Point Edward is a village in the

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British Nor ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. Adjacent to the city of

Sarnia Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes where Lake Huron f ...

Lambton County Lambton County is a county in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is bordered on the north by Lake Huron, which is drained by the St. Clair River, the county's western border and part of the Canada-United States border. To the south is Lake Saint Cl ...

, Point Edward sits opposite

Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administered separately. Located along the St. Clair ...

and is connected to it by the

Blue Water Bridge The Blue Water Bridge is a twin-span international bridge across the St. Clair River that links Port Huron, Michigan, United States, and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Water Bridge connects Highway 402 in Ontario with both Interstate 69 ...

, at the meeting point of the St. Clair River and

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Straits of Mack ...

. Formerly called Huron, it was renamed in 1860 to mark the visit by the then Prince of Wales, later Edward VII. Incorporated 1879. In the

Canada 2016 Census The 2016 Canadian census was an enumeration of Canadian residents, which counted a population of 35,151,728, a change from its 2011 population of 33,476,688. The census, conducted by Statistics Canada, was Canada's seventh quinquennial census. ...

, the population of Point Edward was 2,037, an increase of 0.1 percent from its 2011 population of 2,034. In the summer of 2003, Point Edward celebrated its 125th anniversary.

Municipal government

The current mayor of Point Edward is Bev Hand. In the late 1980s, the provincial government initiated a plan to

amalgamate Amalgamation is the process of combining or uniting multiple entities into one form. Amalgamation, amalgam, and other derivatives may refer to: Mathematics and science * Amalgam (chemistry), the combination of mercury with another metal **Pan ama ...

Point Edward with the larger city of Sarnia, although many residents opposed the merger and the plan was abandoned in 1991. Even under the

Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (french: Parti progressiste-conservateur de l'Ontario), often shortened to the Ontario PC Party or simply the PCs, colloquially known as the Tories, is a centre-right political party in Ontario, Canada ...

government of

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

Mike Harris Michael Deane Harris (born January 23, 1945) is a Canadian retired politician who served as the 22nd premier of Ontario from 1995 to 2002 and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PC Party) from 1990 to 2002. During his time ...

, which forced amalgamations of many municipalities in the province (including of many towns which were geographically distinct settlements) in the late 1990s, Point Edward remained untouched. Despite this, some municipal government services in Point Edward are provided on contract by the city of Sarnia. For example, Point Edward is served by both Sarnia Transit and Bluewater Power Distribution, Sarnia's municipally-owned

hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

provider.

Economy

Most businesses in Point Edward are independently owned. The only franchises located in the village are hotels and the Gateway Casino Point Edward.

Gateway Casino Point Edward

The Gateway Point Edward Casino is located on the Village of Point Edward's waterfront on Venetian Boulevard. The casino holds over 450 slot machines and tables, and takes pride for being involved within the community. It sponsors town events and helps the surrounding economy by offering and creating jobs and purchasing goods locally. Funds and game revenue are directly paid to the municipal government of Point Edward for hosting the casino, generating 33.4 million dollars to date for Point Edward's economy. The establishment also has an in-casino restaurant called Getaway which seats its guests both inside and outside, viewing the

waterfront. The casino was built reusing the frame of an abandoned 1950s

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

shed, as it was located right next to the St. Clair River.

Local Business

Albert's Rolling Lunch

A recent fry truck turned restaurant, Albert's now occupies a store on Point Edward’s downtown waterfront on the corner of Michigan and Livingston Street. This two-part business consists of an eatery and ice cream shop serving French fries and barbecued favourites as well as various flavours of ice cream. Albert's offers a well-sized dining area indoors as well as a picnic area just outside of the building, overlooking Waterfront Park.

The Cheese Wedge

The Cheese Wedge is located in the plaza on the corner of Michigan and Arthur Street. It houses a wide variety of cheeses and hosts public tastings every week.

Ice Cream Galore

Originated in 1977, Ice Cream Galore is a household favourite ice-creamery that is located at the heart of Point Edward, on the corner of Michigan and St. Clair Street. The Galore offers a wide variety of ice cream served in their home made waffle cones. Also, a selection of ice cream cakes and beverages are available to customers for any occasions.

The Watermark

The Watermark Bistro is a locally-owned pub and restaurant located in downtown Point Edward. The Bistro offers a diverse food and drink menu with a unique appetizer selection, one that cannot be found anywhere else in Lambton County. The restaurant holds a cozy inside seating area as well as a small outdoor patio overlooking the downtown strip. A daily promotional "Splashy Hour" is advertised from 3:006:00p.m. that offers half off drinks and appetizers during that time.

Bridge Tavern

The Bridge Tavern was a locally-owned fish fry and pub. Operated by Vicky and John Brodimas, it opened in 1959 and closed on June 30, 2016. It was the "oldest establishment in Point Edward, a household name and local favourite eatery". In 1987, the restaurant added a large banquet room, bringing up total capacity to 200 seats. Live entertainment included Big Kenny, and then Joan Spalding and her band played in the last 16 years. It was also famous for its Bridge Tavern

butter tart A butter tart (french: tarte au beurre) is a type of small pastry tart highly regarded in Canadian cuisine. The sweet tart consists of a filling of butter, sugar, syrup, and egg, baked in a pastry shell until the filling is semi-solid with a c ...

s. However there was stiff competition from the Casino and there were no buyers for the business. The former building was torn down after several structural deficiencies were discovered inside the restaurant, office and second-level apartments.

Arena

The Point Edward Arena is a year round facility consisting of an ice rink with an attached recreational hall . It hosts ice hockey and figure skating events in the winter as well as specialized flooring for other sports held in the summer. The facility is open for rent to the public for special events and tournament hosting. The Point Edward Arena is also the home of the Point Edward Blackhawks Minor Hockey Team.

Events

Point Edward hosts a number of events on its waterfront year-round, attracting participants locally and from other cities.

Mackinac Pancake Breakfast

In the midst of summer events in Lambton County, the Rotary Club of Sarnia hosts the annual public Mackinac Pancake Breakfast alongside the Mackinac sail race that runs through Point Edward’s riverfront during July. Guests from all over the county come participate in the breakfast while enjoying the scenic surroundings of Point Edward, and the numbers are only growing. Rain or shine, members of the club work to serve pancakes, sausages and coffee to over 2,000 guests who come to enjoy the races that weekend. This year, the funds are pledged to support the building of a public splash pad for the village.

Bridge Bash

During the Mackinac events, Point Edward’s Optimist Club hosts a three-night concert event with a program starring upcoming out-of-town and local acts. Bridge Bash, entertains the concert goers through both country and rock and roll performances on separate nights. The event holds a general and V.I.P. area which offers a selection of barbecue food items for all guests and alcohol based vendors for those in the V.I.P sections. Admissions and donations are contributed to the production of the splash pad for Point Edward’s waterfront.

The Moon Light Farmer's Market

The 2015 summer brings a new attraction under the

at Point Edward’s waterfront that supports local businesses and farmers. The Moon Light Farmers market consists of vendors of all different types of food and produce set up along the Michigan Street pathway every Thursday night beginning at 4:00p.m. This new addition to Point Edward brings awareness of local businesses and contributes to increasing interest in the village’s downtown area.

Schools

Point Edward is home to Bridgeview Public School. It was opened in the late 1940s to house the growing number of children in the village. The previous school was located where Optimist Park currently is. Bridgeview houses grades from junior kindergarten to Grade 8. It also has one of the best outfitted classroom facilities for special needs students in

Southwestern Ontario Southwestern Ontario is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It occupies most of the Ontario Peninsula bounded by Lake Huron, including Georgian Bay, to the north and northwest; the St. Clair River, Lake ...

. The

Lambton Kent District School Board The Lambton Kent District School Board (known as English-language Public District School Board No. 10 prior to 1999) is the school board responsible for public education in Lambton County and Kent County. Lambton and Kent Counties are made up of ...

has closed a number of elementary schools due to low capacity, although Bridgeview remains open because of the highly valued special needs facilities.

Transportation

Federal Bridge Corporation The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL; french: La société des ponts fédéraux Limitée) is the name of two successive Canadian federal Crown corporations. The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited is responsible for operating and managing ...

operates and maintains the

, a twin-span bridge across the Saint Clair River to Michigan, along with its associated customs and immigration facilities. The company has bought and closed several houses along St. Clair and Alexandra Ave. It owns and maintains a great deal of land in Point Edward, but there is little room left for expansion.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultu ...

, Point Edward had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Parks

* Waterfront Park * Veterans Memorial Park * Simpson Street Park * Elks Park * Optimist Park * Helena Street Park * Hillier Park * McCrae Park * Tennis Courts

Notable residents

* Brad Boston, sailor who competed in the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

* Don Burgess, ice hockey left winger * William Guthrie, member of the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Member of Provincial ...

Duke Harris George Francis "Duke" Harris (February 25, 1942 – August 2, 2017) was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 26 games in the National Hockey League during the 1967–68 season with the Minnesota North Stars and Toronto Maple ...

, ice hockey right winger * Peter Mara, ice hockey forward

References

External links

* {{Authority control Villages in Ontario Lower-tier municipalities in Ontario Municipalities in Lambton County Populated places on Lake Huron in Canada