Bancroft (Ontario)

Bancroft is a town of 4,000 people (2021) in a large rural area in eastern Ontario, 100 km north of Belleville. Much of the region around Bancroft is cottage country, with many snowmobile, hiking and ATV trails.

Understand

The town was once a centre for logging, trapping and mining; uranium mining began in the 1950s and ended in 1982. The town bills itself as the "mineral capital of Canada" and is part of the Canadian Shield.

History

By 1823, the government had purchased nearly two million acres of land from the Chippewa and Mississauga First Nations including a tract on the York River in Hastings County which had been established in 1792. The area was mapped in 1835 by explorer David Thompson.

The first family to build a cabin here, the Clarks in 1853, did so to take advantage of the fur trade. Early settlers James Cleak and Alfred Barker from England who arrived in 1855, settling on Quarry Lake. They got jobs in administration; Cleak opened a small store and Barker became the first postmaster. Over the years the settlement grew quickly; there were 89 families by 1868. Lumber companies arrived to remove timber.

Some of the earliest settlers were United Empire Loyalists, but from 1856 to 1861, most were from Ireland, fleeing the problems caused by the Great Famine (Ireland); many had farming experience and settled in the Township of Dungannon where the land was fertile. Most of the settlers were attracted to the area by the offer of free 100-acre (0.40 km²) parcels that had been advertised in Great Britain. Some of the residents also sold furs, obtained through trapping.

The settlement had various names over the first years, York Mills, York River and York Branch; when the post office opened in 1861 it was called York River. A grist mill opened in 1865, gold was discovered in 1866 and other minerals would be discovered later. The first church and two schools were built in 1870. In 1879 the name of the settlement was changed to Bancroft by Senator Billa Flint, after the maiden name of his wife. Flint convinced tradesmen to move to the area and that helped to attract more settlers. A woolen mill began operating in 1884.

The Central Ontario Railway arrived in 1900, and in 1903, a second railway, the Bancroft, Irondale and Ottawa Railway, built a line through here. They were beneficial in transporting settlers and goods; the railway would operate here until 1982.

Uranium was discovered in 1949 and construction of the first mine (Faraday) started in 1952. The very large Madawaska Mine operated until 1982. Other minerals were also mined over the years. The closing of the mine caused some economic hardship.

Get in

By car

Bancroft is on Ontario Highway 62, midway between Belleville and Algonquin Provincial Park. From Peterborough, take Highway 28.

By plane

Bancroft is served by the Jack Brown Airport, an aerodrome (CNW3), with a 2,200 foot (670 m) crushed gravel runway, adjoining the town. It is freely available to the general public. Due to high terrain near both ends of the runway, pilots typically use a non-standard circuit, following the York River valley through the town for departing from runway 12 or landing on runway 30.

Get around

See
  • 🌍 Bancroft Mineral Museum, 8 Hastings Heritage Way, ☏ +1 613-332-1513. The Bancroft Gem and Mineral Club displays examples of minerals from within a 100 km radius of Bancroft. Part of the building is the town's former railway station, restored and moved from its original location. $5, children under 15 free. (updated Jun 2018)
  • 🌍 Bancroft North Hastings Heritage Museum, 26B Station Street, ☏ +1 613-332-1884, . Jul Aug: daily 10AM-5PM, Sep-Jun: Tu-Th 10AM-4PM. Ten galleries of the community’s history. Many artifacts displayed in the galleries have been donated over the years by people of the area, reflecting a rich local history. Artifacts range from Victorian costumes and mineral collections to agricultural tools and early doctors and dentistry equipment. (updated Nov 2022)
  • 🌍 A PLACE for the ARTS, 23 Bridge ST. West ​Bancroft, Ontario K0L 1C0, . A PLACE for the ARTS (APFTA) is located, in Bancroft, Ontario on the scenic Bridge Street, surrounded by restaurants and cafes, and just a short walk from the Art Gallery of Bancroft (AGB) and the historic Village Playhouse Theatre. With over 40 members, our Society of Artists is a vibrant community of creatives, who are eager to share their work and inspiration.

    Our main area, The Gallery, features new art each month. Our Annex Gallery features a slew of monthly solo and group exhibitions. Grab a fresh espresso from the Cafe next door and bring it in with you. Our space is an excellent place to meet a friend and explore art!     (updated Jan 2024)

Do
  • 🌍 Silent Lake Provincial Park, 1589 Silent Lake Park Road, Bancroft (south, off Hwy 28), ☏ +1 613-339-2807. Lake with swimming, hiking, cycling, canoeing, camping and cross-country ski trails. No motorised vessels permitted on lake. Silent Lake has a rocky and undeveloped shoreline, a mixed forest and marshes full of birds and wildlife best seen by canoe. A rugged trail circles the lake, and sections of groomed ski trails have been graded for mountain biking. 
  • 🌍 Village Playhouse, 5 Hastings St, ☏ +1 613-478-6060, . Live theatre in former Bancroft Community Hall, historically a local jail, court house and library. (updated Mar 2023)
  • The former Central Ontario Railway line to Trenton is now the 🌍 Hastings Heritage Trail. It passes through downtown at Station St, heading north to Maynooth, and south through the rural parts of Quinte-Northumberland.

Events
  • Bancroft Area Oktoberfest, Bancroft District Fish & Game Protective Association, 27602 Hwy 62 South, ☏ +1 613-338-2529. Oktoberfest with German food, music, contests and prizes. $40-45. 
  • Rockhound Gemboree, North Hastings Community Centre (103 Newkirk Blvd) and the Curling Club (63 Newkirk Blvd). Annual, end of July. 
  • Rally of the Tall Pines. An annual event on the roads around Bancroft, usually in November, part of the Canadian Rally Championship. 

Buy

See gemstones for background information,

  • 🌍 Lakeside Gems, 44 Hastings St N, ☏ +1 613-334-9668, . A large selection of semi-precious gem stones, minerals, rock-hounding tools, rock tumblers, jewellery, gifts, decor, metaphysical stuff. (updated Jun 2018)
  • 🌍 Princess Sodalite Mine Rock Shop, 31241 Hwy 28 East, ☏ +1 613-332-8274. May-early Oct: daily 10AM-5PM. Beginner to museum quality local and world-wide minerals and an expanding selection of fossil specimens. Candle holders in wood and stone, stone bookends, carvings and wind chimes. books relating to metaphysical, crystals and spirituality. Pendulums, wands, spheres, geometric shaped crystals, Introduction to Alternative Healing kits, meditation strands, singing bowls and a variety of Hindu and Buddhist statues. Healing crystals: Lemurian Quartz, Amegreen, Moldavite, Watermelon Tourmaline, Rutilated Quartz, Diopside, Celestite and Quantum Quatro. (updated Jun 2018)

Eat

Drink
  • 🌍 Bancroft Brewing Co., 4 Hastings St, ☏ +1 613-334-8154. M-Th 11AM-6PM, F 11AM-8PM, Sa noon-7PM, Su noon-4PM. Their beers are handcrafted with barley, hops and yeast in small batches to ensure the quality and distinctive tastes. Their water comes from deep within the Canadian Shield, bubbling up through the cracks in ancient granite, naturally adding minerals. (updated Jun 2018)

Sleep

Go next
  • Addington Highlands — a mostly rural area with some of the darkest skies in southern Ontario, attracting stargazers to public dark sky viewing areas.
  • Algonquin Provincial Park — about an hour away on Highway 62 N - Highway 127 N - Highway 60 W provides camping and hiking opportunities, beautiful forest and outdoor scenery. Portaging is quite common in this park. Algonquin has a rocky, treed and extensive undeveloped shoreline, a mixed forest and marshes full of birds and wildlife best seen by canoe. Trails through the park provide easy winter access by snowmobile.
  • Buckhorn, Lakefield and Stoney Lake - to the southeast, on the way to Peterborough, home to Petroglyphs Provincial Park.
  • Haliburton Highlands and the Kawarthas— lakes and rivers on this part of the Canadian Shield attract outdoor adventurers looking for a less crowded cottage experience than found in some of Ontario's other cottage country destinations.
Routes through Bancroft
Belleville ← Madoc ←  S  N  → Maynooth → Algonquin Provincial Park
Peterborough ← Lakefield ←  SW  NE  → Denbigh → END


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