Mount Forest, Ontario

Mount Forest is an unincorporated community located on the junction of the 6 and the 89 in the township of Wellington North, Ontario. The town's motto is "High, Healthy, Happy", which can be seen on the water tower when approaching the town from the south. As of the 2011 Canadian census the population of Mount Forest was just over 5,000.HistoryPrior to European settlement, present day Mount Forest was prime hunting ground for the Saugeen Ojibway peoples due to its location on the Saugeen River. Because of this, many sacred burial sites are believed to be located in the White Bluffs region of present-day Mount Forest.The village was originally known as Maitland Hills, because it was believed to be on the Maitland River system. This was incorrect; the village is on a height of land near the headwaters of the Saugeen River. The village name was changed to Mount Forest in 1853.The village was surveyed into lots in 1853 by Francis Kerr, PLS. By 1864, the population had grown to 1185 so that it qualified to be incorporated as a village. By 1879 it had become an incorporated town. The 1871 town directory stated that Mount Forest had ten hotels, eight churches and 18 stores. Later that year the railway was completed and the first train entered Mount Forest pulled by a wood-burning engine.A local newspaper, the Mount Forest Confederate, was first printed in 1867. For the first year, the newspaper was sent to village residents free of charge, but the second year it began charging 50 cents per year. The first public school was built in 1856. The first high school was originally in the Old Drill Hall, but was an unsuitable location because it was beside the Market Square where livestock sales were held monthly. In 1869, the population was 1700.