Aylmer is a town in Elgin County in southern Ontario, Canada, just north of Lake Erie, on Catfish Creek. It is south of Highway 401.
Aylmer is surrounded by Malahide Township.
History
In October 1817, John Van Patter, an immigrant from New York State, obtained 200 acres (80 hectares) of land and became the first settler on the site of Aylmer. During the 1830s a general store was opened and village lots sold. Originally called Troy, in 1835 it was renamed Aylmer after Lord Aylmer, then Governor-in-Chief of British North America. By 1851 local enterprises included sawmills and flour-mills powered by water from Catfish Creek. Aided by easy access to Lake Erie, Aylmer became by the mid-1860s the marketing centre for a rich agricultural and timber producing area. Benefiting greatly from the construction of the 230 km (150 mile) Canada Air Line Railway from Glencoe to Fort Erie, Aylmer became an incorporated village in 1872 and a town in 1887.
A Royal Canadian Air Force Training Facility, RCAF Station Aylmer was located just north of Aylmer in Malahide Township from 1941 to 1961. This station is now home to the Ontario Police College and The Aylmer Wildlife Management Area.
Former mayor Robert Habkirk (1994–2003) was again elected the mayor of Aylmer on November 13, 2006, to a four-year term. He was defeated by the former principal of East Elgin Secondary School, Jack Couckuyt, by a wide margin on October 25, 2010.
In 2004, a new arena, the East Elgin Community Complex, was completed to house the many hockey leagues in town. The Old Town Hall which houses the library, also has a restored theatre which houses occasional plays. For history buffs, the Aylmer Museum houses a collection of 19th century Victorian art pieces created from hair.
In 2007, Communities in Bloom, a nationwide beautification program, awarded Aylmer first place in Canada in the 5001 to 10,000 population category.
The community drew attention during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic when a local church held drive-in worship services where parishioners remained in their vehicles. The services were considered by Aylmer Police to be in possible violation of provincial restrictions on public gatherings but they opted not to levy fines of up to 100,000 CAD. In November that year, Aylmer was the site of a 2000-person demonstration against COVID-19 related restrictions.
Mennonite and Amish communities
In the mid-1970s, many Plautdietsch-speaking Mennonites began migrating to the Aylmer area from Mexico. The Mennonites were Canadian citizens who had moved to Mexico from Manitoba and Saskatchewan during the first half of the 20th century. By the early 21st century, there was a large Mennonite population in Aylmer and the surrounding area. In addition to the Mennonite population there are sizable Dutch, German, and British descended populations in the area.
Just east of Aylmer is a sizable Old Order Amish community. This community was founded by families moving from Ohio in 1953. They were uncomfortable with a nuclear facility being constructed close to their community in Ohio. Since that time, the community has grown to encompass three "districts" in the surrounding area. A number of members from this community participate in the weekly Aylmer Sales Barn and sell fruit, vegetables, eggs, and animals, such as rabbits and chickens. This particular Amish community eschews the use of automobiles, electricity, and most modern conveniences. An Amish publishing house, Pathway Publishers, is based in the community.
Tobacco industry
The tobacco-growing industry played a large part in the economic development of Aylmer. Imperial Tobacco Canada built a plant in Aylmer in the mid-1940s. At its peak, Imperial employed more than 800 full-time and seasonal workers. After declining tobacco sales in Canada, Imperial began downsizing in the 1990s. In October 2005, Imperial Tobacco announced that the Aylmer and Guelph, Ontario, plants would close. The plant closed permanently in July 2007, putting the remaining 75 employees out of work.