Cobden, Ontario

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Coordinates: 45°37′37″N 76°52′53″W / 45.62694°N 76.88139°W / 45.62694; -76.88139
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other places with the same name, see Cobden.

Cobden
Postal Code FSA
K0J
Area codes613

Cobden is a small community in the Township of

Highway 17
.

History

The area around Cobden was originally inhabited by the Nibachis, a sub-division of the native, Algonquian speaking, tribes of North America.

Champlain's astrolabe

In 1613,

Canadian Museum of Civilization
in 1989.

In 1990, a special celebration was held in Cobden in honour of the astrolabe's return.

Although it cannot be conclusively proven that the astrolabe found near this Lake indeed belonged to Champlain, the following facts should be taken into consideration:

  • The bottom portion of the astrolabe is engraved 1603, the same year Champlain was commissioned "geographer Royal" to Henry IV on his first voyage to Canada.
  • Champlain's reading at Gould's Landing erred by 1 degree. Subsequent readings recorded at Allumette Island also erred 1 degree.
  • Apart from this reading at Allumette Island, Champlain does not enter readings for the remainder of his expedition.
  • It was not unusual for Champlain to omit recording events and conditions in his journal. He was considered[by whom?] a laconic journalist who only dealt with facts he considered important.
  • Finally, by 1611, the astrolabe had been largely replaced by the vernier scale which was considered to be far more accurate.

Founding and development

Early years

Cobden's very existence is a circumstance of location. As Pembroke and Ottawa grew so, it seemed, did the gap between them. In the 1800s the easiest route between the two was the

British Parliament, whom Gould admired. By October 2, 1876, the railway had crept its way to Cobden. The community started to expand from the lake towards the railway station further inland. Main Street began to take shape, The Cobden Sun, The Bank of Ottawa, black smith shops, a bakery, general store, mill, surgeon and jewelry store. In 1880 A public school was opened to accommodate the strain on nearby S.S.No 1
. Cobden was soon the biggest community in Ross Township and became an Incorporated Village in October 1901.

1901-present

Cobden has been the victim of many fires. This has destroyed almost all of the original buildings. Main Street has suffered worst from fire including one in 1913 which destroyed the Cobden Sun building and many historical records. A hydro electric dam began operating at the falls south of Cobden. It supplied the town, off and on, with power until it was destroyed, April 12, 1934, in a raging flood. Large blocks of ice ripped the dam apart and poured over Highway 17, tearing away sections of pavement. The plant operator, Mr. Bill Wall, was stranded in the upper section of their house until flooding subsided. The town then started receiving power from a station in

Calabogie
. Council elections in 1949 were dominated by the issue of whether or not to hold another plebiscite on establishing a waterworks system. A previous plebiscite had come out 82–56 against. But times were changing quickly; after the war a new council was elected and the next vote was 124–46 in favour and by the early 1950s Cobden had water. The waterworks system required constant maintenance up until a major retooling in the 1980s. The visibly dominating water tower was built in 1988 replacing the original (built in 1951).

A bigger school was needed by 1903. The present-day school,

Cobden District Public, was built in 1938 and initially served as a high school until Opeongo High School
was built.

In 2001, the Village of Cobden was amalgamated with the Village of

Beachburg
, the Township of Ross and the Township of Westmeath to form the Township of Whitewater Region.

Today, Cobden's location on the busy Trans-Canada Highway, known as Highway 17, makes it a convenient stopping place for the many travelers passing through the area.

Demographics and culture

In 1991 Cobden had a population of 1026. In 1996 Cobden had a population of 1,020. The population of the town decreased by 0.58%.

Occupying 1.85 km of land, Cobden has a population density of 551.351 people per square km.[citation needed]

Cobden is host to its own annual

farmers' markets in the Ottawa Valley.[citation needed
]

The Farmers' Market

Organized in 1991. The Farmers' Market is an outdoor market that runs from May to October. It offers a wide variety of crafts and foodstuffs and everything must be grown or handmade locally. The market has recently moved from the Memorial Hall grounds to the Fair Grounds but the Christmas Market, the grande finale for the year, is still held in the Memorial Hall

Cobden Park

Overlooking

Civitans
.

Bruce McPhail Memorial Airport

Home to

Highway 17
.

Logos Land

Located about 5 miles east of Cobden, Logos Land is a religious based

water slides, paddle boats, mini-golf and a representation of Noah's Ark
. The water park is open mid-June to Labour Day, but Noah's Ark is open year-round. It's also home to Canada's tallest Christmas tree, standing 22 meters high. Every year over 3000 local children decorate the tree, which is dedicated to children around the world.

Mussie

Nessie-like creature said to reside in Muskrat Lake. It most likely doesn't exist, and if it does, is more likely a sturgeon
. A handmade wooden tribute to Mussie can be found in front of the local Home Hardware Store. It stands 3 meters high and approximately 12 feet long, built by previous store owner Doug Schauer.

Ottawa Valley Pentecostal Camp

Ottawa Valley Pentecostal Camp is a Christian based family and children's camp at the bottom of Muskrat Lake. It has hosted many local community events with its year round facilities. Members of surrounding churches in the Ottawa area rent out trailers and stay at camp during the summer. OVPC is owned and operated by the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.

Notable people

  • NWHL
  • Robert Wellington Mayhew
    , the first Canadian ambassador to Japan
  • Delbert Lippert, Honorary Colonel, 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron[4]
  • Jack Quinn, National Hockey League Player, drafted 8th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres
  • Al Ritchie, Canadian football Hall of Famer
Cobden as seen from the south-east

References

  1. ^ "Census of Population". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  2. ^ Population calculated by combining Dissemination Blocks 35470243003 - 35470243007 and 35470244001 - 35470244019
  3. ^ "Distance between Ottawa, ON and Cobden, ON". www.distance-cities.com. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  4. ^ http://www.427squadron.com/news_file/lippert_bio_official.html
  • Regional Land Resource Study reis.agr.ca
  • History of Township of Ross, Prepared by: Herbert Ross
  • The Upper Ottawa Valley Glimpse of History by: Clyde C. Kennedy
  • Cobden Then and Now by: George A. Wallace

External links

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