Ridgeway, Ontario
| Ridgeway | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated Community | |
| Coordinates: 42°53′1.0104″N 79°03′26.751″W / 42.883614000°N 79.05743083°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
|
| Province |
 Ontario
|
| Regional Municipality | Niagara |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (Fort Erie) | Wayne Redekop |
| • MP | Rob Nicholson (CPC) |
| • MPP | Wayne Gates (NDP) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 166.24 km2 (64.19 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 29,960 (Fort Erie) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal code span | L0S 1N0 |
| Area code(s) | 905, 289, 365 |
| Website | www.ridgewayont.ca |
Ridgeway is a small, unincorporated village in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. The community is within the Niagara Regional Municipality. It used to be the seat of government for Bertie Township within Welland County. Ridgeway is now a part of the Town of Fort Erie. In recent years the rail line has been converted to a walking and cycling trail, part of a trail system circling the Niagara region.
Ridgeway takes its name from the limestone ridge which runs through it from north to south. The main street of town aptly named Ridge Road, follows this ridge, and was part of one of the first two wagon trails in Bertie Township, connecting Point Abino on Lake Erie to Miller’s Creek on the Niagara River.
Ridgeway was settled by the United Empire loyalists in the late 18th-century, and was originally a farming community. In the 1850s the Buffalo, Brantford and Goderich Railway line was put through, and service industries began to develop around the train stop on Ridge Road. The business district spread north from there towards Dominion Road. In 1873 the post office was opened, having been moved from Point Abino.
It is notable for being the location of the 1866 Battle of Ridgeway, resulting from a raid by the Irish-American Fenian Brotherhood near the intersection of Ridge and Garrison Roads on June 2, 1866. Irish-American revolutionaries known as Fenians invaded Canada as part of an attempt to oust the British and create an independent Irish republic. This was the largest of these border skirmishes. Canadian militiamen under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Booker arrived by train and marched to battle the invaders. The Fenians retired to Fort Erie and returned to Buffalo the same night. The Battle of Ridgeway shocked the country, spurring improvements to Canada’s defenses, and helping to bolster the movement for confederation, which took place the next year.
Ridgeway is home to the Ridgeway Shores Golf Club and Cherry Hill Country Club which once hosted the Canadian Open golf tournament.
Within the Town of Fort Erie, the Village of Ridgeway offers Victorian charm to visitors and residents. The Ridgeway Summer Festival is held every year on the second weekend in July. The streets are closed off, and thousands of visitors stroll the historical downtown enjoying music, food, vendors, and shows. An event called Spirit of Christmas is held on the first weekend in December, Friday evening and Saturday only, featuring horse-drawn carriage rides, school choirs singing outdoors, Victorian carollers, strolling Santa, food and more.
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Wikipedia