CHESLEY, ONTARIO

'Chesley' is a small town in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada - governed under the Municipality of Arran-Elderslie. Its town slogan is "The Nicest Town Around". Chesley is located north of both Walkerton on Bruce Road 19 and Hanover on County Road 10. The town has its own High School called the Chesley District High School, a communtiy Public School called Kinghust Commuinty School, an arena, and several small, local stores. Several major franchises also exsist in the town, including New Orleans Pizza, Rona and Home Hardware, Rexall Drugs. The town's major source of employment is factory construction. A branch of Durham Furniture, a company which began in the neighbouring town of Durham exists as well as Crate Designs, A locally owned furniture manufacturing factory.
The town originally developed around mills built on the Saugeen River around 1858. It expanded further when it was connected to the Grand Trunk Railway in 1881. A great fire destroyed most of the original downtown core in 1888 it was restored and flourished. The town was named after Solomon Chesley, a former official in the Indian Department in Canada West. It is now an example of a typical rural Ontario community. The town is known for the statue of a giant bull on the North end of town which is affectionately known as "Big Bruce".
Recently the town has began to crate a network of walking trails that encompasses much of the towns existing infrastructure of walking paths. Known as the heritage trail, it spans over a large part of the town, and it's waterside parks.
Famous people from Chesley include:

★ Tommy Burns (boxer), World Heavyweight Champion 1906-1908

★ Mickey MacKay, NHL Hall of Fame, played 1914-1930

★ Paul MacDermid, NHL player 1981-1995

★ Ryan MacDonald, Former OHL hockey star and current member of the Newcastle Vipers

★ Victoria Pratt, Actress

★ Ryan Fraser, Saxophonist

★ Kevin Klerks, Poet

★ Rob Porter, Playwright