Saturday, May 24, 2008

Elora, Ontario

Elora Gorge, OntarioElora, Ontario is on the Grand River, about 20 km northeast of Kitchener-Waterloo. It was incorporated as a village in 1858. In 1999, it was amalgamted with several other communities, including Fergus, Ontario, into the new Township of Centre Wellington (2006 pop 26,049).

Elora was founded by Captain William Gilkison (1777-1833) who was born in Irvine, Scotland, and emigrated to North America in 1796. He was a cousin of John Galt, founder of Guelph and Goderich, Ontario. In 1832, Gilkison purchased some 14,000 acres of land. The town site for his proposed settlement was laid out by Lewis Burwell, deputy provincial land surveyor, late in 1832, and the following year Gilkison established a sawmill and a general store.

Location of Elora, OntarioToday, Elora attracts tourists with its music festival, limestone architecture, river rafting and boutique shopping.

The mid-summer four-week Elora Festival, established in 1979, features classical choral music and jazz/blues.