Human History In the Coves.

Bulletin Board at Elmwood Presbyterian Church - Fleck Hall
(See below for close up of individual selections)

A Brief History of the Coves
The area referred to as the "Cove" is an old meander of the Thames River that was identified by Governor John Graves Simcoe on his visit to this region on March 02, 1973.  The Governor was accompanied by his adjutant Major Edward Barker Littlehale, his personal secretary Lieutenant Thomas Talbot and Joseph Brant the paramount Chieftain of the Mohawks.  No one is quite sure about the origins of the name but it is suspected that it may have been named after the Cove (Cobh) of Cork which was the port of departure for many early emigrants from Ireland.  It was subsequently owned by two pioneering families, the MacArthurs and the Bogues who farmed the property throughout most of the 19th century.

In the 1860's various Militia units (the 26th Battalion of the Middlesex Light Infantry, the First Hussars, the 7th Battalion of the London Light Infantry, the Royal Canadian Regiment) rented the land to practice shooting in the Cove and continued to do so until 1901.  The Crown then purchased the land through an Order-in Council signed by Prime Minister Sir Wilfred Laurier for use as a permanent shooting range for the various militia units and the regular battalions of the Canadian Armed Forces.

The Cove was from earliest times a popular picnic and recreational destination for both adults and venturesome local children and included activities such as ice skating, hockey and tobogganing in the winter months and fishing and boating in the warmer months.  In the summer of 1908 a group of boys camped out at the Coves and in the fall of that year formed what would become Troop No.1 of the London Council of Scouts Canada.  During most of the 1920-1930's ice was cut from the Coves by a local entrepreneur during the winter months and stored in barns for distribution in the summer to the homes in South London with ice boxes used for keeping food cool.  Subsequent to the end of World War 2 in 1945, Crown Assets an arm o the Federal Government decommissioned the shooting range and sold the land.  Very few who had the opportunity to experience the magic of the Coves have ever forgotten these experiences.

The major purchaser of the land was a family named Wolfe.  There were several smaller purchasers but the Wolfe Family owned by far the most significant portion, being approximately 68 acres.  Other purchasers were the Ruppe Family, the Tipple Family and the German Canadian Club.

Shortly after purchase of the property, the Wolfe Family began the manufacture of paint under the names of Alma Paints and subsequently Almatex paints.  Sometime in the eighties, Almatex Paint was sold to an international corporation named Lilley Industries headquartered in France and in the year 2000, Valspar Corporation, headquartered in USA purchased Lilley Industries.

The plant in London was closed almost immediately and in 2004 the buildings were demolished and the land put on the market.  The single remaining building was demolished in 2013.  The Valspar company has been recently purchased by Sherwin Williams and the Valspar property became Sherwin Williams officially on June 1st, 2017.

Following the annexation of 1996 and the creation of a new City Plan the Cove was declared an Environmentally Significant Area (ESA).  The City currently owns almost 50% of the land within the boundaries of the ESA and is constructing a significant Gateway to the Coves ESA at Elmwood Ave.  and Wharcliffe Rd. S.  The Conservation Master Plan for the Coves ESA has been completed and was presented to Council in October of 2014.  The plan was approved unanimously.

The Coves ESA has an incredibly rich Cultural Heritage in addition to all the other environmental features that are required for an ESA designation.  The Plan for the Coves ESA is available on the facebook site, Friends of the Coves Subwatershed Inc. for those who are interested in more detail.  We are hopeful that this plan will protect this amazing place for the foreseeable future and that future generations will enjoy the flora and fauna as much as those generations past.  There will be rules of course but these rules will only help to ensure the protection of this long neglected treasure. (the above historic description was found in a file in the Friends of the Coves office and was not written by me, Bonnie Stocking)





















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