Port Elgin, Ontario
| Town of Port Elgin | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Town of Port Elgin
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| Coordinates: 44°26′02″N 81°23′34″W / 44.43389°N 81.39278°WCoordinates: 44°26′02″N 81°23′34″W / 44.43389°N 81.39278°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| County | Bruce County |
| Municipality | Saugeen Shores |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.26 km2 (2.80 sq mi) |
| Population (2015) | |
| • Total | 12,500 |
| Not officially approximately | |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal code span | N0H |
| Area code(s) | (519) and (226) |
Port Elgin is a community in the Ontario municipality of Saugeen Shores. Close to MacGregor Point Provincial Park and Southampton in Bruce County, the community has several beaches on Lake Huron.
The community was named after James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin, a former Governor General of the Province of Canada, in 1873. Originally, the village was named Normanton. In the 1990s, Port Elgin was merged into the town of Saugeen Shores.
The original economic development of Port Elgin during the 19th century was based on its harbour facilities on Lake Huron constructed in 1857–1858. This made the village a distribution centre for the surrounding agricultural region. The increasing urbanisation of Ontario and the increased importance of the road network for transporting goods resulted in a declining economy and population. More recently, recreation and the nearby Bruce Nuclear Generating Station have dominated the local economy.
Notable citizens who have at one point called Port Elgin home:
Port Elgin is renowned for its beautiful sunsets. There is a common urban legend in Port Elgin that National Geographic selected the town as having the world's best sunsets. This has since been proven wrong. However, in 2007 CBC Television held a competition to discover the Seven Wonders of Canada. While not being in the top seven, Saugeen Shores and its sunsets were one the finalists.
Every year, on the first weekend in October, Port Elgin hosts a Pumpkinfest. Pumpkinfest is a competition between farmers to grow the largest pumpkin and other common farm crops. In 2004, a new record for the world's largest pumpkin (656 kg) was set at the festival. A new record (761 kg) was again set in 2009. Pumpkinfest also features a large classic car show that happens on both days of the festival.
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Wikipedia