Merlin, Ontario
| Merlin | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated community | |
 |
|
| Coordinates: 42°14′28″N 82°13′50″W / 42.24111°N 82.23056°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
|
| Province |
 Ontario
|
| Municipality | Chatham-Kent |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Forward sortation area | N0P 1W0 |
| Area code(s) | 519 and 226 |
| NTS Map | 040J01 |
| GNBC Code | FEBSL |
Merlin is a small farming community inhabited by 750 residents located in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It lies five kilometres due north off the shores of Lake Erie in the municipality of Chatham-Kent.
Merlin is the hometown of country music singer Michelle Wright.
The town has three main streets branching out from the main intersection. Erie Street (Merlin Town Line) runs north and south through the centre of town. William Street begins at the main intersection and travels west toward the town of Tilbury while Aberdeen Street travels east from the main intersection toward the hamlet of South Buxton.
The town once was home to both a high school and elementary school. However, after enrollment fell below 100 students, Merlin District High School, located on William Street and home to the Merlin Mavericks, closed around 1980 and was subsequently torn down. Merlin Area Public School, home of the Merlin Colts still operates at the northern edge of town on Erie Street. The school opened in 1968 and has a present enrollment of approximately 250 students. The Merlin Library is located on Aberdeen Street, and has books and internet access.
Merlin was the site of one of the last segregated schools in Canada. The laws in Ontario and Nova Scotia governing black separate schools were not repealed until the mid-1960s, and the last segregated schools to close were in Merlin in 1965 and in Nova Scotia in 1983.
Merlin did have an Ontario Provincial Police detachment located at Blake and Erie Street South, but the police station closed in the 1990s. The building is now occupied by the Chatham-Kent Fire Department after renovations to meet the department requirements.
People in Merlin mainly play fastball (the game using a softball, NOT the pitch) and has a rich fastball history and has built a reputation as one of the province's most recognized powers in the sport.
The Kinsmen have a charter in Merlin and have a Park which has a playground, splash pad, shelters and two baseball diamonds located in the Northeastern area of the town.
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Wikipedia