Oakville Quiz
How did Sixteen Mile Creek get its name?
The creek is named for the distance from its mouth to the western end of Lake Ontario. The Mississauga called it a name meaning having two outlets, and the French called it the gravelly river.
Halton Region trivia
Fun facts about Oakville
22 facts and quiz questions about Oakville, Ontario. Each one links to its source. A new fact of the day goes live every morning.
Fact of the day
Oakville History
What event did Oakville's first electric lights light up in 1889?
Oakville's first electric lights went up in 1889 on the west bank of Sixteen Mile Creek, in the area now called Harbour Grove. They lit a temperance rally.
Source: Wikipedia, Oakville, Ontario
Oakville People
Who became Oakville's first mayor in 1857?
George King Chisholm, a son of town founder William Chisholm, became Oakville's first mayor in 1857. His brother Robert Kerr Chisholm served a term as mayor in 1866.
Source: Wikipedia, William Chisholm (Upper Canada politician)
Oakville Quiz
When did the first car plant open on the Ford site in Oakville?
The first car plant on the site opened in 1953 and built nearly all of Ford's Canadian vehicles until 1966. The complex covers 487 acres beside the Queen Elizabeth Way.
Source: Wikipedia, Oakville Assembly
Oakville Quiz
Which golf legend designed Glen Abbey Golf Course?
Glen Abbey was the first solo course design by Jack Nicklaus, in 1976. It has hosted the Canadian Open 30 times since 1977, more than any other course, and is home to Golf Canada and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
Oakville Sports
What famous shot did Tiger Woods hit on Glen Abbey's 18th hole?
In the final round of the 2000 Canadian Open, Woods hit a six-iron 218 yards from a fairway bunker, over a pond, to about 18 feet from the hole. He went on to win the tournament.
Oakville Quiz
True or false: you need a ticket to see the Downtown Oakville Jazz Festival.
The Downtown Oakville Jazz Festival, held every summer since 1992, is free. Its stages line Lakeshore Road in the downtown.
Source: Wikipedia, Oakville, Ontario
Oakville Quiz
True or false: Oakville is the largest town in Ontario.
Oakville counted 213,759 people in the 2021 Census, up 10.3 percent from 2016, which makes it Ontario's largest town. It is also the seat of Halton Region.
Source: Wikipedia, Oakville, Ontario
Oakville Places
What giant feature once stood at the centre of Oakville Place?
When Oakville Place opened in March 1981, its centrepiece was a clock 12 feet tall and weighing 6,000 pounds that chimed every quarter-hour. It was removed in 2016 after a change of owner.
Source: Wikipedia, Oakville Place
Oakville Culture
Who is Sheridan College, with its Trafalgar Campus in Oakville, named after?
Sheridan College takes its name from the hamlet of Sheridan, which was named after the British playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Its Oakville campus opened in 1970 and holds the college's administration.
Source: Wikipedia, Sheridan College
Oakville Places
Which two Oakville roads are named after its twin cities?
Dorval Drive honours Dorval, Quebec, twinned with Oakville in 1957. Neyagawa Boulevard honours Neyagawa in Japan, twinned in 1984, which in turn named an apartment complex after Oakville.
Source: Wikipedia, Oakville, Ontario
Oakville History
What was stonehooking in early Bronte?
Crews in boats hooked flat slabs of stone from the shallow lake bed near shore for use in building. A house at 49 Bronte Road, built around 1840, still shows stone taken from the lake this way.
Source: Wikipedia, Bronte, Ontario
Oakville Quiz
What was Trafalgar Township, now part of Oakville, named after?
Created in 1806, the township took its name from Cape Trafalgar, where Horatio Nelson led the British fleet to victory. The name lives on in Trafalgar Road.
Source: Wikipedia, Trafalgar Township
Oakville Culture
Which national weather channel broadcasts from Oakville?
The Weather Network has broadcast across Canada from Oakville since 2005. Its owner, Pelmorex Media, has its head office in the town.
Sources: Wikipedia, Oakville, Ontario, Wikipedia, The Weather Network
Oakville History
Which villages joined Oakville in 1962?
In 1962 the town merged with Bronte, Palermo, Sheridan and the rest of Trafalgar Township to form the new Town of Oakville. It then reached north as far as Steeles Avenue.
Source: Wikipedia, Oakville, Ontario
Oakville History
How many students did Appleby School have when it opened in 1911?
John Guest founded Appleby School on the Lake Ontario shore in 1911 with 29 students. It took the name Appleby College in 1941.
Source: Wikipedia, Appleby College
Oakville Nature
What historic house can visitors tour in Bronte Creek Provincial Park?
Spruce Lane Farmhouse, built in 1899, stands near the park's old apple orchards and is staffed by costumed guides in summer. The park also has a children's farm in a converted 19th-century barn.
Oakville History
Why is the Oakville village of Bronte called Bronte?
Founded in 1834 as a fishing village at the mouth of Twelve Mile Creek, Bronte honours Horatio Nelson, who was made Duke of Bronte by the King of Sicily. The word comes from the Greek for thunder.
Source: Wikipedia, Bronte, Ontario
Oakville Sports
Which Olympic paddlers trained at Oakville's Burloak Canoe Club?
Three Olympians, Adam van Koeverden, Mark Oldershaw and Larry Cain, trained at the Burloak Canoe Club in Oakville.
Source: Wikipedia, Oakville, Ontario
Oakville Places
When did the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts open?
The Oakville Centre opened downtown in 1977. It has a 470-seat auditorium and a 120-seat studio theatre, and it is home to the Oakville Symphony Orchestra and the Oakville Ballet Company.
Oakville Quiz
Who bought the land at the mouth of Sixteen Mile Creek in 1827 and laid out Oakville?
William Chisholm won an auction for 960 acres at the mouth of Sixteen Mile Creek in 1827, paying 1,029 pounds. Within a year he had laid out the town and built a shipyard and harbour.
Sources: Wikipedia, William Chisholm (Upper Canada politician), Wikipedia, Oakville, Ontario
Oakville History
What did William Chisholm open in Oakville in 1828?
Chisholm opened the town's first tavern in 1828, a sawmill in 1830 and a gristmill in 1833. He also served as customs collector and postmaster.
Source: Wikipedia, William Chisholm (Upper Canada politician)