# Jarvis, Ontario

Jarvis is a small community in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada.
This community is located near the towns of Simcoe, Townsend, Cayuga, Port Dover and Hagersville. Highway 3 and Highway 6 form a crossroads near the centre of the community.

## History

Jarvis is located on land originally granted to William Jarvis, Provincial Secretary of Upper Canada from 1792 to 1817.
On May 24, 1873, a fire destroyed a quarter of the town. Although there were no deaths a large amount of wooden structures in town were destroyed.
The town was much bigger in the early 1900s, featuring 4 churches, 4 hotels, 5 blacksmiths, a school, brickyard, and cheese factories.
On September 26, 1991, a natural gas explosion occurred at a residence in town, injuring the homeowner. The then population of 1300 people were evacuated for 4 days. Natural gas lines, electricity lines, and phone lines into town were disabled until the all clear was given.

## Demographics
### Ethnicity

Only those ethnicities which compose more than 1% of the population have been included.
Ethnic Groups in the Community of Jarvis, Ontario (2021) :
| Ethnic Group | 2021 | 2021 | 2016 | 2016 |
| Ethnic Group | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| Canadian | 275 | 22.65% | 460 | 44.36% |
| English | 370 | 30.48% | 460 | 44.36% |
| Irish | 305 | 25.12% | 260 | 25.07% |
| Scottish | 235 | 19.36% | 265 | 25.55% |
| French | 30 | 2.47% | 140 | 13.5% |
| German | 220 | 18.12% | 185 | 17.84% |
| Italian | 85 | 7% | 30 | 2.89% |
| Ukrainian | 20 | 1.65% | 35 | 3.38% |
| Dutch | 110 | 9.06% | 75 | 7.23% |
| Polish | 45 | 3.71% | 25 | 2.41% |
| Québécois | 30 | 2.47% | 0 | 0% |
| French Canadian | 15 | 1.24% | | |
| Russian | 25 | 2.06% | 0 | 0% |
| Norwegian | 15 | 1.24% | 0 | 0% |
| Welsh | 30 | 2.47% | 20 | 1.93% |
| Portuguese | 40 | 3.29% | 0 | 0% |
| American | 20 | 1.65% | 10 | 0.96% |
| Hungarian | 35 | 2.88% | 15 | 1.45% |
| Total responses | 1,275 | 105.02% | 1,065 | 102.7% |
| Total population | 1,214 | 100% | 1,037 | 100% |
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses. |||||

### Language

As of the 2021 census, there were 1,185 citizens that spoke English only and 25 that spoke both official languages.

### Religion

As of the 2021 census, there were 770 and 495 as non-religious and secular perspectives.

## Education

Schools include Jarvis Community Christian School (a member of the Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools) and Jarvis Public School.
Jarvis Public School has 22 students enrolled in grade 6 as of the 2017-18 school year. Slightly over 18% of the students at Jarvis Public School have some form of developmental disability. Grade 3 and 6 students at Jarvis Public perform the best at writing and the worst at mathematics. Recent testing has indicated that 40% of Jarvis Public School students in grade 3 and grade 6 are experiencing troubles coping with the current Ontario curriculum. Female students have somewhat of a greater edge over the male students in reading; but the gulf between the male students and the female students is not so significant in math.

## Business

Businesses in the town of Jarvis include a gas station, a microbrewery, several restaurants, and two convenience stores. Jarvis also has a community centre that holds Jack and Jills along with weddings and other events.
There is also a car dealership that also sells motorcycle trikes, a flower store, a new and gently used children's clothing shop along with a butcher shop and bakery. There was only one bank in Jarvis (CIBC), which had served Jarvis since 1898 and officially closed on May 24, 2018, due to lack of business.

## Royal Canadian Air Force Station Jarvis

During World War II the Royal Canadian Air Force built and operated No. 1 Bombing & Gunnery School as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan on a 600-acre site 6 kilometers southeast of Jarvis. A historical plaque on Concession 2 Walpole marks the location, and the reverse side of the plaque lists the names of the thirty-eight Commonwealth airmen and one civilian who died while serving at No. 1 B&GS.
The air station appears in the 1942 Hollywood movie Captains of the Clouds.