Founding of Guelph The story of the founding of Guelph on April 23, 1827 is filled with theatrics and ominous preminitions. How could we expect less when our founding father is a Scottish novelist, explorer and entrepreneur. Galt travelled Europe with poet Lord Byron while writing his biography, and had a unique vision for his new town in the wilderness....
The Provincial Winter Fair Since its founding, Guelph has been a centre of excellence for agriculture. Early settlers included knowledgeable stock breeders (Howitt, Hood, Stone, Arkell, McCrae to name a few) who imported the finest pedigreed livestock including Suffolk and Clydesdale horses, Hereford cattle, Yorkshire and Berwickshire hogs and Costwold and Southdown sheep. Guelph's reputation led to our city...
The Invention of the "Jock Strap" One of Guelph's many famous inventions, the story of the "jock strap" is perhaps our most important contribution to athletic innovation. We cannot lay claim to being the first of its kind. The concept of a protection garment for men in sports was recorded in the 1870s in America, with a knitted tight designed...
The Burning of St. Patrick's Church Looking at Catholic Hill today, with the majestic and iconic Basilica of Our Lady presiding over the downtown, it is hard to imagine the frontier violence that was percolating in Guelph in the 1840s. The burning of St. Patrick's Church t was motivated by ethnic and political tension, at a time when British...
Canada's First Police Motorcycle When Guelph Police hired Officer Albert "Ted" Lamb (later Chief of Police) in 1925, he became the first motorcycle police officer in Canada. Lamb had acquired the vehicle during the First World War and brought it home to Guelph, where he found it to be useful in his new position. motorcycle officer using his own vehicle,...