guts" (1978)
* "Ordinary Magic" (1993)
* "Phil the Alien" (exteriors) (2005)
* "Shadow Builders" (1998)
* "" (1994) (Television)
* "The Hard Part Begins" (1973)
* "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" (2005)

Famous people

* Syl Apps, Olympian in hockey, Toronto Maple Leafs player, and Member of Provincial Parliament
* Todd Brooker, alpine skier
* Deborah Ellis, writer of award-winning children's novels
* Natasha Filliol (nee Yaremczuk), Olympic triathlete
* George Bernard Flahiff, Roman Catholic Cardinal
* Phyllis Gretzky (nee Hockin), mother of Wayne Gretzky. Wayne Gretzky's father, Walter Gretzky, attended high school in Paris from the family farm in nearby Canning, Ontario.
* D. Gregor Hagey, feature film cinematographer
* Elysia Muise, Canadian Winter Games 2003 gold medalist for ringette
* Ted Reader, celebrity chef
* Linda Schuyler, television producer of "Degrassi"
* Barry Silverthorn, documentary producer of "The End of Suburbia"
* Albert Walker, infamous conman and convicted killer
* Jay Wells, New York Rangers ice hockey player champion
* John Bemrose, author of The Island Walkers

ervice Clubs

* The Lions Club of Paris
* The Kiwanis Club of Paris

Buildings and Structures

* CIII Television Tower
* The Historic Arlington Hotel
* The Canadian Tavern
* Paris Branch of the County of Brant Public Library (a Carnegie Library)

External links

* [http://www.brant.ca The County of Brant]
* [http://www.brant.ca/forvisitors/index.shtml Brant Tourism]

Festivals and Events

* [http://www.brant.ca/forvisitors/festivalandevents.shtml Brants Festivals & Events]

* The Cobblestone Festival
* The Paris Fair
* Springtime in Paris
* Christmas in Paris

ee also

*At The Forks of The Grand - History book on town