Cobourg, OntarioCobourg (pop. 18,500) is a town located in Southern Ontario 95 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, 7 km (4 mi) to the west. It is located along Highway 401 (exits 472 and 474) and the former Highway 2 (now Northumberland County Road 2). To the south Cobourg borders Lake Ontario, while to the north, east and west, it is surrounded by Hamilton Township. Cobourg retains its small-town atmosphere, in part due to the downtown and surrounding residential area's status as a Heritage Conservation District. The downtown is a well-preserved example of a traditional small-town main street. Cobourg has a multitude of beautiful, well maintained parks. The Cobourg Waterfront Festival, held in Victoria Park and the nearby beach and harbour, is an annual arts and crafts event occurring on Canada Day. It began in 1987 as a part of the town's sesquicentennial celebrations, and was conceived by the Art Gallery of Northumberland's former Director/Curator Peter Tulumello and former Concert Hall Manager Mark Finnan. The oldest building in the Town is currently being developed by the Cobourg Museum Foundation to be opened in 2012 as a local heritage centre. In addition to three high schools (Cobourg District Collegiate Institute East (CDCI EAST), CDCI West and St. Mary's Secondary School), Cobourg is home to a satellite campus of Fleming College. Food processing is the largest industry in Cobourg, and it is home to operations of companies like SABIC Innovative Plastics and Weetabix. The Cobourg Cougars play in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. |